If however you should inquire what the nature is of the planets, both of the stars themsi lves, and the whole spheres, and whether that of the former is the same as the nature of the latter, or dillerent, we reply by recurring to the Platonic principles, that all heaven consists of all the elements; but that in one place, fire in conjunction with earth has dominion, but in another, fire in conjunction with the summit of water, and in another, fire with the summit of air; and that through each of these, the variety is most abundant. Hence, some things in the heavens are more visible than others; and these are such as have fire in conjunction with solidity. But others are loss visible,’ and these are such as have fire in conjunc¬ tion with transparent splendor, and the diaphanous. And on this account indeed it is possible to sis" the bodies which are m the higher region in the same manner as bodies can be seen through the air. But the bodies which have fire in con¬ junction with transparency, darken our sight [through excess of splendor]. If
* For knu r]arm lure, read Ktt rjirrut,
* In tlir original is omitted, but ought evidently to be inverted.
* Instead of epar*rrrf*a here, it is necessary to read aiyarwrrps.
IMiOCIAJS UN THK
[book IV.
*_»Ro
however, 1 these 1 limb's art* ri^litlv asserted by ns, the spheres indeed of the stars ha\e very projierly a more attenuated ami diaphanous, hut the stars, a more solid e—ence. lint lire every where predominates, and all heaven is characterized by ils power. The lire however, wiiii li is there, is neithi r caustic, (since this is not even the ease w illi the first of the siilihitiary elements, w hich Aristotle is arcus* tnmrd to call liery-formed,’) nor eorruptivc of any tiling, nor contrary to earth, hilt is resplendent w1111 vivilic heat and illuminative power, with purity and transparent splendor. For the vein inent is one tiling, and the pure another, as Socrates shows in the Philebiis. lienee, the lire which is there is li^Iit ; and it is not proper to di.-tiuh the discu-sion ol it, hy dm etm^ our attention tothe^russ and dark lire of the sublunary region \fn r tin-maiim r therefore, the sjieeilla¬ tion of the planets will he adapted to wliat lias lie* n before said.
There are liowt ver, other do me animals 1 |<>|!ow ino the eireulations ol the planet-, tin* leader- of whu li are the se\en planet - ; all w hich Plato eomprelu nils m what i- here said. For these also revolve, and have a wandering ot such a hind as that which he a little before, mentioned of the seven planets. Fur they revolve >:i conjunction with, and make their apocatastases together with their principles, ueta.s the lived stars are governed 1 >v the whole circulation [of the inerratic sphere]. These planetary bodies therefore, wliieh were produced conformably to the lived stars, he savswen made for the sake of the generation of time, in order that they mi^ht eo-operale in it- pioduction, leading forth into the world different temporal measures, through their anomalous and perpetual motion; of which the one time is comprehensive, possessing one periodic number, which mutants all-various periodic numbers in itself. Hut when hr asserts that the lived -tars arc moved about their centres, in conjunction with an advancing mo¬ tion, he does not also -a\ that thev co-operate in tin* prodiu lion ol tune, t)io111411 they have a periodic nuuiher of their proper apocata-tasis, according to which the whole of time is measured ; hut speaking about t!it- planets in a way adapted to ph\siolo^v, he particularly mentions tliose things in which he had sense a- a witness of the different motion of the planets. For we cannot assume any tiling from sense, respecting the dillerent niiuihers of the motion of the lived -tar-, and of the jicriods which th« v make in their revolution-, lie particularly therefore, makes mention of this, v i/. that the planets were venerated for the sake of time, tliroiejh the evidence, wliieh we derive from -eiise, a- he himself reminds us.
1 I <>r n fti lirrc, il 11 reijuiMle lo rr.nl n f'n-
1 Amt I lie -c, jswc have ticfure «>lm rveil, arc wlut (lie moderns nil satrllttes.
Hook Iv ]
TIM KlIS OF PLATO.
2hi
Hut we have already answered tlmse, who deny tli it the heavens consist of lire, because tire naturally tends upward. Again llierefore, it is necessary to remind them, as they are lovers of contention, tli it they speak absurdly. For they look to the tire which is here, and which lias a preternatural subsistence. For though you should assume the lire which is immediately under the moon, vet to l>e moved upward is not natural to it, but to abide in its own place. Hut to be moved upward, leads indeed to a subsistence according to nature, yet is not itself according to nature. For a tendency to health is not according to nature to a body, but to be \\<!I ; but to be com ah’seent, is alone natural to a diseased body; just as to fire, wlin h is not perfectly lire, to tend upward is according to nature, but to (ire which is in energy, it is natural to abide on high, in which plan? abiding, if it should he moved, it would alone have a circular motion. Hut if it is true, that the summit of lire iu the sublunary region, is moved in a circle in conjunction with a:ther, as Aristotle says, this in a greater degree demonstrates that lire is of a circulating nature. For if this lire also, is always moved in a circle, as far as it is able, it is so moved according to nature. For (hat which is preternatural is not perpetual. Hut every thing violent is preternatural. It therefore the fire which is immediately under the moon, is a thing of this kind, why do they doubt respecting the heavenly bodies, and so frequently adduce the motion of fire towards the upper regions.
