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
Having, therefore, unfolded to the readers the orders and
characteristic properties of the mundane Gods, and of the triple genera
that are perpetually suspended from them, I shall in the next place
present him with what Plato says, in celebration of the divinity of
the World, the great monad which comprehends all these, so far as the
whole of it is a God, consisting of a superessential unity derived from
the ineffable principle of all things, a divine intellect, a divine
soul, and a deified body. In the Timæus then, Plato celebrates the
world as a deity in the following manner; “When, therefore, that God
who is an eternally reasoning divinity cogitated about the God who at
a certain time would exist, he fabricated his body smooth and equable,
and every way from the middle equal and whole, and perfect from the
composition of perfect bodies. But placing soul in the middle of the
world, he extended it through the whole; and besides this, externally
surrounded the body of the universe with soul. And causing circle to
revolve in a circle, he established heaven (i.e. the world) one, only,
solitary nature, able through virtue to converse with itself, indigent
of nothing external, and sufficiently known and friendly to itself. And
on all these accounts the world was generated by him, a blessed God.”
The first part of this extract, as far as to the word “perfect bodies,”
is admirably elucidated by Proclus as follows:
What is here said, imitating the one intellect which comprehends the
intellection of wholes in one, collects all things into sameness,
and refers to one summit all the fabrication of the corporeal
system. It is necessary, therefore, that we should recall to our
memory what has been already asserted. It has been said then, that
the elements through analogy rendered all things in concord with
each other. That the universe was generated a whole consisting of
wholes. That it is spherical and smooth, and has itself a knowledge
of itself, and a motion in itself. Hence, it is evident that the
whole world is assimilated to [its paradigm] all-perfect animal. But
the orderly distribution according to the wholes which it contains
proceeds analogous to its second and third causes. And the number of
its elements indeed, and the unifying bond of them through analogy,
corresponds to the essence which is without colour, without figure, and
without contact;[187] for number is there. The first wholeness of the
world which adorns all things, and which consists of the wholes of the
elements, proceeds analogous to the intellectual wholeness.[188] Its
sphericity is analogous to intellectual figure.[189] Its sufficiency,
intellectual motion, and sameness of convolution, are analogous to
the God who absorbs all his offspring in himself.[190] Its animation
corresponds to its vivific cause [Rhea]. And its possession of
intellect is analogous to the demiurgic intellect; though from this all
things proceed, and from the natures prior to it, different things