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

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That we may speak how* V« r, about < at li ot ihi -e < bids, I’ln otlorus ri lers solds that subsist in habitude to these divinities, mid arranges them as presiding over the three divisions of the world. And Plinrc).s indeed, lie arranges in the star¬ less sphere, as moling the latum of the universe. He- ought however to persuade us that Plato was acquainted with a ccitain .starless sphere, and afterwards, that he thus arranged Phorcvs in this sphere, lbil lie places Saturn over the motions of the stars, 1 m cause time 4 is from these, and the generations and corruptions of things. And he places Khra over the material part of the world, because by ma¬ teriality, she lias a redundancy with respect to the divinities prior to herself. Jlut the divine lambhchiis arranges them m the three spheres lu-twi en the heavens and the earth. For some of the sublunary deitii s give a two-fold division to the sul>- 1 unary region, hut these divide it in a three-fold manner. And Phorcys indeed, according to him, presides over the whole* of a humid essence, containing all of it impartihly. But Kliea is a divinity connective of flowing and aerial-formed spirits. And Saturn governs the highest and most attenuated sphere of ether, having a m>» «*r« tijKov rrjt Ot- yeviat For uXXa o therefore, I read a\Xo v Hetayoi ; Ocean according to the Theogonv of Hesiod, being the progeny of Heaven and Earth.

* For fitr avrov, it is necessary to read /itr’aimjt.

* For ©ac/mt-ra, it is requisite to read Oav/tai'roi; and for toiTcc, rrceji.

* The original here is evidently erroneous ; for it is, cv yap tony o ov/ianfijt aXAn u 4*opte«,

* Kporot ii erroneously printed for ^o»oi.

1 For r fjt vynat v\rjt cvoim, I read rtj« vypa i c\t)t cioiai.

BOOK V.]

T1M>EUS OF PLATO.

p. 327

middle arrangement according to Plato; because the middle and the centre in incorporeal essences, have a "renter authority than the powers situated about the the middle. We indeed, admire this intellectual explanation of Ianihlichus ; but we think it proper to survey these Gods every where, both in all the elements, and all orders. For thus we shall liehold that which is common in them, and which extends to all things. And we say indeed, that Phorcys is the infective guardian of every spermatic essence, and of physical, and as it were, spermatic productive principles, as Iwiug pregnant with, and the cause of generation. For there are spermatic productive principles in each of the elements ; and different orders of Gods and dvemons preside over them, all which Plato comprehends through Phorcys. But king .Saturn <1 ivivies forms and productive principles, and produces more total into more partial powers. Hence he is not only an animal but pedestrious, aquatic, and a bird. And he is not only pedestrious, but like¬ wise man and horse. For the productive principles in him are more partial than in the celestial deities. Among the intellectual Gods tin refore, he is allotted this power, viz. to multiply and divide intclligibles. Hence, he is the leader of the Titans, as being especially characterized by the dividing peculiarity.

Again, we say that Rhea receives the unapparent powers of king Saturn, leads them forth to secondary natures, and excites the paternal powers to the fabrica¬ tion of visible objects. For thus also, her first order is moved, is tilled with power and life, and produces into that which is apparent, the causes that abide in Saturn. Hence Saturn is every where the supplier of intellectual forms; Ithea is the cause of all souls, and of e r cry kind of life; and Phorcys is prolific witli physical pro¬ ductive principles. Since however another number of (iods pertains to the king¬ dom ofthese, and which Saturn and Ithea comprehend, on this account Plato adds, “ and such as subsist together with these. 7 ' For lie not only through this com¬ prehends d.cmons, as some say, hut both tlie angelic and the da-moniacal Saturn have with themselves a multitude, the one angehr, but the other d.emoniacal. And the multitude which is in the (iods is divme; that which is m the air is aerial; and in a similar manner in the other elements, and in the other more excellent genera arranged under these Gods.

IU the words also “ such as subsist together with these, ' Plato appears to signify the remaining 1 itans viz. Cams and Hy]>erion, Greens, Inpet us, and likewise the remaining 1 itannida-, viz. Pliohe, Theta, Mnemosyne, Themis, and Dione, with whom Saturn and Rhea proceeded into light. Also, those that proceeded toge¬ ther with Phorr.ys, viz. Nereus .and Thaumas, the most motive Furyhia, and those who especially contain and connect the w hole of generation. Moreover, it is worth while to observe that it is not proper to discuss accurately the arrangement in

p. 358

PHOCLUS OX THE

[book V.

these divinities, and whether Saturn or Phorcys i*» the superior deity ; for they are united and similar to eacli other. Hut if it be requisite to make a division, it is better to adopt the arrangement of the divine lamhlichus, viz. that Saturn is a monad; but Hhea a certain duad, railing forth the powers that are in Saturn ; and that Phorcvs gives perfection to their progression. It now remains therefore that we direct our attention to the other kings who produce the apparent sublu¬ nary order of things; for such is the arrangement which they are allotted.

