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
enjoying fills such things in these lower regions as participate of
generation with every thing beautiful and good.”
And lastly, the Emperor Julian, in a fragment of an Oration or Epistle
on the duties of a priest, has the following remarks on religiously
venerating statues: “Statues and altars, and the preservation of
unextinguished fire, and in short, all such particulars, have been
established by our fathers as symbols of the presence of the Gods;
_not that we should believe that these symbols are Gods, but that
through these we should worship the Gods_. For since we are
connected with body, it is also necessary that our worship of the Gods
should be performed in a corporeal manner; but they are incorporeal.
And they indeed have exhibited to us as the first of statues, that
which ranks as the second genus of Gods from the first, and which
circularly revolves round the whole of heaven.[45] Since, however,
a corporeal worship cannot even be paid to these, because they are
naturally unindigent, a third kind of statues was devised on the
earth, by the worship of which we render the Gods propitious to us.
For as those who reverence the images of kings, who are not in want
of any such reverence, at the same time attract to themselves their
benevolence; thus also those who venerate the statues of the Gods, who
are not in want of any thing, persuade the Gods by this veneration
to assist and be favourable to them. For alacrity in the performance
of things in our power is a document of true sanctity; and it is
very evident that he who accomplishes the former, will in a greater
degree possess the latter. But he who despises things in his power,
and afterwards pretends to desire impossibilities, evidently does not
pursue the latter, and overlooks the former. For though divinity is not
in want of any thing, it does not follow that on this account nothing
is to be offered to him. For neither is he in want of celebration
through the ministry of _words_. What then? Is it therefore
reasonable that he should be deprived of this? By no means. Neither
therefore is he to be deprived of the honour which is paid him through
_works_; which honour has been legally established, not for three,
or for three thousand years, but in all preceding ages, among all
nations of the earth.