rejects the Saturnian fables^ when they are narrated to Euthyprhon, andi the auditors of the Republic, yet at the same time* admits them in the Cratylus, placing about the mighty Saturn and Pluto, other secondary bonds, — thus also, I think he forbids exections to be introduced ta those who know only the apparent meaning of what is said, and does not admit that there is illegal conduct in the Gods, and nefarious aggressions of children against their parents, but he opposes, and confutes as mudi as possible such like opinions. He assents however to their being narrated to those who are able to penetrate into the mystic truths and investigate the concealed meaning of fables, and admits the separation of wholes,, whether [mythologists] are willing to denominate them exections for the. laupose of concealment, or in whatever other way they may think fit to^ call them. For bonds and exections are symbols of conmiunion and se- paration, and each is the progeny of the same divine mythology. Nor is^ there any occasion to wonder, if from these things we endeavour to confina the opinion of Plato; but it is requisite to know how the philosophy of Plato admits all such particulars, and how it rejects them, and in what nianner he apprehends they may be the causes of the greatest evils, and of an impious life to those that hear them. The seven intellectual Gods therefore, will through these conceptions appear to have been thought worthy of being mentioned by Plato^ CHAPTER IV.
It is, however, 1 think, necessary syllogistically to collect the progres- sion of them according to hebdomads, from images. The demiurgus therefore, [in the Timaeus^ fabricates the soul of the universe an image or all the divine orders, in the same manner as he fabricates this sensible CHAR IV. OF PLATO. 331 world an image of intelligibles. And in the first ' place indeed, he consti- tutes the whole essence of the soul, and afterwards divides it into numbers, binds it by harmonies, and adonis it with figures, I mean the rectilinear and the circular. After this also, he divides it into one circle and seven circles. Whence therefore, are this monad and hebdomad derived, except from the intellectual Gods? For figure, number, and true being, are prior to them. And as in the fabrication of the soul, after the subsistence of the psychical figure, the division of the circles according to the monad and hebdomad follows, thus also in the Gods, after intellectual and intelligible figure, the intellectual breadth, and that sphere of the Gods succeed. The multitude therefore of the seven hebdomads subsist from the divine intellectual hebdomad entering into itself. And on this account, the demiurgus thus divides the circles in the soul, because he, and every intellectual order, produce an intellectual hebdomad firom each monad. I do not however assert, and now contend, that the seven circles are allotted an hyparxis similar to the seven Gods that proceed from the demiurgus, but that the demiurgus dividing the soul according to circles, introduces number to the sections from the intellectual Gods, I mean the monadic and the hebdomadic number. For the monad indeed subsists according to the circle of sameness, but the division, according to the circle of diflference. Shorly after however, it will appear that same and different belong to the demiurgic order.
Farther still, after the division of the circles, the demiurgus assumes some things which are symbols of the assimilative, and others which are sym- bols of the liberated Gods, and through these, he refers the soul to these orders of the Gods. If therefore figure is prior to the intellectual Gods, but the similar and dissimilar are posterior to them, it is evidently neces- sary that the monadic and at the same time hebdomadic, should be referred to this order, and that the progression from the monad to the hebdomad should pertain to this order. Each therefore of the seven intellectual Gods, is the leader of an intellectual hebdomad, as we may * For T§oorri¥f it is iiecessary to read wpcwco^. It was also requisite to alter the punctuation in the preceding sentence.
Proc. Vol. I. 2 S 32a ON THE THEOLOGY BOO|[ V\ learn fram images. There however indeed^ the hebdomad b oae^ aod allied to itself. But in souls, the circles di£fer from each other, according to the divine peculiarities. \For they receive number in such a manner as to preserve the proper nature which they are allotted, connectedly containing mundane natures, and convolving the apparent by their own circles. And thus much concerning these particulars, which afford argu^ ments that are not obscure of the arrangement of them by Plato.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
AoAXK however, making another beginning, let us speak about each [\>f the intellectual Gods,^ as much as is sufficient to the present theology. I^et Saturn therefore, the first king of the intellectual Gods, be now cele- brated by us, who according to Socrates in the Cratylus illuminates the pure and incorruptible nature of intellect, and establishing his own all^ perfect power in his own summit of intellectuals, abides in, and at the same time proceeds from his father (^Heaven^. He likewise divides the intellectual government from the connective, and estabhshes the tran^ icendency of the other intellectual Gods in connexion with his own; but comprehends in himself the intelligible of the demiurgic intellect, and the plenitude of beings. Hence the Saturnian bonds, mystically, and obscurely signify the comprehension of this intelligible, and a union with it. For the intelligible is comprehended in intellect.
