fabricated a sacred science from this mutual sympathy and similarity. Thus they recognised things supreme in such as are subordinate, and the subordinate in the supreme: in the celestial regions, terrene properties subsisting in a causal and celestial manner; and in earth celestial properties, but according to a terrene condition. For how shall we account for those plants called heliotropes, that is, attendants on the sun, moving in correspondence with the revolution of its orb, but selenitropes, or attendants on the moon, turning in exact conformity to her motion? It is because all things pray, and hymn the leaders of their respective orders; but some intellectually, and others rationally; some in a natural, and others after a sensible, manner. Hence the sunflower, as far as it is able, moves in a circular dance towards the sun; so that if any one could hear the pulsation made by its circuit in the air, he would perceive something composed by a sound of this kind, in honour of its king, such as a plant is capable of framing. Hence, too, we may behold the sun and moon in the earth, but according to a terrene quality; but in the celestial regions, all plants, and stones, and animals, possessing an intellectual life according to a celestial nature. Now the ancients, having contemplated this mutual sympathy of things, applied for occult purposes, both celestial and terrene natures, by means of which, through a certain similitude, they deduced divine virtues into this inferior abode. For, indeed, similitude itself is a sufficient cause of binding things together in union and con- sent. Thus, if a piece of paper is heated, and afterwards placed near a lamp, though it does not touch the fire, the paper will be suddenly inflamed, and the flame will descend from the superior to the inferior parts. This heated paper we may compare to a certain relation of inferiors to supe- riors; and its approximation to the lamp, to the opportune use of things according to time, place, and matter. But the procession of fire into the paper, aptly represents the pre- sence of divine light to that nature which is capable of its reception. Lastly, the inflammation of the paper may be compared to the deification of mortals, and to the illumina- tion of material natures, which are afterwards carried upwards, like the enkindled paper, from a certain participation of divine seed.
“ Again, the lotus, before the rising of the sun, folds its leaves into itself, but gradually expands them on its rising: unfolding them in proportion to the sun’s ascent to the zenith; but as gradually contracting them as that luminary % descends to the west. Hence this plant, by the expansion and contraction of its leaves, appeal’s no less to honour the sun, than men by the gesture of their eyelids, and the motion of their lips. But this imitation and certain pai'tici- pation of supernal light is not only visible in plants, which possess nothing more than a vestige of life, but likewise in particular stones. Thus the sun-stone, by its golden rays, imitates those of the sun; but the stone called the eye of heaven, or of the sun, has a figure similar to the pupil of an eye, and a ray shines from the middle of the pupil. Thus, too, the lunar stone, which has a figure similar to the moon when horned, by a certain change of itself, follows the lunar motion. Lastly, the stone called helioselenus, i. e. of the sun and moon, imitates, after a manner, the congress of those luminaries, which it images by its colour. So that all things are full of divine natures; terrestrial natures receiving the plenitude of such as are celestial, but celestial of super- celestial essences; * while every order of things proceeds gradually, in a beautiful descent, from the highest to the lowest. For whatever particulars are collected into one above the order of things, are afterwards dilated in descending, various souls being distributed under their various ruling divinities.
“ In the next place, there are many solar animals, such as lions and cocks, which participate, according to their nature, of a certain solar divinity; whence it is wonderful how much inferiors yield to superiors in the same order, though they do not yield in magnitude and power. Hence it is said, that a cock is very much feared, and, as it were, reverenced, by a lion; the reason of which we cannot assign from matter or sense, but from the contemplation alone of a supernal order. For thus we shall find that the presence of the solar virtue accords more with a cock than with a lion. This will be evident from considering that the cock, as it were, with certain hymns, applauds and calls to the rising sun, when he bends his course to us from the antipodes; and that solar angels sometimes appear in forms of this kind, who, though they are without shape, yet present themselves to us, who are connected with shape, in some sensible form. Sometimes, too, there are daemons with a leonine front, who when a cock is placed before them, unless they are of a solar order, suddenly disappear; and this because those natures which have an inferior rank in the same order i. e. Of natures which are not connected with body.
« always reverence their superiors; just as many^ on behold- ing the images of divine men, are accustomed, from the very view, to be fearful of perpetrating any thing base.
