It now remains that we direct our attention to the other kings, who
produce the apparent sublunary order of things; for such is the
arrangement which they are allotted. Plato adds therefore, “That from
Saturn and Rhea, Jupiter, Juno, and all such as we know are called
the brethren of these descended.” This is the third progression of
the Gods who are the fabricators of generation, but the fourth order,
closing as a tetrad the nomination of the leading Gods. For the tetrad
is comprehensive of the divine orders. But as a duad this progression
is assimilated to the first kingdom; because that as well as this is
dyadic. There are, however, present with it, the all-perfect according
to progression, and the uncircumscribed according to number. But
Plato here not only adds the words “_such as_,” as in the progression
prior to it, but likewise the word “_all_,” that he may indicate
the progression of them to every thing. For we use the term το οσον
_such as_ in speaking of things united, but the term το παντας _all_,
in speaking of things now divided and multiplied. The total (το
ολικον) likewise pertains to this progression. For the Gods which are
denominated in it, and those that proceed every where together with
them, are characterized according to this form of fabrication. For all
demiurgi are total. Who therefore are they, and what kind of order do
they possess?
The divine Jamblichus then asserts that Jupiter is the perfector of all
generation; but that Juno is the cause of power, connexion, plenitude
and life to all things; and that the brethren of them are those that
communicate with them in the fabrication of generation, being also
themselves intellects, and receiving a completion according to a
perfection and power similar to them. But Theodorus, again dividing
the life which animates the total in habitude, and forming it as he is
accustomed to do into triads, calls Jupiter the power that governs the
upper region as far as to the air; but Juno the power who is allotted
the aerial part of the world; and the brethren of them those that give
completion to the remaining parts. For Jupiter is the essential of
the soul that subsists in a material habit, because there is nothing
more vital than essence. But Juno is the intellectual part of such a
soul, because the natures on the earth are governed by the productive
principles proceeding from the air. And the other number is the
psychical distributed into particulars.
We, however, consequently[156] to what has been before asserted, say,
that according to Plato there are many orders of Jupiter. For one is
the demiurgus, as it is written in the Cratylus; another, is the first
of the Saturnian triad, as it is asserted in the Gorgias; another is
the liberated, as it is delivered in the Phædrus; and another is the
celestial, whether in the inerratic sphere, or among the planets.
Moreover, as the first Jupiter produced into the visible fabrication
the power of his father, which was concealed in the unapparent, being
excited[157] to this by his mother Rhea; after the same manner the
Jupiter delivered here, who is the fabricator of generation, causes the
unapparent divisions and separations of forms made by Saturn to become
apparent; but Rhea calls them forth, into motion and generation; and
Phorcys inserts them in matter, produces sensible natures, and adorns
the visible essence, in order that there may not only be divisions of
productive principles in natures and in souls, and in intellectual
essences prior to these, but likewise in sensibles. For this is the
peculiarity of fabrication. And if it be requisite to speak what
appears to me to be the truth, Saturn indeed produces intellectual
sections, but Rhea such as are psychical, and Phorcys such as are
physical. For all spermatic productive principles are under nature.
But Jupiter adorning sensible and visible sections, gives a specific
distinction to such beings in the sublunary region as are totally
vital, and causes them to be moved. Since, however, these sensible
forms which are generated and perfected, are multiformly evolved,
being moved and changed according to all-various evolutions, on this
account, the queen Juno is conjoined with Jupiter, giving perfection to
this motion of visible natures, and to the evolution of forms. Hence
fables represent her as at one time sending mania to certain persons,
but ordering others to undergo severe labours, in order that through
intellect being present with all things, and partial souls energizing
divinely both theoretically and practically, every progression, and all
the generation of the sublunary region may obtain complete perfection.
Such, therefore, being the nature of this duad, there are also other
demiurgic powers which triply divide the apparent[158] world of
generation; one of these being allotted the government of air; another,
that of water; and another that of earth, conformably to demiurgic
allotments. Hence they are said to be the brothers of these, because
they also preside over the visible fabrication. And farther still,
there are others the progeny of these; which is the last progression
of the divinities mentioned in this place by Plato. Hence, they are
delivered anonymously; Plato by this indicating the diminution of it
as far as to the last division: For as in the Gods that are above the
world, the partible proceeds from the total fabrication, and the series
of kings terminates in this; after the same manner also among the
sublunary Gods, the progeny of Jupiter proceed from the Jovian order;
among which progeny, likewise, is the choir of partible fabrication.
