first' «hine forth to the view; because it is especially characterised according to difference, being allotted the end of all the total hypostases^ From this likewise it proceeds to all things, viz. to participated intdlect, the multiform orders of souls, and the whole of a corporeal nature. For,, in short, it constitutes triple genera of the natures posterior to itself; some indeed^ being impartible and the first; others being media between partible and impartible natures; and others being divided about bodies. And through these things it generates all the more partial genera of beings. That we may therefore again return to what has been before said, the genera must be admitted to subsist every where, yet not every where after the same manner; but in the highest orders^ of divine natures indeed, they subsist uniformly, without separation, and unitedly, where also permanency participates of motion, and motion of permanency, and there is one united progression of both. In the more partial orders, however^ it must be admitted that the same things subsist in a divided manner,, and together with an appropriate remission. For since the first and most total of forms are in the extremity of intelligibles, it is indeed necessary that genera should have the beginning of their hypostasis in intelligiblesw And if the demiurgic cause is generative of aU the parti'&l orders, it com- prehends the first genera of the hypostasis of them.^ As likewise the ibuntain of all forms subsists in this cause, though there are intelligible forms, so the genera of being preexist in it, though there are other whole genera prior to it. And the divine Jambhchus somewhere rightly observes that the genera of being present themselves to the view in the ex- tremity of the intelKgible Gods. The present theology likewise, following things themselves, gives a progression to these as well as forms supernally, from the intelligible Gods. For such things as subsist according to cause, occultly, and without separation in the first essences [i. e. in intelligibles] these subsist in a divided and partible manner,, and according to the nature ofeach,in intellectuals. For from hence, all the divisibleorders of beingsare filled both with these genera, and with formal byparxes. And on this ac-- count, the demiurgus also is said to comprehend all genera, and to have the fountain of forms, because he generates, all the partial rivers [of Hfe] and imparts to them from himself by illumination all the measures of subsistence^ CHAP. XXXL OF PLATO. 397 Hence triple genera of all beings proceed from the demiurgus, 8(»ne indeed being impartible, others partible, ' and others subsisting between these, being more united indeed than the partible, but more separated than the impartible genera; but subsisting according to the middle of both, and connectedly containing the one bond of beings. And the deroiurgus indeed produces the intellectual essence, through the first and impartible genera; but the corporeal essence through the third and partible genera; and the psychical hypostasis which is in the middle of these, through the middle genera in beings. Moreover, he generates every intellectual and impartible nature from himself, and fills them with total generative power. But he constitutes the psychical essence, in conjunction with the Crater; and the corporeal essence, in conjunctioa. with total Nature.
CHAPTER XXXI.
CHAPTER XXXI.
That in this arrangement likewise we follow Hmseus, any one may learn from the following considerations: The demiurgus producing the intellect of the universe, himself produces it from his own essence alone, imfolding it at once according to one union, in consequence, of consti- tuting it eternally, and no mention whatever is here made of the Crater.^ But the demiurgus in arranging and adorning soul prior to body, mingles the genera, and energizes in conjunction with the Crater. And in fa- shioning the body of the universe, and describing the heaven, he fabri- cates it in conjunction with Necessity. For the nature of the universe, saysTimseus, was generated mingled from intellect and necessity r And nei- ther does he here assume the Crater in order to the arrangement of bodies.
* The vords ra hi fnpirra are omitted in the original, but eridentlj ought to be inaerttd..
398 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V.
