And thus much concerning the planetary deities, who were called by the
ancients, the governors of the world. In the next place therefore,
let us direct our attention to what Plato and his best interpreter
Proclus have transmitted to us concerning Minerva, who as a mundane
divinity is connected with ether, and has also an allotment in the
celestial regions. Plato then in the Timæus describes this Goddess as
both a lover of war, and a lover of wisdom; for he says that she is
philopolemic and philosophic. As she every where however exerts this
twofold power, according to her intellectual, supermundane, and mundane
subsistence, I shall present the reader with the whole of what Proclus
says[114] respecting these two powers of the goddess, in his commentary
on that part of the Timæus where she is celebrated by Plato.
In the demiurgus and father, says he, of the whole world, many orders
of Gods that have the form of _the one_ present themselves to
the view. And these are of a guardian, or demiurgic, or elevating,
or connective, or perfective characteristic. But the undefiled and
untamed deity Minerva, is one of the first intellectual unities
subsisting in the demiurgus, according to which he himself remains
firm and immutable, and all things proceeding from him participate
of inflexible power; and through which he intellectually perceives
every thing, and is separate in an exempt manner from all beings.
All theologists therefore, call this divinity Minerva, as being
brought forth indeed from the summit of her father, and abiding in
him, being a demiurgic, separate, and immaterial intelligence. Hence
Socrates in the Cratylus, celebrates her as _theonoe_ (θεονοη)
or _deific intellection_. But as, in conjunction with other
divinities sustaining all things in the one demiurgus, and arranging
wholes, together with her father;--through the first of these, they
denominate her philosophic, but through the second philopolemic. For
she who according to the form of one connectedly contains all the
paternal wisdom is a philosopher. And she who invariably rules over
all contrariety, may be properly called a lover of war. Hence Orpheus
speaking of her birth says, that Jupiter generated her from his head,
With armour shining like a brazen flower.
Since however, it was necessary that she should proceed into second and
third orders, she appears in the order to which Proserpine belongs,
according to the undefiled heptad; but she generates every virtue
from herself, and elevating powers, and illuminates secondary natures
with intellect, and an undefiled life. Hence she is called _Core
Tritogenes_. She likewise appears among the liberated Gods, uniting
the lunar order with intellectual and demiurgic light, causing the
productions of those divinities to be undefiled, and demonstrating the
one unity of them to be unmingled with their depending powers. She also
appears in the heavens and the sublunary region; and according to the
united gift of herself, imparts the cause both of the philosophic and
the philopolemic power. For her inflexibility is intellectual, and her
separate wisdom is pure and unmingled with secondary natures; and the
one characteristic peculiarity of Minerval providence, extends as far
as to the last orders. For since wherever there are partial souls that
resemble her divinity, they exert an admirable prudence, and exhibit
an unconquerable strength, what ought we to say of her attendant
choirs[115] of dæmons or divine, mundane, liberated, and ruling orders?
For all these receive as from a fountain the twofold peculiarity of
this Goddess. Hence also the divine poet [Homer] indicating both these
powers of Minerva, in conjunction with fabulous devices says,
The radiant veil her sacred fingers wove,
Floats in rich waves, and spreads the court of Jove.
Her father’s warlike robe her limbs invest.[116]
In which verses by the veil which she wove, and to which she gave
subsistence by her intellections, her intellectual wisdom is signified.
But by the warlike robe of Jupiter we must understand her demiurgic
providence, which immutably takes care of mundane natures, and prepares
more divine beings always to have dominion in the world. Hence also, I
think Homer represents her as an associate in battle with the Greeks
against the Barbarians; just as Plato here relates that she was an
associate with the Greeks against the inhabitants of the Atlantic
island; in order that every where more intellectual and divine natures
may rule over such as are more irrational and vile. For Mars also is
a friend to war and contrarieties, but with a separation and division
more adapted to the things themselves. Minerva however, connects
contrariety, and illuminates the subjects of her government with union.
Hence likewise she is said to be philopolemic. For,
Strife, fighting, war, she always loves.
And she is a friend to war indeed, because she is allotted the summit
of separation; but she is a lover of contrarieties, because these are
in a certain respect congregated through this goddess, in consequence
of better natures having dominion. On this account likewise, the
ancients co-arranged Victory with Minerva.