For the before-mentioned demiurgi producing sensibles totally, it is
necessary that those deities should have a subsistence who distribute
different powers and peculiarities to different natures, and divide the
sublunary generation into multitude. Hence Plato alone denominates them
_others_, and does not employ the expressions _such as_, and
_all_, because they associate with all-various diversity.
With respect, therefore, to this ennead of Gods, Heaven terminates,
Earth corroborates, and Ocean moves all generation. But Tethys
establishes every thing in its proper motion; intellectual essences in
intellectual; middle essences in psychical; and such as are corporeal
in physical, motion; Ocean at the same time collectively moving all
things. Saturn alone divides intellectually; Rhea vivifies; Phorcys
distributes spermatic productive principles; Jupiter perfects things
apparent from such as are unapparent; and Juno evolves according
to the all-various mutations of visible natures. And thus through
this ennead all the sublunary world derives its completion, and is
fitly arranged; divinely indeed from the Gods, but angelically, as
we say, from angels, and dæmoniacally from dæmons; the Gods indeed
subsisting about bodies, souls and intellects; but angels exhibiting
their providence about souls and bodies; and dæmons being distributed
about the fabrication of nature, and the providential care of bodies.
But again, the number of the ennead is adapted to generation. For
it proceeds from the monad as far as to the extremities without
retrogression;[159] which is the peculiarity of generation. For reasons
(i.e. productive principles) fall into matter, and are unable to
convert themselves to the principles of their existence. Moreover, the
duad is triadic; for three dyadic orders were assumed; viz. Heaven and
Earth; Ocean and Tethys; Jupiter and Juno. And this last duad ranks
as the fourth progression, because prior to it, is the triad Phorcys,
Saturn, and Rhea; which manifests the complication here, of the perfect
and the imperfect, and of bound with infinity. For all celestial
natures are definite, and as Aristotle says, are always in the end. But
things in generation proceed[160] from the imperfect to the perfect,
and receive the same boundary indefinitely. Besides this, the tetrad
arising from the generation of these divinities is adapted to the
orders of the fabricators of the sublunary region; in order that they
may contain multitude unitedly, and the partible impartibly; and also
to the natures that exist in generation. For the sublunary elements are
four; the seasons according to which generation is evolved are four;
and the centres are four. And in short, there is an abundant dominion
of the tetrad in generation.
Why, however, it may be said, does Plato comprehend all the multitude
of the Gods that fabricate generation, in this ennead? I answer,
because this ennead gives completion to all the fabrication of
generation. For in the sublunary realms there are bodies and natures,
souls, and intellects, and this both totally and partially. And all
these are in both respects in each of the elements. This ennead in each
of the elements, is as follows, viz. total and partial bodies, total
and partial natures, total and partial souls, and total and partial
intellects, and the monad which contains these, viz. the elementary
sphere itself; because wholes and parts are consubsistent with each
other. Heaven and Earth, however, generate the unapparent essences
of these, i.e. of wholes and parts, the former indeed according to
union, but the latter according to multiplication. And the former
according to bound, but the latter according to infinity; being the
leaders of essence to all things. But Ocean and Tethys give perfection
to both the common and divided motion of them. There is, however, a
different motion of different things, viz. of total intellect, of
total soul, and of total nature; and in a similar manner in such of
these as are partial. The sublunary wholes, therefore, being thus
adorned and distributed, Saturn, indeed, divides partial from total
natures, but intellectually; Rhea, calls forth this division from
intellectuals, into all-various progressions,[161] as far as to the
last forms of life, being a vivific deity; but Phorcys produces the
Titannic separation, to physical productive principles. After these
three, are the fathers of composite natures. And Jupiter indeed,
adorns sensibles totally, according to an imitation of Heaven. For
the Jupiter in the intellectual order, proceeds analogous to the
intellectual Heaven, in the royal series. But Juno moves wholes, fills
them with powers, and evolves, according to every progression. And the
Gods posterior to these fabricate the partial works of sensibles, some
according to one, but others according to another peculiarity, either
demiurgic, or vivific, or perfective, or connective, being evolved and
dividing themselves, as far as to the last of things, analogously to
the Saturnian order. For the dividing peculiarity originates from the
Saturnian dominion.