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The Commentaries of Proclus on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor (1820)

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in. it of the chariot of the Sun, tfiuu a comet .In net to imitate the circular inotiou of the Sun. lie did not keep the track observed by hit parent, because acmnct duct Hut mute- III a dirtillull parallel to tint 111" the *'un. lie was blasted by tl,under through the anger of Jupiter, because tin* ei.inel war rvlingiuslii I by uiuisl vapours On lint uciouit, lie it said tu hate fallen into the river 1 u laim*, be. ausc tin c iint I w is extinguished through inuislure. lb vs a* 1 aim nti d tiy tbc 1 it bade?, because tl t c ape nr print edmg li un l ie clist,dm lull ul the tuliiet timed d unwaids, I r.ng of •i.i a | .all. II i tu re. Hint in I .is n.| eel curri'|i tiding tu teas. lilt lleindi s wcie chaligi tl lulu p»plar tuts, be. a isc a luitc di'tds limn the* pi ir tu e >iiui!.ir In audit r; ambtr In* a f l ie ii spYiidetil, anil gold Is dedicate J 111 the s iiii 1 lie table I lit It bn r, uli'i lire Iv •igitihe s tii.il the | nice ul tie puplartiee is piodtiitil fiuiu iiiui-Iiirr, Miiular to tl.at which was produced by the dissi Imlull ut lbe < unit I *

1* 44. J'ht horu I H.trrjurr,and charioteers PJ the Cods, <1 re all . I than jlimI, Ae.

blit scare bcawiihdly explained liy llerineas in Ins Scholia On ibe I’lu dieis, „s follow s :

What are we tu under'laud by lie charioteer at.d the two horses/ In the I r l plate, this is tu I e tuiisilliild re si'ccllug them, whether ll is liefis-ary lu arrange 1 tht m .ctionhiig tu es'inti*, or anuiiling to jiuwt r«, i r ar tuithng lumerghs. bur ll.nc arc d.lfcrtut ej uiiulis un tins Mihjtct. 1 tv then, that (bey nil st tie airaugcd atcuidin ; tu powers. bur titter arrargetutlil taiiiiut be .•cioidiig tu cnergii', since the liuiscs aie rcpiesi nteil cncrgi/mgj lot tin re are rie-t energies of energies; and be, .ni'C tht energies of the soul arc at dilicrint times tlilltrent, hut i,k lu i is are ^ always tin 'aim I ur tin si ul d us nut rtnive dil.’i-- 1 lent lu r • i * at till • 11 lit lime but al w ay * I as I in r.iim '••■I can the ariaii/i im lit he aiemdmg tu tvsinir*, Mliiee et u in uur buiiN, (in es't in i s reuiaui tindcldidoillivur I or the • sseiit e tl the suul is Inver vitiated, Sluee it it wtic, it wutill puisli lint the powers ll It beCullie depraved, and (bis is in a muth greater degree the case with Hs t ntrgies. l'lalo himself likewise says, “ that t re ho tut ami c.'iuru-Ut • i ot the f <'oat ure all of them t W, and consist of in i thin: t us are gw f ; hilt cl ours lie says, ** that they hteoiae ihjirui d, and laritr a dijlui un ol the uini't " II therefore, the Cssentc ol u.u suul remains uiidetdtd willi vite, I ut the powtrsol it becoinedistt.ru I, tl c horses and chariotters may Level v properly atraiiged at'euiding tti powers. Hut this alsu 1’iatj 1 im ell clearly prut laiui', w hen lie 'ar s, 44 Ijtt it be ttmi sr to the eonniuctnt i*uuer of er uin^et chiTi.it iihd c hen >Utr. ' Ii iiuwever, suine t ne should say, that the words, 4 *uil if than are good and conutt tj things good," are spoken as signilyillg that these hor'es and eiiariuteers aie derived trum beneficent causes, ihe wuicls that follow will I car witness against ibis interpretation, l or our burses and char ulcers aie from Hungs ibat are good, as from causes ; s that all ot the in according to this will be -uud. Halo, liow - ever, says lhat ours are tlefiletl willi ei c. Hut 1’laio is not the lirst w lio assumes a cl auutccr ai d In rsts : lur prior to bun they were assumed by the ilivint iy ii - ■piled poets lloruer, Orpheus, and i'umicu.dcs. Hy them however, as being inspired, they are mentioned without a cause : lor they sp. ke enthusiastically. Hut time I'leto ii lioehiris nothing into his philosophy, which he »on Ul not ileiivr limn a rau-e, bl us sliuw why, though he *pt eks with greater dignity leboiil these particulars, he mints tuliiii.lie.il li e t.iusi sul them; m Ibr mean tune ohstivmg, tba' the tlirulugl'ts | lu r to h ill, appear to have a mum I ll c eh...■Hitter and h use-, a* | t il.uiiing to puuj is. 1 nr Jupiter in limner,' n-i s boi-i -, vvh. a Nt|,luiie I. '.ml t,i mi. brace, and be elm s nut dw ivs U'e tticm, but is ri prrse iite I as s.uni l llus «itlu.g till a thrum . lull it ll c < ssi at e ol .Input r t n- si id in 11 hug in a e h.it ml, and Jiipili r was the aim as the i b.inoli tr, in would ilw.evt iiiic a eiiau. I. N ow tu.wev er, he is it pi i -u nit d as lining other till,.'. H* t e In, r 'Cs and e ll ell-lee r then Ii i<, the dill, in t j owe is t l Jn| tier are 11 b Liatt 1 In Hit u,rin tune, it 11111 s ( he tibst rv t !, that the a-MHiu .,1 r< spelling a d.v.ne anil liUlliali soul ought

