The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

178 ADDITIONAL NOTES,
the second, which is alone moved, is Saturn ; and the third,
which is both moved and permanent, is Heaven.
Saturn, from his impartible, unical, paternal, and beneficent
subsistence in the intellectual orders, has been considered
by some as the same with the one cause of all
things. He is, however, only analogous to this cause, just
as Orpheus calls the first cause Time (~povos) nearly
homonymously with Saturn (~povos). But the Oracles of
the Gods characterize this deity by the epithet of t7~e once
(T~J aaat) ; calling him once beyond (aaaE ~rre~e~va). For
the once is allied to the one.
Heaven, the father of Saturn, is an intellect understanding
himself indeed, but united to the first intelligibles ; in
which he is also firmly established ; and connectedly contains
all the intellectual orders, by abiding in intelligible
union. This God too is connectire, just as Saturn is of a
separating peculiarity ; and on this account he is father. For
connecting precede separating causes ; and the intelligible
and at the same time intellectual such as are intellectual
only. Whence also Heaven being the Synocheys (avvo~evs)
of wholes, according to one union gives subsistence to the
Titannic series, and prior to this, to other orders of the
Gods ; some of which abide only in him, which he retains
in himself ; but others both abide and proceed, which he is
said to have concealed after they were unfolded into lightr.
And after all these, he gives subsistence to those divine
orders which proceed into the universe, and are separated
from their father. For he produces twofold monads, and
triads, a8nd hebdomads equal in number to the monads.
These things, however, will be investigated more fully
elsewhere. But this deity is denominated according to the
similitude of the apparent Heaven. For each of them compresses
and connects all the multitude which it contains,
and causes the sympathy and connection of the whole
world to be one. For connection is second to unifying
power, and proceeds from it. In the Phedrus, therefore,
Plato delivers to us the production of all secondary natures
by Heaven, and shows us how this divinity leads upwards