is solid, bul-nectar liquid nutriment; which Plato also indicates when he says that the charioteer places before the horses ambrosia and afterwards gives them nectar to drink. Hence the nutriment of nectar manifests the unrestrained and indissoluble nature of providence, and its pro- ceeding to all things in an unpolluted manner. But the nutriment of ambrosia manifests stability, and a firm settlement in more excellent natures. From both these however, it is evident that the Gods both abide and proceed to all things, and that neither their undeviating nature, and which is without conversion to subordinate beings, is unpro- lific, nor their prolific power and progression is unstable ; but abiding they proceed, and being established in the divinities prior to themselves, they provide for secondary natures without being contaminated. Nectar aud ambrosia therefore, are the perfections of the Gods, so far as they are Gods; but other things are the perfections of intellect, nature, and bodies. Hence Plato having assumed these in souk,, calls the souls [which are nourished with these,] Gods. For so far as they also parti- cipate of the Gods, so far they are filled with nectar and ambrosia. These however in their progressions have a bipartite division ; the one hideed, being the supplier to the Gods of stable and firm perfection; but the other, of undeviating providence, of liberated administration, aud of an unenvving and abundant communication of good, according to the two principles of the whole of things, which preside over a distribution of this kind. For it must be admitted that ambrosia is indeed analogous to bound, but nectar to infinity. Hence the one is as it were humid, and not bounded from itself ; but the other is as it were solid, and has u boundary from itself. Nectar therefore is prolific, and is perfective 01 the secondary presence of the Gods, and is the cause of power, of a vigour which provides for the whole of things, and of infinite and never- failing supply. But ambrosia is stable perfection, is similar to bound, is the cause to the Gods of an establishment in themselves, and is the supplier of firm and undeviating intellection. Prior to both these how- ever, is the one fountain of perfection, and seat to all the Gods, which Plato calls nutriment, and the banquet, and delicious food, as uuically perfecting indeed the divided multitude of the Gods* but converting all
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things to itself through divine intelligence. For feu* [the banquet] indeed manifests the divided distribution of divine nutriment; but 5»<^ [dehcious food] the united conversion ©f the whole of things to it. For it w the intellectual perception of the Gods, So far as they are Gods. But nutriment connectedly contains both these powers, being the plenitude of intelligible goods, and the uniform perfection of divine seltsuihaency.
Comcebhimo these things therefore, thus much may suffice as to the present theory. But it follows that we should) discuss, the division of the supercelestial place into three pants. For the intelligible summit of intellectuals is, as we have before observed, a triad. Immediately there- fore, according to the first conception of this place, Plato unlblds its triadic nature, assuming indeed, three negatives, the uncoloured, the unftgured, and the untangible. Having likewise established three divinities in it, viz. science, temperance, and justice* our preceptor and leader [Syrianus] thinks fit to divide this triad into three monads, and also demonstrates this conformably to the Orphic theologies. If, however, it be requisite to discover the definite peculiarities of these three God- desses, from what has been already laid down, we must understand, that the plain of truth, the meadow, and1 the nourishing cause of the Gods are posited there. To nourish therefore is the province of intelligible perfec- tion. Hence the elevating impulse is given to the wing of the soul, and also intellectual perfection^ according to the nourishment which flows* from thence into the souh But the peculiarity -ef the meadowy is te
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podhess a power generative of reasons and forms; and of the causes'' of the production of animals. Hence also souls are fed about the meadow; and the pabulum (*>/t«i) is indeed nutriment, but in a divided manner.
The plain however of truth is the expansion and manifestation of intelligible light, the evolution of inward reasons, and perfection pro- ceeding every where. This therefore* is the peculiarity of the third monad. But fecundity is the peculiarity of the second ; and intelligible plenitude of the first For all the supercelestial place is indeed illumi- nated with the light of truth. Hence all the natures that are contained in it are called true. And Socrates says, " that whatever soul attending on divinity has beheld any thing of reality shall be free from damage, till another period takes place." For every thing in that place is truly being and intelligible, and is full of divine union. In the first monads however [i. e. in the plain of truth and the meadow,] this intelligible light subsists contracted ly, and is occultly established as it were in the adyta ; but in the third monad [viz. in the nourishing cause of the Gods] it shines forth, and is co-expanded, and is co-divided with the multitude of" powers. We may therefore from these things survey the differences of the three monads, in a manner conformable to the Platonic hypotheses. But if indeed science pertains to the first monad, temperance to the second, and justice to the third, from these things also the triad will be perfectly apparent. And does not science* which is stable, and the uni- form intelligence of wholes, and which at the same time is consubsistent with intelligibles, pertain to the power which is united to the intelligible . father, and which does not proceed, nor separate its union from the deity of that father ? but does not the genus of justice pertain to the power which is divided, which separates the intellectual genera, leads the intelligible multitude into order, and imparts by illumination distribution according to desert ? And does not the genus of temperance pertain to the power which is the medium of both these, which is converted to itself, and possesses the common bond of this triad ? For the harmonic,
• Pot turn* I read «rw>, * i. e. Perfection proceeding every where.
