corporeal-formed powers in corporeal masses, moves them through these powers ; earth indeed through gravity, hut fin* through levity? In a much greater degree therefore, do the Clods move souls through the powers which they disseminated in them. Hence, if they lead souls according to the laws of Fate, these laws are in souls, pre-existing indeed, intellectually in the Demiurgus; for with him the divine law is established ; hut existing in divine souls; for according to these, tlie} are the leaders of the univeise, and participated hv partial souls; for through these, as they move themselves, they h ad themselves to an appropriate place. And through deliberate choice indeed, they err, and act with rectitude; hut through law, they distribute to themselves an order adapted to their former conduct. \\ hen therefore, souls become mundane, tin n also thev survey the power and dominion ot l ate, supeniull\ suspended from providence, and receive the laws ot Destiny. 1 or the I>« miurgiis pointed out !N time to them, as some¬ thing diflert nt from them, but lie announced to them the laws of l'ate, as inscrih- ing them in their essence. For the d« tniurgic words, proceed through the essence itself of souls. As therefore, he inserted the words prior to these, in the junior hods, thus also, he inserts these laws in partial souls.
.And showed them, that the first gent ration, distributed in an orderly manner to all of them, would he one, lest any particular soul should be allotted a less portion of generation than another.”
Souls arc essentially supernatural, supermundane, and lievond Fate, because they have their first subsistence separate from this world ; hut according to their vehicles, and the allotments which they were destined to govern, they were gene¬ rated mundane by the Demiurgus, and received tins order. Hence, alter the suspension from them of their vehicles, the Demiurgus announces to them the laws of bate, by which they were allotted the government of bodies. Just as if some one being desirous’ of political tumults and senatorial offices, should impart his wealth appropriately, hut not yet perfectly, 1 such also is tin* condition of souls under l'ate. for not only the vehicles of these, but likewise of tin- Hods themselves, are led by Fate. In order then fore, that these souls, together with , their vehicles, may Is come situated under the dominion of Fate, it is necessary that they should descend, and associate with generation, which is the second
Tor nynpittot in this place, it appears to me lo be iirctssarv to read r^o/ioot.
to the original <,i. oi/riui (ion ni v \<n vro rijc fifiapfirn/v, lint ovb’ is evidently sujierfiuous and erroneous. Isomelbiug lustead of it is peiliaps wanting, as the whole of the sentence is obscure.
Book T.J
TIM/IX’S or PLATO.
tliiri" after their semination. For tli.it is tlio leader; lint this is a certain srcon- <lar\ distribution of tin- vehicles, under tin* divine circulationjust as there was a distribution ol souls thcmselvc*s, into tin* souls of the; stars, 1 and wLicit was rflected li_\ tin* one demiurgic rauso. Iionro tins ilistriliution is |HTpctual, and it is impossible* that thoro should In* a mutation of such-like loailors. It is tliori fore also oliootod hy Fate, For this power has dominion over periods, is connective both o| toi.il and partial periods, and is collective of similars to similars in divine and partial souls. J'or through the union of these with each other, tluur vehicles also are connasrent with each other. Hence, vvlie*n a partial eo-arrangcs itself with a total soul, the vehicle of it also follows the vehicle of the divine soul. And as the former imitates the intellection of the latter, so likewise the body of the former adumbrates the motion of the latter.
The lirst semination therefore, is that of vehieles, which not only clearlv shows the soul to tie mundane, lint also m-arranges the w hole composition of it under its proper leader. For it is one timer to lie mundane, and another to he lunar, or M emuial; since the latter is a more partial form of life. And as the soul hav niir ascended into its vehiele becomes a citizen of the universe, so w hen it is dis- s» miuated in conjunction w ith its vehicle, it heroines a citizen of the lunar, or solar, or some other circulation. And the appendage indeed, of the vehiele of the soul to the universe, causes it to lie more multitudinous than the supermundane lift ; and it is as it were, as some s.iv, Inserted, lint the semination proceeding, causes the soul to obtain a more partial dominion. Alter the semination however, every soul has one definite generation ; hut souls make second and third descents, according to their own elections. Tin re is therefore, one generation common to allot them, lor it is ucressarv that every [partial] soul should descend into generation. 1 or such a form of partial souls, not being able to abide on high immutably, becomes at certain times subject to the sceptres of »ees>itv. Ifut these souls receive also fioin the* universe, the mortal form of life, and this out¬ ward hodv, and m addition to these* things, a phvsieal haliituele*. IJv leading a good life however, they arc also able while.; on the* earth to In* purified from the' the tilings introduced by Tate*: so far as th* v have no communication with body, except vvliat an abundant necessity reepurrs. I'or wliat e-flee t can the* works of Fate have* on the (Joiyplucan philosopher mentioned in the The*a*tetus, who astroiiomizes above the* heavens, ami who does not even know in vvliat part of the earth lie due Us ? itul when they are converted to the body, it is necessary that they should have communication with the gifts of Fate. And when they are
* Iiotead of fin dm place, it n nrcrsv try to icael rtpipopat.
