things for which certain futile and arrogant men calumniate the worshipers of the Gods, the like to which have been asserted by you, at all pertain to true theology and theurgy, xlnd if certain things of this kind germinate in the sciences of divine concerns, as in other arts evil arts blossom forth; these are doubtless more contrary to such sciences than to any thing else. For evil is more hostile to good than to that which is not good.
CHAP. III.
CHAP. III.
I WISH, in the next place, to reply to such assertions as calumniate divine prediction. For you compare with it “ certain other methods ivhich are conversant with the prediction of future events!' To me, however, it does not appear to be any thing honourable if a certain natural aptitude is ingenerated in us to the in- dication of the future, just as in animals there is a foreknowledge of earthquakes, or winds, or tempests. For an innate presage of this kind is the consequence of acuteness of sensa- tion, or sympathy, or some other conjoint motion of the physical powers, and is not attended with any thing venerable and super- natural. Nor if some one, by human reasoning, or artificial observation, conjectures from signs those things of which the signs are indicative (as physicians foreknow that a fever will take place from the systole and torpor of the pulse), neither does he appear to me to possess any thing honourable and good. For he conjec- tures after a human manner, and concludes from our reasoning power about things which are acknowledged to be effected naturally, and forms a judgment not very remote from the corporeal-formed order. Hence, if there is in us a certain natural presentiment of the future, in the same manner as in all other animals, this power is clearly seen to energize; this pre- sentiment does not in reality possess any thing which is most blessed. For what is there among the things which are implanted in us - by nature in the realms of generation that is a genuine, perfect, and eternal good?
CHAP. IV.
Divine divination, therefore, which is con- joined with the Gods, alone truly imparts to us a divine life; since it participates of [divine] foreknowledge, and divine intellections, and renders us in reality divine. It likewise causes us to be genuine participants of the good, be- I I cause the most blessed intellectual perception of the Gods is filled with all good. Hence those who possess this divination “ do not” as you conjecture, foresee future events, and are nevertheless unhappy.” For all divine foreknow- ledge is honiform. Nor “ do they foresee, in- deed, what is future, hut do not know how to ^Lse this hnoivledge properly,” For, together with the foreknowledge, they receive the beau- tiful itself, and true and appropriate order: and utility is also present with it. For the Gods, in conjunction with it, deliver a transcendent power of defence against the inconveniences which accede from nature. And when it is necessary to exercise virtue, and the ignorance of future events contributes to this, then the Gods conceal what will be for the sake of ren- dering the soul better. But when the igno- rance of what is future does not at all con- tribute to this, and foreknowledge is advan- tageous to souls, for the sake of their salvation and reascent [to divinity], then the Gods insert the foreknowledge which pertains to divination in the penetralia of the essences of souls.
i CHAP. V.
i CHAP. V.
But why am I prolix about these particulars? For I have abundantly shown, in what has been before said, the transcendency of divine above human divination. It is better, therefore, in compliance with your request, “ to 'point out to 'you the way to felicity, and sJioiv you in ivhat the essence of it is placed.''' For from this the truth will be discovered, and at the same time all the doubts may be easily dissolved. I say, therefore, that the more divine * intelligible man, who was formerly united to the Gods by the vision of them, afterwards entered into an- other soul, which is coadapted to the human form, and through this became fettered with the bonds of necessity and fate. Hence it is requi- site to consider how he may be liberated from these bonds. There is, therefore, no other dissolu- tion of them than the knowledge of the Gods. For to know scientifically the good is the idea of felicity; just as the oblivion of good, and de- ception about evil, happen to be the idea of evil. The former, therefore, is present with divinity;, but the latter, which is an inferior destiny, is inseparable from the mortal nature.
* For dmTos here, I read ^ewre/aos.