“ In fine, some things turn round correspondent to the revolutions of the sun, as the plants which we have men- tioned, and others after a manner imitate the solar rays, as the palm and the date; some the fiery nature of the sun, as the laurel; and others a different property. For, indeed, we may perceive that the properties which are collected in the sun, are every where distributed to subsequent natures con- stituted in a solar order, that is, to angels, daemons, souls, animals, plants, and stones. Hence the authors of the ancient priesthood discovered from things apparent the worship of superior powers, while they mingled some things and purified others. They mingled many things indeed together, because they saw that some simple substances possessed a divine property (though not taken singly) suffi- cient to call down that particular power, of which they were participants. Hence, by the mingling of many things to- gether, they attracted upon us a supernal influx; and by the composition of one thing from many, they produced an assimilation to that one which is above many; and composed statues from the mixture of various substances conspiring in sympathy and consent. Besides this, they collected compo- site odours, by a divine art, into one, comprehending a multitude of powers, and symbolizing with the unity of a divine essence; considering that division debilitates each of these, but that mingling them together restores them to the idea of their exemplar.
But sometimes one herb, or one stone, is sufficient to a divine operation. Thus a thistle is sufficient to procure the sudden appearance of some superior power; but a laurel, raccinum (or a thorny kind of sprig), the land and sea onion, the coral, the diamond, and the jasper, operate as a safeguard. The heart of a mole is subservient to divination, but sulphur and marine water to purification. Hence the ancient priests, by the mutual relation and sympathy of things to each other, collected their virtues into one, but expelled them by repugnancy and antipathy; purifying when it was requisite with sulphur and bitumen, and sprink- ling with marine water. For sulphur purifies, from the sharpness of its odour; but marine water on account of its fiery portion. Besides this, in the worship of the Gods, they offered animals, and other substances congruous to their nature; and received, in the first place, the powers of daemons, as proximate to natural substances and operations; and by these natural substances they convoked into their pre- sence those powers to which they approached. Afterwards they proceeded from daemons to the powers and energies of the Gods; partly, indeed, from daemoniacal instruction, but partly by their own industry, interpreting appropriate sym- bols, and ascendingtoaproper intelligence of the Gods. And lastly, laying aside natural substances and their operations, they received themselves into the communion and fellowship of the Gods.”
The Emperor Julian alludes to this theurgical art, in the following extract from his Arguments against the Christians, preserved by Cyril. To yap ck dmv eis avdpinirovs a(j>iKvov- pevov TTvevpa, cnravtaKis jaev Kai ev oXiyoi^ yiverat, Kai ovT€ Travra avSpa rovrov p€Tacr)(€tv p(^8iov, ovtc ev rravTi Kaipu. ravry to /cat to Trap’ E/3patots erreAtTrev, ovkovv ovSe Trap’ AiyvrrTLOts ets tovto cco^cTat. ^atveTatJ 8e Kai ra avTO- <f)vr] TO)V )(povu)V eiKovra TrepioSots. o 8e cjnXavdpwTTOS yp(t>v SecnroTrjs Kai Ttaryp Zev? evvoya-a<s, cos av prj TTavTaTract rrjs irpos rovs Oeovs aTTO>^epr]d(j)pev Koivoivias Se- 8(j)K€v rjpiv 8ia T(i)v tepwv r€)(y(ji)v €Tri(TK€\piv, v(f) ys 7rpo<s Tas Xpetas e^opev ryv aTroy^pwcrav /BorjOeiav. i. e. “ For the in- spiration which arrives to men from the Gods is rare, and exists but in a few. Nor is it easy for every man to partake of this, nor at every time. This has ceased among the Hebrews, nor is it preserved to the present time among the Egyptians. Spontaneous oracles, also, are seen to yield to temporal periods. This, however, our philanthropic lord and father Jupiter understanding, that we might not be en- tirely deprived of communion with the Gods, has given us observation through sacred arts, by which we have at hand sufficient assistance.” For the cause why, at stated times, sacred arts, oracles, and inspiration fail, see the additional notes to my translation of lamblichus’s Life of Pythagoras.
P. 24. The participant of the rational soul becomes the cause of suffering to the composite. See my translation of Plotinus on the Impassivity of Incorporeal Natures, in which this is beautifully and profoundly demonstrated. Proclus, also, in Tim. lib. v. p. 340, admirably observes, that the motion of the nutritive power, and the percussions of sense, are the causes of the perturbation of the soul; but thatwe mustnotfancy that thesoul suffers any thing through these. “ For as if,” says he, “ some one standing on the margin of a river should behold the image and form of himself in the floating stream, he indeed will preserve his face unchanged; but the stream, being all-variously moved, will change the image, so that at different times it will appear to him different, oblique and erect, and perhaps divulsed and continuous. Let us suppose too, that such a one, through being unaccustomed to the spectacle, should think that it was himself that suffered this distortion, in consequence of surveying his shadow in the water, and thus thinking, should be afflicted and disturbed, astonished and impeded. After the same manner, the soul beholding the image of herself in body, borne along in the river of generation, and variously disposed at different times, through inward passions and external impulses, is indeed herself impassive, but thinks that she suffers; and being ignorant of, and mistaking her image for, herself, is disturbed, astonished, and perplexed.”