But it bfts been abundantly shown by us elsjewlierci that Plato calls physical production^ a production through necessity, and does not, as same suppose, consider necessity to be the saine with matter. It is evident, therefore, that the demiurgus produces the generation of bodies tc^thcr with total Nature, mingles the partible genera in the first Nature, and thus produces bodies from intellect and necessity. For bodies receive' from intellect indeed, good and union; but from necessity a progression which terminates in interval and division. He arranges and adorns, however, tlie self-motive essence of souls, in coitjunction with the Crater. And neither intellect, nor bodies, roquire a cause of this kind. The demiurgus indeed is the common source of the trij^ genera. But the Crater is the peculiar cause of souls, and is co^arraoged with the de«- miurgus and filled from him, but fills souls. And receiving from thence indeed the powers of prolific abundance, it pours them on souls according to the measures of their respective essences. To some of them likewise it orderly distributes the summits of the genera \j}{ being], to others the middle progressions of the genera, and to others, the terminations of them. Hence the Crater is indeed essentially vivific, since souls also are certain lives, but it is the first-effective cause of souls, according to the peculiarity of hyparxis, and is the uniform and all-perfect monad, not of every life, but of that which is psychical. For from this Crater the soul of the universe subsists, and likewise the second and third genera of partible souls, and of those souls that are allotted a progression between these.
The whole number, therefore, of the psychical order proceeds from the Crater, and is divided according to the prolific powers which it contains. Hence the Crater is said to be the cause of souls, the receptacle of their fabrication, and the generative monad of them, and the like. For it is said to be so rightly, and conformably to the mind of Plato. If, how- ever, the Crater is co-arranged with the demiurgus, and equally consti- tutes with him the genera of souls, it is indeed necessary that this Crater should be fontal, in the same manner as the whole demiurgus. Hence * For iixPis^ei, it is neoe8«ary to read i$x/i^wou CHAP- XXXf. OF PLATO, 399 tiie Crater is tbe feun taint ofaoda, but it uaited ta the demiurgic moaad. And on this account^ Socrates also in the Phikbug aays, that in Jiipiter there is a royal soul, and a royal intellect For that which we at present denominate fontal, he calls royal; though tlie name of fountain when applied to souls is well known to Vinto. For Socrates, in the Ph»drus, fflys, that the self-motive nature is the fbuntain and principle of motioi^ to such other things as are moved.
And you see that as a twofold divine monad prbr to souls is delivered by tfaeologists, the one being indeed fontal, but the other of a primary ruling nature, Plato likewise gives to the progeny of these twoftJd appellations, assuming one name irom the more tbtal> but the other fronv the more partial monad. For the self-motive nature, is a fountain indeed, as being the offspring of the fontal soul, but it is a principle, as participa-^ ting of the primary ruling soul. If therefore, the name of fountain^ and abo of principle is assigned by Plato to souls, what occasion is there ta wonder if we denominate the exempt monads of them, fountains and principles? Or rather from these things that is demonstrated. For whence is a ruling power imparted to all souls except 'from the ruling monad? For that which similarly extends to all souls, is necessarily imparted to them from one and the same cause. If therefore, some one should say it is imparted by the demiurgus, so far as he is the demiurgus,. it is necessary that in a similar manner it should be inherent in all other things which proceed from the demiurgic monad. But if it proceeds^ from the definite and separate cause of souls, that cause must be denominated the first fbuntain and principle of them.
Moreover, that of these two names, the ruling is more allied to souls than the fontal^ as being nearer to them according to order, Plato* manifests in the same dialogue. For calling the self-motive nature the fountain and at the same time principle of the motion of the whole of things, he nevertheless frames his demonstration of its unbegottea subsistence from principle alone. For, says he, principle is unbegotteu.. For it is necessary that every thing which is generated should be generated from a principle. If therefore, demonstrations are from things proximate to the things demonstrated, it is necessary that principle 400 ON THE THEOIX)GY BOOK V.
should be more proximate to souls than fountain. Farther still, if every thing which is generated is generated from a principle, as Plato says, but souls are in a certain respect generated, as Timseus says, there is also a precedaneous principle of souls. And as they are the principles of things which are generated according to time, so after another manner principle subsists prior to souls, which are generated. And as they are unbegotten according to the generation of bodies, thus also the principle of souls is exempt from all generation. Through these things thereforCf it is demonstrated by us, that the Crater is the fountain of souls, that after the fountain there is a primary ruling monad of them, and that this monad is more proximate to souls than the fountain, but is established above them, as being their prolific cause. And all these particulars we have demonstrated from the words of Plato.
