Again however, he recurs to the true cause of all mundane effects, viz. the demiurgie art, and the principle which is perfective of wholes. For from thence art also proceeds into the demiurgic order. Hence the Oracles call the Demi- urgus of the universe ove who produces works by art; which expression Plato divides, at one time calling the things contained in the world, the works of the Demiurgus, [as when he represents the maker of the world saying] “ ofwhom Iam the Demiurgus and father of works ;° just as the Oracles also when they say; for understanding the works of the paternal self-begotten intellect ; but at another denominating the energy of the Demiurgus art, which in the end becomes the cause of the sufficiency of the universe to itsclf, For the Demiurgus being good, raade all things simitar to himself; i. e. he made all things perfect and self- sufficient. For self-sufficiency is an element of the good. By no means however is the world, as possessing the power of beng sufficient to itself, diculsed through this self- sufficiency from its maker, but is ina greater degrec united tohim. For by how niuch the more self-sufficient it is, by so much the more is it constituted ina similitude to him. And by how much the more it is assimilated, by so much the more perfictly is it united, to the deniurgic.gooduess. The universe therefore is self-sufficient, as being the object of sense to itself," and as not being in want of other sensibles. For to these the appellation of indigence belongs. But it is in want of the Gods, as being
" Eavry is omitted in the origiual. .
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always filled by them. Or rather neither is it in want of these, for divinity is every where present, and the universe is always prepared for the reception of divine goods.» And as the similar is better than the dissimilar according to the judge- nent of Jupiter; so likewise, the self-suflicient is more divine than that which is indigent. For the self-suflicient has dominion in the Gods, and similitude in beings. And this is another dogma of the mighty Jupiter.
“ But he neither thought that hands were necessary to the world, as there was nothing for it either to receive or resist ; nor yet feet, nor any other members which are subservient to progression and rest.”
The touch is the last of the senses, and of this an animal especially participates according to the whole body, but particularly according to the hands. For these have the greatest power of touching, as may be seen in the operations of them. Since however, the hands afford us a twofold use; for through them we receive things that delight us, and repel such as pain us; but the universe cannot receive anything, for it has every thing which it wishes; nor repel any thing, because there is nothing foreign to it ;—this being the case, itis not at all in want of hands. For as Aristotle says, neither nature, nor God, does any thing in vain. So that the Demiurgus did not make hands to adhere to the world, because they would have been added in vain. Since however, that which is motive 1s suspended from that which is sensitive, but [mean that which is maturally motive, the discussion of Timwus, appropriately and at the same time reasonably proceeds, froin the sensitive to the progressive organs. For the feet were formed as instruments for rectilinear motion, as likewise were the other parts subservient to progression, such as the leg, the knee, the thigh, and any other such-like part. Its impossible however, for the universe to be moved ia a right line: for, as we have before shown, there is no vacuum external to the universe. Through these things there- fore, he takes away the progressive and sensitive parts. And here again it may be said, that in taking away the motive organs, he alone takes away feet, but not wings; because feet are suflicient to more perfect animals for the purposes of motion ; doing the same thing here as he did respecting smelling and respiration,
Again however, it must be said, that these organs are by no means in the universe, but that sense and motion after another manner are. For since every
* For opowrnre in this place, itis obviously necessary to read. 9 opovorns.
Book I11.] Tim-Eus of Plato. 463
thing sensible of whatever kind it may be is comprehended in it, and it is itself the first sensible, it has also one sense conjoined to a sensible of this kind, just as the intelligence of the Demiurgus is conjoined to the whole of the intelligible, and is said to absorb the universe in itself. After the same manner therefore, the universe absorbs itself by the sense of itself, and comprehends the object of know- ledze, by a connascent knowledge, Besides, it has indeed powers: which appre- hend and are the guardians of all things, and these are its hands. It possesses likewise perfective orders, and these are analogous to nutritive parts. And it exhibits vivilic causes, which correspond to the parts of respiration. Besides these also, it has other powers, some of which fill it with invisible causes, and others conjoin it to intelligible light; of which the latter are analogous to seeing, but the former to hearing. By those also who survey it physically and theologi- cally, it will be found, that it has a motion analogous to this sense. For as it has a sense of itself with itself, so likewise it has a motion in itself, and circulating about itself, and both these, according to the similitude of its paradigm. For in this there was intelligence converging to itself, life converted to itself, and know- ᾿ ledge not subsisting according to transition, nor according to a distribution into parts, but selperfect, and united to intelligibles themselves. For such is the intel- lect which is there, energizing prior to cnergy, because {according to the Oracle] it has not proceeded, but abides in the paternal profundity, and in theadytum according to the God-nourished silence.
* For from among the seven species of local motion, he distributed to it that which especially subsists about intellect and wisdom, and which is adapted and allied to its body.”
