For this Goddess pervading every where collects the divine number, and con¬ torts it to the demiurgic monad. For the Gods are both separate from mundane allairs, and eternally protide for all things, being at tin* same time exempt from them through the highest transcendency, and extending their providence every¬ where. l*or their umningled nature is not without prot idential energy, nor is their providence mingled with matter. Through transcendency of power thev are not tilled with the subjects of their government, and through hrucliceiit will, they make all things similar to themselves; in permanently abiding, proceeding, and in being separated troin all things. In mg similarly present to all things. Since, there¬ fore, the (.ods ih.it govern the world, and the (heinous the attendants of these, receive after this maimer umningled purity, and providential administration from their lather; at one time he converts them to himself without a medium, and illu¬ minates them with a separate, umningled, and pure form of life. Whence also I think he orders them to he separated from all things, to n main exempt in Olympus, and neither convert themselves to Greeks nor Barbarian*.; which is just the same as to r..i\\ that they must transcend the two-fold orders of mundane natures, and abide immutably in mult filed intellection. But at another time lie converts them to a providential attention to secondary natures, through Themis, anti calls upon them to direct the mundane battle, ami excites dillerent Gods to dillerent works. 1 hcsc divinities, therefore, rsjiecially ns pure the assistance of i liemis, who contains in herself the divine laws, according to winch providence is intimately connected with wholes. Ilomer, therefore, divinely delivers tvvo- lold speeches, accompanying the two-fold energies of Jupiter; but Plato,
2 Ij
Tim. Vial.
' Iliad, xx v. i.
[book V,
through this one sjioech, comprehends these two-fold modes of discourse. For the* Demiurgus renders the (iods numingled with secondary natures, and causes them to provide for, ami give existence to mortals, Hut lie orders them to tahri- * ate in imitate n of himself: n> d in an injmicliuii of ibis kind, both these are com¬ prehended; \i/. the iimni led through the imitation ot the lather, for he is sepa¬ rate, lining exempt from n mdaiie w lioh s; hot providential energy, througli the command to fabricate, iionri'-n, and increase mortal natures. < )r rather, we may Burin both in oat h ; lor in imitating the Demiurgus, they pro\ id«* for secondary natures, as lie does for the immortals; and in lubrit atmg they are separate from the things fabricated. For every demiurgic cause is exempt from the things ge¬ nerated In it; hnt that which is mingled with and tilled from them is imbecile an 1 inetlicacious, and is unable to adorn and fabricate them. And thus much in common r< ■.pectmg the whole of the spec* h.
i> t us th< n, in the first place, consult r what we are to understand by “ (Iods of (iods,” and what power it possesses; for that this invocation is collective and convertiie of multitude to its monad, that it calls upwards the natures which lime proceeded to the one fabrication of them, and inserts a houndarv and divine measure in them, is chair to those who art.* not entirely imaeipiainted with is 111 h-hke discourses. Ihit how those that are allotted the world by their father are called (iods of (iods, and according to what conception, can¬ not easily he indieailed to the main ; for there is an unfolding of one divine intelligence in these naim s. Hi nee through this cause, some conjoin the words “ of dvds” with what follows, erroneously making the whole to he, “ <,f the (iods of uhom I am the Demiurgus.” For it is not proper to represent the l)t •miurgus as the fabricator of some things hut tin* father ot others, anil these latter less honorable natures. For they sav, lli it Plato In calling the Demiurgic* the fabricator ot (iods, l»ut the father of works, separates the 1 «11« r from the former, as different, and less honora' !e. [They do not however speak rightly ;] for the paternal is more venerable than the tlemiurgic characteristic. Neither is it right to introduce these repetitions where the diction is continued. For when the intermediate words are many, then there i- occasion for this parenthesis, hut otherwise, the thing is siijH-rtluous. Others sav, that the mundane (iods are of the intelligible (iods, as Ix-ing the images of them, just e the whole world is the statue of the eternal (iods, according to Tuna its. Aieilher however, do these speak rightly; because they do not assert any thing peculiarly illustrii - of the (iods. For in a similar manner what Plato savs would be adapted to every mortal nature. For all these, are vj the (iods, as images ot ini* lligihh s. \nd if it were requisite to refer to them the w ords “ of Gods, [ should think it would be
It ) O K v ]
TIM/El s or PLATO.
s ;ither proper to rail them Gods of the God , as bring alone produced by the one Demiurgus, mortal natures not being produced by him ; since In* who speaks is the Demiurgus himself. Hence it would l»e more proper to speak in the singular, than m the plural number lint others say that the most total unities of the mun¬ dane (bids, are called by the father, “ Gods of Gods," leaders of leaders, and kings of kilims, ;is being analogous to the father himself; because he also, accord¬ ing; to the poets, is the father of fathers, and supreme of rulers. To these however, it is easy to reply, that Plato delivers the Demiurgus speaking to all tiie mundane Hods, or attendants of the (bids, and not to some of them alone. For if both such (»ods as visibly revolve, and such as become visible when they please, collect themselves about the one Demiurgus, and the Demiurgus says these things, to all these Gods themselves it is not proper to understand the words “ Gods of Gods' partially, as applicable to the leaders alone.
