All these particulars therefore, clearly demonstrate to us that Plato con- siders the demiurgus of wholes to be the same with Jupiter. For he who alone is the cause of life to all things, and who is the king of all things, is the demiurgus of the universe. And he who in a remarkable manner rejoices in a duad of names, is he who arranges and adorns the whole world. And it appears to me, as I have frequently said, that in consequence of being allotted the end of the intellectual triad, converting this to the beginning, and being full of the middle fountains of life-, but uniting himself to the watch-tower of his father, and producing into himself the simplicity of an intelligible subsistence, according to the peculiarity of first-effective causes, he is also allotted a duad of names. And as he received his essence from both [i. e. from Saturn and Rhea] and possesses indeed bound from his father, but infinite power from the generative deity of his mother, thus also he possesses one of the names from his father, and from the uniform perfection which is in him ; but the other from total vivifica- tion. And through both, as he is allotted an essence, so likewise an appellation. For it is obvious to every one, that the term (ha)dial on account of which, is a sigu of a total essence. - Let us declare, says Timaeus, on account of what cause [the composing artificer constituted generation and the universe]. He was good." But the name of life
' For Wnt*;, h it necessary to read evouk;.
* In the original lit, but it U evidently necessary to read lieu
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pertains of itself to the middle order of beings. The demiurgus there- fore obtains one of these names, viz. dia, from the intellectual summit, and the paternal union. For according to the participation of it, he is one,' bound, and intelligible. Bat he obtains the other name from the middle order of intellectuals. For there life, and the vivific bosoms are allotted their hypostasis. The demiurgic intellect however, shining forth from both, participates also of the names through composition. For we call him dia and zena, because life proceeds to all things on account of him, and to live is inherent in all [vital natures] on account of him. And thus after a manner the position of the names indicates the progres- sion of the demiurgus from both the precedaneous causes.
Again therefore, let us direct our attention to what is written in the Philebus, and survey how, in what is there said, Socrates refers the fabri- cation of the universe to Jupiter. For admitting that intellect adorns and arranges all things, in the same manner as the- wise men prior to him, and that it governs the sun and moon, and all the circulation [of the heavens] he demonstrates that the whole world participates of soul, and intellectual inspection, and that we also derive the participation of these from wholes ; but that the universe is not and was not from chance, and likewise the most divine of visible natures, as many physiologists assert, white the natures which the universe contains participate of soul and intellect. Having therefore, as we have said, demonstrated these things,
• For m<rri, it it mcmsxtj to read n t<m.
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374 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V.
and shown that what the whole world contains is greater and more perfect than what we contain, and that wholes have a greater authority, and a more ruling essence than partial natures, and having placed intellect over wholes, as that which adorns and arranges the universe, and likewise assigned this province to soul, through the inspection of intellect, (for intellect is not present to the world without soul) he afterwards recurs to i in participate intellect, to the author of participated intellect and soul, and the fabricator of the whole world, and he denominates and celebrates this fabricator, who contains the causes of the plenitudes in the world, as no other thau Jupiter the great king and ruler of wholes, conformably to the rumour of the Greeks. He likewise extends about him all the providence of the world, and places in him the whole cause of the arrangement and ornament of the universe.
It is better however, in the next place, to hear the words themselves of Plato. He gives therefore to the world an intellectual superintendance, and adds this to the before mentioned demonstrations, that there is, as we have frequently observed, an abundance of infinity in the world, and a sufficiency of bound, and that there is a certain cause in them by no means vile and contemptible, which adorns and co-arranges the years, the seasons, and the months, and which may most justly be called wisdom and intellect. But .again, because it is necessary that partici- pated intellect should govern the world through soul as a medium, (for it is impossible that intellect should be present to any tiling without soul, as Timasus also asserts) hence it is requisite that soul also should preside over the universe, and that proximately having dominion over the natures it contains, it should govern the world according to intellect. This therefore Socrates having in the next place added, he subjoins as follows: "Moreover, wisdom and intellect could never be without soul." For how could the impartible and eternal essence of intellect be immediately conjoined with a corporeal nature ? It is necessary therefore that intellect should preside over wholes, that it may connect the order in the world, well-being, and all tilings. For order and well-being are the progeny of an intellectual essence. But it is necessary that soul primarily participa- ting of intellect, should illuminate body with the light proceeding from
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Chap. Xxiil
thence, and fill all thiogs with intellectual arrangement. It must be admitted therefore, that the world is animated and endued with intellect. Hence from this Socrates ascends to the cause itself of the whole world, which produced intellect and soul, and generated the total order [of the universe.^
" Hence, (Socrates adds) you may say that in the nature of Jupiter there are a royal soul and a royal intellect through the power of cause ; and that in the other Gods there are other beautiful things, whatever they are, by which their deities love to be distinguished, and from which they delight in taking their respective denominations." One of these two things therefore is necessary, either that what is here said is said concerning the world, or concerning the demiurgus of wholes. For if the world is Jupiter, the participated intellect in the world is royal, and the soul also is royal which governs the universe, and arranges and adorns it according to intellect And these things are evidently present to the world through the power of the cause by which it was constituted, and which rendered it a partaker of intellect and animated. And thus Jupiter will be that which is adorned and fabricated, and not tlie adorner and fabricator of all things. If, however, it is necessary that the power of cause should be comprehensive in an exempt manner of a royal intellect and a royal soul, we must admit that the nature of Jupiter is in the demiurgic order and power; and intellect and soul will be in him according to cause, since he imparts both these to his progeny. Of these two opinions therefore, every one may adopt that which he pleases, but to me, when I consider what is here said, and every other assertion of Plato concerning this God, it by no. means appears to be necessary to refer the nature of Jupiter to the whole world. For neither does the only-begotten subsistence of the world accord with the kingdom of Jupiter, since the Saturnian triad, and which distributes the dominion of the father, is manifestly celebrated by Plato himself; nor can that which is cause to all things, as it is said in the Cratylus, refer ' to the world. For the world is among the number of things which participate of life
■ For lt*t$f*i, it U necessary to read .