“ Put from Saturn and Hhea, Jupiter, Juno, and all such as we know are called the brethren of these descended, and also the other progeny of these.”

This is the third progression of the Gods who are the fabricators of generation, but the fourth order, closing as a tetrad the nomination of the leading Gods. For the tetrad is comprehensive of tin; divine orders. But as a duad this progression itfassimilated to the first kingdom ; because that as well as this is dyadic. '1 here are however, present with it, the all-perfect according to progression, and the uncir¬ cumscribed according to number. But Plato here, not only adds the words “such as,” as in the progression prior to it, but likewise the word “all, that he may indi¬ cate the progression of them to every thing. For we use the term to gatov, such as, in speaking of things united, but the term to oil, in speaking ot things now divided and multiplied. The total (to gXixov) likewise pertains to this progression. For the Gods which are denominated in it, and those that proceed every where together with them, are charactt rized according to this torin of lubrication. Fur all Dvmiurgi are total. Who therefore are they, and what kind of order do they possess ?

The divine lamhlichus then asserts that Jupiter is the perfecter of all genera¬ tion ; but that Juno is the cause of power, connexion, pit nitmle, and life to all things; and that the brethren of them are those that communicate with them in the fabrication of generation, being also themselves intellects, and receiving a completion according to a perfection and power similar to them. But ! Iieodorus, again dividing the life which animates the total in habitude, and forming it as he is accustomed to do into triads, calls Jupiter the power that governs the npp< r region as far as to the air; but Juno the power who is allotted the aerial part of the world ; and the brethren of them those that give completion to the remaining parts. For Jupiter is the essential of the soul that subsists in a material habit, because there is nothing more vital than essence. But Juno is the intellectual part of such a soul, because the natures on the earth are governed by the produc-

BOOK V.j

TIM.r.US or FLAK)

:V29 live principles proceeding from the air. And lit*' other nnrulirr is the psychical distributed into particulars.

We however consequently 1 to what has been before asserted say, that art onl¬ ine to Plato there are many orders of Jupiter. For one is the I)< iniurgus, as it i* written in the Cratylus; another, is the first of the'Saturnian triad, as it is asserted in the < inrgias ; another is the liberated, as it is delivered in tin* Phu-dnis ; and another is the celestial, whether in the inerratie sphere, or among the planets. M oreover, as the first Jupiter produced into the\i>ihle fabrication the power of bis father, which was concealed in the nnapparent, being eve ited* to this by bis mother Hliea ; after the same manner the Jupiter deliverer! here, who is the fahrirator of generation, causes the nnapparent divisions and separations of forms made by Saturn to her onto apparent; but Ithea calls them forth into motion and generation; and Pliorcys inserts them in matter, produces sensible natures, and adorns the visible essence, in order that there may not only l>e divisions of pro¬ ductive principles in natures and in souls and in intoller Inal essences prior to these, but likewise in sensihles. l'or this is the pteu/inrifi/ of fihriintinn. Aqd if it be requisite to speak what appears to me to be the truth, Saturn indeed pro¬ duces intellectual sections, but Illiea sur b as are psychical, and Finneys such as are physical. For all spermatic productive principles are under nature. Hut Jupiter adorning sensible anil visible sections, goes a specific distinction to such beings in the sublunary region a> are totally vital, and causes them to be moved. Airier* however, tin se sensible forms whieli are generated and perfected, are multiformlv evolved, bring moved and changed according to all-various evolutions, on this account the queen Juno is conjoined with Jupiter, giving perfection to this motion of visible natures, anil to tin* evolution of forms. I Imre fables re¬ present her as at one time sending mania to certain persons, hut ordering others to undergo severe labours, in order that through intellect Iwing present with all things, anil partial souls energizing r)iv iiu-1 v both theoretically and practically,every progression and all the general inn of the sublunary region may obtain complete perfection.

Such therefore being the nature of this rluarl, there are al>o other demiurgic powers w hich triply divide the apparent world of generation ; one of these being allotted the government of air; anolherthat of water ; and another that of earth, conformably to demiurgic allotments. Hence they are said to be the brothers of

* Tlie words ij/mt K twr/invi ire omitted in ihe original.

1 For it is nere$-.ar\ to read r v inci»ijfin«

1 For b^ioj here, it is nesrssary to read r/jfxnij.

7’lWJ. Plat. You II. 2 I

p. 330

PUOCLIJS ON THE

\BOOK %.

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