exhibits the infinity of life. And the first indeed, i* immortal; the second is not immortal; the third is mortal; and the middle is adapted to the mundane Gods. For they neither have tin- immortal from themselves, so far as they derive it from that whic h is truly and primarily immortal, and so far as bodies are suspended from them ; nor have they a finite life ; but they are filled indeed from the eternal Gods, and pioduce mortal natures. For the second fabrication is connected with the first, proceeds about it, is governed bv it, and refers to it the production of the mortal genera.
Again, with respect to the indissoluble, that which is principally and primarily so is simple and free from all composition. For where there is no composition what representation can there he of dissolution 1 Hut ili.it is secondarily indissolu¬ ble which is indissoluble w ith a horn! ; wInch is at the* same time dissoluble in con¬ sequence of proceeding from divided t mses. For it is not simply dissoluble, hut dissoluble by its cause. For that which is hound prior to all time is alone hound according to cause; hut that which is alone causally hound, is atone causally dissolved. For every tiling is adapted to h« dissolved, by that by which and alter the maimer m wine i it is hound. And the third from (hat winch is properly indissoluble, is that which was indissoluble for a certain time, because the first indeed, is properly indissoluble in conjunction with simplicity; but the second is subordinately so, to-, ther with composition ; and the third, i dim- oil from both, is in its own nature* dissoluble.
Neither therefore, are the mundane Gods entirely indissoluble ; for this per¬ tains to the most simple natures. Nor are* they dissoluble accord in— to time ; for the composition of them proceeds from the; demiurgic union. As therefore in the cause, union precedes things of a simple nature, after the same manner here aKo, a bond precedes dissolution ; for it is more* excellent, and the re semblance ol a more divine power. And this is se*en m souls; fi»r there were bonds and media in them, as has been before observed in the generation of the soul. It is also seen in bodies ; for analogy is a bond. And likewise in animals; for being bound with animated bonds, they became animals. Hence, the immortal ami the indissoluble do not entirely pertain to the mundane Gods ; ye-t at the same time they do pertain to them. And b«‘cause they are not in every respect present with them, nor in such a manner as in intelligibles, immortality must he taken from them. I or in the 13 impic t ;il<-«, Plato does not think fit to call Hove immortal, yet he does not denominate it mortal; but asserts it to be* something between both these. For there is a great extent of the mortal and immortal, and tli. y ate hound together by many media. It appears likewise*, with re spect to the
r I»11 h V ]
TIM/LI s ()] PLATO.
immortal, tli.it om: kind of it is ronimnn to all the beings that differ from a mor¬ tal nature, 1 and which ronsists in not 1 m ing deprived of the lift* which it possesses According to this sense nl tlx* word, Plato savs that the I)< mmr, r iis is the cause of immortal natures; lint the junior finds, of such as are mortal. Hut another kind of the immortal is the peculiarity of intelligiblrs, hemp; eternally so. And another belongs to the mundane Gods, which is an immortal,ty perpetually rising into existence, ami Inning its subsistence in alw T ays becoming to lx*, lienee, it may be said that the immortal and mortal are oppositely divided without a medium, if the common signification of the immortal is as¬ sumed; and that they an' not opposed to each other without a medium, if that which is primarily immortal is considered; and this is that which is always immortal. For the medium between this and the mortal is that which is always breaming to be immortal. Cut that which is properly immortal possesses the whole of its life in eternity. That however which lias its life evolved through the whole of time, ami has not * always one and the same indivisible life, this possesses an immortality eo-extended with tbe flux of generation, but is not im¬ mortal according to the stability of being. And again, the medium between the immortality of (be mundane Gods ami that of partial souls, istb.it w bit'll lias a life always rising into existence, and which ascends and descends in intellectual energy, so as to be nearer to mortal natures, leav ing indeed a more excellent in¬ tellection, but transferring it«t If into one that is subordinate, and again recurring to ils pristine condition without oblivion. Vnd of these, the former indeed, is the peculiarity of the mundane Gods ; but the latter of d.rmons, the attendants on these Gods. Cut if the nature which remains i-> filled w itli oblivion in descending, becomes most proximate to mortals, entirely destroys tbe true lift* which it con- 1 inis, and alone possesses the essential life, *»uch an immortality as this belongs to pallia! souls. Hence, the IJeniiurgus in his spei eh calls the immortality in ihrse honioiiv moils to that of the immortals. If however there is any nature alter these who h casts aside its essenlini life, this is alone 1 mortal. Hence, the pri¬ marily immortal and the mortal are the extremes. Cut the immortality of the mundane Gods, and tliat of partial souls, are the sub-extremes. And tbe immor¬ tality which is trulv the medium between these, is that of daemons. Hence too, dsrmons are in reality entirely of a middle nature. And thus much concerning the whole design of the words.
1 Instead of tcv /,ij 0»t)~ r-,/, it is iii-rr.-s.irv to read r<v Otr/Tvv. ’ For fun here, it i* ne< msrx to read /jij.
riu original has erroneousL , ..i. m wa l of /icioe.
[rook W.
