anil do not depart from thence. But our nouls nre entirely separated from it, and the separation of them is manifest. To which we may also add, that the genera are die same and diflerent. Fur all souls are from the middle genera, hut some are from the first ol these, and others from the remains and last of the mix¬ ture, from which those prior to them were constituted. Again, the mode likewise is at once the same, ami not the same: for in partial souls, difference i-, more abundant [than sameness.] Hence also in speaking of these, there is a more freipient mention of mixture. \\ e nnM not therefore admit the opinion of those more rec« nt interpreteis, who endeavour to show that our soul is of an equal dig¬ nity, or Ol the same ess* nee, or I know not how they wish to speak, with a divine soul; though Plato asserts that partial souls are deficient in a second and third degree, si p irates them from the Crater, and produces them from the Deiniurgus, according to a secondary, whii h is the same thing as according to a more partial intelligence. I or he who says these things introduces essential differences ofsouls and not diflerences according to energies alone, as the divine Plotinus shows. I or It t it he admitti <1 that some of them look to total, hut others to partial mtel- h ets ; that some employ undi tiled intellections, hut others sometimes abandon real beings; that some always fabricate and adorn wholes, but others sometimes revolve in conjunction with the (bids; that soun always move and govern Fate, but others sometimes become situated under Fate, and fatal laws; that some are h aders to the intt Higihle, but others sonietinu s are allotted the order of followers; that some are alone divine, but others are at difh rent times traiisfern d to a differ¬ ent order, either damoniacal, or lieroieal, or human ; that some employ horses, nil of which are good, ami consist of things that are good, but others, mi< li as are mingled from good and < vil ; that some have that life alone, whit h they received f'oni the one fabrication, but others havi also the mortal form, whuli was woven by the junior finds; and that some energi/c according to all their powers, hut others exert different lives at dif’.ereiit times. Let these therefore, he the dif¬ ferences of souls, yet essential commutation and demiurgic division, precede all these. l or through these, they are separated by time, by cause, by progression, by the mode of subsistence, and by diminution of genera. As they differ there¬ fore, by all tin se particulars, bow is it possible that they should be of the same essence ? For,
Nf er can * lie tribe of men ilia! live oil earth,
lie like ill’ immortal fiorli.
The rational nature itself likewise, is different. For in the (»ods it is intellectual, but in our souls it is mingled with the irrational nature. And in the middle ge¬ nera, it is defined according to its own medium. This is also the cast* with each
nooK \.]
I IM ITS or PLATO.
of flic re>t, viz. with flic reasons, flu form of life, intelligence, and time, l'or these subsist divinely m divine souls, Imt after a human manner in ours. And thus much against those who fancy that our soul is of the same essence with the soul of the universe, and with other divine souls, and that we are all things unaccom¬ panied witii habitude, viz. the planets, and the fixed stars, and other things in the same manner as the stars, as Theodoras Asina us also, somewhere savs. Tor such magnificent language on this subject, is very remote from the theory of Plato.
W ith respect to the Crater however, let us see what it is, w hat order it pos¬ sesses with reference to the Demiurgus, and what are the particulars of which it is the cause to souls. Tor there is much discussion concerning this, ami it deserves the most ample consideration. The above-mentioned Theodoras there¬ fore, makes a twofold Crater, and asserts that the mixture is one of these. Tor the second Crater, according to him, is the mixture ; but the other Crater con¬ sists of the portions of tin* mixture, v iz. the soul of the universe, the souls of the celestial (iods, and our souls. Tor he calls soul itself the first Crater, this being the universal soul ; but he denominates the Crater and at the same time the mixture, the second Crater; though Plato speaks of one Crater, and in it mingles all souls, some primarily, and others secondarily, but makes no mention what¬ ever of a second Crater, nor of a mixture in it. Tor if there was a second Crater, what occasion would there be for the use of the first, m the generation of our souls ? I wonder therefore, that the most laborious Alliens, should sa\ that he found in the I’imams a twofold Crater, since it is usual with him to follow strictly tin* words of Plato. At the same time however, in interpreting the Pha-drus, lit> makes mention of the twofold Crater. Hut according to the divine Iumlilichus, the Crater is the one vivilie cause, comprehensive of the whole of life, and colh-etiv e of it; itself sustaining itself, liy certain demiurgic reasons, which pervade through all life, and through the whole psychical orders, Imt al¬ lotting to each soul in its proper order, appropriate measures of connexion ; allot¬ ting to some from the beginning first measures, through the first mixture, Imt se¬ condary measures, to those that have been again minified. Tor such as is the or¬ der which they have with reference to each other, sin h also is the progression which they are allotted from the Crater, receiving from thence the boundaries of life. Such therefore, are the dogmas which wc have received from these men.
Our preceptor however, surveying real lieings from on high, as from a watch- tower, and following the narration of theologists, places in the father himself and Demiurgus of wholes, a prolific power, according to which imitating the intelligible God, lie possesses both a maternal and paternal cause with reference to the mundane Gods, being himself the source of essence, of life, and of form.
Proclus on Tiie
[book V.
