03.04.2013 Views

The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

182 ADDITIONAL NOTES.<br />

high, viz. the supercelcstial place, and such things as are<br />

comprehended in the god-nourished silenco <strong>of</strong> the fathers.<br />

(~al OCTU T7J ~ E O ~ P E ~ / ~ O Y L<br />

QLYg XEPL€L~~TT(LL TbJY AUTEPWY).<br />

As, therefore, Parmenides signifies each <strong>of</strong> these orders<br />

through whole.ness, the one through intelligible, and the<br />

other through intellectual wholeness ; in like manner both<br />

Timaeus and Socrates characterize them by a conversion to<br />

more excellent natures. But the conversion as well as the<br />

wholeness is different. For that <strong>of</strong> eternity is intelligible,<br />

on which account Timzeus does not say that it looks to its<br />

intelligible, but only that it stably abides. But the con-<br />

version <strong>of</strong> Heaven is intellectual, and on this account<br />

Socrates says, that it sees things on high, and through this<br />

converts, guards, and connects all things posterior to itself.<br />

Whence also in the Phzdrus, it is said by the circulation <strong>of</strong><br />

itself, to lead all things to the supercelestial place, and the<br />

summit <strong>of</strong> the first intelligibles.<br />

As there are three fathers and kings, <strong>of</strong> which Socrates<br />

here makes mention, Saturn alone appears to have received<br />

the government from his fakher, and to have transmitted it<br />

to Jupiter, by violence. Mythologists therefore celebrate<br />

the sections <strong>of</strong> Heaven and Saturn. But the cause <strong>of</strong> this<br />

is, that Heaven is <strong>of</strong> the connective, Saturn <strong>of</strong> the Titannic,<br />

and Jupiter <strong>of</strong> the demiurgic order. Again, the Titannic<br />

genus rejoices in separations and differences, progressions<br />

and multiplications <strong>of</strong> powers. Saturn, therefore, as a divid-<br />

ing God, separates his kingdom from that <strong>of</strong> Heaven ; but<br />

as a pure intellect he is exempt from a fabricative energy<br />

~roceeding into matter. Hence also the demiurgic genus<br />

is again separated from him. Section therefore is on both<br />

sides <strong>of</strong> him. For so far as he is a Titan, he is cut <strong>of</strong>f from<br />

the connective causes, but so far as he does not give<br />

himself to material fabrication, he is cut <strong>of</strong>f from the demi-<br />

urgus Jupiter.<br />

With respect, however, to the supercelestial place to<br />

which Heaven extends his intellectual life, some charac-<br />

terize it by ineffable symbols ; but others, after giving it a<br />

name, celebrate it as unknown, neither being able to speak

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!