Maia, supreme of all the powers divine, Immortal Night! how with unconquer'd timd
Must | the source of the immortals fix ?
And he receives this answer from her,
All things receive inclos’d on ev'ry side, In wther’s wide ineffable embrace ;
Then in the midst of ather place the heav'n, *
* For σνστασιν here, itis necessary to read στασιν:
* For ovpary here, it is necessary to read ουρανον.
noon tJ TIMALUS OF PLATO. 175
And he is instructed by her in all the consequent fabrication of the world. But again to Saturn, after the bonds, Jupiter al but praying says,
Damon, most fam'd, our progeny direct.
And in all that follows, he calls forth the benevolence of his father. For how could he otherwise fill all things with Gods and assimilate the sensible world to animal itself, (or the intelligible paradigm) than by extending himself to the invisible
causes of wholes, from which being himself filled,
Ile from his (sacred) heart may godlike works
Again produce.
It is necessary therefore, prior to all other tings, that we should know some- thing manifest concerning prayer, what its essence is, and what. its perfection, and whenee itis imparted to souls, For the philosopher Porphyry indeed, de- scribing those among the ancients that admitted prayer, and those that did not, leads us from one opinion to another, and says in short, that neither those who are diseased according to the first kind ofimpiety, derive any benetit from prayer, since they do not admit that there are Gods, nor those who labour under the second kind, and entirely subvert providence, granting indeed that there are Gods, but denying their providential energies. Nor are they benefited by it, who admit indeed the providence of the Gods, but assert that all things are produced by them from necessity. For there is no longer any advantage to be derived from prayer, if things of a contingent nature have not! any existence, But such as assert that the Gods providentially attend to all things, and that many things that are generated are contingent and may subsist otherwise, these very properly admit the necessity of prayers, and acknowledge that they correct our life. Porphyry also adds, that prayer especially pertains to worthy men, because it isa contact with divinity. But the similar loves to be conjoined to the similar: and the worthy man is most similar to the Gods. - Because likewise those who embrace virtue are in custody, and are inclosed in the body as in a prison, they ought to request the Gods that they may migrate from hence. Besides, since we are as children torn from our parents, it is fit we should pray
* For add\ws γινέσθαι ovrwy here, it is necessary to read, adAws γιγεσθαι μὴ οντων.
176 PROCLUS ON THE {Boox 13,
that we may return to our true parents the Gods. Those also resemble such as are deprived of their fathers and mothers, who do not think it requisite to pray and be converted to the Gods, ΔἸ nations likewise, that have excelled) in wisdom, have diligently apphed themselves to prayer; among the Indians the Brachmans, among the Persians the Magi, and of the Greeks the taost theolo- gical, who instituted initiatory rites and mysteries, But) the Chaldeans venerate every other divinity, and likewise the virtue itself of the Gods, which they deno- minate a Goddess χ᾽ so far are they from despising sacred) worship, on account of the possession of virtue. And in addition to all this, as we are parts of the Universe itis fit that we should be in want of the universe. ΕῸΓ a conversion to the whole imparts salvation to every thing, Tf therefore you possess virtue, you should invoke that which antecedently comprehends all virtue, For that which is all-good, will also be the cause to you of appropriate good. Or τ you explore a certain corporeal good, there is a power in the world which compre- hends all body. It is necessary therefore that perfection should) from thence be derived to the parts. And this is the sum of whatis said by Porphyry on this subject.
The divine Tamblichus however, does not think that a history of this kind pertains to whatis here proposed to be considered, For Placo is not now speaking about atheistical men, but about such as are wise, and able to converse with the Gods. Nor does he speak of such as are dubious about the works of piety 3 dué fo such as wish to be saved by those who are the saviours of wholes, he delivers the power of prayer, and tts aumirable and supernatural perfection which transcends all ca pectation.
It is fit however, that transferring what he says to what is more usual and more known to the reader, we should render his meaning clear, and assign arguments concerning prayer which accord with the doctrme of Plato. From hence there- fore we must begin: All beings aie the progeny of the Gods, by whom they are produced without a medium, and in whom they are firmly established. For the progression of things which perpetually subsist, and cohere from permanent causes, is not alone perfected by a certain continuation, bat immediately subsists from the Gods, from whence all things are generated, however distant they may be from the divinities. And this is no tess true, even though asserted of matter itself.
Fora divine nature is not absent from any thing, but is equally present to all
' Yor θέων in this place, it is requisite to read Beov.
