For again, if the* Drmiiirgiis himself, made time to lie the* moveable intake of eternity, and gave* subsistence: to it, accordin'; to his mt< lleetion about eternity, it is ne cessary that the* moveable nature* o| time should he* circular, and proce*e*el with a dancing [or measured] motion; in order that it may neither depart from eternity, and may evolve* the intellec tion eiftlie father about it. For, in short, tho moveable nature* of time being e»imprehensi\e of all motions, ought to he hounded much prior to the* things which are measured b\ it. j or not tin* privation of measure, hut the first measure*, measures beings ; as neitlier <h»es infinity give hound to tiling", hut this i* the* province of the tir-t hound. lint time is moved, neither ac¬ cording to soul, nor according; to nature, nor according to the* e orporcal-lormed and v isibie* essenci.*; tor thus the* motionso| it w mild he partible*,and not rompre he nsive* of wholes. IJe*si<les tin** al>o, they would participate of the anomalous, either more: or less,and would he themselves in want of time*. For the motions according to soul, nature ami body, are all of them surveveil m time, and not in progression like those* which measure vvholes, hut in a certain epiality of life, or lation, or passion. I he* motion of time however, is a pure* progression, without ditlereure, impe*rcep- tihle, uuhreiken. 1 orderlv, 1 eipial. similar and the* Name. For it is exempt both from eepiahh* and unerpiahh motions, and is similarly present with both, not being changed in quality, by the ablation in the*ir motions, hut remaining the same separate* from all iiieepinhihty ; being efficacious of whole* motions according to nature, and measuring them, and restoring them to the ir pristine state. It likewise subsi-ts uuminghd with the nature’s that are measured by it, conformably
1 For o^nXoirrn liere*, re*a«l aicXatrroi.
* instead of arorroi in this place*, it is oicosirj to read cvracrot.
[book IV.
to the peculiarity of intellectual en**rgy; but proceeds transitively and self- motively. And in this respect, it pertains to the psychical order, but is inherent in the tilings which are defined and perfected by it in a way conformable to the nature of a primordial cause. It is not however, allied in all respects to any one being. For it is necessary that the measure of wholes should be in a certain respect similar and allied to all things, but should not be the same with any one of the natures w hich it measures.
The motion therefore of time proceeds, evolving and dividing impartible and abiding power, and partihl v unfolding it into light. For just as a certain numl»er 1 receives divisible all the form* of the monad, ami converts, and circularly leads them to itself; thus also, the motion of time, proceeding according to the mea¬ sures in the temporal monad, conjoins the end to the beginning, and this infi¬ nitely ; having indeed itself a divine order, yet not an arranged, as the philoso¬ pher lamMichus also says, hut an arranging order, nor an order which follows precedanrous natures, but which is the primary leader of things which are jx*r- fectlv effected. At the same time however, it is measured by nothing that lias interval, l or it would be ridiculous to say, that things which have a more ancient nature and dignity, are measured by such as are of post* nor origin. But the motion of time is alone measured by the temporal monad, which the progres¬ sion of time is said to evolve, and by a much greater priority, by the Deminrgns, and eternity itself, of which it is said to lx* the image, and with reference to which it is made to be moveable. With reference to eternity therefore, which is perfectly immoveable, time is said to lx* moveable; just as if some one should sav, that soul, as with relation to intellect, in partible about bodies. iSot that it is this alone, but that when compared with intellect, it may appear to lx* a thing of this kind ; though it is impartible, with reference to the partible < sseiice. Thus also time, though it is naturally eternal, y»t is said to Ik- moveable, as with ref* n nee to eternity itself. On account of the order lihevvi e of it, and the continuity in its progression, it is by no means proper to think that the prior and posterior in it are such as some apprehend them to lx*. For it must not 1 m> d* finitely surveyed, cither alone according to the mutations of motions, as in the < * lesti d motions ; nor in the evolutions of lives, as in the soul ; nor according to the gradual progres¬ sions of corporeal generations, as in nature; nor according to any tiling else of the like kind : (for these an* the peculiarities of the orders posterior* to it) but it must be* surveyed according to a precedency of causes, and connexion in the continuity
• i. e. The «t Cl ad.
* Instead of jut vrmv here, it is necessary to read pur
TIMXl'S OF PLATO.
of its progeny, and accord in;; to a primordial energy, and a power etlicacious uf all-various motions.
Time therefore is moveable, uot by itself, [or essentially'], but according to the partici¬ pation of it which is apparent in motions, and by a Inch motions arc measured and defined' Just as if some one should say, that the soul is divisible about bodies, so far as there is a Certain divisible participation of it about bodies, of which the soul compre¬ hends the cause. For thus also time is moveable, as possessing the cause of the energy proceeding from it, and which is partibly seen in motions, and is cc-divided together mth them. 1I< ■nee, as motions become temporal through participation, so like¬ wise lime is moveable, through being participated by motions ; to which physio¬ logists only looking, think that lime is that w hich is numbered of motion, not In’ing able to perceive the cause of tin*.