Since however, it is necessary 1 there should he a definite and separate cause of the psychical life, fabricating in conjunction with the Demiurgus the whole world, ami generating all the psychical essence, this cause, he says, is delivered to us through the Crater. lie adds, that theologies arcanelv asserting that which they assert,have devised marriages am! offspring of the Cods, through which they obscurely signify the kindred communion of progeny in the Cods ; but that Plato mythologically introduced mixtures and corn-mixtures, assuming the genera of Iw ing instead of seeds, but mixture instead of marriage. For souls indeed, ac¬ cording to tin* being which is in them, were produced by the Demiurgus; but according to the life which is in them, from the Crater. For this is the vivific cause of essential life. Since however, they art in a greater degree lives than beings, and are allied to the vivilic order; on this account, the mixture originated from the Demiurgus, but is perfected in the Crater. For this on all sides com¬ prehends in itself the genera of soul", and generates them in conjunction with the Demiurgus. These therefore are four, vi/. lie who mingles, tin* Crater, the things mingled, and the mixture. And the first indeed, has the ordi r of father; the second is generative, and definitive of the form of souls ; the third, proceeds from both, but in a greater degree from the father ; and the fourth is formalized, according to the generative cause, so as to become one thing, through the Crater.
llut if it lx- requisite to develop the conceptions of our preci ptor on this subject, it must be observed that as the vivilic deity,* comprehends in itself all the fountains of life, viz. such as are generative of souls, and of tin* da-monia- cal order, such as bring forth the angelic series, and such as produce nature in the last of things,—one certain vivilic deity * proceeds from it, which is the fountain of all the progression and gem ration of souls, and w hich being co-arranged with the Demiurgus, produces together with him, the whole psychical order, every supermundane ami mundane soul, and proceeds to all things, and vivifies the whole world. Orpheus celebrates this vivilic deity as equal to the Demiurgus, and connecting and conjoining it with him, makes it to be the one mother of all the tilings of w hich Jupiter is the father. But Plato calls it the Crater, as being the fountain of the psychical life. For this Crater receives the generative < nergy of the father of souls, and according to this the form of souls receives its specific distinction; whence also this form is called a mixture. Jupiter indeed contains in himself a royal soul, as Socrates says in the Philchiis ; but In* likewise contains this fountain, which co-operates with him in the production of tlie psychical order.
* It a rii|uisite here, to supply the word i*«.
*i.e. lUita.
1 i. o. Juno.
nook v.]
And the Barbarians call this vivifie cause the fontal soul, which is unfolded into light, together with fontal virtue,' from the intestines of the whole vivilic Coddess, in which the fountains of all life, the divine, the angelic, the d.eit'ouiacal, and the psychical, are contained. But the theologist of the Creeks denominates this \i\i- lic cause .luno, who presents herself to the view together with Ye»ta, from the mighty Uhea, who conipreliends in herself all the \i\ ilic powers, and who at last brings forth Nature herself; though he conjoins .luuo with the Demiurgus, as mother with father, and represents her as the source of all the Titanmc division, which is surveyed in souls, according to portions, and the cause of separation, l’lato however assumes the (hater, the mixture and the portions; for the Crater is the cause of the division of the portions, lienee, he docs not divide, till he has disseminated the genera in the Crater.
In short therefore, being impelled by these observations, we say, it is evident that the Crater is difli rent from the Demiurgus. For every when*, lit? who min¬ gles, the Crater, and the things that .are mingled, are distinguished from each other. For it is also evident, that the ( 'rater is ditl'ereut from the Demiurgus, because it is psychogenic, or generative ot soul. For neither in the production of intellect, nor in the fabrication of bodies, is the f i lter assumed, but alone in giv mg subsist¬ ence to souls; because mixture is adapted to these, as being of a middle nature. But if the Crater is psychogenic, it is doubtless peculiarly* the cause of souls. And it it is co-ordinate w ith the Demiurgus, lest it should be in want of things posterior to itself, or should haw* smm thing more total than itself, and thus should not bo entirely the cause of all the things, of which the Demiurgus is the cause, but he is an intellectual (hid, and the best of causes;—if this be the case, the Crater likewise is intellectual ; and if the former is fontal, the latter also is fontal. And why is it necessary to observe, that the Barbarians likewise, call the partial causes'[of soul] fontal Craters ? This Crater therefore, is a fontal ('rater ; since it is the cause of souls so far as they are souls, and not of all life. For it is neither the cause of intellectual, nor of physical life. Plato likewise elsewhere calls soul itself the fountain of prudence; and in the Pha-drus, he th nominates it the foun¬ tain and principle of motion. Much more therefore, should we call according to him, the lirst soul fontal, and the Crab r fontal, if there is a Crater established with the Demiurgus of w holes ; since other Craters aFo are delivered both by Orpheus
1 i. e. Vesta. for, according to llic Chalda*ans, ns " e learn from Proclus on the Cratylu« p Rhea contain* Juno, 1 lie fountain ol soul*, hi her right- hand parts, nod Vesta, the fountaiu of virtue, to her left- hand parts.
1 Tor i^i we here, it is necessary to read itiui.
1 Die word mnai is omitted here iu the original.
Tim. Plat. Vol. II. 3 B
[rook t.