As therefore, the intelligible is indeed exempt from intellect, but intel- lect is said to comprehend it, thus also Jupiter is said to bind his father. And in placing bonds about his father, he at the same time binds himself f to him]}* For a bond is the comprehension of the things that are bound. But the truth is as folk>ws: Saturn is indeed an all-perfect intellect; and CHAP. y. OF PLATO. aw the mighty Jupiter ts likewise an intellect. Each tb^iefore being an iBtellect, eadi is also evidently an intelligible. For every intellect is converted to itself; but being converted ta it energises towards itself; Energizing however towards itself, and not towards externals, it is inteln ligible and at the same time intellectual; being indeed intellectual, so far as it intellectually perceives, but intelligible, so far as it is intelleciu-» ally perceived. Hence also the Jovian intellect is to itself intellect, and to itself intelligible. And in a similar manner the Saturnian intellect is toitself intelligible, and to itself intellect. But Jupiter indeed is more intellect, and Saturn is more intelUgible. For the latter is established according to the intellectual summit, but the former according to the intellectual end. And the one indeed is the object of desire, but the other desires. And the one fills, but the other is filled.
Saturn therefore being intellect and intelligible, JupiteV* also is in the second place intellect and intelligible. The intellectual however of Sa- turn is intelligible; but the intelligible of Jupiter is intellectual. Jupiter therefore, being at the same time intellectual and intelligible, intellectu- ally perceives* and comprehends himself, and binds the intelligible in hknself. But binding this in himself, he is said to bind the intelligible prior to himself, and to comprehend it on all sides. For entering into himself, he proceeds into the intelligible prior to himself, and by the intelligible which is in himself, intellectually perceives that which is prior to himself. And thus the intelligible is not external to intellect. For every intellect possesses that which is in itself without any difierence with respect to itself. But again^ it intellectually perceives in itself that which is prior to itself. For every thing which is external to intellect, is foreign and adventitious, and pertains to an inferior nature. But that which is pre-established in the order of cause, and which pre-exists as the object of desire, is in the desiring natures themselves. For being con« verted to, and verging to themselves, they discover the causes of themselves, and all more ancient natures. And l>y how much more perfect and uniform the conversion of the desiring natures is about the objects of desire, by so much the more are they present with their own desirables. Hence every intellect, by intellectually perceiving itself, intellectually 324 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V* perceives likewise^ all the natures prior to itself. And by how much the more it is united to itself, in a so much greater degree it is established in the intelligibles prior to ilielf. For the cause of any being, and which is the source of essence or of perfection to it,^ is not external to that being; but that which is subordinate to any being, is external to it, and is not the intelligible. On this account also, each of the divine natures is unconverted to that which is inferior to itself, but is converted to itself, and through itself reverts to that which is *more excellent. And the in- telligible indeed is not inferior to any intellect; but every intellect ener- gizing towards itself, and comprehending the intelligibles prior to itself, intellectually perceives them.
Some intelligibles likewise are such as are conjcnned with intellect. But others are such as are proximately participated by it. And others are such as it sees more remotely, and which are more exempt from its nature. On this account, the demiurgic intellect is indeed at the same time intelligible and intellect, but has the intelligible of his father,, which he binds as the fable says. He sees however animal itself, which is^ according to Timaeus, the most beautiful of all intelligibles^ And if the illustrious Amehus, forming such conceptions as these, said that in- tellect is threefold, one being that which w, another that which hdSj and another that which sees^ he rightly apprehends the conception of Plato, according to my opinion. For it is necessary that the second intellect should not only Aat;e the intelligible, but that it should be and have the intelligible; that it should be indeed the intelligible coordinate with itself, but have the intelligible prior to itself, so far as it participates of it. And it is necessary that the third intellect should see the intelligible, and should also be and haw it; that it should see indeed the first intelligible; but have that which is proximately beyond itself; and that it should be the intelligible which is in itself, and which is conjoined with its own in- telligence, and should be inseparable from it.