As Aristotle however, inquires whv the spin re »»f the lived stars, Ik ing one, comprehends many stars, but in each of the plain tarv spheres, which arc many, there is only one star, the solution of this conformably to his opinion, may lie obtained from his writings. Hut wi have already said something concerning this, and now agreeably to vvhat has been before asserted, we sav, that each of the planets is a whole world, comprehending in itself many divine gener invisible to us. Of all these however, the visible star has the government. And in this, the lived stars differ from those in the planetary spheres, that the former have one monad,’ which is the wholeness of them ; but that in each of the* latter there are invisible stars, which revolve together vvilh their spheres; so th.it in each, there is both the wholeness, and a leader which is allotted an exempt transcendency. For the plain Is being secondary to the fixed star®, require a twofold prefecture, the one* more total, but the other more partial. But that in each of these, there- is a multitude co-ordinate with each, you may infer from the extremes. For if the incrratic sphere has a multitude co-ordinate with itself, and earth is the whole¬ ness of terrestrial, in the same manner as the incrratic sphere is of celestial
1 Ami tins oik* monad i« llic qilirre of the fixed stars.
Tim. Plat.
lMtOCLUS ON THE
2fl2
animals, it is nec«*Ks;vrv that each [intermediate] wholeness, sliouhl entirely possess certain partial animals co-ordinate with itself; through which also, they are said to be wholenesses. The intermediate natures however, are concealed from our sense, the extremes Ik mg manifest: one ot them through its trancendeiitly lumi¬ nous essence, and the oth< r through its alliance to us. It likewise, partial souls are disseminated about them, some about the sun, others about the moon, and others about each of the rest, ami prior to .souls, da mons give* completion to the herds of which the\ are the leaders, it is evidently well said, that each ol the spheres is a world; theolo"is(s also teaching us these things when they say that there are (Jods in each prior to d.emons, some of which are under the govern ment of others. Thu> for instance, they assert concerning our mistress the Moon, that the < iocli’c II. cate, is i ontaim d in her,' anil also Diana. Thus too, in
speaking of the sovereign Nun, and the <«nU that are there, they celebrate Ila. clius as being the re
'll it- Sun’s assessor, who with watchful eye suiveys
1 he sai red pole
They likewise o lebrate the Jupiter who is there, Osiris, the solar Pan, and others of which the books of theologists and theurgists are full: from all which it is evi¬ dent, that each of the planets is truly said to be the leader of many Oods, who give completion to its peculiar circulation.* \Iter this manner therefore, we dis¬ solve the doubt.
* Instead of ij then rm» «i ui^ij in I In, plj. e, wliu li is cv idenlly erroneous, I read ij Iarar »7
Ora to rie tv atrij.
* From tliis t-ilranrdiuaiv |i:ns;i“i , 1 we may perceive at one view why ttie sun in the Orphic hymns is called Jupiter, why Apollo is called I’.in, and Uattlius the sun, why the Moon seems to lie the same With Ilhea, Ceres I'rost i pme, Juno, \ eiuis, Ac. and in -dun I why any one divinity is celebrated wall the names and cpiilu I, nl so nuns of the i« ,| I or tiom tin, sublime theory it follows that every sphere contains a Jupiter, Neptune, Vulr.in, VeslJ, Miueiv.i, Mjis, Ceres, Juno, Diana, Mercury, Venus, Apollo, and in short i u r> ileiiv, each sphere at the same time conferring on these (iod> the peculiar characteri'tie ut Us i ilurt ; mi that for instance in the Sun they all possess a solar properly, ui the Moon a lunar one, and so ot ilie rest. From this theory too we uiay perceive the truth ol (hat divine saving of the aiuiiuts, that . II things are full of finds; for more particular orders proceed lroin such as are inure general, flu mundane lioiu the sU|«‘riliuud.me, and the sublunary troni the ceo-stial; while earth becomes the genital reteplacle ot the illuiniiiations of all the f*ods “ Heine as 1 rutlus shortly after observ is, tin re is a I m atrial Ceres, A.eta, and 1 is, as likewise a terrestrial Jupiter and a terrestrial Hermes, established about the* one divmils of the earth; just as a multitude of celestial boils protect d» about the out diviuitv of tile heavens. 1 or I lit re are progressions of ull the celestial finds into the Larth ; and Earth contains all things, in an larlhly maimer, which lleavin comprehends celestially. Hence wi s| »-k of a terrestrial llacchus and a terrestrial Apollo, svho bestows the nil-various streams of * a ter w itli whit h tLe earth abounds, and openings prophetic of futurity. ’ Ami if to all this we only add.
I no K I V , J
TIM/l,l s OJ I’BATt >.