If therefore, none of the above mentioned assertions are conformable to the conception of Plato, we must show vvliat his conception is. It will here however be better to recur to the explanation of these words by our preceptor. lie says therefore, that nil the mundane (bnls are not simply (bids, but that they are wholly (bnls which participate. For there is in them that which is separate, invisible, and supermundane, and also that which is the visible statue of them, and which has an orderly establishment m the world. Ami the invisible nature of them indeed, is primarily a God; for this must now he understood, as that which is indivisible and one. lbit this vehicle which is suspended from their invisible essence, is secondarily a (Jod. For if w ith respect to us, man is two¬ fold, one inward, according to the .soul, the other apparent, which wc see, much more must both these be asserted of the mundane (bnls; divinity in them being two-fold, one unapparent, and the other apparent. This being the case, we must say, th it “ Gods of God ," is addressed to all the mundane divinities, in whom there is a connection of nnapparenl with apparent Gods; for they are (iods that participate. In shun, since two-fold orders arc produced by the Demiurgus, some being supermundane, and others mundane, and some I icing without, and others with participation [ot body], it the Demiurgus now addressed the super¬ mundane orders, lie would h we alone said to them “ Gods;" for they are without participation {i. e. without the p-rticipation of body,] arc separate and unap- parent;—luu since the speech is to the* mundane (iods, he calls them (iods of (iods, as hi ing participated by other apparent divinities. In these also da mens are comprehended; for they <i-■» are (iods, as to their order with resjiect to the Gods, whose pecul j thev imlivisibly participate. Thus also INato, m the l'hadrus, when hi calls the twelve (iods the leaders of damons, at the same time
Pkoci.Us on the
[book V.
denominates all the atlnulants of the divinities finds, adding, “ and this is the life of the Gods.' All these, therefore, ari* foods' offiods, aspossessing tin* apparent connected with tin* uuapparenf, and tin- mundane \iit!i tin* siq>emmndant*. And thus much concerning tin* whole meaning of tin* words.
It is neressary however, since He have sanl tin* words ar»* demiurgic or fahri- eative, that tln v should lit* rotvived in a in.min r adapted to demiurgic prov idence. lint if these words an* mtellct ttK.il conceptions, and tin* intellectual conceptions themselves art* proiluctions, what shall wo s.tv tin* Ifriniurgns effects m the niul- titudi* of imindant- <i nls hv tin* lirsl words uf his speech ! Is it not evident wo must say that this energy ot his is delta* ! loir this oin* tlnnn* iutollootual concep¬ tion whifli is tin* first and most simple proceeding from the Deminrgiis, doilies all the recipients of it, ami makes them demiurgic (iotls, part it ipaletl (iotls, ami (iotls mvisilile anti at the same tune visible. l or this, as has been said, is tht* meaning of “ Gods of Gods. I ■'or the ft rm finds is not alone adapted to them; since they are not alone invisible; nor the word finds tw ict* enunciated, as if someone should say (iotls and finds; lor every bond of this kind is artificial, and foreign from divine union. I In se things therefore, have been siiilieiently discussed.
It is also necessary to observe in order to make the interpretations concordant, that every mundane (mil has an animal suspended from him, according to which he is deiioiuin itetl mundane. I b* has likeu isc a tlivim soul, w hit'll rules ou r its depending vehicle; and an immaterial and s. parale intellect, according to which he is united to the intelligihle, m order that he may imitate tin* world in which all these art contained. Anti by the animal suspended from him, he is indeed a part of the sensible universe; but by intellect be belongs to an intelligible essence; and by soul be conjoins tin* impartible life which is in him, with the life that is divisible about body. Sueii a composition however being triple in each mun¬ dane f iod, neither dot s Plato here deliver tin 1 h niiurgus speaking to intellects ; tor intellects subsist in tinproct-rtiing union with tin divine intellect, and are en- lirt ly tinhegotti n ; but soul is the first ot generated natures ; and shortly alb r the Dtininrgus addresses these when In* s.iys, “ si net i/t are generated." ?\or tloes lit* represent the I hmiurgns as speaking only to the animals w hich are suspended lrom tin* studs ot these finds ; for they pertain to corporeal naiiuvs, ami art* not adaptt d to enjoy the one tlemiurgit intelligence, without a medium. TSur vet does he represent him as speaking to stalls hy themselves; for they art* entirely immortal ; hut tin (iotls whom In* now addresses are said hv him not x to be in every n sped immortal. It therefore it be requisite fur me to say vvliat appears to
‘ 0*04 o umillfti litre in (lit i.ngiu.il
for fjf* tnui to nafjvai utfaiurcM ill ttie original, it 11 ntctssary fo rratl ^oj tuui t. r. \.
TIM.El S or I’lATO.