If therefore, as we said from the beginning, Jupitefr intellectually per- ceives his father Saturn, Saturn is indeed intelligible, but Jupiter is intellect; being one intelligible himself, but participating of another. Hence also Plato does not simply call Saturn intellect, but a pure and CHAP. VI. OF PLATO. 335 iDcorruptible intellect. For he ' in the intellectual is intelligible. Since however, he is not simply intelligible, but as in' intellectuals, he is intellect, and is himself paternally so, being both father and intellect, and having the paternal intellectually. In intelligibles therefore, intellect is also father; but in intellectuals father is intellect. Hence Saturn is a pure, immaterial and perfect intellect, established above fabrication in the order of the desirable. But possessing such a peculiarity as this, he is full of all intelligibles intellectually, is as it were exuberant with intellections, and establishes twofold genera of Gods, some indeed in himself, but others posterior to himself. And he leads forth, indeed, the prolific powers of his father Heaven as far as to the last of things; but fills the demiurgic order with generative goods.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
Saturn however is the only one of the Gods who is said both to receive and give the royal dignity with a certain necessity, and as it were violence, cutting off the genitals of his father, and being himself castrated by the mighty Jupiter. For he bounds the kingdom of his father, and is bounded by the God posterior to himself. He is also filled from the natures placed above him, but fills the whole fabrication [of the universe] with prolific perfection. But separating himself from his father, he is exempt from his progeny. Being however one all-perfect intel- lect, he contains in himself the multitude of total intelligibles. And as he deifies the intellectual summit, he illuminates all things with intelli- gible light.
' For TO yotf it is necessary to read txuvog yug.
38g. ON THE THEOLOGY HOOKIL CHAPTER VII.
Very properly therefore, has this universe twofold lives, periods, aod convolutions; the one being Saturnian, but the other Jovian, as the fable in the Politicus says. And according to one of the periods indeed, it produces all goods spontaneously, and possesses an innoxious and univearied life. But according to the other it participates of material error, and a very mutable nature. For the life in the world being twofold, the one unapparent, and more intellectual, but the other more physical and apparent, and the one being defined according to provi- dence, but the other proceeding in a disorderly manner according to fate; — this being the case, the second life indeed, which is multiform, and perfected through nature, is suspended from the Jovian order; but the more simple, intellectual, and unapparent life, is suspended from the Saturnian order/ And these things the Elean guest clearly teaches, calling one of the circulations Jovian, but the other, Saturnian; though Jupiter also is the cause of the unapparent life of the universe, is the supplier of intellect, and the leader of intellectual perfection; but he elevates all things to the kingdom of Saturn, and being a leader in conjunction with his father^ constitutes the whole mundane intellect.
And if it be requisite to speak the truth clearly, each of the periods indeed, I mean the apparent, and the unapparent, participates of both these Gods; but the one indeed is more Saturnian, and the other ia perfected under the kingdom of Jupiter.
That the mighty Saturn therefore is allotted a kingdom different from that of the Gods prior to him, the Elean guest clearly manifests in what he asserts prior to the fable. For he says, ** We have heard from many respecting the kingdom of which Saturn was the founder. '^ According to this wise man therefore, Saturn is one of the royal Gods. Hence also CHAP; YIL OF PLATO. 337 he presides over a kingdom different from that of his father. And while his father connectedly contains the middle centres of the intelligible and intellectual Gods, he is the leader of the intellectual orders and supplies all intellectual life^ first indeed, to the Gods, but secondarily to - the natures more excellent than ours, and in the last place to partial souls, when they are able to be extended to the Saturnian place of survey. For this universe, and all the mundane Gods, always possess this two* fold life, and imitate the Saturnian intelligence indeed through unapparent and intellectual energy, but the demiurgic intellect of Jupiter, through a providential attention to secondary natures, and in short, through tie visible fabrication. But partial souls at one time energize intellectually, and consecrate themselves lo Saturn, but at another time after a Jovian manner, and pay a providential attention to secondary natures, without restraint. When however they revolve analogous to those' deities [Saturn and Jupiter] they intellectually perceive intelligibles, and dispose sensibles in an orderly manner, and live both these lives, in the same manner as the Gods and the more excellent genera. For their periods are twofold; one being intellectual, but the other providential. Their paradigms also are twofold; the Saturnian intellect being the paradigm of the one, but the Jovian intellect of the other. For the mighty Jupiter himself has a twofold energy, containing indeed intelligibles in intellect, but adorning sensibles by demiurgic production.
Since however the circulations are twofold, not only in wholes, but also in partial souls, the Elean guest says that in the Saturnian period, the generation of these souls is not from each other, ^s in men which are the objects of sensible inspection, nor as the first man with us is alone earth-begotten, so in partial souls one first soul is the offspring of man, but all of them are earth-begotten. For they are elevated from ultimate 9nd terrestrial bodies, and embrace an unapparent,* relinquishing a sen-^ sibfe life. He also says that neither do they verge to old age, and change from being younger to becoming older; but on the contrary, they are For iMweug, it is necessary to read ixtims. For i^^ov^'it is aeeeesary to read #^«yov^ 328 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK Vrendered more vigorous, proceed intellectually in a way contrary to generation, and as it were, divest themselves of the variety of life with which in descending they became invested. Hence likewise all the symbols which are adapted to youth are present with these souls, when they pass into this condition, such as a privation of hair, and a smooth- ness of the cheek instead of hoariness and beards. For they lay aside every thing which adheres to them from generation. But being situated there with Saturn, and living the life which is there, he says that there are abundance of fruits from trees, and many other [vegetable] sub- stances, which the earth spontaneously produces. Being Ukewise naked, and without coverlets, they are^for the most part fed in the open air; for they have a temperament of the seasons which is always the same. But they make use of soft beds, grass in abundance being produced for them from the earth. Souls therefore derive these and such like goods from this mighty God, in the Saturnian period. For they are thence filled indeed with vivific goods, and gather intellectual fruits from. wholes; but do not procure for themselves perfection and blessedness, from partial energies. For doxastic nutriment indeed has divisible and material, conceptions; but intellectual nutriment has pure, impartible, and^ native conceptions, which the spontaneous obscurely signifies.