* There is au oiniwion here m the original, of rwr arrpwr.
[book V.
vanquished by the mortal form of life, they l>ecome the slaves of Fate. For the universe uses them as irrational animals. And this again befalls them from them¬ selves. For their choice was made after this manner, and having chosen, they lead a life conformable to their choice. It likewise 1 happens to them from wholes. For every thing is conducted conformably to its natural aptitude; e i erv form of life is of some utility to the universe; and nothing is left disorderly or indefinite in wholes; but all things are led to symmetry of life. Tims therefore, bouls according to progression, proceed trom a life which is alwavs well-arranged, and the first, to the last and fated life, through lives of a middle condition. From an order likewise, which is above Fate, they an distributed under the laws of Fate, and travel through the Fates, under the throne of .Necessity.
II hat however, must the first gent ration be said to be, which the philosopher now delivers, and wlm li the Demiurgus proclaiming the laws of Fate, announces to souls? Fur there is not one opinion only concerning it Hut the divine famhlit Inis indeed, c alls the seiiiin itiou of the vt hit It s 11 it- first generation ; and what follows favours his asset tint). 1 or Plato atlds, as continuous with this, “ lint it mis ntcissarij that haring disseminated t/um, t Sr." /V certain other pi rson however, interprets the first generation of souls to be, the one descent of them. For it is requisite that t acli of these souls should be eiitin !y eonvt rsant w ith gt ite¬ ration; since this is the peculiarity of them. lie therefore, simply determines that there is one certain ilesci nt of each soul. Hut the solution ih livered by our preceptor, is more accurate. For he says, that to every partial soul one descent is defined, not simply, but according to each period of the dirineh/ generated nature. For it is not probable that any nm partial soul, either of those that are called unde- fib.-d, or of those that are capable of being contaminated vv it h vice-, and of vv andering, should for every period abide on high. For the soul vv liich is able to abide on high for one whole period, immutably and without inclining to generation, cannot de¬ scend into generation, in another period. For it has preserved its* If free-from guilt, during the evolution of all the figures of the universe. Hut there areaheaj/s the same figures again and again. Farther still, the life of a partial soul, is less extended than the period of the universe. Hence, if if is sufficiently aide to remain 1 on high, through the whole of this period, it is allotted an immutable intellectual power. For it w ill live w ith invariable sameness through the whole of time. So that if the whole of time in its evolution, effects nothing new in this soul, it is one of the beings that always abide in a condition conformable to nature. II* nee, it is necessary that every partial soul should make one descent in each
1 For bicivofirjv here, it is necessary lo read tiajiorijy.
nnoK v.]
TIM/EUS or PLATO.
period ; l»ut some souls a greater number of descents than others, in consequence of employing an abundant freedom of will. But Plato calls this descent the first generation. And this j>, evident from his adding, when speaking of the allotments after the first generation, “ that the depraved soul should, in the second generation, be changed into the nature of a woman." Hence lie calls the first generation, the descent from the intelligible. But since the first takes place, after the semination of the vehicles, according to which souls first become subject to Fate, on this account he adds:
“ But it was necessary, having disseminated them severally into the instruments of time] adapted to each, that the most pious of animals should be born.”
loir this was necessary, after the semination into appropriate stars ; and this is the first law of Fate, that every partial soul in each mundane period, should associate with generation. For it is nercssary that the period of this soul '•hnuld lie less extended than tin' period of the universe, and that (his should lie common to all partial souls. But tin *e souls di/f< r from each other, according to the empire of the (bids; for different herds of souls are arranged under tin* dominion of different finds; and also, according to tin* reasons which they exert. For of the souls which are under the government of the same divinity, some choose a life adapted to them, but others dn not. And some partake of the same divinity, according to a different power, but others also according to a diflerent order. For what, if some of the souls which are suspended from the prophetic power of the Sun, should exert a medical, or teh.-stic 1 life, hut others a Mercurial, and others a Lunar life? For there is not the same mode of variation in both. Farther still, souls likewise differ according to their drlilierate choice. For though two souls should choose a telestic 1 life, it is possible for one to be con¬ versant with it with rectitude, hut the other in a distorted manner. For each life rec« ive> the well and the ill. So that if it be requisite to speak summarily, they arc < itlier under the dominion of the same power, choose the same life, and live after the same manner ; or being under the same power, they do not choose the same life, and live similarly ; or they are neither under the same power, nor choose the same life, nor live after the same manner. For this is the last difference of all of them. So many therefore, are the inodes of differences. For as there are three, we must either deny all, or affirm all; or deny two, but affirm one; or
* Instead ufrcXnoi' in llns|tlaee, it is necessary to read rcXeffrwot'.
* Here also, for rrXcior, read rtXr/rriKor.
Tim. Plat. Vol. II. 3 E
[noon v.
vice versa, and this in a three-fold respect: viz. the extremes, of the midde ; or the first and second, of the last ; or the remaining two, of the first. Hence it is necessary that there should he so many differences 1 at first, of the choice and life of the soul.