Ifhowever, the damoniacal Aristotle, should again doubt respecting what is said of eternal being, not enduring to say that every thing which always is, is comprehended by intelligence in conjunction with reason; since the most divine of visible objects always * exist; we think it fit, that he should not confound the eternal, and that which subsists through the whole of time. For he also distin. cuishes eternity from time ; and attributes the former indeed to intellect, but the latter to heaven, and the motion of heaven. That always-existing being, there- fore, the eternal, is a thing of such a kind as Timiwus defines it to be. The most divine, however, of visible objects, are afier another manner perpetual, and not according to an eternal permanency. But they are produced in the whole of time from their causes, and the whole of their existence is in becoming to be. This also is said by Aristotle, that eternity is connascent with intelligibles, pos- sessing and comprehending in itself infinite time ; and therefore the eternal is truly intelligible.” Jf, however, that which akcays is, signifies the eternal, why is it ne- cessary to refer the nature of heaven to this perpetual being, and why should we not say that it is always generated, or becoming to be, as being co-extended with the perpetuity of time? So that we shall thus dissolve the objections from his ar- guments, which he urges against these definitions. Since, however, we have replied to this inquiry, we shall dismiss it; for it will be spoken of hereafter.
But, in short, the opinion of Plato concerning criteria, may from these things be assumed. Vor diflerent persons admitting a different criterion, some asserting that it is sense, as the Protagoreans, others opinion, as he who said,
Opinion is in all things fram'd; * Itis necessary here, to supply the word ae.
* Instead of ro awytov vonroy ovros ἐστιν in this place, it appears to me that we should read cae
TO αἰωγίον apa vonToy οὕτως €or.
214 PROCLUS ON THE [Book 11.
others that it,is reason, and others that it is intellect; Plato divides the essence of the criteria conformably to things themselves, attributing intellect to intelligibles, dianoia to dianoetic objects, opinion to doxastic objects, and sense to sen- cibles. You must not however fancy that the criteria are on this account di- vulsed according to him from each other. — For the soul is both one and amul- titude. If, therefore, the soul which judgesis both one ἡ anda multitude, the judicial power will also be both uniform and multiform. Some one therefore may say, what is this one power? We reply, reason. For this, when it proceeds to the survey of intelligibles, uses both itself and intelligence ; not that intelhgence in- deed is the instrument, and reason that which uses it, as the Platonic Severus thought, considering intelligence as inferior to reason, but that intelligence is the licht of reason, perfecting and elecating it, and Uluminating its gnostic power.
But when it forms a judgment of middle reasons, it alone uses dianoia and itself, and through this is converted to itself. When also it decides on objects of opinion, it moves opinion ; but in judging of objects of imagination, it excites the phantasy, and in judging of sensibles, sense. For when it considers the sensible essence of forms, such as is every sensible object, it uses opinion as the co-adjutor of its speculation, Vor in this the reasons of sensibles subsist. But when it directs its attention to the position or figure of a certain thing, as for in- stance, to the manner in which the earth 15 posited, which has in its summit a habitude to the heavens, it then excites the phantasy, in order that it may survey the object of its inquiry accompanied with interval and morphe, as it Is. And when it considers an eclipse, it employs sense as an adjutor in its obser- vations. At one time also, it admits the judgments of the second powers ; but at another, it blames the errors which they frequently happen to commit on ac- count of the instruments. Concerning the criteria therefore, thus much may sutlice for the present; for we have discussed these things more copiously in our Commentaries on the Thewtetus. From what has been said, however, the great accuracy of the before-mentioned definitions is evident.
But if you are willing, we will also survey the same thing according to another method. I say, therefore, that the mature which is primarily perpetual being, is that which is eternal according to all things, viz. according to essence, power, and energy. And that the nature which is simply generated, 1s that which re- ceives }} " its essence, power and energy in time, For itis necessary that the
‘ It is requisite here to supply the word ἐν.
> For ragwy here, read πάσαν.