And the former, indeed, measures the essences of intelligibles* by sacred ways; hut the latter, abandoning principles, gives itself up to the measurement of the idea of body. The former is a knowledge of the father; but the latter is a departure from him, and an oblivion of the God who is a superessential father, and suffi- cient to himself. The former, likewise, pre- serves the true life of the soul, and leads it back to its father; but the latter draws down the generation-rulingt man, as far as to that which is never permanent, but is always flow- ing. You must understand, therefore, that this is the flrst path to felicity, affording to souls an intellectual plenitude of divine union. But the sacerdotal and theurgic gift of felicity is called, indeed, the gate to the Demiurgus of wholes, or the seat, or palace, of the good. In the first place, likewise, it possesses a power of purifying the soul, much more perfect than the power which purifies the body; after- wards it causes a coaptation of the reasoning power to the participation and vision of the * In the original, by a strange mistake, twv dv'qTiav is in- serted here instead of tcov vorjTwv, which is obviously the true reading. The version of Gale also has intelligibilium.
t i. e. Man, considered as a rational soul, connected with the irrational life; for this man has dominion in the realms of generation.
good, and a liberation from every thing of a contrary nature; and, in the last place, pro- duces a union with the Gods, who are the givers of every good.
CHAP. YI.
Moreovee, after it has conjoined the soul to the several parts of the universe, and to the total divine powers which pass through it; then it leads the soul to, and deposits it in, the whole Demiurgus, and causes it to be in- dependent of all matter, and to be counited with the eternal reason alone. But my mean- ing is, that it peculiarly connects the soul with the self-begotten and self-moved God, and with the all-sustaining, intellectual, and all-adorning powers of the God, and likewise with that power of him which elevates to truth, and with his self-perfect, effective, and other demiui'gic powers; so that the theurgic soul becomes per- fectly established in the energies and demiurgic intellections of these powers. Then, also, it inserts the soul in the whole demiurgic God. And this is the end with the Egyptians of the sacerdotal elevation of the soul to divinity.
CHAP. VII.
CHAP. VII.
With respect to the good, likewise, they con- ceive that one kind is divine, and this is the God who is prior to the intelligible; but that the other is human, and is a union with the former. And these two kinds of good Bitys has unfolded from the Hermaic books. This part, therefore, is not, as you suspect, omitted by the Egyptians, but is divinely delivered by them. Nor do “ theur gists disturb the divine intellect about trifling concerns; ” but they con- sult it about things which pertain to the purifi- cation, liberation, and salvation of the soul. Neither do they studiously employ themselves in things which are indeed difficult, yet useless to mankind; hut, on the contraiy, they direct their attention to things which are of all others most beneficial to the soul. Nor, in the last place, are “ they deceived by a certain fraudu- lent dcemon,’' who, having vanquished a falla- cious and dsemoniacal nature, ascend to an in- telligible and divine essence.
CHAP. YIII.
CHAP. YIII.
And thus we have answered, to the utmost of our ability, your inquiries concerning divination and theurgy. It remains, therefore, at the end of this discussion, that I should beseech the Gods to afford me an immutable guard of true conceptions, to insert in me truth eternally, and to supply me abundantly with the participation of more perfect conceptions of the Gods, in which the most blessed end of our good is posited, and the confirmation of our concordant friendship with each other.
ADDITIONAL NOTES Page 9- Aneho. Porphyry in his Life of Plotinus, and also in the second book of his Treatise on Abstinence from Animals, informs us that he was familiar with a certain Egyptian priest, who, as Gale conjectures, is probably the priest to whom Porphyry now writes. The diction, indeed, as Gale observes, denotes that the person to whom this Epistle is addressed was a very great prophet, who, never- theless, is afterwards said to be a priest. This, however, is not any thing novel or incongruous. For by Apuleius in Metamorph. lib. xi. the Egyptian Zaclas is said to be pro- pheta priiyiarius et sacerdos, a chief prophet and priest.
Page 9- Hennes the God who presides over language. The Egyptians celebrated two Hermes, the former of which is here signified by lamblichus. This deity is the source of invention, and hence he is said to be the son of Maia; be- cause search, which is implied by Maia, leads inveyition into light. He bestows too mathesis on souls, by unfolding the will of his father Jupiter; and this he accomplishes as the angel or messenger of Jupiter. Proclus in MS. Comment, in Alcibiad. observes, “ that this deity is the inspective guardian of gymnastic exercises; and hence hermoe, or carved statues of Mercury, were placed in the Palaestrae; of music, and hence he is honoured as the lyrist kvpaios among the celestial constellations; and of disciplines, because the invention of geometry, reasoning, and discourse is referred to this God. He presides, therefore, over every species of erudition, leading us to an intelligible essence from this mortal abode, governing the different herds of souls, and dispersing the sleep and oblivion with which they are oppressed. He is likewise the supplier of recollection, the end of which is a genuine intellectual apprehension of divine natures.”