Book 11. Tim.Eus of Plato. 177
things. Hence though. you should assume the last of beings, in these also you will find divinity. Por the one is every where; and in consequence of its absolute dominion, every thing receives its nature and coherence from the Gods. — As all things however proceed, so likewise, they are not separated from the Gods, but radically abide in them, as the causes and sustainers of their existence. For where can they recede, since the Gods primarily comprehend all things in their embrace ? For whatever is placed as separate from the Gods has not any kind of sub- sistence. But all beings are contained by the Gods and reside in their natures, after the mannerofa circular comprehension. Hence, bya wonderful mode of subsistence, all things proceed, and yet are not, nor indeed can be separated from the Gods; because all oflsypring when torn from their parents, immediately recur to the immense vastness of non-entity. But in a certain respect they are established in them; and in short, proceed in themselves, but abide in the Gods. Since how- ever, haying proceeded, it is requisite that they should be converted and return, imitating the evolution into light, and conversion of the Gods to their cause, in order that these being arranged conformably to the perfective triad, may again be contained by the Gods and_ the first unities,—-hence they receive from them a certain secondary perfection, by which they may be able to convert themselves to . the goodness of the divinities, in order that being at first rooted in, they may again through conversion be established in them, forming a certain circle, which originates from and terminates inthe Gods.
All things therefore, both abide in, and convert themselves to the Gods, receiv- ing this power from the divinities, together with two-fold impressions according to essence; the one, that they may abide there, but the other that, having proceeded, they may convert themselves [to their causes). And these things we may survey not only in souls, but also in inanimate natures. Lor what else ingenerates in these a sympathy with other powers, but the symbols which they are allotted by nature, some of which are allied to éhis, but others to that series of Gods? For nature being supernally suspended from the Gods, and distributed from their orders, inserts also in bodies impressions of their alliance to the divinities. In some indeed, inserting solar, but in others lunar impressions, and in others again, the symbol] of some other God. And these indeed, convert them- selves to the Gods; some, as to the Gods simply, but others as to particular Gods ; nature thus perfecting her progeny according to different peculiarities of
* For παρ᾽ core here, read xapeore.
Tim. Plat. ; Vou. ἢ Z
178 PROCLUS ON THE [BooK IF
the divinities. The Demiurgus of the universe therefore, by a much greater priority, impressed these symbols in souls, by which they might be able to abide in themselves, and again convert themselves to the sources of their being. And through the symbol of unity indeed he conferred on them stability ; but through intellect, he imparted to them the power of conversion,
But to this conversion prayer is of the greatest utility. For it attracts to itself the bencticence of the Gods, through those incflable symbols which the father of souls has disseminated in them. ΠῚ likewise unites those who pray with those to whom prayer is addressed ; conjoins the intellect of the Gods with the words of those who pray ; excites the will of those who perfectly comprehend good to the abundant communication of its is the fabricator of divine persuasion; and esta- blishes in the Gods all that we possess.
Toa perfect and trae prayer however, there is required in the first place, a knowledee of all the divine orders to which he who prays approaches. For no one will accede τὸ the Gods ina proper manner, unless he has a knowledge of their peculiarities. Hence also the oracle admonishes, that a fire-heated conception has the prst order in sacred worship. But in the second place, there is required a conformation of our life with that which is divine ; and this accompanied with all purity, chastity, discipline, and order, through which our concerns being intro- duced to the Gods, we shall attract their beneficence, and our souls will become subject to them. (In the third place, contact is necessary, according to which we touch the divine essence with the sumimitof our soul, and verge to a union with it.) Bat there is vet farther required, an approximating adhesion Σ for thus the oracle calls it, whenit says, he mortal approvimating to fire τὶ il possess alight from the Gods. For this imparts to us a greater communion with, and a more muanti- fest. participation of the light of the Gods. In the last place, union succeeds establishing the one of the soul in the one of the Gods, and causing our energy to hecome one with divine energy ; according to which we are no longer ourselves, but are absorbed as it were ia the Gods, abiding in’ divine ieht, and cireukarly comprehended by it. And this is the best end of true prayer, in order that the conversion of the soul may be"conjoined with its permanency, and that every thing which proceeds from dhe one of the Gods, may aga.n be established in ¢he one, and the light which is inus may be comprehended in the light of the Gods.
Prayer therefore, is no small part of the whole ascent of souls. / Nor is he who possesses virtue superior to the want of the ood which proceeds from prayer 5 but on the contrary the ascent of the soul is effected through it, and together with this, piety to the Gods, which is the summit of virtue, ΔῸΣ δὲ short, ought any
Book 11. Timaeus of Plato. 179
other to pray than he who is transcendently good, as the Athenian guest {in Plato} says. For to such aone, converse with the Gods becomes most efficacious lo the attain- ment ofa happy life. But the contrary is naturally adapted to befal the vicious. For it isnot lawful for the pure to be touched by the impure. Hence, it is neces- sary that he who generously enters on the exercise of prayer, should render the Gods propitions to him, and should excite in himself conceptions full of intellec- tual light. For the faver and benignity of more exalted beings, is the most eflec- tual incentive to their communication with ournatures, And it is requisite to continue without mtermission in the worship of divinity. For [according to the oracle} the rapid ' Gods perfect the mortal constantly employed ino prayer. It is also necessary to. observe a stable order in the performance of divine works ;
to exert those virtues which purify and elevate the soul from generation, together, 7.0)"