After these particulars also, it is worth while to know in the third place, that vehicles are likewise disseminated about the lived stars. I’or every part of the world is lull of partial souls, who are spread under their saviour Gods, and follow the (hemons that are suspended from them. lint whether any one of these partial bodies, is elevated above tie* Saturnian sphere; 1 or whether all of them are arranged in the planetary spheres according to an alliance with the fixed stars, deserves to Im* considered. I’or ot the planets themselves, it is said by those who arc skilled in these allairs, that diflerent planets an* allied to ditlcrcnt signs of the zodiac. It is not therctore at all wonderful, if the vehicles of souls Is-ing in the planetary spheres, ditlcrcnt vehicles should revolve in conjunction with different lived stars. For some one may conceive this to he more rational, than to make them situated above the Saturnian sphere; since this place [i. e. the planetary sphere] is more adapted to variety of life, to a tendency to generation, and to a nature mingled from bodies that have a circular, and bodies that have a rectilinear, motion. It is better however to say, that there is a semination about the fixed stars, and that the vehicles which are purified, starry-form, and unincumbered, having a simple life, and a motion about intellect, and wisdom, and following the period of the same , ascend as far as to the inerratic sphere. For it would he ridiculous, that souls should be distributed about the fixed stars, and that there should lie a semination of their vehicles alKmt another thing. For as soul is to soul, so is vehicle to kindred* vehicle. It is better therefore to admit this,
■ There is an omission in ibis place in the original, of the word efvtpa », which evidently ought lo be inserted.
* Instead of rv^iyn here, I read ruyyoo.
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PllOCLUS ON THE
[BOOK T.
than to assert that rouIs nre disseminated there, hut that their vehicles 1 do not ascend as far as to the vehicles of the fixed stars ; since everywhere parts hasten to wholes, when they subsist according to nature, unless they haji|»eii to l>e dissolved hv tilings foreign to the natures to which they tend; tin* psychical vehicles l>emg indissoluble, and immortal, through their generation from the one Pemiurgus. These assertions therefore, are rather to Ik* admitted than the former, respecting the semination and distribution of souls and their vehicles, both of them lx*ing effected by the Pemiiirgus.
Since also, the semination is of souls with their vehicles, and not of souls only, as was the case with the former distribution, Plato very properly says, that the Pemiurgus disseminated some of them into the earth, but others into (lie moon, indicating that each of these souls is non man, and the first man ; the definition here likewise prevailing, that man is a soul using a hotly, and the immortal man an immortal body. It is also necessary to separate tins immortal from every mortal body, in order that man may become that which he was prior to his lapse into generation: for the semination is now of men, hut not of souls. \ er\ properly therefore is it said, that some of them were disseminated into the earth, hut others into the moon. Hence these tilings must he observed tog* tlier with what has Im’cii before said, and likewise that souls will never have a supermundane situation, not even according to those who admit, that there are other spheres beyond till* fixed stars; though the highest and most simple of the vehicles participate of ethereal splendor, lint the distribution is different from the semination. Pur the former, is of souls alone; hut the latter, in conjunction with vehicles. Hence in s|M*aking of the former, Plato says, the Pemiiirgus distributed each soul into each star; hut here, that lie disseminated, some into tin* earth, hut others into the moon, because now they exert the human characteristic property. 1-or there, i e. in the stars,J man is a soul using an immortal * body, and the man there is perpetual. The distribution therefore, is different from the semination, and the former is said to !>e, into the stars, hut the latter, into the instruments of time. Hence it max si-em, that each of these is into difierent places, l or the earth is not a star, so that there will not Ik* a distribution of souls about it; nor are the fixed stars said to he instruments of time, so there will not he a semination about them. Jlut the planets alone, are both stars, ami instruments of time; so that alvout these, there will he both a distribution and a semination. It is manifestly absurd however, that both these should not take place about the earth pnd the
' Thtrc it an omission hi tins place in llie orig o.il of ra c^>/fjnra.
* The word a fiat ary if omitted 10 the original.
book i..]
TI M l.US UI PI.ATO
p. 423
axed stars. I'»>r it it is the Demiurges who both distributes and disseminates, bolb these are essentially inherent in souls; and if this Im* the case, it is necessary that both should be about the same thing; in order that the apocatastasis of e’u rj soul may be into one thing, and that it may not through the distribution make its apocatastasis into its kindred star, but l»e compelled to make it into something else, through a semination into something different from its kindred star. For that which is sown, is allied and adapted to that in which it is essentially disseminated. If therefore, these things are true, the earth also, must be said to b<* a star, not according to its visible bulk, but according to its ethereal and starry-form vehicle; since our vehicle likewise is a thing of this kind. It must also be admitted, that the lived stars co-operate in the production of time, lienee these, so far as they have periods, though unknown to us, entirely measure the whole of time, some in one, and others in a different way. For there is not the same apocatastasis of all the fixed stars ; hut we have no certain indication from sense of their circulation, ns we have of the revolutions of the planets.