P. 10. The ancient pillars of Hermes. These pillars, according to Amm. Marcellinus, lib. xxii. were concealed prior to the deluge in certain caverns, which were called Z a-vpiyyes, s^ringex, not far from the Egyptian Thebes. The second Hermes interpreted these pillars^ and his interpreta- tion formed many volumes, as lamblichus informs us in Section viii. of this work. These pillai's are mentioned by Laertius in his Life of Democritus; by Dio Chrysostom in Orat. 49; by Achilles Tatius on Aratus; and by others of the ancients.
P. 15. There is, therefore, the good itself which is beyond essence, and there is that good which subsists according to essence. There are three orders of good; viz. that which is imparticipable and superessential; that which isimparticipa- ble and essential; and that which is essential and partici- pate. Of these, the last is such as our nature contains; the good which ranks among forms is essential; and that which is beyond essence is superessential. Or we say that the good which subsists in us may be considered as a habit, in consequence of subsisting in a subject; the next to this ranks as essence, and a part of essence, I mean the good which ranks among forms; and the good which is beyond essence, is neither a habit, nor a part. With respect to the good, also, which subsists according to essence, it must be observed, that since forms are twofold, some alone distin- guishing the essences of the things fashioned by form, but others their perfections, the genus of essence, same and different, and the form of animal, horse, and man, and every thing of this kind, give distinction to essence and subjects; but the form of the good, the beautiful, and the just, and in like manner the form of virtue, of health, strength, and every thing of a similar nature, are perfective of the beings to which they belong: and of some, essence is the leader, but of others the good. For, as Plato says, every thing except the one, must necessarily participate of essence; and whatever preserves, gives perfection to, or defends any being, must be good. Hence, since these two are leaders, the one of forms which give subsistence to things, and the other of such as are the sources of their perfection; it is necessary that one of these should be subordinate to the other; I mean that the good which is allotted a coordination among forms that are the sources of perfection, should be subordinate to essence, which ranks among causes, whence subsistence originates, if the good is being, and a certain being. For it is either the same with, or different from, essence, which the Elean guest or stranger in the Sophista of Plato shows to be the genus of being. And if the good is the same with essence, an absurdity must ensue: for being and well-being are not the same. But if the good is something different from essence, it must necessarily participate of essence, in consequence of essence being the genus of all forms. But if genera are more ancient than forms, the good which ranks among forms, and is posterior to their genus, will not be the superessential good which reigns over intelligibles; but this must be asserted of that good, under which this and every form is arranged, which possesses being, and which is the leader of the other genera of being.
P. 15. Bid the other medium, which is susjjended from the Gods, though it is far inferior to them, is that of dcemons. In addition to what is said in this work by lamblichus con- cerning daemons, the following information about them from Olympiodorus, in his MS. Scholia on the Phaedo of Plato, is well worthy the attention of the philosophical reader: " Since there are in the universe things which subsist differently at different times, and since there are also natures which are conjoined with the superessential unities, it is necessary that there should be a certain middle genus, which is neither immediately suspended from deity, nor subsists differently at different times, according to better and worse, but which is always perfect, and does not depart from its proper virtue; and is immutable indeed, but is not conjoined with the superessential [which is the characteristic of deity]. The whole of this genus is daemoniacal. There are, also, different genera of daemons: for they are placed under the mundane Gods. The highest of these subsists according to the one of the Gods, and is called an unific and divine genus of daemons. The next subsists according to the intellect which is suspended from deity, and is called intellectual. The third subsists according to soul, and is called rational. The fourth, according to nature, and is denominated physi- cal. The fifth according to body, which is called corporeal- formed. And the sixth according to matter, and this is denominated material.” Olympiodorus adds, “or after another manner it may be said, that some of these are celes- tial, others etherial, others aerial, others aquatic, others terrestrial, and others subterranean. With respect to this division also, it is evident that it is derived from the parts of the universe. But irrational daemons originate from the aerial governors, whence, also, the Chaldean Oracle says, Bepuov eXarqpa kvv(x)v ^0ovto)v re uai xjypwv.
