If however, these things are true, it i> very propeilv said, that the period ot the circle of tin mint, as it «uveriis and proceeds, is lettered. 1 or having a twofold perfection, prartir and theoretic, it is deprived id each. For it is neither aide to rule over the natures subject to ifs eommaml, thr«»ii”!i their unstable motion, nor to proceed, i. e. to perceive intellectually. For to proceed is the eiienry ot a circulation, and to proceed diauoetically, is the energy ot dianoetie natures. I lie senses therefore, strike against this circulation, and tinning in a direction contrary to it, as tending inwardlv from outward ohjects, they impede tin intellectual energy. II. •nee the- period of the c ircle ot the mint is deprived both of ac tion and conte mplation. \\ hat then, someone may s.iv, is it immovealde } .And how can the soul Iw immovealde' May we not sav in answer to this, that it is moved indeed by itself, but neither with a corporeal motion, tor it is incorporeal; nor with a phanta-tic motion, fur it is imligured ; nor with a gnostic motion, for it is i ,r noraut of itself; but with an essentially vital motion. For as to perceive intellectually, is the energy of intellect, and to exist is the energy of being ; thus also to live, i> the energy of life, l’or it dews not possess an adventitious energy of *ife, hut ch lives it from itself. For it is life generating itself, and producing its. It. 13ut all life is motion. So that if every thin- which lives is moved, that which lives from itself will he- moved, and that whie li always lives will always he move d, vitally, hut not intellectually. II. nee the soul is always moved, and yet not always. For it it intellect in ctijmcity, hit hfe iu energy. And another third tiling i. e. matter is in capac ity only, but is not in energy. Since the relbre, there is a triple order in us, v i/. according to e ssence, according to power, and according to energy, our I'scnce indeed, remains entirely the same, as being essence, as living, and *~s intellectual. For being the [first] image cd intelh*el, it is intellectual ; just as the first image of .soul is animated. Hut tlw powers indeed, of dianoia are lettered, and those of opinion are agitated. And since the powers are analogous to tin* live s, the power of one of the lives [viz. of the intellectual life] is r. strained, hut another is shaken. For the* essential hfe is always in motion. M ith respec t to the* energies however, those of dianoia are taken away, hut those ot opinion an* distorted. And as these are analogous to that whic h is intellectual, it is evident that the soul is prevented from perceiving intellectually. 1 he essence ol tin; soul therefore, is per-
1 For cuv'o licre, it is ne cessary to read caery.
nook \.]
T1M.LUS OJ PLATO.
44P petually vital ami perpetually nxacd ; 1 »ut 1 lie powers and energies, pertaining to its Lie and intellect, are naturally adapted to err.
“ So that they turn with every kind of revolution, each of the three intervals of the double and triple, together with the media and conjoining bonds of the sesqnitertian, sescjuialter, and sesrpiioctave ratios which cannot he dissolved hy any one, except by him by whom they were bound. And besides this they introduce all the fractures and diversities of circles, which it is possible to eti’eet.”
All things are in all souls, hut appropriately in each, in some divinely, in others d.ciuoui.K ally, and in others partially. l*or the media, the scsquialtor, the sesquitertian, and the scsquioclave ratios, together with the lcimina, are in all souls 1 or how could tin* soul otherwise know total h u nion \, and procreate ratios so heautilul, oxet pt she contained in herself the causes of them, heing herself, according to her ow n order, a certain harmony of harmonies ; not consisting of things harmonized, since a haimony of this kind is in another thing, is alter-motive, and is susp< tided li'oin another niotne cause ; hut of that which harmonizes itself, and is harmonized hy wholes? lienee, it has all harmonized ratios, and besides these, die divisions info se\» n of the circle ot the ddlerenl. I*or tin* demiurgic section ' begins superfluity irom divine souls, and proceeds as far as to the most partial souls ; and besides this, sueli other tilings as we have survevi <1 about the soul of the universe. The mode of interpretation likewise is the same, except that we must add the peculiarity in each, adjoining, in some souls the divine, in others the (hriuoniacal, ami in others the partial peculiarity. We have however l>cfore observed, that though all the ratios are m all souls, viz. the divine, the darmoniacal, and the partial, alter the mundane soul, it is not at all wonderful that the hounding t< mis should difler, by each lieing more multiplied in the subordinate souls, than hi those prior to them. Lor those of the soul of the universe were primary, or radical terms, (truOju.m*\) yet nothing hinders their being afterwards, the duple, or triple, or in short, multiples ot these, winch through diminution are multiplied in orderly ratios, as far as to partial souls. Amlin some of these, they are more multiplied than in others. For neither are all divine souls of equal dignity, nor all demoniacal after these, nor all partial souls. And thus they have some things common to all of them, but others di tiering accord mg to essence
1 Instead of to fur in this place, it is necessary to read
VOL. II.
Tim. Flat.
