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
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Farther still, Socrates mentions Juno, as generating and adorning
the beauty of the mundane fabrication; and hence she is said to have
received the Cestus from Venus. But Achelous is the deity who presides
over the much-honoured power of water. For by this mighty river, the
God who is the inspective guardian of potable water is manifested. And
Nymphs are Goddesses who preside over regeneration, and are ministrant
to Bacchus the offspring of Semele. But this Bacchus supplies the
regeneration of the whole sensible world.
I shall only add, that Nymphs according to Servius on the first Æneid
are distributed into three classes. But Nymphs belonging to mountains
are called Oreades; to woods, Dryades; those that are born with woods,
Hamadryades; those that belong to fountains, Napæ, or Naiades; and
those that belong to the sea, Nereides.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Again, the following divinities are also mentioned by Plato in
different parts of his works. In the first place, Pan, at the end
of the Phædrus; to which divinity Socrates addresses the following
admirable prayer: “O beloved Pan, and all ye other Gods, who are
residents of this place, grant that I may become beautiful within,
and that whatever I possess externally may be friendly to my inward
attainments! Grant also, that I may consider the wise man as one who
abounds in wealth; and that I may enjoy that portion of gold, which no
other than a prudent man is able either to bear, or properly manage!”
In this prayer, by Pan and the other Gods, we must understand local
deities under the moon. But Pan is denominated as it were _all_,
because he possesses the most ample sway in the order of local Gods.
For as the supermundane Gods are referred to Jupiter, and the celestial
to Bacchus, so all the sublunary local Gods and dæmons are referred to
Pan.
In the next place, Tartarus is mentioned by Plato in the Phædo, as one
of the greatest chasms of the earth; and of which, says he, Homer[169]
thus speaks:
Far, very far, where under earth is found
A gulf, of every depth, the most profound.
But Tartarus, says Olympiodorus, is the extremity of the universe, and
subsists oppositely to Olympus. It is also a deity, the inspective
guardian of that which is last in every order. Hence, there is a
celestial Tartarus, in which Heaven concealed his offspring; a
Saturnian Tartarus, in which likewise Saturn concealed his offspring;
and also a Jovian of this kind, which is demiurgic.