i. e. being the charioteer of the aerial^ terrestrial^ and aquatic dogs." Our guardian daemons, however, belong to that order of daemons which is arranged under the Gods that preside over the ascent and descent of souls. For a more copious account of daemons see the notes on the First Alcibiades in vol. i. of my translation of Plato.
P. 22. One and the best solution will be obtained by sur veymg the mode of divine allotmeiit.
The manner in which divine allotments subsist is admira- bly unfolded by Proclus in Tim. p. 43, as follows: “ Since, according to a division of the universe into two parts, we have distributed allotments into the celestial and sublunary, there can be no doubt what the former are, and whether they possess an invariable sameness of subsistence. But the sublunary allotments are deservedly a subject of admiration, whether they are said to be perpetual or not. For since all things in generation are continually changing and flowing, how can the allotments of the providential rulers of them be said to be perpetual } For things in generation are not perpetual. But if their allotments are not perpetual, how is it possible to suppose that divine government can subsist differently at different times? For an allotment is neither a certain separate energy of the Gods, so that sublunary natures changing, we might say that it is exempt, and remains immutable, nor is it that which is governed alone, so that no absurdity would follow from admitting that an allotment is in a flowing condition, and is conversant with all various mutations; but it is a providential inspection, and unrestrained government of divinity over sublunary con- cerns. Such being the doubts with which this subject is attended, the following appears to be a solution of the diffi- culty, "We must say, then, that it is not proper to consider all the natures that are in generation, and generation itself, as alone consisting of things mutable and flowing, but that there is also something immutable in these, and which is naturally adapted to remain perpetually the same. For the interval which receives and comprehends in itself all the parts of the world, and which has an arrangement through all bodies, is immoveable, lest, being moved, it should require another place, and thus should proceed from one receptacle to another, ad infinitum. The etherial vehicles, also, of divine souls, with which they are circularly invested, and which imitate the lives in the heavens, have a perpetual essence, and are eternally suspended from these divine souls themselves, being full of prolific powers, and perform- ing a circular motion, according to a certain secondary revolution of the celestial orbs. And, in the third place, the wholeness (oAoti^s) of the elements has a permanent sub- sistence, though the parts are all-variously corrupted. For it is necessary that every form in the universe should be never-failing, in order that the universe may be perfect, and that, being generated from an immoveable cause, it may be immoveable in its essence. every wholeness is a form, or rather it is that which it is said to he through the partici- pation of one all-perfect form.
“ And here we may see the orderly progression of the nature of bodies. For the interval of the universe is im- moveable according to eveiy kind of motion. But the vehicles of divine souls alone receive a mutation according to place; for such a motion as this is most remote from essen- tial mutation. And the wholeness of the elements admits in its parts the other motions of bodies, but the whole remains perfectly immutable. The celestial allotments also, which proximately divide the interval of the universe, codis- tribute likewise the heavens themselves. But those in the sublunary region are primarily, indeed, allotted the parts which are in the interval of the universe, but afterwards they make a distribution according to the definite vehicles of souls. And, in the third place, they remain pei*petually the same, according to the total parts of generation. The allotments of the Gods, therefore, do not change, nor do they subsist differently at different times; for they have not their subsistence proximately in that which may be changed.