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and a communication with the extremes according to reason, are the illustrious good of this middle power.
That we may not therefore be prolix, what has been said being suffi- cient to remind us of the meaning of Plato, those three deities are , celebrated by us, which dividing the supercelestial place, are indeed all of them intelligible as in intellectuals, and are likewise summits, and collective of all things into one intelligible union. One of these however is so stably; another generatively ; and another convertively, possessing a primary effective power in intellectuals. For one of them indeed, unites the monads of all the Gods and collects them about the intelli- gible ; but another effects this about the progressions of the Gods; and another about their conversions. All of them however at the same time collect into one the whole of an hyparxis which always abides, proceeds, and returns. Heuce also Plato elevates the Gods that are distributed in the world, to this one place, aud converts them energizing about this as collective of the whole orders of the Gods to the participation of intelli- gibles. These monads, therefore, educe intelligible forms, fill them with the participation of divine union, and again recall the natures that have proceeded, and conjoin them to intelligibles. Concerning this whole triad however, what has been said may suffice.
It remains therefore, that we should pass to the discussion of Adrastia, Socrates indicating that she possesses her kingdom in this place. For that which defines the measures of a blameless life to souls from the vision of these intelligible goods, is certainly there allotted its first evolution into light. For the elevating cause, being secondary to the objects of desire,
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Chap. Xvu. of Plato 359
may be able to raise both itself and other things to the superceleBtial place, through conversion. Bnt that which defines and measures the fruits of the vision of the intelligible to souls, since it has its hyparxis in the intelligible, imparts by illumination beatitude to them from thence. It is established therefore, as I have said, in that place. But it rules over all the divine laws uniformly, from on high, as far as to the last of things. - It likewise binds to the one sacred law of itself, all the sacred laws, viz. the intellectual, the supermundane, and the mundane. Whe- ther therefore, there are certain Saturnian laws, as Socrates in the Gorgies indicates there are, when he says, " The law therefore which was in the time of Saturn is now also among the Gods ;" or whether there are Jovian laws, as the Athenian guest asserts there are, when he says, " But justice follows Jupiter, which i3 the avenger of those that desert the divine law ;" or whether there are fatal laws, as Timaeus teaches there are, when he says, " That the demiurgus announced to souls the laws of fate ;" — of all these the sacred law of Adrastia is connective according to one intelligible simplicity, and at the same time imparts ex- istence to all of them, and the measures of power. And if it be requisite to relate my own opinion, the inevitable guardian power of this triad, and the immutable comprehension of order pervading every where, presubsist in this goddess. For these three deities not only unfold and collect ail things, but they are also guardians according to the Oracle of the works of the father, and of one intelligible intellect.
This guardian power therefore, the sacred law of Adrastia indicates, which nothing is able to escape. For with respect to the laws of Fate, not only the Gods are superior to them, but also partial souls, when they live according to intellect, and give themselves up to the light of provi- dence. And the Saturnian Gods are essentially exempt from the Jovian laws, and the connective and perfective Gods from the Saturnian laws; but all things are obedient to the sacred law of Adrastia, and all the dis- tributions of the Gods, and all measures and guardianships subsist on account of this. By Orpheus also, she is said to guard the demiurgus of the universe, and receiving brazen drumsticks, and a drum made from the skin of a goat, to produce so loud a sound as to convert all the Gods to
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herself. And Socrates imitating this fabulous sound which extends a certain proclamation ' to all things, in a similar manner produces the sa- cred law of Adrastia to all souls. For he says, " This is the sacred law of Adrastia, that whatever soul has perceived any thing of truth, shall be free from harm till another period," all but expressing the Orphic sound through this proclamation, and uttering this as a certain hymn of Adras- tia. For in the first place indeed, he calls it flw/*^, a sacred law, and not Mpo;, a law, as he does the Saturnian and Jovian laws. For fa-p* is con- nected with deity, and pertains more to intelligibles [than to the intellec- tuals] ; but ycfiof indicating intellectual distribution, is adapted to the in- tellectual fathers. And in the second place, he speaks of it in the singular and not in the plural number, as Timaeus does of the fatal laws. In the third place therefore, he extends it to all the genera of souls, and evinces that it is the common measure of their happy and blessed life, and the true guard of those souls that are able to abide on high free from all passivity. For such is the meaning of the words, ** And the soul that is able to do this always, shall always be free from harm." This sacred law therefore, comprehends all the undeBled life of divine souls, and the tem- poral blessedness of partial souls. And it guards the former indeed in- telligibly, but measures the latter by the vision of intelligible goods. And thus much concerning Adrastia.
With respect to what remains therefore, we shall summarily say, that the supercelestial place is the first triad of the intelligible and at the same time intellectual Gods, possessing three peculiarities, the unfolding into
■ Far xvvyp«n, it U requiutc to read x^uyfMi u.