376 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V.
from another. As I have said therefore, we roust leave this opinion, as by no means adapted to Plato, though it is adopted by some of his interpreters. But considering cause to be the same as Jupiter, we must say that soul and intellect are established in him exemptly ; and that Jupiter participates of both these, from the Gods that are prior to him ; of intellect indeed, from his father, but of soul from the queen [[Rhea] who is the deity of vivification. For there the fountain of soul subsists, just as in Saturn, there is intellect according to essence. For every where the intelligible unically comprehends the intellect which is coordi- nate with it. And thus much concerning these particulars.
In the next place, we may conjoin with this the mythological concep- tions in the Protagoras, and arrive at the same conclusion, considering in common with the Timaeus, how the opinions delivered to us concerning the mighty Jupiter, through the Protagorean fable, accord with the asser- tions about the demiurgus. The fable says, therefore, that Prometheus adorning the human race, and providentially attending to our rational life, that it may not perish by being merged in the furies of earth, and the necessities of nature, ns some one of the Gods says, bound nature to the arts, extended these which are imitations of intellect, as it were to sportive souls, and through these excited our gnostic and dianoetic power to the contemplation of forms. For every artificial production is effec- tive of form, and adorns the matter which is the subject of it. The fable also adds, that Prometheus providentially attending to the arts gave them to souls, and that he received them from Vulcan and Minerva. For in
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Chap. Xxiv. of Plato. 377
these Gods the cause of all arts is primarily comprehended ; Vulcau. primarily imparting the fabricative power of them ; but Minerva super- nally illumiuating their guostic and intellectual power. Not only however, is the invention of arts necessary to souls in generation, but also a certain other science, the political, which is more perfect than the arts, and which is able to arrange and adorn tliem, aod to lead souls through virtue to a life according to intellect. But as Prometheus was unable to impart this life to us, because the political science is primarily with the mighty Jupiter, but it was not possible (says the fable) for Prometheus to enter latently into the tower of Jupiter, (for the guards of Jupiter are terrible, defending him exempt from aJl partial causes,) — hence Jupiter sent the messenger Hermes to men, who brought with him prudence and shame, and in short the political science. Jupiter also ordered Hermes to imparl similarly to all men these virtues, and to dis- tribute to all souls the knowledge of things just, beautiful, and good, but not in a divided manner, as different arts are distributed to different persons. Aod some men indeed are judges of these things; but others are ignorant either of all, or of some of the arts.
In what is here said, therefore, Plato primarily refers to Jupiter the paradigm of the political science, as is evident from the words themselves. But he produces the progression of this science, and the communication and participation of the Hermaical series, aud extends its essential presence, which we participate in common, to all souls. For to distribute to all of them, is to insert in souls essentially a science of this kind. Tltese things, therefore, being laid down, let us consider to whom we must say ihe political science especially pertains, and who it is that primarily established a polity in the universe, that formed divine to govern mortal natures, divided wholes from parts, and produced self- motive and intellectual natures more aocient than those thut are deprived of the presence of intellect. Is it not the demiurgns, who is the cause to us of all these goods, who governs the whole world according 60 recti- tude, binds it by the best analogies, ebtablishea every polity in it, pos- sesses and comprehends the laws of Fate, and extends the sacred law6 of Adrastia, as far as to the last of tilings, and arranges and adorns by justice Froc. Vol. I. 3 B