← The source library
Neoplatonism · from the Internet Archive

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

Preserved in the archive of the housea source of Proclus

yieldin’ in nothing to the passions, nor sufltr.rg any thing Iruni them, and in tins case, she produce* the fr*t life which 1* tl e philosophic. Or *hc live, accord- mg to angi r, reason at the -amc time having dominion, ami she produces the second life, which is royal and inili' iry. (Ir she lues aemnling to desire, a 1111 rea¬ son pn*«e -mg tlie* npiri ill e soul, and *l.e make* thf third hie, w hu ll lspohiir.il, al.ll 4ho p trains to the at ijiiiMtioll ol wi allh. for this 1 te 1* run I' Vrd in pruuiiuig nurs'.iry food tor the animal and the city Or a, mi, tin *oul is con.er«aiit wnti nature, reason still presiding, aod she produces the gymnastic and midi' in d lite. for this idc, is runxcrtcd to nature ami lmdii *, j rovidentiallv utei dm; to, ai d procur¬ ing rnnedies lor them. Sinri ihcrclorc, we hue pro- cc d'd, as tar as to the end of the prugrr**iun ot life jrn r ling to lijiint, tlie tit■ ll hit remain-, **l.i< h is th* lilc-'ie, m I whirli docs not |hj"'Si a pecul .11 power I 1 r tin- life is convene I to the G d*, anti in rn thins* r.fiord* a 1 eiiam as-i-tano to the In is that pre c*le it Hut 1 ’ia'o l-somCs I ere the propheii- aod li hanc life, not the cut uisia-tic; for this i- p!iil >s -pine in the ei- ireuie, and scientific, and he whole it it is inspired by divinity; but he assumes tin- artihnd an I medici¬ nal life, winch through soldi e-and prayer-, afford* a 1 crlain aid to the human rai e And ll.ese indeed, ate the fue Ii* e-, wlnr h arc t tier ltd o c-rding to ri h hi lea* in, and are i-sntil a’c 1 to the 1 ncr.ic- w |u> h sub- si*l about itiv iniiy. l or e u h ol the God* abidr*. pro- ro d-, and rd'irii* to the ( MM pie ol III- pfogu soon. Here ll er* I nr, the -■» 1 eilln r abides m ie -"ii, and products t f r philo-* phic lit . ; or si e pr c*cd* a* tar a* to iiatinc and prodnrr- the nthei time lives; or s! • is cutivirtcd t i the Gmls, anil product s the hflh life.

t tl 1 he n m lining f. or hv » h< »nrr, wl i< h are imi-

I alive, ind the mi 1 > * < ! tin < t a' nc prior to them, two ol them, v 1 1 the sixth and the si xer.t >,truly irn:t ite

II "*e th d piece Ie tl eni, the one tin ugh w. rds, but tl r > tin r ill ungh deeds. S , th it the reui.iiinng (our, arc 1 ni t line ol the | nor live* ; I ut two ot tnem imi¬ tate truly, an I the oiner two dissimilarly. 1 lie sixth ami seventh live* al-o, w 1 irli ire truly tin tative, tltlTcr in tin-,1 nt thr one mutates through winds, the pbilo- *■ | In r, lie ku g, and the n 'naming eh.1r.11 ter*, and it, *d -ciplinesiiieii; hut the «rventh miilatc-through if ed-. fur *nrh i* the artificer And the eighth ar.d ninth ih'*imd.irly imitate; the on. agun through « rd-, but tin - other through deed*. U it in the poeiW, Cnlisidi r every iimtalive char.o n r included, to which al-o tic painter belongs; tlic-e character*, as I'lato ‘ ns in the Itepiiblie, bring the third frmn the truth, lor the a'emiurpie c haractrr, he is to he assumed who Ie ids a thing troiu nen-bcing to i-ssence, such as the carpcnti r, ttie potter, and the s.ior-m.iker. Among these hkews e, the huibundrnan is included, *0 far ax he p iv * attrnti n to nature, in order that l.cr germination* may he healthy and most rcredent. I it m uitirii how ever, and/u'put.r character*, dilfer in this, that th* soph; si is a teaci er ot the laws and xir’ue; but the popular character exercises rhetoric among the vulgar. Hut we mii'l not now assume the distorted sophistic*] and tyrannical lives, hut tlioie that use these powers to a good purpose, the former by deception, but tb* latter bv force, for it is possible to us* Unse both well and ill, as Plato alto lQlert. Aod thus much con¬ cerning th* nine bee*.

