vi/. (lmt it is about fli** gem-ration of bodies, and alwmt (lit- soul. For it was plainl% said, that it was his intention to speak, concerning both, and to show from wliat particulars the second Demiurgi constituted the soul and the body. lJut conformably to this, be hud In-lore asserted, that in constituting soul and body it was requisite to inlroduee the (locks, and to t-flecl tilings consequent ti> these, \iz. the du isions of the soul, and a more minute discussion of the parts of the body. For thus in the unit else, alter a eonruon discussion of the whole, he spuki about the parts which it c ontains. lb at also which is the pec uliarity ol tlie l'latomc pbilosopbv, to suspend all generation fro**: .be ( Joels, lie now dots, by plaem^ in tbetiods tin primordial causes ol mortal bodies, anil (l | the 111 se| i.i l.11 ill* forms ol bti . .Not tli.it tin ie me di finite n huis [or productm: | tow i I s ] ol | i.i 111 .i I li aim e«, a ml o| pal I |i dial s, and I lilli^s i m nipt ibb in tin ( mils ; |o|- a ill V llie llat ill * Is \ei \ 11 Inoli limn p ii I lal l.ibi leal imi ; lmt t b it I In > preside n\t i i;i 11<1 .it< d ii.ilm't s in an llldn goth n in min r, and o\i i mail mil lia tines iinmateliallv, < on;li u.illli'4 linili til.iliy partial and pinxmiale causes, tint which is partial in i Heels through perpetual motions, am tbroii^b well arranged and multiform causes. For as tbe first |)i minibus delivers [llu- production of mortal natures] to tbe junior finds, so Ilk ewise tbe providence ol lliese, proceeds lluoii-^li da moils is far as lo malerial and individual principle-, using as adjutois, ib finite natuics, and tile several peeuliar motions of (Inst winch dilh r in tlu-ir powers, and likew ise employing all tbe proximate causes of generated beings; from wliuli, tli.it winch is ^cm-ralcd, ileiius its cmnplcliou, is fabricated a partial nature instead ol being tbe whole, ami receives an hypostasis, circumscribed dilli-rc-nlly, and by ililleonl pei uliai itie.s. Mere I ben tore, it is leipiisile In spi ak about tbe body according to purls; as lor uisiatice, about the In .id, llu then ix, and tin- b and ill < at b of tin -i , about llu- palls i uiil.nin d III them ; lor llu sc ate organic. It is nl-.o i< ipusile to sp* ak about llu- nioilal hold, wbn b logi llu I with (be body makes the nioilal animal, ibis being tin* lain ii aluili ol (III juuioi (imU; ami likew ise about ibe puiU of if, bulb llie gnnslie* and tin nicelic. For if we pmpcilv iippicluud these by u reasoning pm* ess, w e shall have w II disc m> a cl w bat pi i tail is to man
Ills necessary Itmuut lli.it man in tin- s.iun- manlier as tbe whole world should lie considered pi-rlec lly , l*i c lllse mail Is a microc osm. 1 or lie lias intellect and n usiin, a divine and a mental body, in tin* same manner as the universe, and lie i» die ided analogously to tin- unn el se. Ib nee also, some are accustomed to say, that Ills intellectual part is arranged analogous to the sphe re of the; fixed stars", lmt that of reason, that which is theoretic, is analogous to Saturn, and
LOOK V.]
TIM /HUS or l'LATO.
