The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 2 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 p — Plato — John Shaqi
The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 2 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 p
Plato · en
In the demiurgus, however, all things, and likewise the second genera
of Gods, are according to cause. And as he is the plenitude of all the
natures prior to himself, thus also, he comprehends the united causes
of the natures posterior to himself. Hence, he perfects the universe,
energizes assimilatively, vivifies wholes, is the father of souls,
the plastic framer of bodies, the supplier of harmony, the author of
bonds, the cause of the impartible and partible genera, and the maker
of all figures. And these things, indeed, he constitutes unically; but
the Gods posterior to him in a divided manner. Let not, however, any
one assert, that the assimilative nature is primarily in the demiurgus,
but [let him rather say] that existence is present to the demiurgus
according to sameness.[4] But if from him similitude subsists in all
things, and his very being is in sameness, as Parmenides teaches us,
we must indeed admit, that such a genus of Gods [as the assimilative]
is proximate to him, which also first unfolds his whole fabrication,
and inserts it in secondary natures, but is essentially different
from and posterior to him, and falls short of the first-effective
principle of all things which he contains. In short, the demiurgic
monad, and all the multitude co-arranged with it, presides over the
similitude of wholes, uniformly, originally, and impartibly; but the
order of the ruling Gods, divides indeed that which is united in the
demiurgic fabrication, expands that which is total in the energy of the
intellectual Gods, and produces into variety the simplicity of their
providence. Hence similitude extends from these to all the natures in
the world, and to the first, middle, and last forms of life. For that
which is assimilated presides over a second form of communion with
appropriate principles, on account of progression from causes.