The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 1 of 2) : $b translated from the Greek, to which a seventh book is added, in order to supply the deficiency of another book on this subject, which was written by Proclus, but since lost, also, a translation from the Greek of Proclus' Elements of theology, to which are added a translation of the treatise of Proclus, On providence and fate, a translation of extracts from his treatise, entitled, Ten doubts concerning
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intelligible union; and to refer the intelligible Gods themselves, and
all beings through these, to that which is first. For as the monad of
mundane natures is supermundane, as the monad of supermundane natures
is intellectual, and of intellectual natures intelligible, thus also
it is necessary that first intelligibles should be suspended from
the monad which is above intelligibles and perfected by it, and
being filled with deity, should illuminate secondary natures with
intelligible light. But it is necessary that intellectual natures which
derive the enjoyment of their being from intelligibles, but of good and
a uniform hyparxis from the first cause, should connect supermundane
natures by intellectual light. And that the genera of the Gods prior
to the world, through receiving a pure intellect from the intellectual
Gods, but intelligible light from the intelligible Gods, and a unical
light from the father of the whole of things, should send into this
apparent world the illumination of the light which they possess.
On this account, the sun being the summit of mundane natures, and
proceeding from the etherial profundities, imparts to visible natures
supernatural perfection, and causes these as much as possible to be
similar to the supercelestial worlds. These things therefore we shall
afterwards more abundantly discuss.
The present discourse, however, suspends all things after the above
mentioned manner from _the good_, and the first unity. For if indeed
the sun connects every thing sensible, but _the good_ produces and
perfects every thing intelligible, and of these, the second monad
[i.e. the sun] is denominated the offspring of _the good_, and on
this account causes that which is sensible to be splendid, and adorns
and fills it with good, because it imitates the primogenial cause of
itself,--if this be the case, all things will thus participate of
_the good_, and will be extended to this one principle, intelligibles
indeed, and the most divine of beings without a medium, but sensibles
through their monad [the sun.]