Some one however, may reasonably doubt from what has been said, where Plato constitutes the soul of the inerratic sphere, In ing afraid lest he should make the soul of the world t>* be the same with the soul of tint sphere; as Aristotle did afterwards. For we have tlx peculiar souls of the stars, through the lielbre inf illumed circulations, and a little farther on, Plato speaks concerning them. For lie says, th.it hi mg hound with animated bonds, they became animals. May we not say tber« lore, that as be plaees in the whole soul ot the universe, twofold circles, and twofold circulations, lie gives subsistence together with them to two¬ fold souls, that fit the inerratic sphere, and that of the whole planetary sphere, as one circulation? And again, assuming in the virile of the tiijf'crcnt, seven circles, he had fog« tlier with them mm ii souls, carried as in vehicles in the seven spheres. For tip* animation just now delivered was not of tin* spin res themselves. Hence in what he said ol the iiierr.itir sphere, he made mention of the animation of the stars, omitting the animation of the w hole spheres, as being comprehended in the circles ot the whole soul. For on account ol the form of diM us-umi usual with the ancients, he omits the subtile elaboration ot various animation. For universal animation is one thing; tb.it which is posh rior to this, and is universal partial animation, is another; partial universal animation is another; and the last of all, is partial animation. According to all the forms of animation like¬ wise, the whole world and the parts of it are animated. May it not be said also, that Timaus having on the preceding day heard Socrates suhtiiy discussing these animations, conceived that the peculiar elaboration of them would Lie supeilluous.
1 There in an oiuusion in ihc original here of tar’ uvaXayutr.
Proci.Us on the
[book IV.
Socrates therefore placet! souls which lie railed Syrens, over the eight whirls [or spheres]. And again, he places one soul over the inerratic portion of the world; one, over the whole planetary region ; and one over the whole heaven ; unfolding the peculiar souls of all these, and animating the inerratic sphere in a twofold respect, both as one circle, having a division opposed to that of the seven circles, and as comprehending the multitude ot the fixed stars, and being itself a world universal and at the same time partial. And thus much in answer to tins doubt. But the reason why IMatu makes the discussion of the -tars to 1m- superfluous, is evident. 1 'or the thing proposed by bun was to show what secondary time is, ami how, ami whence it is consummately ellected.
“ When therefore, each ot the natures necessary’ to a joint fabrication of lime, had arrived at a local motion adapted to its condition, and they became animals through the connecting power ot vital bonds, they then learned their prescribed order.
AN liat the animation is of the bodies of the seven cosviocrators, and w hat the order, has been shown through what has been already said. But how each of them is an animal, and is suspended fioin a more divine soul, and what each contributes to the |»erfoctioii of the universe, Plato delivers in these words, to those who are able to perceive his meaning. For each
of them is allotted an appropriate life and motion, l or since the demiur¬ gic sacred law distributes to each of the mortal natures that which is adapt¬ ed to it, what will 5011 say concerning the leaders and rulers of the universe? ]\I us t it not he this, that they p-c« ive from the father that which is adapted to them ami is their good, and that being resplendent with beairty they not only co-operate with the father in the generation of time, hut also lead and govern the whole world ? And how is it possible that thus shaking concerning them, we should not speak rightly ? I 11 addition to these things also, they not only receive from the demiurgic moir.ul the beautiful and the good, hut being self motive, impart these to themselves, and begin from themselves the donation of good ; which Plato indicating, says “ that each of than arrived at a local motion adapted to its condition ,” as defining to itself the measure of the life and order and motion which it is allotted in the universe. Since however, each of them, I mean ear h of the seven bodies, lias a twofold life, the one inseparable, hut the other separable; anti the one intclh dual and established in itself in a leading and ruling manner, but the other distributed about body, which it connectedly contains, and moves ; and since according to the latter, each is an animal, but according to the former
Rook Iv ]
TIM ITS or PLATO.
a find;—this being the ease, Plato sepurating both these, ami considering the di¬ vine and intellectual soul, and which do«*s not depart from intelligible*, as nm> tiling, iuit tin 1 animal which is suspended from this, has its life from, and is the intake of it, as another, lie says “ that being bound xrith vital bonds, they became unimals , and baron/ their prescribed order." l or a divine soul learns the demiur¬ gic will, and understands the works of the father. 1 It also co-operates with hint in the production of mundane natures, hy intellectually perceiving him, and being tilled hv him with divine powers, lor it i" not possible for either intellect or soul, to provide for wholes in an e>« nipt manner, in any other way than by the participation of deitv, and through a div inc|y-in>pired life.