It now remain*, that «■ should collect by human •rrentiftc reasoning, what the nature is of the iutc-lli- gil les, by tl.e contemplation of which tin soul <!< -cinds inti* the first, »rcnird, and lollowing lues t in* s, nl therefore, wtucll l.as surveyed tin l.rjulllid, tin.- w «■, and the germ), 'line tht-'e hr griming truiir the hr-t pi tu- Clplrs, proceed as lar is in the I im ot li.inys, ih -it »h into the hisi lilt . II.me al-o it is rca-unilte to sup¬ pose, tha! iht ooi w hit ti lias stirvcvtd u|stl..iu it sc, r, will Choose the p I isi.pl i, ip. , l.nt tli a Hu s> u 1 wlilt h has > live w .1 the hianlll.il it .1 11 , willilu.usi a lift: w In )i |s stiiiliuns ul rlrgiiiir; _i | this ria’u itl- vides into the uitisii al amt am.iloiy l.li . 1 1 rn 1-

llig beauty cither through the ivi-', or the 1 at', wi oh- tam a reinini'Ci 11.c ot 111UIligil.U Lnauty. lint the reascent to all till- l.vt-s is to t'.r .- 00J. Again, th* soul which has snru ii il t le genera ot Ik mg, will c~ho.se the second hie. I or a king l-slal lishi > ail tlnu_s, and IS the re t r< analogous In /.irmonrn. v,‘ h* m whiitialsu, be is di iiuiiuiiali d ;la.. .,, 1 c i, .m a ■ o, „ ,j ilty f and /.‘iftHf! ft/mniM to r^ii.oi ; wupa tijv am Tj

eSpaioe, ca. t« tJ.pijana. aw’ acroi *a a^scy^ata. 11 e like wi -e rri Tti or tac.les all tilings, I y an mgllig all I a i ruing every thing, through win. h In is anal gnus tu 11 hoi. lie is also the can e ol fiiiiilslop run] unroll lo all t! lugs ihioiigli .oiniii .il law s, which u is the piovinre of iiitrm** lu iliict. And lit tlivuK-s cvtr} ai.d

rejires'c-* wl uitur is lioMil* au<l mjiiTicU'.; and iiii> is the tm|»!u)ii»tnl i>l dfjtifhif. lit liki.*ht iu!ct Dvt*r m 1 things; aii.) on tbii .uruuiil hr i** '.ml to hr uarlikr, and a | mice. Hut * .nisiiu a 1 1 [ m t lu* < itv J t.«

cru/ f III jV he Hot he '‘.ill! lo SuL'l* t .lliul»#„ull' tuO'/’HC, 1 U Coll'CtJUflice ol lradili^ Cat li tUlh^ liolll IIoIi-Lm iD^ to fihtciu e.

Again, uhen the mjiiI La* siirvrvitl tin* ^enrra of being nit. re parl a.lv, and no Im grr lot.illv, or ha* fprinup*!lv] MJivrv t J ju^icc ii*«-il # 'he j r- d ur the third htr: loi llioe who art ai'iitntd in the third life, art in a greater tiegrre c nvi r aut with justice. 1 lie loul wl.it h l.ji uurwjctl health ii^eH, and hodv it>« »l, nuke* thr futiri h hie. A.id tl.C Mini u hi. h h i" hi In Id Ihe elevating C»ods produce* tin* pruphttu nr idem htr. Ihe m iiiainin^ lour livi * however, hive *ur- ve)t»l minliiii lc itst II, md di'Miuiliiude iiy li ; hut the two hr*t lt.iu Mirx e\ t d in a girait r i!t gne 'inuuiiidc, aod the (wo la i ilus unhiodr.

