Why, however, do copious destructions of the human race happen through long periods of time; is it because a concurrence of many things is necessary in order that such a destruction may take place? For it is requisite that there should be both the peculiar and common habit of the things that suffer, and a conspiration of the agents. For what if that which is corruptive of one thing, should be preservative of another? Itis also necessary that there should be an apti- tude of matter, and a preparation of instruments and times. For these also take place in partial destructions, but more rarely in such as are common; and this rea- sonably. ΕΓ is necessary that the progression from an incorruptible nature to one that is easily corruptible, should be through things which are corrupted with difficulty. If, therefore, wholes are always incorruptible, but more partial natures are easily corrupted, the media between these may be very properly arranged among things which are corrupted with difliculty, and which become destroyed in long periods of times For wholes which remain during the
Tim. Plat. Vou. I, N
98 PROCLUS ON THE {woox 1,
mundane period, are incorruptible and indestructible. For no configuration of the stars is destructive of them, since all things are evolved in the whole period of the universe. But partial natures and individuals receive an easy dissolution. Copious destructions, however, of partial natures are eflected through long periods of time; but such natures are nevertheless dissolved. For there is a life of a certain genus, as there is of one man, and of a city, and a nation. And as Aristotle says, there are periods of these, of some, more, but of others, less extended.
“ Hence those who either dwell on mountains, or in lofty and dry places, perish more abundantly than those who dwell near rivers or the sea.”
This is likely to happen in the visible destructions through fire: for those who dwell near water, are defended from the devastation of fire. The phi- Josopher Porphyry, however, transfers what is here said, from the phanomena to souls; and says, that in these the irascible part is at one time effervescent, and this inflammation is the destruction of the man within us. Thus Homer represents the eyes of Agamemnon when he was enraged with Achilles, as “ shining like fire.” But at another time, the epithymetic part, being deluged by genesiurgic moisture, is enervated, and merged in the streams of matter. For, as Heraclitus says, “ another death of intellectual souls ts occasioned by moisture.” But if these things are rightly asserted, those will be inexperienced in the pertur- bations arising from anger, who have the irascible part in a relaxed condition, and commensurate to a proper attention to secondary concerns. For this is signified ly hollow places, and such as are near to water, But those are inexperienced in the perturbations of desire, who have the epithymetic part in a more strenuous condi- tion, and excited from the somnolency of matter. For this ts indicated by lofty places. For in a certain respect, the irascible part is adapted to be easily moved, and to be etlicacious; but desire is languid and imbecile. A musician, therefore, will be requisite, in order to relax the strenuous nature of anger, and give inten- tion to the inertness of desire. The philosopher Jamblichus, however, thinks fit to survey these things physically, and not ethically. Ile says, therefore, that when a conflagration takes place, those perish more abundantly that dwell on lofty mountains, as being more remote from the exhalations arising from water ; for these exhalations are not much elevated on account of the weight of the moist substance.
est NATE TERA IASI IIIT
Book 1.]} Tim.Eus of Plato. 99
Hence the air that surrounds them is not wet but dry, and becomes fuel to fire, which naturally tends upward. But the contrary takes place in deluges. For those that dwell in hollow situations, are more abundantly destroyed, since all heavy substances naturally tend downward.
“To us, indeed, the Nile is a saviour in other respects, and also be- cause it liberates us from this destruction.”
According to the apparent signification of what is here said, the Nile is the cause to the Egyptians of many and all-various goods, viz. of geometry, of the generation of fruits, and likewise of avoiding conflagrations. Its water also preserves their bodies, and the divinity that connectedly contains this body, clevates their souls. But from these things you may assume, that first causes, being full of life and prolitic power, connect themselves, and remain eternally, and also think fit to impart connexion from themselves to other things, which are in a flowing and dissipated condition; so thatthe name of saviour, adumbrates divine and exempt providence; from which also the light that is in the intelligible’ Gods, illuminates all the intellectual and demiurgic causes.
“ἢ But when the Gods, purifying the earth by water, deluge its surface, then the herdsmen and shepherds inhabiting the mountains are preserved, while those that dwell in your cities are hurried away to the sea, by the Hypetuous inundation of the rivers.”
In what is here said, the efficient cause is clearly ascribed to the Gods. And this also may be asserted of contlagrations. For purification is at one time effected through water, and at another through fire. But every where purification to secondary is from piimary natures. Hence likewise in Orpheus, Jupiter is ex- horted to bring purifications from Crete. For it is usual with theologists to ar- range Crete for the intelligible. But the material cause of purification is here ascribed to the incursion of water. For each of these {t. e. fire and water] produces without deliberation and involuntarily, being borne along according to its own natural tendency. It is necessary, therefore, that there should be a pre-existent cause which employs them to beneficial purposes, and operates for
* The words νοητοῖς φως are wanting in the original.
