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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It likewise appears to me that Plato finding that intelligible
intellect was called by Orpheus both Love and a great dæmon, was
himself pleased to celebrate Love in a similar manner. Very properly,
therefore, does Diotima call it a great demon. And Socrates conjoins
the discourse about Love with that concerning dæmons. For as every
thing dæmoniacal is suspended from the amatory medium, so likewise
the discourse concerning a dæmoniacal nature is conjoined with that
concerning Love, and is allied to it. For Love is a medium between the
object of Love and the lover; and a dæmon is a medium between man and
divinity.
CHAPTER XLII.
The nature of dæmons, therefore, remains in the next place to be
more fully disclosed; for the reader has been already presented with
some very important information concerning them, in the discussion
of the sublunary Gods. As there is no vacuum then in corporeal, so
neither in incorporeal natures. Hence, between divine essences which
are the first of things, and partial essences such as ours, which
are nothing more than the dregs of the rational nature, there must
necessarily be a middle rank of beings, in order that divinity may
be connected with man, and that the progression of things may form
an entire whole, suspended like the golden chain of Homer from the
summit of Olympus. This middle rank of beings, considered according
to a two-fold division, consists of dæmons and heroes, the latter of
which is proximate to partial souls such as ours, and the former to,
divine natures, just as air and water subsist between fire and earth.
Hence, whatever is ineffable and occult in the Gods, dæmons and heroes
express and unfold. They likewise conciliate all things, and are the
sources of the harmonic consent and sympathy of all things with each
other. They transmit divine gifts to us, and equally carry back ours
to the divinities. But the characteristics of divine natures are
unity, permanency in themselves, a subsistence as an immoveable cause
of motion, transcendent providence, and which possesses nothing in
common with the subjects of their providential energies. And these
characteristics are preserved in them according to essence, power
and energy. On the other hand, the characteristics of partial souls
are, a declination to multitude and motion, a conjunction with the
Gods, an aptitude to receive something from other natures, and to
mingle together all things in itself, and through itself. And these
characteristics they also possess according to essence, power and
energy. Such then being the peculiarities of the two extremes, we
shall find that those of dæmons are to contain in themselves the gifts
of divine natures, in a more inferior manner indeed than the Gods,
but yet so as to comprehend the conditions of subordinate natures,
under the idea of a divine essence. In other words, the prerogatives
of deity characterize and absorb as it were by their powerful light,