Plato (heirtorr, liavini' 'puktn rniicrriiiiur the lnn and the genera (L'lrdjiitrd lu omd* d-'i ending into generalitm, In in thv inlclligihle prior to nm ij* tiun, l.rndv d ti"« * in what inn un« t tin n u- d.ul ol the 'in 1 during it** I thru (ondiiiuii, Ci<fifnrm.i- hi) to what Is *jid III lilt* Kij'iihlti ; \ i/. that tt t -• ill which h as |> iss, ,1 tl.ioug!i tins lilt- in a ju t .11 I In !_v maimer, si all cl'.a 11 a in ic eviellenf, I ut tin- s. nl tliat lias ac id iiitpi-llv, a w 1 -e, comlilioii il l ii.g. Haeiug likcwi'C. !e I tl.e soul 1 .to tin- n alius ol g. in- ration, lie again elevates it to tin- n It iligrble, ar d 'aj‘, that every soul such as tin-■■dils 0! tin limit:-. It , is restored to the niulloil.lt, tl,rough leu tin. s.. l years, but that the soul .1 a philosopher •’ restored through tl rcr thousand years. ''line liowcicr, tie Iirakts melition ol a | cu 1 i t aruviiad, ami ol three thou sat d years, and farther stdl ot the period or a thousand years, Iruiu a progression Ircin gei eratt n into generation, let us first i vplaiu the uiathem itical ncarnng ol what is said, arid -Itctward' iuvisligate " hat he w ishes to indicate

lie defines then, in the Republic, the measure of lire life ol man 10 he a hundred years, this unrulier hem - the sip,are of ten, which comprehends m iis,-|f all t|o- Ioiiiis ol iiiiiiiLers. Alterw aid-, it you undtipty u Intn- rheil by t n, vou wi I piodiiee the cuhe a • 111 sand I lil', as In i, g tein stuai, and adapted In t anti, Plato attiihulis 1 it, and s,ys, 111.I the progression of the soul i.i.d r it c earth, 1 e Us progie-st.... Ir,.ni . encra- li 11 to gi in r.illoii, 'e.nsists ol a thousand years, III , til. r M. u t In p 11. *| mi nt of 11s nth 111 e s, nr 1 1 e rew ard I.t Us g... .1 ihiIll iy t iki plat e 111 a te. t Id degn r I ai'ln r 'till, tins a s , iiuisi I e pic ,s.„ 1,,,^ (1, ,[ ( | ir soul vs Ole it |s aU.lil to lull Sli .,1 d to Its pi 1 st I i III |i 1 1 y til l I I IM el...M l a plulo-opliii file- lit ilnre lie tln-iil.11, a' ul 1! it ii is lie id 1 he nine hy.s; but it re mar 11' alter linn, (Hal one hie wine Ii Is ipoi ata'latle, 111 .si, as we have said, lie luv 1 siigati d , and thus wi s! ill ive tin liees. lienee since the pn gir'iioli ot eaeii lile ulnh r the 1 nth, cun'i'ts ol a thou- u d \e ai te 11 1 uni-> one IImiis.m,| w ,|| pn duce a my riad of ims '■inc a 1 -o it is neee -ary th it the - sold «!hit'll is -ellim¬ ing tw Us pi i-tiiie Ii lie'lly , sli eil I have phrl.i'i.plueril thin e, as Plato sa\~, a, .in tinee ihoiisind years will 1 . I'lcdiui I. Perhaps ton, Plato a'siiined this liom Iilslory. I r thus lie-run s I r I'liu g.slus riieieed tilt ■H I ell . 111.11 e.I 1 Hsi legisins, Lu anse In had ihuec | hi- I. | Im. 1 el eii l: 11 < arlli, anel the thud time knew i ( iin- Si it. And I llldal 1 s ,y ,,

lull tin v wl.o 111 true snine'trun™

1 in < u rf j in gallon can l inline ,

An I kt 1 p tl i 11 mu .Is lr. in Irai di d wrong.

And guilt’s contagion | uit ,

1 l.i 1 tliio* tli*- st triy pall.s ol Juyc 1 o Saturn’s I h Ini lowrr it move Such theret..re, as I have sai l, is ihe mall entatiral In cal. u g e.l the wonK. Ai I in s|, n, three and ten multiply the journey ot a iiioii'au.l yt.tis under th- tailli, tl al l',tlu pi ogress, oil I.t ill gt ut 1 all. n 11 to ge r.er |’I .1., ai d III ikt three llu.iis n.ii and a myriad.

W I al ih. n t'ot s Plato ol s. me y Mginty lluoilgh 1 hi r titiinh rs f It must hi *n.l, t .at ihret thoiisaiid and a inyiia.l, aie syinh U..lp ilttliou l ..| Plain doe* not 1111 an what tie in -til. i ina 11 1 'ign lieaiiuii ol the words r 111 I indie tie l or it this w• re thr ease, there