100 PROCLUS ON THE [Βοοκ |.
the sake of good; which cause is beautifully ascribed to the Gods. But if there are certain purifications in wholes, there are also powers that preside over these purifications, operating as purifiers on wholes priorto partial natures. There are likewise divine mysteries, some powers initiating, and others being initiated ; nor will these ever desert the universe. The Egyptian priest likewise knowing this to be the case, calls the destructions through water and fire by a sacerdotal name, purifications, but not corruptions, as he would have done if he alone phy- siologized.
“On the contrary, in our region, neither then, nor at any other time, did the water descending from on high pour with desolation on the plains ; but, the whole of it is capable of returning from the bosom of the earth. And hence, and through these causes, the traditions which are preserved here, are said to be most ancient.”
Though rain may sometimes happen in Egypt, yet it does not happen in the whole of it, but usually takes place about the lower parts. This, however, says Aristotle, is evidently the work of the river. But the upper parts do not receive an afflux of this kind. Whence, therefore, does the Nile return?) Porphyry indeed says, it was an ancient opinion of the Egyptians, that the water issued upward from beneath, by the ascent of the Nile; on which account also they called the Nile, the waterer of the earth; and that it returned from beneath; manifesting by this, that what is dissolved in Egypt preserves the Nile. Not that the snow being dissolved produces the quantity of its water; but that it is loosened from its own fountains, and proceeds so as to become visible, being prior to this impeded and detained. We however understand the term dissolved, with reference to doubt : for speaking Attically, the Nile is dissolved, because it liberates us from doubt. For it is not true that from snow being dissolved the Nile is increased. for where in southern places, such as those through which the Nile flows, is there «1 collection of snow?) = Nor does this river emerze from rarefied earth. Tor the rarity of the earth, does not give to the water a motion upward, — But itis entirely necessary that there should be something else, which impels it from cavities to lofty places. And thus much with respect to the Exyptian opinion,
Others, however, say, that the Nile is increased from certain rains that are poured into it, as is clearly asserted by Eratosthenes. Hence to return does not now sig- nify tu spring from beneath, but for the water, being elsewhere increased, to
μοοκ 1. Timeus of Plato. 101
proceed above the earth ; streams of water being poured into the Nile from other places. But Tamblichus says, it is not requisite to investigate a thing of this kind, but to understand in a more simple way the return of the water from beneath, as equivalent to what is usually called the ascent of water; and he assigns a two-fold cause, through which the Egyptians avoid dryness, from excessive heat, and deluges. And this is manifest from what he says when examining the increase from rains. For he says, that the first cause of the salvation of the Ezyptians, is the will of their presiding Gods, and the boundary from the first of fabrication. But the second cause is the temperature of the air. For the seasons there are con- trary to those in the antarctic " regions, from which the Nile flows to these places ; and in them the generation of dryness from violent heat, and of great rains, reci- procates. If, however, some one should blame this explanation, because the rains being increased the increase is not regular, it must be said, that rain frequently happens when there is no descent for disappearance} of the Nile. At the same tine, the uninterrupted succession of rain, and the magnitude of the mountains in which the fountains of the Nile are contained, are the causes of the unceasing increase ofthe water. For these mountains, receiving in all their sides the rain impelled against them from the annual clouds, pour it incessantly into the foun- tains of the Nile. But these fountains becoming exuberant increase the river. For this, says Theophrastus, is one cause of rain, viz. the pressure of clouds against a mountain. Moreover, it ix not at all wonderful, if clouds are not seen about the cataracts. Lor the stream of the Nile is not first poured from these, but from the Lunar mountains, which are thus denominated from their altitude. And the clouds when present being collected about the mountains, impede the cataracts by their superior magnitude. And thus much against the Egyptian oration of Anistides,
Eratosthenes, however, says, it is no longer requisite to investigate the cause of the increase of the Nile, when we direct our attention to certain waters and rains that run into it, so as to corroborate what is said by Aristotle. These things, there- fore, we have concisely indicated on this subject. But from these particulars the Egyptians infer, that their land will never experience either a deluge or a confla- gration. That it should however fail from other causes, is not at all wonderful ; since, as Aristotle rightly observes, every part of the earth becomes sea in the infinity of time, and the same place is at one time continent, and at another, sea.
* For avricoss here, it is necessary to read avraperecoss. |
102 PROCLUS ON THE [Βοοκ 1.
And looking to the infinity of time, it must not be denied that the water of the Nile may fail. For what if the annual winds, blowing less vehemently, should not impel the clouds against the mountains ? What also, if the mountains should fall, in which there is a collection of clouds; the wind from subterranean places burst- ing them, through which, likewise, the oracles say, that succeeding cittes shall be de- stroyed? And the clouds not being collected, the stream always becoming less and less, will be absorbed by the earth which is dry.
“ But the truth is, thatan all places, where neither intense cold nor immoderate heat prevails, the race of men is always preserved, though it is sometimes more, and at other times less numerous.”