P. 35. Since, however, the order of all the Gods is profoimdly united. For the very existence in them, whatever it may he, is the one of their nature.
The Gods are self-perfect superessential unities, so far as they are Gods. For the principal subsistence of every thing is according to the summit of its essence, and this in the Gods is the one, through which they are profoimdly united to each other and to the one itself, or the ineffable principle of things, from which they are ineffably unfolded into light. Concerning this union of them with each other, Proclus admirably observes as follows, 'in his MS. Com- mentary on the Parmenides of Plato. “All these imities are in, and are profoundly united to, each other, and their union is far greater than the communion and sameness which subsist in beings. For in the latter there is indeed a mutual mixture of forms, similitude, and friendship, and a participa- tion of each other; but the union of the Gods, as being a union of unities, is much more uniform, ineffable, and transcendent: for here all are hi all, which does not take place in forms or ideas; * and their unmingled purity, and the characteristic of each, in a manner far surpassing the diversity in ideas, preserves their natures unconfused, and distinguishes their peculiar powers. Hence, some of them are more universal, and others more particular; some of them are characterised by permanency, others by progression, and others by conversion, or regression. Some, again, are generative, others anagogic, or of an elevating nature, * For in these, all are in each, but not all in all.
and others demiurgic; and universally, there are different characteristics of different Gods, viz. the connective, pei- fective, demiurgic, assimilative, and such others as are celebrated posterior to these; so that all are in all, and yet each is at the same time separate and distinct.
‘‘ Indeed we obtain this knowledge of their union and characteristics from the natures by which they are partici- pated. For, with respect to the visible Gods, we say that there is one soul of the sun, and another of the earth, directing our attention to the visible bodies of these divini- ties, which possess much variety in their essence, powers, and dignity among wholes. As, therefore, we apprehend the difference of incorporeal essences from sensible inspec- tion, in like manner from the variety of incorporeal essences, we are enabled to know something of the unmingled dis- tinction of the first and superessential unities, and of the characteristics of each. For each unity has a multitude suspended from its nature, which is either intelligible alone; or intelligible, and at the same time intellectual; or intellec- tual alone; and this last is either participated, or not par- ticipated; and this again, is either supermundane, or mun- dane. And thus far does the progression of the unities extend.” Shortly after he adds, ^^As trees by their ex- tremities are rooted in the earth, and through this are earthly in every part, in the same manner divine natures are rooted by their summits in the one, and each is a unity and one, through its unconfused union with the one itself.” See more on this most important of all subjects in the notes to my translation of the Parmenides.
P. 50. For as in all other things, such as are principal, primarily he^n from themselves, S^c.
Hence every God begins his own energy from himself, which Proclus thus demonstrates in Prop. 131 of his Ele- ments of Theology. " For every God first exhibits the peculiarity of his presence with secondary natures in him- self; because he imparts himself to other things also accord- ing to his own exuberant plenitude. For neither is de- ficiency adapted to the Gods, nor fulness alone. For every thing deficient is imperfect, and not being itself perfect, it is impossible it should make another thing to be perfect. But that which is full is alone sufficient to itself, and is not yet prepared to communieate. It is necessary, therefore, that the nature which fills other things, and which extends to other things the communications of itself, should be superplenary, or exuberantly full. Hence, if a divine nature fills all things from itself with the good whicli it contains in itself, it is exuberantly full. And if this be the case, estab- lishingfirst in itself the peculiarity whichitimparts to others, it will extend to them the communications of superplenary goodness.
P. 59- It is reqiiisite also to know what enthusiasm is, and how it is produced.
The following account of enthusiasm, and of the different kinds of mania mentioned by Plato in the Phaedrus, from the Scholia of Hermeas on that dialogue, is extracted from the additional notes to my translation of Proclus on the Timaeus, and is given in this place for the sake of the Platonic English reader, who may not have that translation in his possession, as a valuable addition to what is here said by lamblichus on this subject.
