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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Such therefore, is the first triad of intelligibles, according to
Socrates in the Philebus, viz. bound, infinite, and that which is
mixed from these. And of these, bound indeed is a God proceeding
to the intelligible summit, from the imparticipable and first God,
measuring and defining all things, and giving subsistence to every
paternal, connective, and undefiled genus of Gods. But infinite is
the never-failing power of this God, unfolding into light all the
generative orders, and all infinity, both that which is prior to
essence, and that which is essential, and also that which proceeds as
far as to the last matter. And that which is mixed, is the first and
highest order of the Gods, comprehending all things occultly, deriving
its completion indeed through the intelligible connective triad, but
unically comprehending the cause of every being, and establishing its
summit in the first intelligibles, exempt from the whole of things.
CHAPTER XIII.
After this first triad subsisting from, and conjoined with _the one_,
we shall celebrate the second, proceeding from this, and deriving its
completion through things analogous[184] to the triad prior to it. For
in this also it is necessary that being should participate, and that
_the one_ should be participated, and likewise that this one which is
secondarily one, should be generative of that which is secondarily
being. For every where participated deity constitutes about itself that
which participates it. Thus whole souls render bodies consubsistent
with their causes: and partial souls generate, in conjunction with
the Gods, irrational souls. Much more therefore, do the Gods produce
in conjunction with _the one_ all things. Hence, as the first of the
unities generates the summit of being, so likewise the middle unity
constitutes the middle being. But every thing which generates, and
every thing which makes or produces, possesses a power prolific of
the things produced, according to which it produces, corroborates
and connects its progeny. Again therefore, there will be a second
triad unfolded into light analogously to the first. And one thing
indeed, is the summit of it, which we call one, deity, and hyparxis.
But another thing is the middle of it, which we call power. And
another thing is the extremity of it, which we say is that which is
secondarily being. This however is intelligible life. For all things
are in the intelligible, as was before demonstrated, viz. to be, to
live, and to energize intellectually. And the summit indeed, of the
intelligible order, is all things according to cause, and as we have
frequently said, occultly. But the middle of it, causes multitude to
shine forth, and proceeds from the union of being into manifest light.
And the extremity of it, is now all intelligible multitude, and the
order of intelligible forms. For forms have their subsistence at the
extremity of the intelligible order. For it is necessary that forms