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 — Plato — John Shaqi
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
Plato · en
“Those therefore, who think that things of this kind [i.e.
fabulous stories of the Gods as if they were men] are but so
many commemorations of the actions and disasters of kings
and tyrants, who through transcendency in virtue or power,
inscribed the title of divinity on their renown, and afterwards
fell into great calamities and misfortunes, these employ the
most easy method indeed of eluding the story, and not badly
transfer things of evil report, from the Gods to men; and they
are assisted in so doing by the narrations themselves. For the
Egyptians relate, that Hermes was as to his body, with one
arm longer than the other; that Typhon was in his complexion
red; but Orus white, and Osiris black, as if they had been by
nature men. Farther still, they also call Osiris a commander,
and Canopus a pilot, from whom they say the star of that name
was denominated. The ship likewise, which the Greeks call Argo,
being the image of the ark of Osiris, and which therefore in
honour of it is become a constellation, they make to ride not
far from Orion and the Dog; of which they consider the one as
sacred to Orus, but the other to Isis.
“I fear, however, that this [according to the proverb] would
be to move things immoveable, and to declare war, not only,
as Simonides says, against a great length of time, but also
against many nations and families of mankind who are under the
influence of divine inspiration through piety to these Gods;
and would not in any respect fall short of transferring from
heaven to earth, such great and venerable names, and of thereby
shaking and dissolving that worship and belief, which has been
implanted in almost all men from their very birth, would be
opening great doors to the tribe of atheists, who convert divine
into human concerns; and would likewise afford a large license
to the impostures of Euemerus of Messina, who devised certain
memoirs of an incredible and fictitious mythology,[26] and
_thereby spread every kind of atheism through the globe, by
inscribing all the received Gods, without any discrimination,
by the names of generals, naval-captains, and kings, who
lived in remote periods of time_. He further adds, that
they are recorded in golden characters, in a certain country
called Panchoa, at which neither any Barbarian or Grecian ever
arrived, except Euemerus alone, who, as it seems, sailed to the
Panchoans and Triphyllians, that neither have, nor ever had a
being. And though the great actions of Semiramis are celebrated
by the Assyrians, and those of Sesostris in Egypt; and though
the Phrygians even to the present time, call all splendid and
admirable actions Manic, because a certain person named Manis
who was one of their ancient kings, whom some call Masdes, was
a brave and powerful man; and farther still, though Cyrus among