Since Plato here delivers four kinds of mania, by which I mean enthusiasm, and possession or inspiration from the Gods, viz. the musical, the telestic, the prophetic, and the amatory, previous to the discussion of each, we must first speak about enthusiasm, and show to what part of the soul the enthusiastic energy pertains; whether each part of it possesses this energy; if all enthusiasm is from the Gods; and in what part of the soul it is ingenerated; or whether it subsists in something else more excellent than soul. Where, then, does that which is properly and primarily called en- thusiasm subsist, and what is it } Of the rational soul there are two pai’ts, one of which is dianoia, but the other opinion. Again, however, of dianoia, one part is said to be the lowest, and is properly dianoia, but another part of it is the highest, which is said to be the intellect of it, according to which the soul especially becomes intellectual, and which some call in- tellect in capacity. There is also another thing above this, which is the summit of the whole soul, and most allied to the one, which likewise wishes well to all things, and always gives itself up to the Gods, and is readily disposed to do whatever they please. This, too, is said to be the one of the soul, bears the image of the superessential one, and unites the whole soul. But that these things necessarily thus sub- sist, we may learn as follows: The rational soul derives its existence from all the causes prior to itself, ^. e. from in- tellect and the Gods. But it subsists also from itself: for it perfects itself. So far, therefore, as it subsists from the Gods, it possesses the one, which unites all its powers, and all the multitude of itself, and conjoins them to the one itself] and is the first recipient of the goods imparted by the Gods. It likewise makes all the essence of the soul to be boniform, according to which it is connected with the Gods, and united to them. But so far as it subsists from intellect it possesses an intellectual nature, according to which it apprehends forms, by simple projections, or intuitions, and not discursively; and is conjoined to the intellect which is above itself. And so far as it constitutes itself, it possesses the dianoetic power, according to whichit generates sciences and certain theorems, energizes discursively, and collects conclusions from propositions. For that it constitutes or gives subsistence to itself, is evident from its imparting per- fection to itself; since that which leads itself to perfection, and imparts to itself well-being, will much more impart to itself existence. For well-being is a greater thing than being. If, therefore, the soul imparts that which is greater to itself, it will much more impart that which is less. Hence that which is primarily, properly, and truly enthusiasm from the Gods, is effected according to this one of the soul, which is above dianoia, and above the intellect of the soul; which one is at another time in a relaxed and dormant state. This one, likewise, becoming illuminated [by the Gods], all the life of the soul is illuminated, and also intellect, dianoia, and the irrational part, and the resemblance of enthusiasm is transmitted as far as to the body itself.
" Other enthusiasms, therefore, are produced about other parts of the soul,* certain daemons exciting them,f or the Gods also, though not without the intervention of daemons. For dianoia is said to energize enthusiastically, when it dis- covers sciences and theorems in a very short space of time, and in a greater degree than other men. Opinion, like- wise, and the phantasy, are said thus to energize when they discover arts, and accomplish admirable works, such, for in- stance, as Phidias effected in the formation of statues, and another in another art, as also Homer says J of him who made the belt of Hercules, ‘ that he neither did nor would artificially produce such another.’ Anger, likewise, is said * By an unaccountable mistake here tov crw/xaros is inserted instead of TTfs; but the mistake is not noticed by the German editor of these Scholia.
+ And in consequence of this mistake, for avro in this place, we must read aura.
to energize enthusiastically, when in battle it energizes supernaturally.
Like Mars, when brandishing his spear, he raged.* But if some one, yielding to desire, should eat of that which reason forbids, and through this should unexpectedly be- come well, you may say that desire also, in this instance, energized enthusiastically, though obscurely; so that enthu- siasm is likewise produced about the other parts of the soul. Enthusiasm, however, properly so called, is when this one of the soul, which is above intellect, is excited to the Gods, and is from thence inspired. But at different times it is possessed about the aptitudes of itself, by different Gods; and is more or less possessed when intellect or dianoia is that which is moved. As, therefore, when we inquire what philosophy is, we do not always accurately define it, but frequently, from an improper use of the word, call mathe- matics or physics philosophy and science; we do the like also with respect to enthusiasm. For though it should be the phantasy which is excited, we are accustomed to call the excitation enthusiasm. Moreover, those who ascribe en- thusiasm to the temperatures of bodies, or the excellent tem- perament of the air, or the ascendency of exhalations, or the aptitudes of times and places, or the agency of the bodies that revolve in the heavens, speak rather of the cooperating and material causes of the thing than of the causes of it properly so called. You have, therefore, for the producing cause of enthusiasm, the Gods; for the material cause, the enthusiastically energizing soul itself, or the external sym- bols; for the formal cause, the inspiration of the Gods about the one of the soul; and for the final cause, good.
“ If, however, the Gods always wish the soul what is good, why does not the soul always energize enthusiasti- cally? May we not say, that the Gods indeed always wish the soul what is good, but they are also willing that the order of the universe should prevail, and that the soul, through many causes, is not always adapted to enthusiasm, on which account it does not always enthusiastically energize ^ But some say that the telestic art extends as far as to the sublunary region. If, therefore, they mean that no one of the superlunary and celestial natures energizes in the sublunary region, they evidently assert what is absurd.