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
With respect, however, to all the Gods that govern generation, we
must not say, that they have an essence mingled with matter, as the
Stoics assert they have. For nothing which verges to matter is able
to govern with intellect and wisdom, nor is properly a producing
cause, but an organ of something else. Nor must we say that they have
an essence unmingled with matter, but powers and energies mingled
with it, as Numenius and his followers assert. For the energies of
the Gods concur with their essences, and their inward subsist prior
to their externally proceeding energies; since a partial soul also
prior to the life which is inserted in the animal suspended from it,
contains a more principal life in itself; and prior to the externally
proceeding motion, through which it moves other things, it is moved
with a motion converted to itself. The sublunary Gods, therefore, are
entirely unmingled with matter; adorning indeed things mingled in an
unmingled, and things generated, in an unbegotten manner. They likewise
contain partibles impartibly, are the causes of life, the suppliers of
intellect, the replenishers of power, the givers of soul, the primary
leaders of all good, and the sources of order, providence, and the best
administration. They also give subsistence to more excellent animals
about themselves, are the leaders of angels, the rulers of dæmons, and
the prefects of heroes; governing through this triple army the whole
of generation. If, therefore, we assert that the appropriate order
of these divinities about generation, is the basis and seat of the
total Gods, we shall speak rightly. And we shall likewise not err in
asserting that they convolve the end of the divine decrement to the
beginning. Such then being the nature of these divinities, Plato indeed
looking to the Gods that are both intelligible and intellectual, and to
those that are properly called intellectual, surveyed four progressions
of them in common. But they also contain powers derived from the
supermundane Gods; whether they proceed from the twelve leaders, or
from certain other deities.