The Commentaries of Proclus on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor (1820)

That prior to the generation of the universe (but 1 now speak of the universe, as surveyed in conjunction with soul, and the whole life ol the world; there w,»s »n impartible essence abiding in eternity, in the same manner as eternity abides in one, and that it was no part of proceeding and participated time, is perfectly manifest. But what day and night, and month and year are, and how these indeed, are parts of time, but was and trill be are said to be species, and not parts of time, will require a more abundant discussion, and a more profound considera¬ tion. If therefore, we should say that day is air illuminated by tin- sun, in the first place, we shall speak of something which takes place in the day, and not that which day is. For when we say a long, and a short day, we do not predi¬ cate an increase or diminution of the air. In the next place, it is dillicolt to devise how this will be a part of time. But if we should say that day is the temporal interval, according to which the sun proceeds from cast to west, we shall perhaps avoid indeed the former objections, but we shall fall into more impervious difficulties. For if we survey the interval itself without habitude to the sun, and say that it is day, it will appear to be dubious, how the same interval Im ing every where according to the same, day is not every where. But if we survey it in connexion with the solar motion, and this merely so, day will always lie in the heavens, and there will not he night. And how is it possible that a part of time should not he every where. For it is here clearly said, that night, day, and month, are parts of time. If however, we do not merely connect the interval with the circulation of the sun, but say that day is the motion of the sun from cast to west, and night the motion of it from west to east, the universe will neither have days nor nights, which are said to he parts of time. And it is also evident that neither will they have months, nor years. We conceive however that time both according to the

1 I he worth, rovra £c trarra /itpai ire through the fault of the tnnicnlxn omitted id the

text of 1'roclus.

[book it.

whole of itself w hich abides, and according to every part of its progression, is pre¬ sent to die whole world. For one and the same now is every where the same. It is necessary therefore, that day, and such other things as we say are parts of time, dioiild he every where the same, though they are participated partibly and with dis¬ persion by sensible fabrications; to which also some looking, adopt the more usual rather than the more accurate signification of names.

lienee, as our father [SyrianusJ philosophizes, these things are not asserted for ihe purpose of subverting the phenomena: for Timaus says what is usually said by the multitude, lint our father ref. rring tliese, as he is accustomed to do, to more principal hv post uses says, that da 1 /and night are demiurgic measures oftime,cx- L 1 ling and convoking all the visit le and invisible life and motion , and orderly distribution oj the inerratic spin re. Fur these are the true parts of time, are essentially present leith all things, and Comprehend the primordial cause ufapparent dap and flight , each oj which are different in visible time. And Tima-us also looking to this, reminds us how lime was generated together with the unitcr>e. Hence he says in the plural num¬ ber da\s ami nights, as likewise months anti years. These therefore, are obvious to all men. Tor the invisible cans* s of tin se, have a uniform subsistence prior to tilings multiplied,and circulating to infinity. 1 be immoveable causes of these like¬ wise subsist prior to tilings that are moved, and the intellectual causes ol them pi r to -« iwhl. s. Sin h, then fore, must day and night lie conceived to be according to tin ir first subsistence. But it must he said, that month is that a Inch convolves the lunar sphere, and e~cery termination of the circulation about the zodiac, being truly a divine temporal measun . - I ml year is that a hich pt rfe cts and contains the v hole middle fa¬ brication, according to tehich the sun is seen possessing the greatest pouer, and measur¬ ing all things together u ilh time. For neither is day, nor night, nor month, nor much Uss year Without the sun, nor any thing else pertaining to the v or Id. And I do not say this, vith reference to the visible fabrication alone, for of these measures the visible sun is the cause; but in the invisible and superior Jnbn- cution, the more true sun measures all things together with time, being in nahty time of time, according to the oracle oj the Gods concerning it. I or that I Into m t only knew these visible parts of time, hut also the divine parts homonymous to these, is evident from what he says in the t* nth honk ofllie I/aws. 1 or he flu re -hows, that the seasons and months are divine in conjunction with all the other mundane] (bids, in conseipience of Inning divine lives and divine intellects pre -ul.ng over them in the same manner as the universe. Hut it is not wonderful, it he now rath. 1 >p. ak- about the visible parts of time, because his design at pres, nt physiologize. I, l tluse therefore be the parts of time, of which sonic are adapted to the fixed >tai-, but others to the stars that revolve about the poles <•

Took Iv.]

TIM/F.l'S OF PLATO.

the zodiac, am] otlirrs to other (iods, ortho attendants of the Gods, or to mortal animals or to the more elevated or more low parts of the universe.

