and indefinite nature. Since however the progression of things is continued, and no vacuum! any where intervenes, but a well-ordered dininution is surveved from more total to middJe natures, which comprehend and are comprehended 5 ane from middles to the last and vilestnatares;s—on this account he says, there wii a passage from the Atlantic island to the other islands, and from these τὸ the opposite continent. And that the Atlantic was one, but the other islands many, and the continent was the greatest. Por the monad is adapted to the first genun in every thing 5 but number and multitude to the second, Por multitude subsists tovether with the duad, And magnitade is adapted to the third genus, on account of the progression of inagnitude to the Gad. Since, however, the extremities of the worse co-ordivation are inmost material, he manifests through the term opposite, that they are at the greatest possible distance from more excellent matures, And he does not alone use the term eafernal, as he does of the Athanties, and which evinces that they belong to the other part, but he also adds the word opposite, that he may indicate the most extreme diminution, But he signifies by the words about that true sea, the hy postasis of them about matter, and the last of mundane natures. For the true sea is analogous to that Which is truly fidse, and truly matter, which in the Politicus he calls the sea of πε τὰν = More- over, because it’ is necessary that: these two-fold co-ordinations should be sepa- rated from each other without confasion, and guarded by demiurgic boundaries, on this account he says, that the Pillars of Hercules separated the internal from the external habitable part. For he denomimates flourishing demiurgic production, and the divine separation of genera in the wniverse, the latter of which always remains stably and strenuously the same, the Pillars ef Hercules. Vis Uereules theretore is Jovian ; but the one prior to thix, and who is divine, is allotted) the guardian order of the generative series. Hence from both the demiurgic division, which
cuards these two separate parts of the universe, mast be assumed.
“ Por the waters which are beheld within the mouth we have just now mentioned, have the form of a port with a narrow entrance ; but the mouth itself is a true sea. And the Jand which surrounds it may
be in every respect truly denominated the continent.”
The waters within the mouth indicate the genera of the better co-ordination,
' For μενον i this place, the sense requires we should read μενον.
οτος Tns Ant να
Hook 4.] ᾿ Timalus of Plalo. 15]
as being converted to themselves, and rejoicing ina stable and) uniting power, For the mouth symbolically manttests the cause which defines and separates the two portions of mundane natures, But the port with a narrow entrance, signifies the convolved, sclGeouverging, arranged, and ΜΔ ΤΟΥ ΑΙ hyparais of these mundane portions. Por through ¢he narrow entrance {ΠΝ signified that interval and extension proceed froma the worse co-ordination. But through the port an hyparxis is indicated, exempt from the confused and disorderly motion of material natures. For such are ports affording a protection from the tamults in the sea. If, however, some one should say, that an elevation to the more intel- lectual and divine natures in the universe becomes a port to souls, he will not be far from the truth.
“Tn this Atlantic island there was a combination of kings, who with great and admirable power subdued the whole island, together with many other islands and parts of the continent; and = besides this sube
jected to their dominion all Libya as far as to Migypt, and Lurope as
far as to the ‘T'vrrhene sea.”
lu what is here said it is requisite to recolleet the Platonic hypotheses about the earth, that Plato does not measure the magnitude of it conformably to ma- thematicians ; but apprehends the interval of it to be greater than they admit it to be, as Socrates says in the Phaedo; and that he supposes there are many habitable parts similar to the part which we inhabit. Tlence he relates that there isanisland and a continent of so great a magnitude in the external sea. For in short, if the earth is naturally spherical, 10 is necessary that it should be so according to the greater part of it. That portion of it, however, which is inha- bited by us, exhibits great inequality by its cavities and prominencies. Hence there is elsewhere an expanded plane of the earth, and an interval extended on high. For, according to Heraclitus, he who passes through a region very difficult of aceess, will arrive at the Atlantic mountain, the magnitude of which is said to be so great by the Ethiopic historians, thatit reaches to the wther, and sends forth a shadow as far as to five thousand stadia. For the sun is concealed by it from the ninth hour of the day ull it entirely sets. Nor is this at all) wonderful. For. Athos, a Macedonian mountain, emits a shadow as far as to Lemnos, which is distant from it seven hundred stadia. And Marcellus, who wrote the Ethiopic history, not only relates that the Atlantic mountain was of such a great height,
159 PROCLUS ON THE [Roon 4,
hut Ptolemy also says that the Lunar mountains are immensely high, and Aristo- tle informs us that Caucasus is illuminated by the sular rays during the third part of the night after the setting, and also forthe third part before the rising, of the sun. And he who looks to the whole magnitude of the earth, bounded by its elevated parts, will infer that it ix truly immense, according to the assertion of Plato. So that we are not now in want of certain mathematical methods to the development of what is said about the earth, nor do we attempt to recur to them. For these methods measure the carth according to the surface which ts ithabited by us ; but Plato says that we dwellin a cavity, and that the whole earth is elevated, which also the sacred rumor of the Eguplians asserts, Aud thus much concerning what is related of the magnitude of the Athintic istund, in order to show that it is not proper to disbelieve what is said by Plato, though it should be received as a mere history. But with respect to the power of this island, that there were ten kines in it who begat five male twins, and thatit ruled over the other islands, certain parts of the continent, and some parts within” the Pillars of Herceules,—all these par- ticalars are clearly related in the Critias.
