if we perceiving the nature of time, to l>e partly immoveable and partly moved, or rather not we, hut prior to us the philosopher, he should exhibit the intellectual monad of it abiding in sameness, through its being eternal, but should indicate that energy of it which has an exte rnal tendency, and is partic ipated by soul, and the whole world, through its l>eing moved. For we must not imagine that this etc*nial [of time] inertly signifies that it is the image of eternity. For what should ha\e hindered him from directly saying, tli.it time is the inir,"c of eternity, and not that it i the* curtail image of it ! Jhit he wished to manifest this ve ry thing, that time has an eternal nature, yet that it is not eternal in such away as animal itself. For animal itself is e ternal liotli in essence and in ein-rgy. Hut time by its inward energy indeed, is eternal, hut hy its externally proceeding gift, is moveable*. He no* the urgists also call it eternal, and 1'lato w ry properly denominates it not eternal onlv.' For one* thing inch-eel is alone* and e sse ntially moveable, and is alone the cause of motion, according to the* participants of it, and such a tiling as tins is soul. It alone therefore, mem s its. If, and other things. Hut anothe r thing is alone* immove- ahle, prese-ri mg itselt iiiimutahle, and being the cause- to other things ot an iuvunable same ne ss of siihsistenre, and to things that are moved on account ot soul. lAnd tins thing is intellect ] lb ne e* it is ucce-ssury that the* medium In twe eu these two which are extreme s, viz. be-tween that whic h is immem tide both in essence* and energy, and that which is mem aide* both according to it> own nature and ai> coreling to what it imparts to other things, should Iwtlial which is at once im¬ moveable* and moved ; immoveable* indeed esse ntially, but moved ill its partici¬ pants. And a thing of this kind is time. For it there is that which is in its participants as number in that which is numbere d,’ what will that lx* which subsists according to muidH-riiig it ? It is alisurel, tin re-fore*, to say that it is a par¬ tial soul wlue h thus subsists. For that which in this soul iimidx rs time is of pos¬ terior origin, as is that whic h in us numbers the.* Ungers. Hence this is not effected by him who makes the* five* finge rs, hut by him who numU-is so many 1 that are produced bv nature. W e however, investigate the cause of lime lie mg that which is numbered. Time therefore* is that which remaining immoveable, by itself rvedv.s that which is mimlx-red.
In short, if v isilde time i« move-able*, lint e*ve*ry thing w hit:h is moveable is move¬ able, being a certain other thing; tor not motion, hut that which is moved, is moveable*; ills necessary that there should he time which subsists by itself, in orde-r that there mav Ik* moveahh* time. No far the refore*, a> it is truly tune*, and
1 For lit-rr, it in necessary C> ira.l nv /Jon**.
• Instead I,f to It. III this [li lt e, it is necessary to reaef, y. re ry a^V^c.-y apiQpat.
* i’or ToacvTi* here, it is necessary to read toowtcm.
tim.tajs OF PLATO.
so far as it is in itself, it is immoveable but so far as it is in its participants it is moveable, anil together with them, unfolds itself into tlirm. I lencc limi; is eter¬ nal indeed, anil a inonatl, anil a centre essentially, anil according to tin- energy wliicli abides in it. At the same time however, it is continued, and manlier, and a circle, accordin'; to its proovding and participated energy. It is, therefore, a certain proceeding intellect, established indeed in eternity, ami on tins eueuunt also is said to lu eternal. For it icould not otherwise contribute to the more perfect assimila¬ tion of mundane nature s to their paradigms, unless it icas itself previously exempt font than. Hat it proceeds, and flows abundantly into the things, which are guarded by it. U ’hence also l think, the most consummate of theurgists celebrate it as a (red, as Julian in the seventh book of his treatise On the Zones, and venerate it bij those names through which it is unfolded into light in its participants, causing some things to be more ancient, but others to be more recent, and convolving all things m a circle. l : or it would l>c ridii uloiis since it is the linage of eternity, that it should alone lie this temporal image which sulisists in things that are numbered. For how is it possible that a tiling of this kind which is in a subject, should Ik? the image of so great a deity as eternity ! Fsjx’cially since it rather appears to he in a subject [than is so in reality], and is itself an accident of that which is an accident.