All the parts of the world therefore, receive disseminated partial souls, and every mundane («od is the prefect of partial (Jods and souls,* distributed and disseminated about him, conformably to the demiurgic intellect. But Plato savs, that the one peculiarly takes place about the stars, and the other, about the last of wholes, the moon and the earth; indicating by this, the proper dignity of each, viz. that the one is more divine, for it is incorporeal; hut the other subordinate, for the semination is with bodies. This however, is evident from the precedaneous causes of the distribution and the semination, l>eing mentioned by him separately at different times, each being into the same things; by which he manifests the difference of them with reference to each other. Ilence, though there is a distribution of the soul about the earth, yet it is so far as the earth possesses something starry-form and incorporeal. And though there is a dissemination of it about a star, yet it is so far as it has something allied to earth; hut this is corporeal. The earth and the moon likewise, were assumed in the semination, through their alliance to each other: for it is common to them, to produce shadow. And what the earth is in wholes, that the moon is among the celestial bodies; so that there will he an apocatastasis into the earth of the souls that were originally disseminated into it, and allotments of them in it. But it is not wonderful, if Plato says in the Phsedrus, that the better allotments are celestial, but the last, subterranean. For there, it was solely his intention to speak of the extremes, neither mentioning the aerial, nor the terrestrial fortunate allotments. Hence,
3H
Tim. Plot.
' Yi>x*r it omitted in U»e original,
VOL. II.
4 20
PHOCU S ON THE
[hook w.
when he mentions those that are last, he does not simplv say that fhev nre terrestrial, hut iiiaintesls vv !:at they are from tin tribunals uml-*r the eartli; tin divine allolim tils in tin- earth, so tar as the earth is a divinity, Item:* different from those of a punishing characteristic. As we hate said however, the iiisiribution must lie distinguish* i tiom the semination. 1-or semination e-pecinllv pertains to eertam ror|naeal natures ; hut distribution, being a se|iaratioii uecordiug to fo;m, (and not like semination, the placing 1 of some things in otliers,) trau*eeiideiillv pertains to iiu‘or|sireal natures. lhit smee the ;isK«-itioii that the Deiiiiiirgus disseminated some souls into the earth, hut others into the moon, has a reference, .is we have said, to men, it may he assumed from the Politicos, that Plato knew man that is an immortal send, using an immortal vehicle. Fur he time sa\>, that souls w» re men in tin .Saturnian pi riod, ureordiug to which the immortal part alone nt us lives. 1 liat lie al-u knew another man, v i/ the soul, which Uses the middle vehicle, is evident tiom the Pliaalo, w here he sa vs, that men d well on the miiiiiiuI ol the earth, vv ho live for a niiieli longer time than the men that are here. .Moreover, lie likewise knew the last man, who iives in conjunction with this outward body. And every where man according to him is soul Using a body; hut ettliei an immortal, or the second, or a composite bodv. Hence, hy adding the dilleivnce of body, and of that which uses it, we shall he able to rh line man.
“ 13 ut then alter tins semination, lie delivered to the junior Gods."
'V hat the semination is, w hence it accedes to souls, that it is ddlereril from the distribution, and that it is the peculiarity of partible fabrication, has been frequently mentioned hy us, in what has been In-loro said, lint it must now !*» shown who the junior Gods are. For it is evident that the mundane are called junior Gods. 7 hey appear however, to be thus denominated bv Plato, either through comparing them with the anennt ami venerable nature of the invisible fabrication, and the transcendency ot power, amt perfection of intelligence contained in it. For that which is more intellectual m the (bids is more ancient:
Hut Jove was born llie fust, anil more lie know*, says Homer. Or tin y are thus denominated, hecau.se they always make generation to be new ; and when it become* old and imlieeile through it* subjec t nature, again recall it to a subsistence according to n dure hy their motions, sending into it effluxions of all-various productive principles and powers, and thus render it jM-rpetually new. Or, they are thus called, because having intellectual essences
* For 0 toit tirrs, it is n*c«»'ary to rfsfl 0 «*i».
HOOK V.]
TIM 1 ( S OF PLATO.
p. 127
suspendi (] from thrill, tin y eternally energize with the acme of intellectual v 'K°r. 1 or, as the po. ts say, II. hr pours out (In ir Mine, ami they <lunk nectar, an<l survey ihe whole sensible world. Fmph.ving therefnre imniiitahln and ondeviating intellections, they fill all tliiu-s with their demiurgic providence. Or they have this appellation, because C’uretic deity is present with them, [or deity belon-in- to ‘he «»rcl«*r of the Cnretes,] illuminating their intellectual conceptions mth purity, their motion with mil. xibilily, and supplvin- the whole of them with ri-id power, through whit h they govern all things without departing from the characteristics of their nature. Or, which is the truest reason of all the precedin'', they are thus denominated, because the monad of them is called recent God. For theolo-ists give this appellation to 11 archils, who is the n of all the second lubrication, l or Jupiter established him the king ot all mundane Oods, ami distributed to him the first honours,
1 lio* joiiiiv- I lie Ciod, mill but an infant pirst. 1