“How, therefore, do the illuminations of the Gods accede to these? How are the dissolutions of sacred rites effected? And how is the same place at different times under the in- fluence of different spirits? May it not be said, that since the Gods have perpetual allotments, and divide the earth according to divine numbers, similarly to the sections of the heavens, the parts of the earth also are illuminated, so far as they participate of aptitude. But the circulation of the heavenly bodies, through the figures which they possess, produce this aptitude; divine illumination at the same time imparting a power more excellent than the nature which is present with these parts of the earth. This aptitude is also effected by nature herself as a whole, inserting divine im- pressions in each of the illuminated parts, through which they spontaneously participate of the Gods. For as these parts depend on the Gods, nature inserts in such of them as are different, different images of the divinities. Times too cooperate in producing this aptitude, according to which other things, also, are governed; the proper temperature of the air likewise; and, in short, every thing by which we are surrounded contributes to the increase and diminution of this aptitude. When, therefore, conformably to a concur- rence of these many causes, an aptitude to the participation of the Gods is ingenerated in some one of the natures which are disposed to be changed, then a certain divinity is un- folded into light, which, prior to this, was concealed through the inaptitude of the recipients; possessing, indeed, his appropriate allotment eternally, and always extending the participation of himself, similarly to illuminations from the sun, but not being always participated by sublunary natures, in consequence of their inaptitude to sucli participation. For as with respect to partial souls such as ours, which at different times embrace different lives, some of them, indeed, choose lives accommodated to their appropriate Gods, but others foreign lives, through oblivion of the divinities to whom they belong; thus, also, with respect to sacred places, some are adapted to the power which there receives its - allotment, but others are suspended from a different order. And on this account, as the Athenian guest in Plato says, some places are more fortunate, but others more unfor- tunate.
" The divine lamblichus, however, doubts how the Gods are said to be allotted certain places according to definite times, as, by Plato in the Timaeus, Minerva is said to have been first allotted the guardianship of Athens, and after- wards of Sais. For if their allotment commenced from a certain time, it will also at a certain time cease. For eveiy thing which is measured by time is of this kind. And farther still, was the place which at a certain time they are allotted, without a presiding deity prior to this allotment, or was it under the government of other Gods? For if it was without a presiding deity, how is it to be admitted that a certain part of the universe was once entirely destitute of divinity? How can any place remain without the guardian- ship of superior beings? And if any place is sufficient to the preservation of itself, how does it afterwards become the allotment of some one of the Gods } But if it should be said, that it is afterwards under the government of another God, of whom it becomes the allotment, this also is absurd. Forthe second God doesnot divulse the government and allotment of the former^ nor do the Gods alternately occupy the places of each other, nor daemons change their allotments. Such being the doubts on this subject, he solves them by saying, that the allotments of the Gods remain perpetually unchanged, but that the participants of them at onetime, in- deed, enjoy the beneficent influence of the presiding powers, but at another are deprived of it. He adds, that these are the mutatio7}S measiired hy time, which saci'ed institutes fre- quently call the birthday of the Gods.
P. 23. Which also the art of divine works perceiving, S^c. This art of divine works is called theurgy, in which Pytha- goras was initiated among the Syrians, as we are informed by lamblichus in his Life of that philosophei*. (See p. 9 of my translation of that work.) Proclus also was skilled in this art, as may be seen in the Life of him by Marinus. Psellus, in his MS. treatise on Daemons, says, as we have before observed, " that magic formed the last part of the sacerdotal science; in which place by magic he doubtless means that kind of it which is denominated theurgy. And that theurgy was employed by the ancients in their myste- ries, I have fully proved in my treatise on the Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries.* This theurgy, too, is doubtless the same as the magic of Zoroaster, which Plato in the First Alcibiades says, consisted in the worship of the Gods; on which passage the following account of theurgy by Proclus was, I have no doubt, originally part of a commentary. For the MS. Commentary of Proclus, which is extant on this dialogue, does not extend to more than a third part of it; and this Dissertation on Theurgy, which is only extant in Latin, was published by Ficinus the translator, imme- diately after his Excerpta, from this Commentary. So that it seems highly probable that the manuscript from which Ficinus translated his Excerpta, was much more perfect than that which has been preserved to us, in consequence of containing this account of the theurgy of the ancients.
" In the same manner as lovers gradually advance from that beauty which is apparent in sensible forms, to that which is divine; so the ancient priests, when they con- sidered that there is a certain alliance and sympathy in natural things to each other, and of things manifest to occult powers, and discovered that all things subsist in all, they * See the second edition of this work in Nos. XV. and XVI, of the Pamphleteer.