10 be cullilliuii.

I'latu the re lore, in tin limans sivs, that the Demiurges in i uiistilulmg the e-st nee o! tie *mil, assumed & nud lit es'e iitt In in the genera ul being, vie. tioin jilt Hire i gt .eiaj <»itn c, *umr mid a.-/, rent And tins nn i lie nature wimli lie assuiuetl,is a luriliiilii be I w 11 n ill ini pal tilde e sst lit e a lul t Ir* e sseiu e vv b eh is ibvis.ble aboil binl.es lint I he lllatluli.il lllr, lialurt, al, 1 tin p III e >| atiolis id sold by the bod), e salt— blilu’e the e tine w nil Is tliel-dde aboul bodies. .Ai I again, lilt* |)tiiuiirgus as uiiie 1 a miildle* samelies', w tilth is a mt dun ii be I we eu ini| ail 1 le ' , me ues* and ll.t* sauieiie s s wblt Ii is di v sdile ah-ml hull It *. bhe like also t ike* j■ la- e >.. h n spet t t < ibr middle ti tlerun c. 1 lie I >i in hi rg, i* ! kew i e.s.iy s I’lain, i i ill g ling tin -e ll.rt t, t on-iiiuu I In t ssi meot the 'i ni. 1 lie »e Inul i.i s b ,m si r, in ilitiiu souls, t mi >ist i.| |aut: and

I In of 1 1 1 pi it , pi I it'I a, I i it t b is is Ini'll 14.e III our s ,io s. Hut ,s 1*1 ito s,-,s f ■* the 1 >« iniiiigiis poured Imug.iiig, the re in limit r i I the lorini i luivluie; m a t < 1 1 1 n ie [fit nidi i o',alti r tin- sum- maiiiie r, vet not similarly liuuruiptibli acmnling to the same, initiltlii"it ut ifuii. tin I r't, in a sett,.ul and tiuid de.,iec. 11 J St A.fees therefore, and the chmntur, ate the youert if thtii thrt', I. nd fa one j air of the i ul, u huh ii f roll a. t e I I l/ati thr c lowers, it the idea if the soul. The ( wer lucre lure of being, I. e el .seme, w Im h is one e l H e gene lo, is Ibe tb uiotfe-r; but ibe powe r ol the tame, is ibe 1 etter ol t e two bmsis ; ami the power ot the dujerent, is llic less estelleiil hoi m . Ifeiite, il wc Conceive two hor-es and a charioteer, whu Ii are uiadit to coalesce, then t!, e ore | user wl.ien is si eiative and pr ebietivg ol the charioteer and the liii'i , is the

