translated by THOMAS TAYLOR.
There are, there are, though laugh the scoffer may,
Jove and the Gods, who mortal ills survey.
Euripides
As there be GODS many, and LORDS many.
Corinth. I, Cap. 8.v.5
London, 1816
Edited by Martin Euser, 2009
meuser.awardspace.com, www.scribd.com/meuser
CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS OF BOOK VI.
CHAPTER I.
That the ruling order of Gods is in continuity with the intellectual Gods. And that the division into fountains and principles may be assumed from the writings of Plato, through the theory about souls.
CHAPTER II.
How the ruling Gods proceed. And that the supermundane peculiarity pertains to these Gods also.
CHAPTER III.
What the peculiarity is of the ruling Gods. That the assimilative is especially characteristic of them. And how the causes of assimilation are antecedently assumed in the demiurgus; and how, in the intelligible paradigm.
CHAPTER IV.
What the powers are of the assimilative Gods. What their energies. And how many goods are imparted by them to the world, and to all mundane natures.
CHAPTER V.
What the divisions are of the assimilative Gods. And that the greatest part of the discourse about them is concerning the middle orders in them.
CHAPTER VI.
Many demonstrations, that both according to Plato and other theologists, there is one demiurgus prior to the three demiurgi.
CHAPTER VII.
That Jupiter is twofold; one indeed, being prior to the three sons of Saturn, [but the other being one of them.] And how the three proceed from Saturn, and the one Jupiter.
CHAPTER VIII.
That according to Plato also, the demiurgic monad subsists prior to the three sons of Saturn.
Demonstrations of this from what is said in the Politicus, and in the Laws.
CHAPTER IX.
More manifest admonitions of tbe same things from what is said in the Gorgias, and in the Cratylus.
CHAPTER X.
Who the three demiurgi are, and what order they have with reference to each other. Likewise what their progressions are, and their divisions about the world.
CHAPTER XI.
What the vivific triad is among the ruling Gods. And whence we may derive auxiliaries from the writings of Plato concerning the union and division of this triad.
CHAPTER XII.
What the convertive triad of the ruling Gods is; and what the monad which it contains. In which also, the union of Apollo with the sun is demonstrated; and it is shown, how from what is said about Apollo we may be led to the theory of the solar orders.
CHAPTER XIII.
What the undefiled order is of the ruling Gods. And how from the writings of Plato conceptions about it may be obtained.
CHAPTER XIV.
How Parmenides forms his conclusions about the ruling Gods, in continuity with the demiurgic order. And that he characterizes the whole order of them, through similitude and dissimilitude.
CHAPTER XV.
What the supermundane and at the same time mundane genus of Gods is. And how through their own medium they preserve the continuity of the Gods that proceed from the demiurgus.
CHAPTER XVI.
How the liberated Gods are characterized. And how from their liberated peculiarity they are exempt from the universe, and are coarranged with the mundane Gods.
CHAPTER XVII.
What the common powers, and what the common energies are of the liberated Gods, according with the essence that has been delivered of them.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Concerning the twelve leaders or rulers mentioned in the Phaedrus, and that they have a liberated order.
CHAPTER XIX.
Many and clearer demonstrations that the great leader Jupiter, and all the dodecad of leaders, are liberated.
CHAPTER XX.
An explanation from precedaneous causes whence the number of the dodecad in the liberated Gods is derived.
CHAPTER XXI.
What the division of the liberated leaders is into two monads and one decad. And what the one division of them is.
CHAPTER XXII.
The theology concerning each of the twelve Gods, unfolding the peculiarities of them from the subjects of their government.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Concerning the mother of the Fates mentioned in the Republic. Likewise concerning the triad of the Fates. What orders they have with reference to each other. What powers of them are delivered through divine symbols. What their energies are. And how Plato characterizes the liberated peculiarity.
CHAPTER XXIV.
How Parmenides forms his conclusions concerning the liberated Gods immediately after the assimilative Gods. And how he characterizes the order of them by touching and not touching.
An explanation of certain terms which are unusual, or have a meaning different from their common acceptation, and which there was a necessity of introducing in the translation of this work.
(Transcription of ancient Greek mostly according to classical scheme) COMPOSITE, synthetos. I have used the word composite instead of compounded, because the latter rather denotes the mingling than the contiguous union of one thing with another, which the former, through its derivation from the Latin word compositus, solely denotes.