Ki5
that which is political, to Jupiter. Of (hr irrational part likewise, the irascible nature i< analogous to Mars; that which is endued w ith the faculty of speech, to Memi -v ; that which is epithvmetie, to \ enus ; that which is sensitive, to the ' «in ; and that which is vegel itive, to the Moon. The luciforin Vi hide likewise, is analogous to the heavens; hut this mortal body, to the sublunary region. In ordi r therefore, that you may perceive the universe partially, the discourse about man is co arranged with all physiology. And thus much as to this particular.
llul how are the causes and providential energies of the Gods to be divided 1 Is it not, that the former are hvpostatic, or the sources of subsistence, but the latter are of a guardian nature ; the former are the suppliers of essence, but the latter of good ; and the former are «tl’cctive of mortal natures, but the latter arc the saviours of immortal souls? 1 'or the Gods providentially attend to these, receive them when they descend [into the realms of generation], and again, when they are w iliing to ascend, extend (heir hands, and impai l tin pity which dwells with them. Since however both the cause and the providence o» the junior Gods, are multiplied and united ; for whence could union be imparted from them to generated natures, unless those that produce them were by a much greati r priority united to each other? on this account, l*lato rails their demiurgic powers, the providence and causes of them. For there are many Peiniurgi, and the production of each is multiform. And again, he unites the multitude of the Gods. For union and uniform power accede to all beings, and by a much greater priority to the Gods themselves, from the divine peculiarity; just as intelligence is present with wholes, and in a much greater degree with the intellectual orders themselves, from intellect. Hut when, in short, lie reft rs the cause nt generated natures to the providence of the (iods, he gives to them a first progression into existence, ineffable, ami better than knowledge. lienee, lamblii hus rightly says, that it is not possible to collect syllogistically, how the Gods produce body, anti the hie which is in it, and how they connect both with each other. For these things are unknown to us. And indeed, we strenuously assert, that all things are constituted by the Gods, in consequence of looking to their goodness; but we are not able to know how they proceed from thence. The cause however, of this is, that to energize providentially, and to generate, arc the prerogatives of a div ine by parvis, and possess an unknown transcendency. It has been shown therefore, what the subject is of the present discussion; but he again reminds us what the mode of it is, that it is mingled with probability. For so far as it is connected with nature, and the fabrication of mortals, ho far it is accompanied with probability; but so far as it recurs to a divine intellect Tim. Plat. Vol, II. 3 N itself, so far again, it participates of truth. And finally, he connects the mode nml the end of the discussion. For he says, "Thus, and to those that proceed conformally to these things, it it rn/uisitc to discuss the particulars that remain llut the word thus, pertains to the mode; and the words , conformably to these things, belong to the end. The end however, is to speak about the parts of the body, and to discuss minutely, what pertains to the mortal boul.
4 M PLOCLUS OS THE TINLEU 5 OF PLATO. [book v.
UNIS.
ADDITIONAL NOTES,
Vol. I, p. I. O.i Ifin account n( hart prefixed the treat lie of 1 inurut to t'nic Ccnmnenior irr.
*1 Ins l realise ill 1 mi i ns, u lui ii has In i n traiisinittril to us ihnnigh Pin* III', is mil linu< srr | r.liinl to the prin'i l nli!inn nl tin si; ( •■inment irirs. lint the reader may find it in C. ill s' (Ipiisrula Mvilmlogica.
I* 4. I he tu n co-orjnmti .of of thin^i
Tl csr two ro-ordinatiiiiis are the following: hound the inlinitr ; the odd, the even; the our, multitude; the right hand, tl r It It I and, the in.isriilnir, the feminine; the rjm* 'Cent, that whirli is in motion; the straight, the mrsed, light, darkness ; good, evil; the Sipiare, the i I "iig.
P. 14 II ho celebrate number^ Ac. on I the trtre, tat.
For a dcveliipeiiirnt of t! c inaimi r in which the Pythagoreans phibi-uphizi-d at out nuinhrr, and also concerning the tetractvs. s rr niv Inc .relic Aiithiuctic.
1’. If Our preerf'h-r .Sir^ inu’.
1 Ins vrrv cxlraordin irv in i i «as ih«- iir^l that thor.Highly prnetia'i 1 run, and tlrvelopid the latent doctrines ol philosophers and tin oh guts of the highest antiquity. lie did not writi intirh himself, but ernnmitted the protiiulgatioii ot Ins dogmas to I’roclus.
