It is requisite, however, that we should understand the truth pertaining to each of the words. Directly, therefore, the words “all this,” imply that you should survey in one the whole cause of the corporeal-formed nature, and know the di- vision of forms. For wholeness is assimilated to one thing, figure to another, and motion to another. And the word ¢/és indeed indicates union ; but the word al the number of causes. Moreover, the words "ἢ reasoning employed by the eternally eristing God,” make the essence, and at the same me the intelligence of the Demiurgus to be eternal, through which the world ts perpetual. [tis necessary likewise to observe, that Plato by arranging the Demiurzus among eternal beings, gives to him an eternal order, so that he will not faccording to Plato} be soul. For in the Laws he says, that soul is immortal, indeed, and indestructible, bat is not eternal. Hence every one who fancies that soul is the Demiurgus, seems to he ignorant of the diflerence between the eternal and the indestructible. But the word “reasoning” is significant of a distributed fabrication. And the words “that would ata certain time erist” are not slguificant of a beginning according to time, as Atticus fancied they were, but that the world has an essence conjoined with time. For time was generated together with heaven [or the universe, } and the world is temporal, and time is mundane, Jor they were co-produced with each other, and are consubsistent from one fabrication. ‘Phe words therefore a¢ a certain time or once do not signify a part of time, but reason Is time as compared with eternal being. For that is truly always being ; but the temporal always is once as With reference to the eternal, justas that which is being, after a venerated manner, is non-being with reference to that whieh as intelligibly being. Hence thouch the world exists through the whole of time, yet the existence of it con- sistyin becoming to be, and is ina part oftime. ᾿ΕΝ. however is once, and is not simultaneously in alltime, buat Is always once, For the eternal is always in the whole of eternity; bat) the temporal, In a certain time, is always ata different time in another time, As with reference therefore, to the eternally existing God, the world is very properly called, © the God that would once erist.” For as with re-
Hat a τς
ROOK Lh] TIM.EUS OF PLATO. 471
ference to that God who is intellectual, this is sensible. Hence, the consible world isindecd generated, or becoming to be, always, but is once. For it has its ex- istence partly, always advancing to being from eternal being. For since, as we have Letore observed, it las an eternal power of existing derived from a cause dierent trow itself, and the power which it possesses it possesses terminated, but by always receiving, it always is, having the power in that which is terminated numbered to infinity ;—this being the case, it is evident that it is once, from the once always acquiring existence, and always becoming to be, in consequence of that which gives it to exist, never ceasing.’ According to its own nature, however, it is once, and has a renovated immortality, as Plato says in the Politicus, possess- ing its being in advancing into existence, and on this account participating not at once wholly of the whole (of time} but once ; and this again and again, existing in generation, and not being without an extension [of existence]. Unless, there- fore, the word once signifies with Plato the whole of time. For the transitive subsistence of time, as compared with eternal energy, is once, and the whole of time has the same vatio to eternity, as ihe part of time the once to the whole of time.
If yon are willing also to consider what is said after another manner, since Plato has hitherto fashioned a corporeal nature, bat has not in words constituted soul and intellect, he denominates the God that would exist, and who subsists in discourse according to a part, once. For divinity indeed constitutes collectively parts and the whole, but language divides things which are consubsistent, gene- rates things which are unbegotten, and distributes according to time, eternal natures, “The God therefore, that would once exist, is the God that would exist in the discourse, in which there is a distribation into parts, and composition, For. ihe Pythagoric Timaus likewise, indicating this in his treatise to those who are aie to understand him, says ‘ that before heaven (or the universe] was generated
- in words, there were idea and matter, and God the Demiurgus.” For that he
fashions the generation of the universe in words, he clearly manifests in what he says. Moreover, with respect to (he smooth and the even, they manifest, as we have before observed, the one comprehension in the world, and the greatest apti- tude to the participation of a divine soul. But the words, “every where from the midave equal,” define the peculiarity of the spherical figure, For this is every Where equidistant, according to all intervals. And the words “ whole, ang
ἡ Instead of και δια το μὴ λεγειν, τὸ διδον aes γινόμενος in this place, it is necessary to read, καὶ δια τὸ μὴ ληγειν τὸ διδεν, ace ywopercs.
472 PROCLUS ON THE {pook if.
perfect yrom perfect bodies,” establish the world in the highest degree of similitude to all-perfect animal ; for that was in all respects perfect 5 and, likewise, to the Deimiurgus himself. For as he is the father of fathers, and the supreme of rulers, thus also the world is the most perfect of perfect natures, and the most total of wholes. You may likewise say that the world is smooth, as not being in want of any motive, or nutritive, or sensitive organs. For this was proximately demon. strated. But “it is every where equal from the middle,” as having a spherical figure, and ‘a while and perfect,” as being all-perfect, and leaving nothing exter- nal to itself: for this is properly a whole and perfect. And it consists of perfect
bodies, as being composed from the four elements. It is also said to be in the And thus Plato beginning from
singular number a body, as being only-begotten. rfection, he again converts it
the only-begotten, and proceeding as far as to pe through the above-mentioned particulars to the same thing [1. ὁ. to the only- begotten}; imitating the progression of the world from its paradigm, and its
perfect conversion to it.