Let us however, if you are willing, concisely recur to particulars. After what manner therefore, generation is adapted to the mundane Gods, I have frequently shown, and have observed, that it manifests composition, a life in conjunction with time, and a progression from another cause, and which is rn-extcnded with the whole of time, hut not always [01 lias not an eternal subsistence]. But the words, “ ye arc not immortal, urn- tiitlisnduhUf mauilest that they are generated im¬ mortal and indissoluble. For to be raeh ol these, is present with eternal natures alone; hut to he ; alaJ each ol them, is adapted to those generated natures, whose Jil'e is e\li 11 d< d with the whole ol liuu And hot to be entirely immortal , nor entirely indissoluble, delivers to us many species ot immortality. 1 *1 ito there¬ fore, shortly after calls die me souls immortal, ami partial souls hoiuon vtnoitsly immortal. lint the words, “you shall never oe dissidad nor Income subject to the fatality of death, take away from the Gods all the mortal-toi med nature, and .i perpetually convertible and miilahle life. For mortality is an allotment of life, which is now mingled witli non-being. And 11 tin fatality ij thtilh again occultly exhibits to iis many diflerences of deaths. I’or the death pertaining to those who are called da-mous according to habitude is of one kind ; that of partial souls is of another kind ; that of animals, of another ; anti that of animated bodies, is differ* nt from all these. For the first of these imitates as it were, the casting off a garment; the second is accompanied with sympathy towards the mortal nature, l»eiiig the lapse of the soul into it; the third is the dissolution of the hotly and soul from each other; and the fourth, is the privation of the life which ts in the subject body, lint from these the mundane Gods, and essential daonons, the attendants of the Gods, are p. rfcctly ext mpt. For even the first kind of death ib not adapted to these, as the divine Iambliclius also asserts, who preserves the chcmoniacal genus, truly so called, immutable. Why therefore, is there a bond of these. 1 Is it not because goodness, according to whit h the demiurgic w ill is defined, unites, and measures all things, and leads them to one conspiration 7 And it seems that according to this especially, the mundane God.-, are consum¬ mately produced. For it is a bond of bonds, being superior * to the thing , that are bound. But the word allotted exhibits the allotment of beneficent providence by the many Gods, from the one Demiurgus. For being div ided according to the allotments of Justice, they distribute the one and total providence of the father, and the one
1 Instead of rairrm fiTV coy tort t read rooruiy fity coy fta ri esn htofjoy ;
' For toy tooy here, it ujipearv to inc to he rtquisitf lo read tripruii t,
Hook V .]
TIM. TIL'S OF PLATO.
:i5.i
bond which proceeds from tin? demiurgic monad. The celestial therefore, ami m short, all the mundane Gods are neither indissoluble nor dissoluble, hut are simply both. It is inferred however, that they are neither immortal nor indisso¬ luble, from their being generated. l ; or this is manifested by the words, “ became you arc g« ucraluf." l or every tiling geneiated has a renovated immortality, and a bond imparted to it by something different from itself, in consequence of not being able to connect or vivify itself, Hut again, it is inferred, that they are nei¬ ther dissoluble nor mortal, from the bonds which they essentially participate, and which they receive from the demiurgic will. The latter however is manifested through union, but the former through multitude; since the paternal union is a bond of bonds, and is the monad of the union of the participated Gods.
“ Learn now therefore, what I say to you* indicating my desire.”
The first address to the mundane Gods was deilic of, or deified the auditors; for it evinced all of them to be Gods, and to be participated by the bodies m which they ride. For these very bodies also are Gods, as being the statues of Gods; sinee Plato likewise calls the earth the first and most ancient of the Gods w itlnn the heav ens. Hut these deified bodies are partieip ints of the < lods truly so called, from winch they are suspended, and which are prior to generation. For these bodies have, as he says, generation. Hut the second address to the mun¬ dane Gods, inserted in them an eternal power, through the participation of an indissoluble connexion. And tin present words till them with divine and demi¬ urgic conceptions, proceeding supernally from intelligible animal [the paradigm of the universe.] For the being instructed in the fabrication of animals, so far as it is mathesis or learning, is adapted to soul. Hut these words fill the multitude of < lods w ith the demiurgic intelligence of all the forms that are contained in int< lii- gible animal. And through the word tunc indeed, the eternal is after a manner indicated; through the word vital the united and convolved; through I say, that which proceeds into multitude, and is disseminated about the many Gods; and through indication a plenitude 1 derived from intelligible and unapparent causes is signified. For we only indicate in things unapparent to the multitude. But through all the words together, it is evident that the Demiurgns establishes him¬ self analogous to intelligible intellect, and tills the mundane munlicr of Gods with intellectual conceptrons. Farther still, these words convert this multitude to the
In the test of I’roclus, is erroneously printed for v/m».
Tim. Plat.
PROCF.l'S ON THE
[hook V.
one demiurgic intelligence, and prior to a providential attention to secondary na¬ tures, illuminate it with uimiingled purity and stable intellection. For as the Oeuiiurgus makes by energizing intellectually, and generates from iuwnrd, exter¬ nally proceeding energy, thus also In* wishes the mundane Gods first to learn and understand the w ill of their father, and thus afterw ards to imitate his power.
I hrec genera of mortals yet remain to lie produced. Without the generation of these therefore, the universe will he imperfect ; for it will not contain in itself all the genera of animals. Jlut it ought to contain flam, that it may he sufficiently p< rfect. \ et it these aie generated anti pai licipate of life through me, they will become eipiah/ed to the (<oils.”