If, however, intellect is secondary to eternity, hut soul is the resemblance of intellect, how is it possible that time w hich is the linage of eternity, should not be somethin:; more excellent, and more essential than soul ? For as inti licet is to soul, so will eternity he to time. And alternately, as time is to soul,* so is eter¬ nity to intellect. 1 And time does not participate of soul, 4 as neither does etc rnity of intellect; but vice versa. Time therefore having a certain intellectual nature, convolves its participants, both other things and souls, according to number. For time indeed is eti mal, not only in essence, but also m its inward energy, in which it is always the same. Hut by.the energy according to which alone it is partii ipated by external natures, it is moveable, co-extending toge¬ ther with, and adapting to them, its gift. Fiery soul, however, is moved tian- sitivcly, both according to its inward energies, and also its external energies, through w hich it moves hollies. And it appears to me, that it was thus denominated time, hj those who perceived that this was its nature; and who wished b} tins appellation to say, that it is a certain dance,* and as it were a dancing intellect
■ Tor inr runur in tliis pl.icc, it is nrcrssarj to read nunpur.
* Instead of -rpn v"X'/‘ here, it is necessary to read ir/wt gv\rjr.
1 Here alio for eoe, il is necessary to read »po« »ocr.
* Instead of tai /j trtx'nro vw’ utnti in tins place it u requisite to rrad, os • • XP* r ®* mtrr V*._
* For her., read jpe®**
Rroclus on the
[book IV,
(*ai «*or ^o/jfuovra vouv). Put by a co-division, tln*y named it for the sake of con¬ cealment time. Perhaps, likew ise, they gave it this appellation because it at once abides, and proceeds with a measured motion; and by one part of itself abides, but by the other proceeds; as if it were hall intellect, and half saltant. Hence by a composition of both the parts, they signified the admirable and demiurgic nature of this God. It apftears likewise, that as the Demiurges being intellectual, began from intellect to adorn the universe, so time being supermundane, liegan from soul to perfect it. Fur that time is not only mundane, but by a much greater priority supermundane, is cud. lit; since as eternity is to animal itself, -o is time to this world, which is animated and endued with intellect, and is wholly the image of animal itself, in the same manner as time is of eternity.
If therefore time is, it both abides and proceeds m measured motion. And through its abiding, the harmonious dances are infinite, and apocatastalic. For lieing the first intellect that dances about the w hole fabrication of things, mi far indeed as it subsists invariably the same, and is essentially intellect, it is said to be eternal ; but so far as it dances, it convolves souls, and natures, and bodies in a eirc !c; and in short, is periodu ally restored to its pristine state. I or the world is moved indeed, as participating of soul ; but it is moved in an orderly manner, because it participates of intellect. For thus also Plato s.u-. in the l-aws, “ that the soul receiving a divine intellect, governs :< ith latitude ami uisdoin. And the world is moved periodically, by the motion of it from the same to the same; m consequence of which, it may be .said to imitate the permanency of intellect in sameness, through the imitation ol ett rmtv bv time. And this it is, to make the world more similar to its paradigm vvInch abides in one ; viz. to be convolved periodu illy to one and the same thing, through the cir< illation according to time. From all these particulars likewise, you leave all the causes of time according to Plato. For the Demiurgiis indeed, is the effective cause of time; eternity is the paradigm of it ; and the end (or the final cause] of it, is the circumduction to one thing of the natun s that are moved, according to periods. For that which does not abide in one, aspires after the circumduction to one ; desiring through this to obtain the am, whii h is the same with the good. For that there should not be one c« rtain progression of things in a right line, so as to form a line as it were, infinite both ways, but that the progression should 1m* definite ami circumscribed, d Hiring about the father ot wholes, and the monad of time, evolving all the strength of fabrication, and again returning to its pristine condition, and effecting this fre¬ quently , or rather infinitely, that which is consentaneous to reason requires, i! it is fit to call what is necessary reasonable. I’or whenc e do the participants ot time denve the power of Ireing restored to their pristine condition, unless that
TIM.T'.L’S OF PLATO.
whuh they participate bail this power ami peculiarity of motion ? In addition also, to tin: reasuiiablenrss of tins, the explanation of tho name alone hears witness to its 1 rut ft. with which likewise, the* demonstrations of the most sagacious legislators accord, and the* worels of Plato himself who says, that time m these things imitating eternity, and circulating according to numher, was now ^ ne- rated. For time circulating the Jirst of moveable natures, according to an energy proceeding to externals, and returning to its pristine state, after all the evolution oj its power, thus also restores the periods of other natures to their pristine condition. And it convolves indeeel, through the* whole* e»f ifsolt which pro< e*»*els, the soul wlneii is the lirst participant of it; hut through certain parts of itself, it convolves other souls and nature’s, the ce h.-stial circulations, and in the last place*, all generation. For m emiseepience of tune circulating, all tilings are* convolved in a circle. Of the circulations howeve*r, some are* shorter, hut others longer.