CHAPTER XXXII.
CHAPTER XXXII.
Again therefore, let us return to the things proposed, and teach in a greater degree the lovers of the contemplation of truth, concerning this Crater. For the whole vivific deity having established in the middle of the intellectual kings the prolific cause of divine natures, and according to her highest, most intellectual and all'-perfect powers, being occultly united to the first father, but according to more partial and secondary causes from them» being conjoined to the demiurgus, and establishing one conspiration together with him of the generation of the partial orders, Timseus mystically mentions those more ancient powers of the Goddess, and which abide in the first father. But with respect to those powers that are co-arranged with the demiurgus, and adorn together with him CHAP. XXXIJ. OP PLATO. 401 the natures in the universe, some of these he delivers more clearly but the whole of others through indication. For the secondary monads themselves of the Goddess are triple, as the wise assert, one of them being the fountain of souls, the second, being the fountain of the virtues, but the third being the fountain of Nature which is suspended from the back of the Goddess. The demiurgus therefore, also assumes tibese Uiree hypostases to his own prolific production. And the Crater indeed, as we have said, is the fountain of souls, unically containing the whole and perfect number of them/ And as the demiurgus is allotted a paternal cause with respect to the psychical generation, so the Crater is prolific, and is allotted the ratio and order of a mother* For such things as Jupiter produces paternally in souls, the fountain of souls produces maternally and generatively.
Virtue however, energizes by itself, and adorns and perfects wholes. And on this account, the universe having participated of soul, imroedi-* atdy also participates of virtue. ^^ For the demiurgus, says Timaeus, having placed soul in the middle, extended it through the universe, and besides this surrounded the body of it externally with soul as with a veil, and causing circle to revolve in circle, constituted heaven one, alone and solitary, but through virtue able to converse with itself, and being in want of no other thing, but sufficiently known and friendly itself to itself.'* At one and the same time therefore the world is animated, lives through the whole of its life according to virtue, and possesses firom the virtues as its highest end, friendship with itself, and an all-perfect knowledge of itself. For it is itself sufficiently known and friendly to itself through virtue.
Moreover, nature also is consubsistent with the generation of body. For the demiurgus generates body through necessity, and fashions it together with its proper life. And on this account, shortly after, having constituted partial souls, he shows to them the nature of the universe, and the laws of Fate. For in consequence of possessing the cause of total Nature and Fate, he also exhibits these to souls. For the demiurgus is not converted to things posterior to himself, but primarily ' For oanov, it h necessary to read aorwv. Proc. Vol, I. 3 E 403 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V.
contains in himself the things whicli are exhibited, and unfolds to sonls the powers of himself. Hence, the paradigm of all Nature, and the one cause of the laws of Fate pre-subsist in him. For the fountain of Nature, is called the first Fate by the Gods themselves. "You should not look upon Nature, for the name of it is fatal.'' Hence also, Timaeus says, that souls at one and the same time see the laws of Fate, and the nature of the universe, viz. they see as it were mundane Fate, and the powers of it. And the Elean guest in the Politicus, denominates the motive cause of the more physical circulation of the universe. Fate, For he says that "Fate and connate desire convolve the world." And the same person likewise clearly acknowledges that the world possesses this power from the demiurgus and father* For he says that all th^ apparent arrangement and circulation are derived from Jupiter. It is demonstrated therefore, that according to these three causes of the vivific Goddess which are co-arranged with the demiurgus, the world is perfec- ted by him, viz. according to the fontal Crater, the fountain of the virtues, and the first*efFective cause of nature.