END OV VOL. 1.
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Commentaries of Proclus
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TIM/EUS OF PliATO,
IN FIVi; JiOOKs;
Containing a Tut Am Hy of
PYTIIAGOIUC AND PLATONIC PHYSIOLOGY.
TRAN5LATJ I» IHOM THE GREEK,
JJY THOMAS TAYLOR.
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Proclus
THE TLW/EUS OF PLATO.
“ Placing also soul in the middle, he extended it through the whole of the world, and besides this, he externally circumvcsted the body ot the universe with soul.”
l)i vinity produces all things at oner, and eternally. For bv his very being, and according to an «ternal intelligence of wholes, he generates all things from himself, supermundane, and nil mundane beings, intellects, souls, natures, bodies, ami matter itself. And indeed, the at-oncc-collectod subsists in a greater degree in the demiurgic production of things, than in the solar illumination though in this the whole light proceeds at one and the same tune from the sun. lint the sun who imitates his father through the visible fabrication, evidently yields to an eternal and invisible production. As we have said therefore, all things being produced at once and eternally from the fabrication [of the Demiurgns], the order of the efforts is at the same time preserved. For in the producing cause there was an eternal intelligence anil order prior to the things that are arranged. Whence though all things are at once from one cause, yet some have the first, but others a subordinate dignity. For some things proceed in a greater, hut others in a less degree. And some indeed, are co-arranged with the Demiurgns accord¬ ing to union, others according to contact, and others according to participation. For intellect is able to lie connascent with intellect through union. But soul is naturally adapted to be conjoined with intellect. And bodies are formed to par-
1 For »\<a«i;s berf, it ii obviously mccsvary to rrad qXiacqi.
Tim. Plat.
Proclus on Tut
ticipate of it alone, just as tilings in the profundity of the earth, participate of the solar splendour. Since therefore all these exist m the world, \iz. intellect, soul and body, and all are produced at once, and since at the same time, there is in these an order proceeding from the Deuiiurgus, the discourse about them, atone time I>eginning from on high according to progression, ends in tin* boundaries ol fabrication, but at another tune being impelled from tin; last oi t lings, lecurs to the summits ol the universe, conformably to things themselves. 1 01 a 1 tilings pro¬ ceed from, and are consorted to the principle and cause from which lay pio- ceeded, thus t \hibitiug a o< rtam demiurgic t ircle.
Ill \\ hut has been belore s.iid, theleloie, Plato delivered to lis the Older of the plenitudes of the world according to progression, when he represented the Deiuitirgus placing intellect in soul, but soul in body, and thus fabricating the mm or-e. lint in what is now said, In* gives cuinph lion to the world according to mint rsion. And first imh t d, assuming tin contrarii s that an in the universe, he adds two media to these, and unib > tin m through analogy. In tin: next place, pei ti t ting it a w hole tit wholes, he surrounds it w ith an inti llectiial fig ire, rentiers if capable of participating of a tin ine lile, and imparts to it a motion w Inch imi¬ tates iutelh i t. AI wa vs lil>i w ise, t ausing it to heroine more pt i let t by the addi¬ tions, after all tin sc, he introduces soul into the univ* 1 st-, and tills all things with life, though diflcrcut natures with a tliileri nt life. 11* also places intellect ill soul, and through this conjoins soul to its fountain 1 or the soul of the universe, through p irt it ip.it mg of intelh et, becomes conjoint d w itli mtt Uigiblcs tin in -t ati, And thus In* cinls at the principle from which the mundane intellect, stud, and the hulk of boilv proceed, l or dividing the universe triply, into intellect, soul, and both, he first discusses the more subordinate <>1 these: tor sut i is the mode according to conversion. And the discussion indeed ol the fabrication of boilv is terminated, having th livt-red the essence, figure anti motion ol it.
The theory of soul however, is conjoined to this, ju-t as hotly it-r 11 is sus¬ pended horn a div ine soul, anil tin-animation which the discourse now at Ids, is the seventh demiurgic gilt imparti tl to tin- world. Hut the discussion ol the soul is I think twofold ; the one indeed delivering the essence ol it, hut tin* other its communion with hotly*. Plato however selects the lath r ol these, and thinks tit to mention it !r fore the forun r. Pt rliaps imb ed, bet ausc it is a medium bi tween the reasoning about body, ami the speculations about the essence of soul. I'or the habitude of soul to body, is in a certain respect a medium between body, ami
1 In-mail of tfwfHv oi in this place, il is requisite to n act cp/iUfittot. l or avitiTiirarc here, ll is necessary lo read <ri/icroruutru.
TIM 111 S or I’LATO.