Then co-operating therefore, in the production of time, manifests that they are allotted a secondary powi r, in the fabrication of it; the father of them possessing a primordial power. I or he indeed generates the wholeness of time; but they produce, together with him, the parts of which time consists. For the periods of these are the parts of the whole of time; just as they were generated the parts of the world. But the animal bound with vital bonds, is the animated bodv, which has life from the soul allotted to it, according to the demiurgic allotments. For if with us, the animal is different from the man, and the visible Socrates is one thing, but the true Socrates another, much more are the Sun and Jupiter [different from the visible orbs of them] which consist of body and soul. ll« nee Socrates in the Pir.edrus bluim s those, who assert that a div ine animal consists of body and soul. " For ignorantly, and without sufficiently understanding, says he, we feign a (Jod to be an immortal animal, hav ing a soul, and having a body, and these connas- ccnt with each other through the whole of time.” And if it be requisite to speak w hat appears to me to be the truth, the unity which is in each and which is the inef¬ fable participation of the fountain of whole unicul numlw rs, is primarily a find. But secondarHi/ intellect, which contains every thing stably, 1 uniformly, and inflexibly. And in the third place soul, being filled from intellect, and unfolding the one compre¬ hension of it. The first of these also, is truly a < iod ; tin* second is most div ine ; and the third, is likewise divine, but illuminates the animal w ith the peculiarity of deity. According to this also, the animal is divine, lining bound with vital bonds, which you may say arevivitic, demiurgic, and indissoluble bonds, as Ti- mams says farther on. Fur the divine bodies, are wholly bound in souls, and are comprehended by, and established in them. The binding likewise, indicates the stable and immutable comprehension of the bodies in the souls, and the undis-
1 For row rnrroi lure, it is nfifi'arv to read row mrpo.
* Instead of e£>tr r '7/ i(,b ' > in lius plat c, it is necessary to read mt.
* Tor cft&rvftHt here, it is requisite to read ^on^wi.
'Jtm. Plat. Vol. II. 2 d
Pkoclis on Ti1e
[book IV.
joined communion of thorn with souls; Divine bodies however, living such, co¬ operate with the Domiurgus in the production of time, call forth the one and invisible power of time, and afford to it a progression into the world, w hich unfolds into light many temporal measures, lienee through this the whole of tune de¬ rives its completion, imitating the time which consists in mwilnring, since it consists itself in being numbered, and in short becomes what it is from many numbers, in ordr r that it may be similar to that which is truly total time, and is comprehensive of all apocatastalie numbers. 'I he joint fabrication tin rcfore, indicates production proceeding to the end, and a p< rlect energy.
“That according to the oblique latiou of the circle of the different t which moves in subjection to the circle ot the mine, these orbs should by their revolution, partly form a greater, and partly a less circle; and that the orb which formed a less circle should revolve swifter, but that which produced a greater, more slow.”
You may kay that the ohliipu lation of the circle of the different, signifies a lation according to the obliquity of the zodiac. For the motion of the planets is according to the poles of the zodiac, that we tuny speak, mathematically. For Mich ail explanation is not to Ik* despised by those who discourse about the celes¬ tial bodies. Or, according to a more intimate jwreeption of the tiling, you may sa), that this obliquity manifests tin* cause of generation, and the mutation which pre-exists in the n lestial orbs. For generation indeed, participates of difference and varietv from the revolution of the circle of the different [i. e. from the circula¬ tion of the planets]; hut it participates of sameness, and a subsistence which is always the same, from the circle of the mine for tin* inerratic sphere], as Aristotle also says. For if tin* circle of the same alone existed, there would not he mutation and generation, hut all things would Ik* uniform, and being always generated, would remain invariably the same. And if" tin* circle of the different alum* existed, all tilings would he without stability, and would he in continual motion. In order then-fore, that there may he both permanency and motion, and that this vs hole may 1 m*, as it is said, an immutable mutation, and an immoveable motion, tin uni¬ verse has both these circulations. And the variety indeed of geiu ration, b< comes apparent through the circulation of the circle o f the diijerint; hut communion and immutability, through tin cm le of the same. I5ut of these again, tin* one is «fleeted through the < ir< le of sameness of the soul, and the other through the soul s ciri le of difli rence. \lid of tin se also, the one is through intellectual sameness, hut the other through demiurgic difference. And of these last, the one is through intelli-
T1M/LUS OI PLATO.
giblc bound, but the other through intelligible infinity. After tins manner therefor**, tlie obliquity must Ik? understood.
And here you may see what the difli rence is, as delivered by Plato, between the psychical lation of tin- circle of dillerence, and the corporeal. For he calls the former straight, but the latter oblique, l or the former is und* tiled and index¬ ible, but the latter proximal* ly governs tin* variety of generated natures, and has a visible iiusjuability, and a certain position and habitude witii tesjiect to the uni¬ verse. But the revolution of the circle of the different being such, it proceeds' through the circle of the sui/ic , and is governed by it. For it is moved by invisible causes, and by the inerratic sphere itself. Or rather, it receives through it motive powers; and is governed by it, because it is convolved, according to the one, and inerratic motion of it. And this indeed, is said mathematically. But after another manner, you may say that the nature of the same and similar has dominion, in order that the world may be one; that all things may as much as possible be perpetual; ami that the world may imitate animal itself, in which all things have an eternal subsistence. For if the circle of the different had dominion over the circle of the same, there would I»c less of the immutable than of the mutable, in the universe, and the world would not receive all the perpetuity which it is capable of receiving. But in this case, it would lie less similar to animal itself. The lation therefore, of the circle of the different being governed by the lation of the circle of the same, proceeds* within it, circulates through its concavity, and revolves together with it.