It is likewise manifest that again in these things Plato does not refuse to employ the name of fountain. Fpr in the Laws he calls the power of prudence which is essentially inherent in souls, and which is productive of the virtues in us, the fountain of intelligence. And he also says, that two other fountains are imparted to us by nature, viz. pleasure and pain. As, therefore, we before demonstrated that souls are called the fountains of motions, on account of the one fountain of them, of which they participate, thus also when Plato calls the first progeny of Nature fountains, it is obvious to every one, that he will permit the exempt cause itself of them to be denominated a fountain. After the same manner, likewise, since he magnificently celebrates the essential power of virtue in us, as the fountain of intelligence, he will not be compelled to hear a name which does not at all pertain to his philosophy, if some one should be willing to denominate, the first monad of the virtues, a fountain. But where shall we have the name of fountain posited by him in the intellectual Gods.'^ In the Cratylus, therefore, he says that Tethys is the occult name of a fountain, ^nd he calls Saturn himself and the CHAP. XXXIII. OF PLATO. 403 queen Rhea fluxions. For these divinities are rivers of the intelligible fountains, and proceeding from fountains placed above them, they fill all the natures, posterior to themselves with the prolific rivers of life. And the Crater itself likewise is fontal. The Gods, therefore, also denominate the firsiUeflective causes of partial natures, fontal Craters. These things, however, we shall more fully investigate elsewhere. Let it be considered also, that we have here sufficiently examined the particulars concerning the demiurgic monadj according to the narration of Plato.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
In the next place, let us survey those causes and leaders of uncon- taminated purity, and see if Plato any where appears to remind us of this order of Gods, and of the inflexible power proceeding from them to all the divine genera. For the. first-efiective triad of the immutable order, is united to the triad of the intellectual kings and the progressions of the former are co-divided with the monads of the latter. And the summit of the triad, and as it were, the flower of the inflexible guard of wholes is united to the first intellectual king. But the middle centre of the triad, is in a kindred manner conjoined to the second intellectual king, proceeds together with him, and subsists about him. And the extremity" of the, whole triad is connected with the third intellectual king, is converted with him to the principle [of the intellectual order,] and together with him is convolved to the one union of the "father of all the intellectual Gods. And after this manner, indeed, the three * TO t0;p^«eroy 16 omitted in the original.
404 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V.
unpolluted guardians of the intellectual fathers, are mooadicallj divided* But together with this division they have also an hypostasis united to each other. All of them, likewise, are in a certain respect in each of .the fatherst and all of them energize about all. And after a certain manner indeed according to their proper hypostasis, they are divided from the fathers; but after another manner they are impartibly assumed with them, and at one and the same time they are allotted an equally*- dignified or^er with the fathers, and appear to posses^ an essence subordinate to them.
Such, therefore, being their nature, they preserve, indeed, the whole progressions of the fathers undefiled, but supply them with inflexibility in their powers, and immutability in their energies. They are suspended, however, from total purity. And if some of the ancients have in any of their writings surveyed in intellect that which always subsists with invariable sameness, which receives nothing into itself from subordinate matures, and is not mingled with things. inferior, they celebrate all such goods as these, as pervading to intellect, and other natures, from these Gods. For the oration in the Banquet of Plato, celebrates in a remark- able manner the immiscibility of the divine essence with secondftry natures; and that which transcends the whole of things in purity and immutable power, arrives to the Gods through the guardian cause. And as the intellectual fathers, are the suppliers of proli6c production, both to all other things, and to the inflexible Gods, thus also, the undefiled Gods, impart the power of purity, both to the fathers, and to the other divine orders. At one and the same time, therefore, the three unpolluted Gods subsist with the three intellectual kings, are the guardians of the fathers themselves, establish about them an immutable guard, and firmly fix themselves in them. Hence also, the Athenian guests as he arranges and adorns his polity through the best analogy, through which, the demiurgus binds and constitutes the whole number []of the elements,] so likewise h$ appoints a guard to all the inhabitants of the region^ that nothing, as much as possible, may be without defence i imitating in this the intellectual Gods themselves who guard all things by the undefiled leader^. And it appears to me that on this account he calls the rulers CHAP. XXXIV. OF PLATO. 405 [of his polity] guardians of the laws, or [simply] guardians, because the ii^xible guardians orp consuhsistent with the intellectual leaders of the whde worids.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
These argumehts^ however, will be more remote from that divine triad, and are referred to it from ultimate images. But perhaps omitting these, we may abound with greater conceptions, and more conducive to the investigation of the thing proposed, and speculating together with Plato the divine genera, we may discover how he also cdebrates this order of Gods, and constitutes them together with the three kings that are now discussed, just as by other theologists also, we are mystically instructed in the truth concerning them. In the fable therefore of Protagoras, Plato indicating to us the exraapt watch-tower of Jupiter, and the transcendency^of his essence which is unmingled with all secondary natures, through which he is inaccessible and unrevealed to the partible genera of Gods, refers the f ause of this to his ^ immutable guard, and the defensive order by which he * is surrounded. For od account of this, all the demiurgic powers indeed are firmly established in themselves. But all the forms [that are in him] are according to supreme tramscendency exempt from secondary natures. And in short, the demiurgic intellect [through this order] abides after its accustomed manner. For the fable says that the guards of Jupiter are terrible to all things* And on this account such [partible] genera of Gods (one of ■ For cunow, h is necessarj to read mmv. * The same mumhdonU ktre ibe mamaarf, u abote.