11 ca of the soul. JTafr howevt r, must nen I e iiiiderslood Cuntoriiiabiy to geomelriciaiis, ill tlie wav they are a > U'lomed lo say, that a right line is m power a Mpiare. In what was huloir. said tberelme, I'i.,tu e!iscus'cil the essence e.f the soul; 1 ut here, be speaks about It' | uwcTs ; H’lil III villa! loilows, about l!s Cliergit‘. Ibr'. then tore, being three, v i. essence, self-niutiuii, and iiiuiiurraliiv, three powers arc here as inned, aiia!u_ous tu ibtltl, viz the idea of the toil.', the burse*, amt ihe in re p.uhal lives ot the bor'C*. l or the idea of the soul is as;un,cd analogous to tlic

For *parT# r here, it is obviously Dccessary to read rarri.e.
Iliad viii. v. 440.

ADDITIONAL NOTI>.

» nc essence ol it, winch unicallv possesses both self-motion ami imnu Maine. lint t l ic horses, am! the sell-motive nalmt ol them, arc assumed analu ’urn I i I ic sHi-moti n *il llic *-oiil And the m. rr p.iMiai live* i I ll'f Imr-rs, \ z. the a-i ruts an 1 d» stents n| the soul, the drlluvn n ul her nm: 1 , ami tl r pi riiuuatioil til tin in. arc an ilugous t.i I cr lmimnt.ihl v it it v| \ docs lie ra'l the power ol /Ar wrnr, and the p uer ot" /Ac </it/rrrn/, the Imr*-c*-, lit the power nf e-arnce, which is our i.l tie genera il hong. ilie chariot <r? It is evident tin ret. re that all the genera pirtnt| i'e ol e.icli other, hit ri h is <lt nominal'<1 according to that wlurh j red nit ij>cs. Anil r-oeu r, wlurh is now assumed ill orrlrr to the Cuilipositiun ot the soul, it the summit and is most p rior t, and acctrr.intc m Hus has il 'iniimin over the rest. Heme the soul is not ronipr lleil to he turned according io essence ' hot the remaining two w inch are toe t ewers ot th/ i r#c an ) thr ili[i(rrnt, are assimilated to tior»e* t as hr ing s< en m inotioii ami perm he |rii;rfsoniii. 1 nrse p ,nrr. also are the circles nr who Is or /Ac twit and f h' iliilt rent I nr (oli'ldcml as pruri rdmg ahuut the inlcllijtt le, they arc horses, h it as returning to the Mine eoinhlmn, they ire (rules or wheels. Ami the I ctier w heel indei d, svinoil is the circle ot rAc lomc, is that which icv. ives about inteiligihlre, ai d has ihc pmwer ot clrv.iting the soul; on which account also, it is called vol ihic or aide Hot t 1 e less rxolhnt wheel, wlit h I' the nrc r ot /Ac ihth rint, ami I* r;rnrsiurptr, revi Ives ah in sensible ami ih sa-tic natures, and t“ r illeil crrrt, when it lunroi» its j rr per virtue, an’, thus has ari II In alum i I tiir i ri < t, and the uncliiinne, when it amioiinrrs srtiMhtes without distortion. ir.iis lor ■ 11 st mee, it opinion wo-hrs to prrci rvc seme thing so s hie, pr. -i lei linn, or field crate rlmn'c is sullii tent, ami tins esiues ami estemls the spur. This il-n, it it should happen to le r> ipitsitc semis forth ravs itirou^ii the ryiHut these dart forth to t le tens hie ohir. t, ai d ‘m e 1 rill g a;alii I cut I ark t .rou ih the ev i s, aiiin utir es whit ii sms to the spirit, a 1 Ir in tin nee to op Hum „nd thus the ullesnn < r lending huts, is in I aieuratrl. a tmle, hut hy runiinis m a r gl i In e, Irom tl e g >1 to t) e I truer, ami Iroin the 1 irrirr to the go d, it mill.it's a tmle. I lie whole of this likewise, is ail erret tireic. lint when It announces any thin™ in a (h-liulcd inaniirr, it is said to sustain ad-various fr icturrs. J his circle also, [m partial ».h N.' I as a clow nwaril-drawing, ami penesinrpa-power. Hot in d.sme soul-, it piosidcnlially attei dt to si mndarv na'itrr*.

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