If therefore, these things are rightly asserted, she is philosophic
indeed, as being demiurgic intelligence, and as separate and immaterial
wisdom. Hence also, she is called Metis by the Gods. But she is
philopolemic, as connecting the contrarieties in wholes, and as an
untamed and inflexible deity. On this account likewise, she preserves
Bacchus undefiled, but vanquishes the giants in conjunction with her
father. She too alone shakes the ægis, without waiting for the mandate
of Jupiter. She also hurls the javelin,
Shook by her arm, the massy javelin bends,
Huge, ponderous, strong! that when her fury burns
Whole ranks of heroes tames and overturns.[117]
Again, she is _Phosphoros_, as every way extending intellectual light;
the _Saviour_, as establishing every partial intellect in the total
intellections of her father; _Ergane_, or the artificer, as presiding
over demiurgic works. Hence the theologist Orpheus says, that the
father produced her,
That she the queen might be of mighty works.
But she is _Calliergos_, or the beautiful fabricator, as connecting
by beauty all the works of the father; a _Virgin_, as exerting an
undefiled and unmingled purity; and _Aigiochos_, or ægis-bearing, as
moving the whole of fate, and being the leader of its productions.
With respect to the spear and shield with which this Goddess, in
the statues of her, is represented as armed, Jamblichus, as we are
informed by Proclus,[118] explains these in a most divinely-inspired
manner as follows: Since every divine nature ought to act and not to
suffer; in order that by operating it may not have the inefficacious
which is similar to matter, but by not suffering, it may not have that
efficacy which resembles material natures, that produce accompanied
with passion,--that it may have neither of these, he asserts that
shields are powers, through which a divine nature remains impassive
and pure, surrounding itself with an infrangible guard. But spears
are powers, according to which it proceeds without contact through
all things, operates in all things, amputating a material nature, and
giving assistance to every generation-producing form. These powers,
however, are first seen about Minerva. Hence also in the statues of her
she is armed with a spear and shield. For she vanquishes every thing,
and according to theologists, remains inflexibly, and uncontaminated
in her father. But these things are seen in a secondary degree in the
Minerval powers, both in such as are whole, and such as are partial.
For as the Jovian and demiurgic multitudes imitate their monads;
and as the prophetic and Apolloniacal multitudes participate of the
characteristic peculiarity of Apollo; thus also the Minerval number
adumbrates the uncontaminated and unmingled nature of Minerva. And they
are seen ultimately in Minerval souls. For in these also the shield is
the untamed and inflexible power of reason; but the spear is that which
is incisive of matter, and which liberates souls from the perturbations
arising from dæmons or destiny.
With respect to the mundane allotment also of this Goddess who
proceeds supernally from intellectual causes to the earth, Proclus
observes, (in Tim. p. 43.) that she primarily subsists in her father;
but secondarily in the supermundane Gods; that her third progression
is in the twelve liberated rulers; and that after this, she unfolds
into light a liberated authority in the heavens. In one way indeed
in the inerratic sphere; for there also, a certain allotment of this
Goddess is expanded; whether it be the place about the ram, or that
about the virgin, or whether it be some one of the northern stars, as
the Electra which is there is by certain persons asserted to be. But
she unfolds this power in another way in the sun. For there also an
admirable power, and a Minerval order, fabricates wholes, according to
theologists, in conjunction with the sun. And again, in another way
in the moon, being the monad of the triad[119] which is there. But in
another way in the earth, according to the similitude of the allotments
of the earth to the celestial distributions. And lastly, she unfolds
this liberated authority differently in different parts of the earth,
according to the peculiarities of providential energy. This being the
case, it is by no means wonderful that one deity, Minerva, is said by
Plato to have been allotted Athens, and Saïs in Egypt. For it must
not be supposed, that because partial souls are not naturally adapted
to inhabit two bodies at once, this is also impossible to the Gods.
But there is a participation of the same divine power according to
different places, yet in the one power there is also multitude. And by
this place, indeed, it is participated in one way; but by other places
in a different way. And in some sameness is more abundant, but in
others difference.
In another part, likewise, of the same admirable work (p. 30) Proclus
observes of this Goddess, that it is manifest from the Greeks, that
her dominion extends from on high as far as to the last of things;
for they say she was generated from the summit or head of Jupiter.
But the Egyptians relate that this inscription was written in the
adytum of the Goddess. _I am the things that are, that will be, and
that have been. No one has ever laid open the garment by which I am
concealed. The fruit which I brought forth was the sun._[120] The
Goddess, therefore, being demiurgic, and at the same time apparent
and unapparent, has an allotment in the heavens, and illuminates
generation with forms. For of the signs of the zodiack, the ram is
ascribed to the Goddess, and the equinoctial circle itself, where
especially a power motive of the universe is established. And thus much
concerning the philopolemic and philosophic Goddess Minerva.