406 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V.
whkh also Prometheus is) cannot be immediately conjoined with the imdefiled and Olympian powers of the demiurgus. If, therefore^ Socrates himself in the form of a fable clearly delivers to us the guard about the demiurgus, is it not through these things evident that the guardian genus is consubsistent with the intellectual Gods? For as the Oracles say, that the demiurgio order is surrounded with a burning guard, thus also Plato says that guards stand round it, and defend inflexibly the summit of it exempt from all secondary natures.
But in the Cratylus, Socrates unfolding through the truth which is expressed in names, who Saturn is, demonstrates indeed his ' peculiar hyparxis, according to which he subsists as the leader of the total intel- lectual orders. He likewise unfolds to us the monad of the unpoUuted order, which is united with Saturn. For Saturn, as he says in that dialogue, is a pure intellect. For, he adds, the karon (ro ato^oy) of him, does not signify his being a boy, but the purity, and incorruptible nature of intellect. After an admirable manner therefore, the fabricator of these divine names, has at one and the same time conjoined the Saturnian peculiarity, and the first monad of the unpolluted triad. For the union of the first father with the first of the unpolluted Gods, is transcendent, and hence this inflexible God is called silent by the Gods, is said to accord with intellect, and to be known by souls according to intellect alone; because he subsists in the first intellect according to one union with it. Saturn therefore, as being the first intellect, is defined according to its proper order, but as a pure and incorruptible intellect, he has the unde- filed conjoined in himself. And on this account, he is the king of all the intellectual Gods. For as intellect he gives subsistence to all the intellectual Gods, and as a pure intellect, he guards the total orders of them. The two fathers therefore, [Saturn and Jupiter] are shown by the words of Plato to be co^rranged with the immutable Gods, according to union indeed, the first, but according to separation the third.
If you are willing however, to survey the one inflexible guard of them with respect to each other, according to which the third father is stably ' For «Kmi(, it is feqoiaite to retd mn$u, - CHAP. XXXIV..OF PLATO. 407 ID the first, as being the intellect of him, and energizing about him, again direct your attention to the bonds in the Cratylus, of which indeed, partible lives, and the lives deprived of intellect, and which are stupidly astonished about matter, are unable to participate. But a divine intel- lect itself, and the souls which are conjoined to it, participate of these bonds according to an order adapted to them. For the Satumian bonds, appear indeed to bind the mighty Saturn himself, but in reality, they connect about him in an undefiled nianner the natures that throw the bonds around him. For a bond is the symbol of the connective order of the Gods, since every thing which is bound is connected by a bond. Again therefore from these things, the guardian good which extends from the connective Gods to the intellectual kings is apparent, since it unites, and collects them into one. Folr a bond guards that which is connected by it. But the immutable Gods inflexibly preserve their own appropri- ate orders. For the guardship of these Gods is twofold; the one indeed, being primary and uniform, and suspended from the triad of the connective Gods; but the other being co-existent with the intellectual kings, and defending them from a tendency to all secondary natures.