Now however, for it is proposed to make an analysis of the particulars, the power is said to be great and admirable, according to a reference to the universe, hecause it’ procecds to every thing, and comprehends totally the whole of the second co-ordination, For it is held) together by ten hinges, because the decad comprehends the rulers of the two co-ordinations ; since the Pythagoreans also say, that all opposites are comprehended in’ the deead. But they were twins, so that there are five duads, twins being five times begotten from Neptune and Clites; because according to the measures of justice, there ts Jikewtse an orderly distribution of this co-ordination, of which the pentad isan image. ‘Phe pro- eression of it however is through the duad, just as that of the better co-ordination is through the monad. Moreover, all of them are the descendants of Neptune, because all the connexion of contraries, and the mundane war, belong to the middle fabrication, For as this God presides over the contraricty which every where exists, he Jikewise rules over generation and corruption, and all-various notion. But these kings subdued the Atantic island: as comprehending all the first and most total genera of the worse co-ordination, And they subdued the other islands, as likewise comprehending middles through the wholeness of them. But they also vanquished parts of the continent, as adorning as much as possible the last of things. And they had dominion over certain parts) of the internal habitable region, because the last parts of the better are subservicnt lo the first parts
ἐυσοωκαν eae Ste
BooK 1.] TIMUsS OF PLATO. 153
of the worse co-ordination. Nor is this at all wonderful ; since certain demons are in subjection to certain heroes, and partial souls which belong to the intelii- gible portion of things are frequently slaves to fate. Such also is the Titanic order with the Gods to which Atlas belongs. And the first of these ten kings was called Atlas, and as it is said in the Atlanticus gave the name to the island. The summits, therefore, of the second co-ordination, are adorned indeed by the Olympian Gods, of whom Minerva is the leader; but they subdue the whole of the essence which is subordinate to the Gods, but ter- minates in the worse co-ordination; such as the essence of irrational souls, of material masses, and of matter itself. Plato also appears to have called the power of the Atlantics great and admirable, because Thaumas and Bias are said by ancient theologists to have belonged to this order. Per- haps too, he so denominated it, because the whole of the second co-or- dination is the progeny of infinity, which we say is the first [power'], just as the better co-ordination is the offspring of bound. On this account he celebrates the power of the Atlantics, just as he does the virtue of the Athenians, which belongs to * bound : for it is the measure of those that possess it, After this manner therefore, I think we may be able to make the analysis according to the Pythagorean principles.
The words of Plato likewise, have a great augment, in order to exhibit the work of the victors in a greater and more splendid point of view. For he says δύναμιν τε, through the union of the particle re augmenting δύναμιν power. And he also adds, great, and admirable. But each of these is different from the other. For power may be great though it is nothing else, but it is said to be admirable from othér things. And by how much the more admirable that is which is van- quished, by so much’ greater is the victor demonstrated to be. Besides this also, indicating through divisions the multitude subdued by this power, he evinces that it is multitudinous and transcendent.
** But then all this power being collected into one, endeavoured to enslave our region and yours, and likewise every place situated within the mouth of the Atlantic sca.”
* Avray is omitted in the original.’ * Instead of προ τον πέρατος in this place, it is necessary to read wpos του weparos. ? For ro rovrp here, read τοσσυτῳ.
Tim. Plat. in '(.) an 6 U
154 PROCLUS ON ΤῊΝ {noox 1,
Plato docs not say that there was once sedition among divine natures, or that subordinate subducd more excellent beings. But let these things indeed be true in homan affairs : the present narration however, Indicates, that the most total of the genera in the second co-ordination of things in the universe procced through all things. For there are both in the heavens and every where, a sepa- rating and uniting power, and nothing is destitute of these. In more excellent natures however, these powers do not subsist with division, nor multitudinously, but collected into one, and with one impulse; but this is, umitedly, and ac- cording to one and a continued life, For as in the worse co-ordination the one is multiplied, thus also in the better, multitude is united. Llence mul- titude is every where, and is vanquished through union, Of these things the Atlantics wishing to subdue every place within the mouth of the Atlan- tic sea, all their powers being collected into one, but at the same time being vanguished by the Athenians, are an Image, Por multitude and) separation, though they may be surveyed in the better co-ordination, yet they will be seen to subsist’ there unitedly; multitude not being there victorious, but sameness, and in short, the better genera.
“Then it was, O Solon, that the power of your city was conspicuous to all men for its virtue and strength.”
Plato opposes to the power of the Atlantics, the power of the Athenians ; preferring this appellation, as heing adapted to the middle fabrication. And he celebrates the more excellent power for its virtue and strength 3 in order that through virtue, he may indicate its alliance τὸ the philosophic nature of