Plato however, says that wits and will In are species, and not parts of time, in the same manner as days and nights, and months and years. For divine orders whii h giv e eoinplelion to the whole series of time, preside over the latter. Hence, lie calls them parts of time. Hut was and willin', are entirely surveyed according to each of these. And hems', they are certain species, as not having a ]>eenliar matter; I mean, a diurnal, or nocturnal, or some otln r such like matter. If however, these are species of time, which was generated together with the uni¬ verse, av/v had no existence prior to the generation of the universe. But if was had no existence prior to it, neither had motion ; for in all motion, there are wax and a ill be, because there are prior and posterior. If however, motion was not prior to the universe, neither was disorderly motion. Hence Athens and lus fol¬ lowers speak in vain, when they say, that time was prior to the generation of the world, hut not an arranged time. For where there is time, there are also the past and the future. Ami where these are, there the wax, and the will Ac entirely subsist. Moreover, the rr<w and the u ill Ac, are species of time generated by the Demiurgns. Hence also Plato calls them generated. Neither therefore was there a certain time prior to the fabrication of things. It is necessary therefore, that the nuich- crlebraled disorderly motion of Athens and his followers, either, it it existed, should not lie in time, or that there should not he in short, a certain lime when it was produced. It is necessary however, motion existing, that there should he a time in which it was generated : one part of it. havin': the past,’another the present, and another the future. *1 If uce.it is not possible that tin re should have Ikm-ii motion prior to tin* generation of time ; since neither could there have been disorderly lime. For disorderly tune would have the reus and the will he; the former of which would be the past, hut the latter tin* future. Or, if it alone hail the is, without tin s«*, it would have been < lernily, and not time, and disorderly motion would lx* eternal which is impossible. For Aristotle has sutlii u ntiy di moiistrated, that all motion is in time, both tnat which is disorderly, and that which is orderly, each entirely having the.prior, and the posterior ; in order that the motion may lie that which it is said to lx*, and may not be permanency instead of motion. But that the was and then ill Ac, were not prior to the fabrication of things, Plato clearly teaches us, as I have Ix-fnre observed by say ing that as davs and nights were generated as parts, so the Teas ami the will he, were generated as sjieries of time. They how¬ ever say, that the disorderly motion was unliegotten. Hence, if there was then

• 1 I'or irjK*X0<>r her**, it is ncccssrry lo read rnp(\0nr.

[book IV.

a certain time, it was unbcgotten ; ko that the was and the will be, were tmbegot- ten. The kw and the will be therefore, were not prior to the generation of the world, hut wen* simultaneous with the world ; time being oue and the same, and Is mg the numlier both of disorderly and of orderly motions, and existing without difference. This therefore, is demonstrated through these methods as a co¬ rollary .

If however, you wish to suney these as species of time, in the nay in which they appeared to be so to our preceptor, assume for me a perfect period, and an entire progression of time, one part having now become the past, but another the future, and behold the was, and the will be as species of time. I'or if we do not thus, but partibly understand the words of l*lato, the venerable and entire idea of time, will not lie manifested to us, according to eat h of these species, but that w hich hap(tens to some of the things that art in generation, anti mutation. Unless indeed, the uas indicates the perfective order of time, but the will be, that order of it u huh unfolds into If/it, just as the ts, indicates its connectedly containing order. For time unfolds things which as yet are not, connectedly contains such as are present, and pt ejects such as are past, and introduces an appropriate end to their periods. And thus much conct ruing tin* parts and the species of time.

With respect however, to the word contrived, though we have before observed that time is in reality tin: work of divine anti demiurgic contrivance, by which natures that are changed remain through the whole, and partake of perfection, perpetuity, defence, measure and compreln iision; vet it may In* said, do not divine natures measure themselves,' and especially do not those that revolve in the hea¬ vens, define their own motions? This indeed, we must most readily admit. I or material and corruptible natures have their existence, and tin* extent of their du¬ ration from other tilings; but divine natures have these, both from primordial causes and themselves. lienee Plato, when lie begins to speak about tin; times that are unfolded into light in the heavens, says “ that the stars were generated for the *ake of co-operating in the production of time and again, “ that they were gene¬ rated us instruments of time and in the third place, “ that they were produced for the purpose of distinguishing and guarding the numbers oj time.' In vvliat is ben* s.iitl however, the term co-operating shows that time indeed existed prior to the stars, hut that it is unfolded into light about the world through these. For time hem-' m them, is unfolded through their motion. Hut the term instruments again afier another manner, ill a certain respect, indicates the same thing; viz. that tin- whole of time was produced, both that which abides, and that which proceeds,

' I'or tavro here, read caeru.

T1M/EUS Or PLATO.