P 3d Airmr. I'he following amitnl account of the Sirens, is given by Proel i« in his MS. Sehoiia on the (. ratylus. •• 1 ne divine Plato knew that there arc three kinds ol ‘'•rens ; the e< l< Pi.i/, w hich i« under the government of Jupiter; that which is pi ncnurgic, and is iiii ler the government of Neptune; and that which is cathartic, and is under the government of Pluto It is common to all these, to iurline all things through • n harmonic motion to thru ruling Gods, lienee, when the soul is in the he iveii', they arc desirous of uniting it to the divine I Ii- which flourishes there. Hot it is proper that souls living in grncr.it on, should sail hryof.d them, like the Homeric l lyssc% that they may lint he lilurrd hy generation, of which the «ca is an image. And when souls are in Hades, Hie Sirens are desirous ot uniting them through intellectual conceptions to Pinto, bo that Plato knew-that in the kingdom of Hades, there are Grids, danions,and soul«,who danec as it were round Pluto, allured by the Sirens that dwell there ”
P. 3i. Dialectic. The dialectic nf Plato, to which Proclus here alludes, is not the tame with that dialectic which is the Mjh|ert ol opinion, and is accurately investigated in the Topics of Aristotle. For the former it irrcprclicusible and most expeditious , since it is connate with tilings themselves, and employs • multitude of i owrrs in ordi r to the atla nment ol truth. It likes' ise imitate intellect, from which it rrceives its prm- < iplcs, ami ascends through well-ordcre I grad itions to being it-clf. It aUo'crininates the wandering of ll e soul about *ensihlrs; and explores every thing by methods which cannot l e confuted, till it arrives at tire intliable principle of tilings. The business likewise ot this first of sciences, is to enrj I >y definitions, divisions, nnaly/ations, anil demonstrations, as primary sricnos in the investigation ol causes ; imitating the progression of beings horn trie first principle of things, and their continual conversion to ir, as the ultinraie object of desire. l or an ample aerount of this master science, see the notes to my translation of the I’arnirmd.-y < r Plato, and also my translation ot Select wi rks of Plotinus.
P.43 Pbyucnl \irtnes. The phv s cal virtues are those which are ci rnnion to men and Lrntrv, being mingled with the temperaments, arid f rtlie most part contrary to each other ; or ratnrr, they prrtair to the animal. < »r it m iv lie said that they arc ilhinnnationa from reason, whtii not impeded hy a certain bad temperament - or th it tliev arc the result of energies in a former life. < >t these, Plato speaks in the Polihcus anil the I-aws. For an aerount ot the other virtues, viz. ol the ethical, the political, the c it I artir, theoretic, and paradigm itir, sec the Notes to my translation of the I’lm do ol Plato, and aim the Additional Notes annried to my transl itiun ol Select Works of Plotinus.
P. nil. Si i pi re oj turnhj-tvur rrcoiura.
The serptre ot Jupiter, ns we arr informed hy Proclus on the Cralyliis, was, according to Orplicn*, twentyfour measures in length; hv wh.ih savs lie, the thcob gi't *igmfie», the < st.ihlishtncnt of those two divine ord* rs by Jup ti r, the cclesti il, and supr ri elrvtial, and his reigning ovi r two series ot God', each of which is characterized hy the number t«i Ivc.
P. 01. tor the rclatu n whittling among tew, that
Phaeton, the ofhpmmc of the Sun, Ac.
The lollowing evplanatirin of the faldc of rhaeton, is given by Olynipiodorus in his Scholia On the Meteors of Ari'totlc. “ Phaeton signifies m comet, hy which considerable parts of the earth are at times destroyed. Hut he is 'aid to have been the oltspring of the bun, because a comet is a sublunary body, consisting of a collection of dry vapours raised, and set on fire by the Sun. He is likewise said to have dr sued the govern*
p. 408
ADDITIONAL NOTES,