The production from the earth also signifies the prolific intellect of the Gods, which imparts to souls by illumination perfection and self- sufloiciency. For on account of the exuberant abundance of good, they are able to impart an influx of it, according to the measure of felicity adapted to them. Hence, they are neither covered with garments, as when they proceeded into generation, nor have they superabundant additions of life, but they are purified themselves by themselves from all composition and variety, and extending their intellect to total good, they participate of it from the intellectual father, being guarded by the intellectual Gods, and receiving from them the measures of a happy life. They likewise pass through the whole of their existence with facility, lead a sleepless and pure life, being established in the generative powers of intelligibles; and being filled witli intellectual goods, and nourished with immaterial and divine forms, they are said to live ahfe under Saturn, CHAP. VIU. or PLATO.
CHAPTER VIIL BbGause, th^eforet this God is the leader of all intellectual life, and every intellect as well that which is imparticipable, as that which is participable proceeds from this cause, hence it belongs to this mighty <jk)d to feed in a distributed manner, and to nourish soUls. For because i^bdeed he is intelligible in intellectuals, he nourishes souls, and souls are called the nurselings of Saturn. But because he does not fill them with first, and unical intelligibles, but with those that are multiplied by his own cause of separation, he is said to feed them distributedly, and as it were in a divided manner. And do you not see how through these things, this God appears to be coordinate to the first triad of the intelligible and intellectual Gods? For as Socrates, in the Phsedrus, says, that souls are nourished in the supercelestial place, and in the intelligible meadow, so the Elean guest asserts that the souls that are fed under Satura, are filled with intelligible goods. And it is not at all wondei^ if souls are perfected by Jx)th these; intellectually indeed, under the kingdom of Saturn; but intelligibly under the order of the first intel- lectual Gods. For this God himself is nourished by that order. And on this account he is allotted a leading and primary transcendency in intellectuals, because they are filled firom that order [through him] with occult and unapparent powers. And he is that among the intellectual fathi^s, which the order of the first intellectual Gods is in the intelligible and at the same time intellectual orders. Hence the intelligible every where becomes nutriment to ascending soub, but the connexion with it is effected through the second and third Grods.
As therefore, the demiurgic order elevates feouls to the Satumian [dace of survey, thus also the Saturnian order elevates them to the subcelestial * ' F«r.virs}dUf«KMiy in tins pltce^ it kMioiMj fb rmAAmwfm»ki».
Proc. Vol. I. 2 T 330 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V.
arch. For having made many and blessed discursive energies in the kingdom of Saturn^ they are again extended from hence to the per- fective, and from thence to the celestial triad, from which contemplating the supercelestial place, they are now ineffably conjoined with the supreme goods of intelligibles. And after this manner the second orders always connect souls with the orders prior to them. Hence also, the theurgic art imitating the unapparent periods of souls, arranges initiations in the mysteries of the second Gods, prior to the more sublime mysteries.. And through these, it causes us to pass to the intelligible place of survey. These things, therefore, Plato indicates concerning the Saturnian life, and the polity of souls under Saturn, not in the Foliticus only, but also ia the discourses of the Athenian guest. For in the fourth book of the I^ws he celebrates the life under Saturn, obscurely signifying the undefiled naUire, the facility, plenitude,^ and self-sufficiency of that energy, through fabulous fictions.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
If, however, it be requisite from these things, and from all the mystic discipline concerning this God, to consider and discuss the orders whiqh ' he constitutes in wholes, in the first place, we must direct our attention to the three kings mentioned in the Gorgias, who distributing the kingdom of Saturn were produced by him, as being allotted in a divided manner a uniform and impartible^ dominion, and over whom he places the divine law, which is the cause of distribution according to intellectt both to the Gods themselves, and to all the natures posterior to the Gods. In the second: plac^ we must consider the rulers and ki&gs CHAP. IX. OF PLATO. 331