DEMIURGUS OF WHOLES, demiurgos tōn olōn. The artificer of the universe is thus denominated, because he produces the universe so far as it is a whole, and likewise all the wholes it contains, by his own immediate energy; other subordinate powers cooperating with him in the production of parts. Hence he produces the universe totally and at once.
DESIRE , epithymia. Is an irrational appetite solely directed to external objects, and to the gratification arising from the possession of them.
DIANOIA, dianoia, from whence dianoetic, the discursive energy of reason; or according to its most accurate signification, it is that power of the soul which reasons scientifically, deriving the principles of its reasoning from intellect, or the power which sees truth intuitively.
DOXASTIC, formed from doxa, opinion, is the last of the gnostic powers of the rational soul; and knows that a thing is, but is ignorant of the cause of it, or why it is. The knowledge of the dioti, or why a thing is, being the province of dianoia.
GUEST, xenos. This word, in its more ample signification in the Greek, denotes a stranger, but properly implies one who receives another, or is himself received at an entertainment. In the dialogues of Plato therefore, (and consequently in this work of Proclus when he cites the dialogues in which this word occurs) wherever one of the speakers is introduced as a xenos, I have translated this word guest, as being more conformable to the genius of Plato's dialogues, which may be justly called rich mental banquets, and consequently the speakers in them may be considered as so many guests. Hence in the Timaeus, the persons of that dialogue are expressly spoken of as guests from having been feasted with discourse.
HYPARXIS, hyparxis. The first principle, or foundation as it were, of the essence of a thing.
Hence, also, it is the summit of essence.
IMPARTICIPABLE, amethektos. One thing is said to be imparticipable with respect to another, to which it is superior, when it is not consubsistent with it.
INTELLECTUAL PROJECTION. The immediate energy of intellect is thus denominated, because it is an intuitive perception, or an immediate darting forth, as it were, to its proper object, the intelligible.
MONAD, monas, in divine natures is that which contains distinct, but at the same time profoundlyunited multitude, and which produces a multitude exquisitely allied to itself. But in the sensible universe, the first monad is the world itself, which comprehends in itself all the multitude of which it is the cause (in conjunction with the cause of all). The second monad is the inerratic sphere. In the third place, the spheres of the planets succeed, each of which is also a monad, comprehending an appropriate multitude. And in the fourth and last place are the spheres of the elements, which are in a similar manner monads. All these monads likewise are denominated olothetes, wholenesses, and have a perpetual subsistence.
PERMANENCY, stasis. The proper word for rest, in Greek, is eremia. And Simplicius justly observes, that not every stasis is eremia, but that only which is after motion. This word is employed by Plato in the Sophista, to express one of the five genera of being, viz. essence, permanency, (stasis), motion, sameness, and difference; in which place it evidently does not signify rest.
PHANTASY, or Imagination, phantasia, is, morphōtike noesis, i. e. a figured intelligence, because all the perceptions of this power are inward, and not external, like those of sense, and are accompanied with figure.
PSYCHICAL, psychikos, i. e. pertaining to soul, in the same manner as physikos, physical, is something pertaining to nature.
REASON, logos. This word in Platonic writers signifies either that inward discursive energy called reasoning; or a certain productive and seminal principle; or that which is indicative and definitive of a thing. Hence logoi or reasons in the soul, are, gnostically producing principles.
UNICAL, eniaios, that which is characterized by unity.
UNIFORM enoeides. This word when it occurs in Proclus, and other Platonic writers, signifies that which has the form of the one, and not as in Johnson, that which keeps its tenour, or is similar to itself.
Note, Martin Euser, 2009.
The following should also be kept in mind:
Animal is generally descriptive of an ensouled being; from planets to the simplest organism that can move itself.
Daemon or daimon does not mean a "demon", but a kind of (half) god.
Hence, the word daimoniacal pertains to such a halfgod.
Occult means hidden to the (outer) senses.
Intellectual means true understanding, deep insight and direct experience of the essence of things. Not to be confused with the brainmind which plays a minor role in Platonic philosophy.
PROCLUS, THE PLATONIC SUCCESSOR,
on the Theology of Plato