Rook τι Tim.Eus of Plato, 215
former should) be wholly eternal, but the latter wholly temporal. And that the former should be at once every thing in a self-subsistent manner, but that the latter should have its hypostasis suspended elsewhere than from itself, and con- sisting Inan extension’ of existence. Since these, however, are the extremes, the media are, things which in a certain respect participate of a portion of being, and ina certain respect communicate with generation. But again, there are two natures which participate of neither of these, one in consequence of being su- perior, but the other through being inferior to them. For matter is neither being, nor that which is generated. For it is neither comprehended by intelligence, nor is sensible. And this also is true of the one, as Parmenides demonstrates of both these, of the latter in the first, and of the former in the fifth hypothesis, Perpetual being, therefore, is the whole of the intelligible, and the whole of the intellectual genus, every supermundane intellect, every intellect participated hy divine souls, and every intellect which is called partial, and is participated by an- gels, and diemons ; and by partial souls, through angels and daemons as media. And as far as to this, perpetual being extends. For every intellect enerzizes eternally, and is measured in the whole of itself by eternity. But that which is generated, is every thing which is moved in a confused and disorderly manner, and which in conception is surveyed prior to the production of the world ; likewise every thing which is) properly generated and corrupted, heaven, and all these sensible and visible natures. “Timius also detines that which is simply generated, and that which is simply perpetual being, to be these. But the intermediate natures are those which communicate with both these; and on each side of them are the natures which participate of neither of these. Hence Timeus proposes hoth of them affirmatively and negatively, as for instance, perpetual being, and without generation, and again, that which is generated, and is necer real being, in order that through the affirmations he may separate them from things which are the recipients of neither, but that through the negations they may be distin- guished from things which ina certain respect participate of both.
As these, therefore, are the extremes, viz. every intelligible and intellectual essence, and every sensible essence, let us direct our attention to the intermediate nature. For Timeus calls both time and the soul generated. And it is evident that these, as not being sensible, are in a certain respect beings, and in a certain respect generated, but perfectly neither of these. Porphyry, therefore, rightly observes, that Plato now defines the extremes, viz. that which is primarily being,
* For xapagrace here, read παρατασει.
216 PROCLUS ON THE [Βοοκ as
and that which is alone generated, and that he omits the media; such for instance as, that which is at one and the same time deing and a generated nature, or that which is both generated and being ; of which being and gencrated are adapted to the nature of souls, but vice versa that which is generated and being, are allied to the summit of generated natures. Such as this, however, is the nature of the universe which vivifies the universe. For this nature so far as itis divisible about bodies, ts venerated, but so far as itis entirely incorporeal, is unbegotten, But it is absurd to say that matter is both generated and being. For thus it: would be superior to generated sensible natures, since these are eenerated alone, but matter would also participate of being. Andif you are willing separately to assume that whichis alone perpetual being, and that which is alone venerated, by taking away from one of the definitions intellect, and from the other sense; you will produce the definition of the medium. For this is known by reason and opinion, For reason knows both itself and opinion, and opinion knows itself an reason 3 the former indeed both in conjunction with cause; but the latter both, without cause. Vor in this reason and opinion differ from each other. Opinion also is known by reason, and reason by opinion, And the whole [rational] soul subsists through both these which are media. Thus too, by assuming the worse of the two upward terms, viz. reason, and making it to be spurious reason, and of the two downward terms sense, and making it to be insensible sense, you will then have the manner in which Plato thought matter may be known, viz. by spurious reason, and insensible sense. Assuming likewise analogously in each, that which is the better of the two, and mahing it to be spurious according to that which is more excellent, you will Lave the manner in which ¢he one is known, viz. by a spurious intellect, and spurious opinion. Henee it is not properly simple, and is not known from cause. It is known therefore by a spurious knowledge, because it is known in a superior manner according to each. For opinion does not know from cause, and the one is not known from cause, but from not having a cause. And intellect knows that which is simple; but a spurious intellect: knows the one, because it is superior to intellectual perception. The superior therefore, here, is spurious as with reference to intellect, as de one’ also is more excellent than that which is simple, such as that is which is intelligible to truly existing intelleet, and to which intelleet ts allied and is not spurious. It perceives therefore, the one, by that in itself which is not intellect. But this is the ove in it, according to which also it is a God.
ee Ste F : For ἐκεῖνος liere, it is necessary to read eseau. For Proclus is speaking of the τὸ Ἂν».
BOOK 11.} TIMAUs OF PLATO. 217
“ Ievery thing however, which is generated, is from necessity generated by a certain cause. [or it is pertectly impossible that it should have generation without a cause.”