In the first place then fore, it must Ini said, th it n< ither does the universe alone subsist in motion, but it is necessary that something of it should entirely remain, m order that this being permanent, it may be moved. It is demonstrated therefore, in the Thea-tetus, that it is impossible for an} tiling to be entirely moved in all respects. Hence it is necessary that something should remain prior to the time which is in participation, ami subsets in motion, in consocpicncc of being co- extended with motion. And that this indeed, should be inedicacious is impos¬ sible. Hut if it is etlicacious, and is moved, it w ill again be in want of another thnig, which may measure its motion. If lane ever, it energizes immoveabhj, this will be (he true peculiarity of time. In the second place, we are persuaded from common conceptions, that the Seasons are Goddesses, and that Month is a God, both which we worship in temples. We likewise say, that Day and Night are divinities, of whom also we possess invocations, imparted by the Gods them¬ selves. Much more therefore, is it necessary that time itself should he a God, since it is comprehensive of .Month, and the Seasons, of l)«iv and Night. In the third place, it time is something unmhered ; but it is necessary that prior to that which is numbered, that which numbers should exist, so that prior to that which is nunilMTod in capacity, there should be that which numbers in capacity, ami that which nmnlicrs in energy, prior to th.it which is numbered in energy ; if this Ik* the case, that is time m reality, which is the number itself, of all periods, and which numbers each of them. In the fourth place, whatever participates of soul, participates also ot time, but not vice versa: for inanimate natures participate ot time. It must be admitted therefore, that time is beyond soul, lint soul is prior
1 For ^crHowni' aett opyiiovoav in tins |>Iucc, reaii fitrpovrray aut rtftzoviray.
Tim. Plat. You II.
OQ2 PROCLUS ON THE [book nr.
to its participants, itself by itself. Much more therefore is time itself by itself beyond the participants of time.
How then will a tiling of this kind 1 m* the image of eternity? For attain it must Im* discussed, on account of the difficulty with which tin* knowledge of the things is attended. Because, says the divine Iamblichus, it exhibits the infinity of eternity, (which is now being, is at once all, abides in the now, and is the unmea¬ sured measure of intelligibles,) in a circular evolution, in continuity, and in that which is successive; and also in separating iM'ginnings, midilles, and ends, and not deserting any one of the things comprehended by it. And as it is not simply moveable, but is moveable as with reference to eternity, so neither is it simply an image, but the whole of this may 1 m justly said to be the image of i ternity. For being a true essence, and in short, measuring, comprehending, and restoring motions to their pristine state, it is at the same time said to be an eternal image. It apptars also, that it is the Jirst of images, l or all perfect intellect is not pro- )H-rlv said to Ik* the image of the first cause*. For what can be assimilated to that which is entirely w ithout form ? But time will be the first participant of intellect and an impartible nature between all perfect intellect, and sensibles. And m short, if it is necessary that image should belong to things which participate ; for it wishes to preserve the form of anotli* r more ancient and venerable nature, from which it receives the peculiarity of its idea; it is requisite, tit it image should neither be in the liist essences; (for they being first, do not participate, but rather, they are participated by other things, not being ingenerated in their participants, But after another manner, being converted to themselves;) nor in sensibles alone. For middle also participate of first natures, and not sensibles alone, which' are a similated to first, through the representations of middle natures. Time there¬ fore, is said to be the image of eternity, and the whole world, of animal itself, according to soul, and according to body, lienee, if as Porphyry, and some other Platonists thought, sensibles alone participate of truly-existing beings, vve must investigate images in them alone. But if, as Amelins writes, and prior to Amelins, ISumenius, there is also participation in intelligibles, there will likewise be images in them. If however according to the divine Plato, images are neither in the first of beings, nor in sensibles alone, Iamblit bus, who nearly surpasses all philosophers in all things, will in these also be victorious, by exhorting us to survey participations, in the middle, and in the last of 1 m ings. And thus much may sutlice at present concerning eternity, and the image of eternity , w hich is at
‘ "A is oiDilti-il in llie original.
once moveable, anti always subsists with invariable sameness, anil which proceed¬ ing according to intellectual forms, the father of wholes established in his fabrica¬ tions; as they were not able to sustain the all-perfect measure of eternity. Let us therefore, now turn to the investigation of the following words.
“ Me likewise contrived the generation of days and nights, and months and years, which had no subsistence prior to the universe, but which were constituted together with it. Jiut all these are parts of time,' and t\as and will he, were generated species of time.”