Of the ancients, some converting the world to intellect, and imparting to it mo- tion through love about the first appetible, say that nothing proceeds into it from intellect, thus depriving intellect of fecundity," and giving it an arrangement equi- valent to that of lovely sensible objects, which have nothing generative in their own nature, Others on the contrary, acknowledge that intellect, or soul, or whatever that may be which is above the world, operates on it, yet they do not give to the world a spontaneous and proper motion, but only say that it is exter- nally convolved inacircle. These however, Aristotle blames, as subverting the
* For povipow here, it is necessary toread γονιμον,
464 PROCLUS ON THE [Book its.
perpetuity of the universe. For that which is violent ts not perpetual.’ But Plato guarding against the oversights of both these, assigns to the world a proper and spontaneous motion, and shows that the Demiurgus is the cause of this motion. And this is the sixth demiurgic gift imparted to the world; as imitating * the motion of intellect, which the world possesses both from itself, and from the father, For the expression he distributed, refers us to the paternal cause. For from that trom which essence, from that also motion according to nature, is imparted to the universe. But the words, “ adapted and allied to its body,” refer us to the peculiar nature of the world, through which it is excited by itself to a motion of this kind. For it possesses symething adapted and allied to the motion ina circle, both ac- cording to the self-motive nature, and to its figure, whichis spheneal. Perhaps also, ifhe had asserted one of these things only, the other might have been in- ferred. For [πὸ had said, that the motion of the universe was adapted and allied to it, whence did it possess this except from the father, from whom also its essence is derived?) But if this motion was imparted to it by the Demiurgus, he entirely gave to the recipient an appropriate motion, he being intellect, and assign- ing to all things that which is according to desert. The Philosopher however, combines both these in order that you may see thessimilitude of the world to the Demiurgus. For as he himself intellectually perceives himself, 1s converted to himself, and surveys intelligibles through energizing about them, which be- come the centres of the demiurgic intelligence ; thus also the world is moved about itself, verges to itself, and harmoniously revolves about the middle, which becomes the centre of the mundane motion, And as the Demiurgus is said to absorb the intelligible, by * proceeding to it, thus also the world is said to comprehend initself, the centre of itself, Lor the absorptions which are celebra- ted by theologists, are certain comprehenstons, Bat the absorptions by grandfathers comprehend intellectuals intellizibly, and those by sons, intelligibles intellectually.
' ifthe principal parts of the universe therefore are perpetual, and that they are so is most fully de- moustrated in these commentaries, it necessarily follows that the modern system of astronomy, which fills the heavens with violent motions, is false.
1 Instead of exuir μιμονμεένὴ KU NOLS in this place, f read are vou μιμουμενὴ κινησι».
8 For εἰς ἐαντὸν χωρέειν here, read Tp €ls €QVTOV χωρειν-
4 Instead of αλλ᾽ ae μὲν xpoyoraae τὰ voyra περιλαμβανουσι voepus, ac δε τῶν παιδων, τα νοερὰ vonrws in this place, it is necessary to read, αλλ᾽ ac per προγονίκαι ra veepa Keprappavovar sonrws, αἱ
ὃς Tw παιδω», Τα μλύητα bOEPWS,
e κεν γι ἢ TIM-EUS OF PLA‘TO. “ὦ For thes: ding, the generators of them again convert them to themsclves, and er min their own allness. Theuniverse therefore linitates bob thes mdeed, as it revolves about the centre, and comprehends the centre
in tating the progonic ἃ absorption ; but so far as it comprehends its owa imitself, affording nutriment to itself by its own consumption, and again
Ag initself the natures distributed from itself,—-so far it imitates the com- sension of children in their fathers. And these τ things indeed, are asserted
“τ the sake of the analogy of the universe to the two fathers.
Again, however, you may see, how the Aristotelie axiom is here pre-assumed, that the riotion is simple ofa simple body, In the first place, therefore, the body inthe world whichis more simple than other bodies, is moved with a circular motion, as being adapted to it; and inthe next place, the whole universe is thug woved. For the body which is posterior to it, is as much as possible convolved inacircle. For what else is the meaning ef the word adapted, than that the mo- tion ina circle is natural to the essence of the universe? For as it was allotted a spherical figure, so likewise a circular motion according to nature. And farthor sull another Aristotelian axiom is also here pre-assumed] that a circular motion has nothing contrary to it. For as there are seven Jocal motions, that which is in acircle,the upward, the downward, that which is to the right hand, and that which is to the left, that which is anterior, and that which is to the posterior parts, you will find that six of these havea contrary. For the motions are coutrary, which are from contrary to contrary places. But the motion in a circle is exempt from all contraricty. For since the motions in a right line are generated and contamed by the motion ina circle, as Mechanics demonstrate, how can it be said that any one of these is contrary to it? For the contrary is corruptive and not generative of the contrary. Nor does Plato stop here, but having mentioned the peculiarity of the circular motion, he shows its admirable transcendency above the other notions, For he denominates it to be that which subsists about intellect and wisdom, and this not simply, but he also adds especially. For of these seven motions, the circular imitates intellect, and the intellectual life, being established in the same, and about the same, according to one reason and one order, and possessing a motion which is vanquished by permanency. But all the
"i.e. "Phe absorption of Phanes, the paradigm of the world hy Jupiter. Ὁ For ra:rys here read ravra. :
Ton. Plat. | Ἷ Vou..1, 3.N
a RN eT
466 PROCLUS ON ‘THE [BOOK 411.