PROCLUS THE SUCCESSOR

ON PLATO'S TIMAEUS

BOOK FOUR

238 ed. Basel“But when the generating Father perceived that it was moved and alive, a created image of the eternal gods, he was delighted, and being even more joyful, he contemplated making it yet more like its paradigm. Just as it happens to be a living being that is eternal, so he attempted to produce this All the universe to the extent of his power” [37 CD].

The one who creates all things as a whole, all at once, generates, turns back, perfects, and assimilates his own creations to the paradigms, whether the generative, calling-back, perfecting, and assimilating power is one and the same, as pleased some of the ancients, or whether they are different, as it seems to others. For the difference between the separation and opposition of these men is not great, as long as those who unify do not wish for the One to be ineffable to the multitude, and those who divide do not endure saying that the number of powers is disordered and detached, but instead wish and declare that they are contained by their proper monad unit and are unified and held fast by it. As it happens, some say these powers are a quaternary monad, while others call it an integrated tetrad group of four, or if it pleases someone, a unit-like one. D

3 δ (the letter delta) Q — 4 "perceived" Plato's texts except A Σ F o(sg) — 8 "being" omitted in Plato's texts except o; cf. p. 5, 7 — 9 "such to produce" Plato — 18 "they wish" manuscripts: emended by s