On this ai coimt also, theolo^ists me nreustouied to call the sun a recent God, > and Heraclitus says that the sun is .1 diurnal youth, as participating of Dionysiacal • powrr. Or, fora reason most appropriate to Plutonic principles, they are thus denominated, because bodies which have generation are suspended from them ; and the essence of these is not allotted a sul»isti nee in eternity, hut in the whole ot lime. I hey are junior therefore, not as once lieginning to exist, but as being always generated, and, as we have before observed, subsisting in becoming to In-, or perpetually risin- into existence. For every tbii.fr which is generated lias not the whole of what it possesses present at once, nor a simultaneous infinity, but an infinity which is perpetually supply in- Thus therefore they are called junior, as bavin- a subsistence co-extemled with time, and always advancing into existence, and as possessing a renovated immortality.
J
I lie province ot fashioning mortal bodies, and besides this to rule over \ ^ whatever else remained necessary to the human soul, and over every tiling consequent to their fabrications/’
Jho delivery of the first fabrication is a communication and generation of demiurgic powers, exempt from every thing which the second fabrication produces proximately, a progression of production from the uuapparent into the apparent, and a envision os uniform power into the multiplied government of the world. But the
* lo the original, and doubtless from Orpheus,
Harrtp wm rfjr, rai rijei y ttXawirawrp.
VROCLUS ON THE
[rook t.
4*28 formation of bodies assimilates the junior Gods to the unapparent fabrication. For that was the cause of bodies that rank as wholes, just as they are the causes of partial bodies, at the same time exhibiting a diminution of power. For of the liody, of which they are the makers and formers, the Demiurgus also is the cause; but they are the formers of partial bodies, which are bodies endued with certain qualities. II* nee body indeed is simply uidiegotten as from time, and incorruptible, as w as also the opinion of Aristotle. For, says he, there would be a vacuum if body could bo generated external' »o the body of the universe. But this particular hotly is corruptible, as fwing of a partial nature; for the u hulc.t of the elements derived their subsistence from total fabrication. The accession however of the human soul w hich remained 1 to l»e generated, assimilates the mundane Gods to the paternal power. For it is the province of a father to venerate life; since the tir^t father, and every father is the cause of life; the intelligible father indeed, of intelligible, but the intellectual of inte llectual, and the supermundane of siqiorimtiidane life. And lienee, the mundane Gods who generate corporeal life are fathers. The fabrication however, adapted to these Gods, produces the nature of partial animals. For this partial animal, which is suspended from the immortal soul, consists of soul and body. I he fabrication also of other things regards this : for parts are generated for the sake of the whole. But the iluminihil w hich the Demmrgus gave the junior Gods, excites their providential inspection, their connective power, and their guardian comprehensions. For without these, the bodies that are fashioned, and the mortal form of life, would rapidly vanish into non-entity. Prior therefore, to the generation of these, the Deiniiirgus made their ruling Gods to be the guardians and saviours of them. In the junior Gods therefore, there are demiurgic powers, according to which they invest generated natures with forms; vivilie powers, according to which they give subsistence to a secondary life ; and perfective powers, through which they give completion to what is deficient in generation. There are also many other powers in tin m besides these, which are inexplicable by our conceptions.
“ He ’ikewise commanded them to govern as much as possible in the l»est and most bea iliful manner the mortal annual, that it might not become the cause of evil to itself.'
Of all that the one Demiurgus delivers to the junior Gods, it must he admitted that there are three most beautiful boundaries, the boniform will of him that
' tor iiv ruiian i, il is nrtcssjry to roait
* l or \itiji, it is fo rtml Xnsijt
BOOK V]
TIM. EL'S OF PLATO.
42ft delivers, the perfect power of the re< ipirnls. anil tin* symmetry of both these with each other. Of the demiurgic production however, of the junior God* t!iemse|ves, three elements, and these the greatest, must l>e again surveved, vi/.. a reduction to the a conversion to intelligible beauty, and a liberated power sufficient to rule over all the subjects of its government. For as Plumes ‘ himself, the Demiurgn* of wholes, rendered the whole world as much as possible the most Iseautiful and the best, thus also he was w illing that the second fabricators should govern the mortal animal in a way the most iM-autiful and the l»est; pouring on them indeed from intelligibles, Itcauly, but tilling tjietn with that bouiforin power am Will, which he himself possessing fabricated the whole world. For thus g« ner tion also will participate of beauty and goodness, as far as it is naturally adapt'd to such participation, if the Ciods, by whom it is connected and contained, adorn it, since they are themselves transcemlently decorated with beauty and good.