3L
p. 460
PROCLUS ON THE
[book t.
itself. It is also necessary to reint mber the**e tilings, not carelessly, in order that we fnay he able to assign the all-various differences in the generation of souls; of the mundane indeed with re--q»<*e-t to the supermundane, according to the multitude, or diminution of parts; amt aUo m the generation of the mundane, divine, demoniacal, anil partial souls, according to the terms themselves, which are either radical, or more remote from those that are radical, the same ratios remaining.
All harmonic ratios therefore, exist in a partial soul, and exist essentially, and are not a coacervation of posterioi origin. 1'or those things which the first l)emiurgus produces, these are essentially inherent in heings, viz. tin* seven terms, the three media, the se-sepiialte r, sesquitertian, and sesipiioctuve ratios, and the ieiinmas, which are now called culligatinns. It is evident therefore, that all these are essences. For things which always subsist after the same manner, and those which give completion to essence, are themselves essences. And it is necessary to view these particulars not mathematic.illy, hut physically, l'or the mathematical ratios and habitudes, vv Inch souls generate, through possessing the above mentioned ratios, are of a elifli cut kind, ltut if all tin* harmonic ratios are essenres.it is evident that they have powers. l’or tin one power, and the one form of the soul, are not generated from things deprived of power, and without quality. How likewise could the harmonic latios operate, and produce other ratios, unless they had a power of generating? And how could they know, and excite other ratios, if they did not antecedently contain gnostic powers, or it these powers were unenergetic ? It is ueeessarv therefore that tin ratios should be essences, and possess powers gnostic o| all harmony ; those indeed in the period of the same, of intelligible; hut those in tin* period of the different, of sensible harmony. It Is likewise necessary that thev should « in rgi/e when they arc- able; some indeed, about inti lligibles; but others about seiisihles. \\ lien however, being badly affected thmegh oblivion, they become- impeded, sense- drawing down the soul to material natures, then, they remain indeed essentially; for thev are pe rpe tual, indissoluble-, and immutable: but ae cording to cuergv, they are turned with every possible- kind ed revcdiition. Anel again, ae-e-ording to power, the-y suffer all possible fractures anil distortions. For this is e eunmon to both,' but not through the period of the same; sme-e- that is alone sluggish. But the- circles m the- pi-rie»el of the different, he-mg se-ve-n, anel all eif them having all the- harmonic ratios; for thus it was s.uel ed the* sold of the universe* tlie-y are* turne d anel frae-tun-el. For what is here saiel hy I’lato, is concerning these media anel the
1 Vu to liolh |>o\\er anet energj in tlif circle of thr different.
Iihok v.]
TIM.l-lS or PLATO.
p. 461
colligation in (hr «irolt* 1 o( the diffirent, a*; sustaining all-various injuries*, l>y the senses ami physical motions ; hut is not concerning those in (he circle of the same. l or this i- alone fettered ; Imt the circle of the different is agitated, and being agitated, sidlers sm h things as he mentions.
Socrates therefore, in the Phn-driis, assimilates the powers of the soul to a charioteer and horses, and a>sei(s that one of the horses is hi tter than the other. lie also says, that sometimes the horses light w iih each other, and the In tter of the two is victorious; hut that at other times they hurry along irrationally, the better being vanquished and following the intemperate horse, lhit Tinueus binding ihesonl through two media one of which is effective of sameness, Imt tin* other of diTerence, and one being allied to intelligibles. lint the other to sensihles, says that these media arc at one time discordant, lighting with each otlx r. but at another time are (ructmvd, * the (letter ol the two lieiug vanquished, and an* transferred into an oblique situation ; and at another, are all variously turned, through the lietter In mg m subjection to the worse. l or since the one pertains to sameness, but tiie other to difference, when the soul regul ites each of the media, she then performs that which is her proper duty, one of these making one from nianv, and knowing the one nt the many ; but the other dividing one into nianv, and possessing a knowledge of things specifically distinguished. Hut when the soul vacillates, m the first place, there is a hostile contention in her, respecting what is the same with a certain thing, and what is ilillerent from it; in the next place, the worse medium is victorious, through tending to an all-various partihility, instead of surveying itself; and in the third place, there is a perfect debility of the hotter medium, in consequence of the soul delivering the supreme dominion and ruling authority to the less excellent medium. I or of the two media, as we have before observed, through which the double anil triple intervals collect 1 that which is divided into sesquialtcr, sesqiiitertian, and sesqnioctave ratios, one medium was Collective of the samenesses in all the parts, Imt the other of the differences connascent w ith it ; just as the geometric medium was collective of essences. The medium therefore pertaining to sameness, leads the soul to n divine, hut that pertaining to dillercnee, to a mortal nature. Hence, the soul heroines irrational after this manner, the media in the circle of dillerence being fractured and turned, and prior to this, dissenting from each other; the turning perfectly drawing down this circle to the passions. For as the circle of the different was erect in the whole
1 For it/trXwr litre, it is oecessary lo rrad mXfi.
* Instead of toXatrOat in tins |L>ce, it is requisite to read sXaofat,
* For rvrt&ei here, it » requisite to read evrayti.
4.52
PKOCLUS ON THE
[book V.