If however, the second Demiurgi have such n nature as this, nothing evil o* pri ternatural is generated from the celestial Gods ; nor is it proper to divide the Gods in the heavens after this manner, as many do, viz. into the In neticent and malignant; for being Ciods this is impossible. Hut the mortal animal is the cause of evil to itself. For neither disease, nor poverty,* nor any thing else of this kind is evil; hut the depravity of the soul, intemperance, timidity, and every vice. Of these things however, we are the causes to ourselves. For though Iteing impelled bv others to these vices we are badly affected, yet again it is through ourselves; since we have the power of associating w ith the good, and separating ourselves from the bad. According to Plato therefore, we must not think that of the Gods some are malignant and otlu rs beneficent, but we must admit that all of them are the sources to mortals of all the good which they are aide to receive ; and that things which arc truly evils are not produced, but are only signified by them, as we have Ivefore observed. For they extend terrific appearances and signs to those who are able to sec and read the letters in the universe, which the framers of mortal natures during their revolutions write by their configurations. And though some one should derive a certain evil from the motions of the celestial Gods, so as to become timid or intemperate, yet they operate in oneway, and tlicir iidluenres are participated by souls in another. For the efflux ot intellect, says Plotinus, liecouies craft in him who receives the efflux badly ; the gift ol an elegant life liecoines intemperance through a similar cause ; and in short, while
1 i. f. Jupiter, who is so railed in tins place by rroclus,-because lie contain! M himself by partiripation the I’liiun or 1 ’rologonuf, alio is Ihc paradigm of the unieerse.
* For *ari|p<«, it is necessary to read vena.
p. 430
PHOCIX'S ON Till*.
[book V.
they prod urn ftciieficeiiflv, their gifts art* participated by terrestrial natures, after a contrary manner. Hence the givers who Im .nIow beneficently are not to lw> accused as the authors of evil, hot the recipients who pervert their gifts l»v their own inaptitudes. Thus also Jupiter in Homer Illumes souls as in vain nreusimr the hods, while they themselves are the causes ot evils. I’or tlse Gods are the sources of •rood, and the suppliers of intellect and life, hut are not the causes of any evil; since even a partial nature is not the cause of evil to its offspring. What therefore ought we to think concerning the thirls themselves ’ Is it not, that they are mm a more the cans* s ot good to their productions ; since with them then* is power, with them there is a self-perfect nature, with them there is universal goodiips.s, to all which evil is contrary * Tor in its own nature it is powerless, imperfect, and without measure.
“ At the same time he who orderly disposed all these particulars, remained in his own accustomed maimer."
Plato every where, after having employed many words, .summarily comprehends die multitude of them in the conclusion. Tor he knew that in the Deniimgus, one intellectual pern ption comprehends the multitude of intellectual conn ptioiis, that one power connects many powers, and that a uniform cause collects into one union divided causes. Hence the words [prior to these] “ I faxing therefore instructed &viils in all tlusc particulars" and the words before us, “ //<■ u / l0 orderly disposal all t first particulars, had the distinct energy of the Deniim-gus to an united cause. Farther still, the word alt, manifests that which is consummated from all its appropriate boundaries, lint the words orderly disposal, indicate the order pervading through all beings, which the I>« miur-us introduced to the mundane Gods, and to partial souls; demonstrating the former to he Demiiirgi, but inscribing in the latter the laws of Tate. Moreover, the word remained, does not manifest station, and inth xible intellection, hut an establishment 1 in tin one. Tor according to this the Deiniurgus is exempt from wholes, ami is separated from the beings that intellectually perceive him. Put this establishment itself is eternal, ami always invariably permanent. These things then fore, are also indicated by the words iieciistunnd and manner; the one exhibiting sameness of permanency ; hut the other the peculiarity of the demiurgic stability. Tor manner is indicative of peculiarity ; since connective is different from immutable, and both these from demiurgic permanency.
' For dp vat, it is nfCfssary to nad dfn/et y.
BOOK V .]
TIM.EUS OF PLATO
p. 431
“ But in consequence of Ins abiding, as soon as his children understood tiic order of their father, they became obedient to it,*’
\N lien the Demiurgus speaks, then the* junior (imls have the order of hearers. Y\ hen he intelleeliiall v percei\es, then they learn; fur learning is dianoetic. \\ lien he aliides according to union itself, then ln> ehildren intelh etualh perceive. For they always receive from him an inferior orch r. And as fdh d indeed from him, they pie-erve the analogy of hearers with reference to him; but as evolving his one power, they are analogous to learners. For he who learns evolves the intellect of his preceptor. As belli" deilied however by him, they have the analogy of those that p«'*reeive mli-lh-etually. I'm* intellect becomes deuie. In its contact ’ with the ntu. 1 he father therefore abiding, his children \cry properly intellectually perceive. For they arc intellects participated by divine souls, tb.it ride in tin: vehicles of tmdelilcd bodies. But they intellectually perceive the order of tin* father presubsisting in him prior to the arranged effects, according to which order lie became all things. For what Orpheus says of the monad of the junior (Iods,
Tiiuu-li all tltin^*i In tin* fatlur .1 <>\k were tuinid,
^ el tin ir coinplelioii they to Bacchus owe ;
this also must be said of the junior (iods, vi/. that they give perfection to the fabrication, which the father constituted by intellection itself;just as the[Chahhcan] Oracle likewise says, “1 Isese things tin 4 father understood, and the mortal nature became animated for him." Mortal natures tin refore, were fashioned and animated l»y the demiurgic intelleetion alone. But the junior < iods unfold his total production, through their own manifest fabrication, Ixung filled from the demiurgic monad.
“And receiving the immortal principle of mortal animal, in imitation of their artificer, they borrowed from the world flic parts of fire and earth, water and air, as things which they should restore back again ; and conglutmated the received parts together, but not with the same indissoluble bonds as those by which they were connected.”
Plato indicates to us, the separation of the second from the first fabrication.
1 lo^p is erroneously printed for mfp.
PHoci.us on Tin:
[book
V.