After the triple genera that are the perpetual attendants of the Gods,
those human souls follow that are of an heroic characteristic, are
undefiled, associating with generation, and abandoning their proper
order but for a little time. For the souls that descend and are
defiled with vice, are very remote from those that abide on high with
immaculate purity. The media, therefore, between these, are the souls
that descend indeed, but without defilement; since it is not lawful
for the contrary to take place, viz. to be defiled with vice, and yet
to abide on high. For evil is not in the Gods, but in the regions of
mortality, and material affairs. The first genus of souls, therefore,
is divine. For every where, that which is the recipient of deity has a
ruling and leading order, in essences, in intellects, in souls and in
bodies. But the second genus of souls is always conjoined to the Gods,
in order that through this those that sometimes depart from, may again
be recalled to them. The third genus is that which descends indeed into
generation, but descends with purity, exchanges a more divine life for
one of a subordinate nature, but is exempt from vice, and liberated
from the dominion of the passions. For this genus exists in continuity
with that which always abides on high, and is always undefiled. And
the fourth and last genus is that of the souls of the bulk of mankind,
which wanders abundantly, descends as far as to Tartarus, and is
again excited from thence. It likewise evolves all-various forms of
life, uses a variety of manners, is under the influence of different
passions at different times, and assumes the forms of dæmons, men, and
irrational animals. At the same time, however, it is corrected and
amended by Justice, recurs from earth to heaven, and is led round from
matter to intellect, but according to certain orderly periods of wholes.
Plotinus beautifully alludes to this undefiled genus of human souls
in the 9th book of his 5th Ennead, On Intellect, Ideas, and Being,
as follows: “Since all men from their birth employ sense prior to
intellect, and are necessarily first conversant with sensibles, some
proceeding no farther pass through life, considering these as the
first and last of things, and apprehending that whatever is painful
among these is evil, and whatever is pleasant is good; thus thinking
it sufficient to pursue the one and avoid the other. Those too, among
them, who pretend to a greater share of reason than others, esteem
this to be wisdom, being affected in a manner similar to more heavy
birds, who, collecting many things from the earth, and being oppressed
with the weight, are unable to fly on high, though they have received
wings for this purpose from nature. But others are in a small degree
elevated from things subordinate, the more excellent part of the soul
recalling them from pleasure to a more worthy pursuit. As they are,
however, unable to look on high, and as not possessing any thing else
which can afford them rest, they betake themselves together with the
name of virtue to actions and the election of things inferior, from
which they at first endeavoured to raise themselves, though in vain.
_In the third class is the race of divine men_, who through a more
excellent power, and with piercing eyes, acutely perceive supernal
light, to the vision of which they raise themselves above the clouds
and darkness as it were of this lower world, and there abiding despise
every thing in these regions of sense; being no otherwise delighted
with the place which is truly and properly their own, than he who after
many wanderings is at length restored to his lawful country.”
These undefiled souls are called by the author of the Golden Verses,
“terrestrial dæmons,” because, as Hierocles observes, they are by
nature men, but by habitude dæmons, and possess a scientific knowledge
of divinity. For since all men are terrestrial, as ranking in the third
degree of rational beings, but all are not skilful (δαημονων) and wise,
the author of the verses very properly calls wise men both terrestrial
and dæmons conjointly. For neither are all men wise, nor are all the
beings that are wise, men. But the illustrious heroes[183] and the
immortal Gods, being naturally more excellent than men, are wise and
good. The verses therefore exhort us to reverence those men who are
co-arranged with the divine genera, and who (according to habitude) are
equal to angels and dæmons, and are similar to the illustrious heroes.
Plato, in the Cratylus, calls these undefiled souls both dæmons and
heroes, and speaks of them as follows: “Soc. Do you not know who those
dæmons are which Hesiod speaks of? Herm. I do not. Soc. And are you
ignorant that he says the golden race of men was first generated?
Herm. This I know. Soc. He says, therefore, that after this race was
concealed by Fate, it produced dæmons denominated holy, terrestrial,
good, expellers of evil, and guardians of mortal men. Herm. But what
then? Soc. I think, indeed, that he calls it a golden race, not as
naturally consisting of gold, but as being beautiful and good. I infer
this, however, from his denominating our race an iron one. Herm. You
speak the truth. Soc. Do you not therefore think, that if any one
of the present times should appear to be good, Hesiod would say he
belonged to the golden race? Herm. It is probable he would. Soc. But
are the good any other than such as are [intellectually] prudent? Herm.
They are not. Soc. On this account, therefore, as it appears to me,
more than any other he calls them dæmons, because they were _prudent_
and _learned_ (δαημονες). And in our ancient tongue this very name is
to be found. Hence both he and many other poets, speak in a becoming
manner, when they say that a good man after death will receive a
mighty destiny and renown, and will become a _dæmon_, according to the
surname of prudence. I therefore assert the same, that every good man
is _learned_ and _skilful_; that he is dæmoniacal both while living
and when dead; and that he is properly denominated a dæmon. Herm. And
I also, Socrates, seem to myself to agree with you perfectly in this
particular. But what does the name hero signify? Soc. This is by no
means difficult to understand. For this name is very little different
from its original, evincing that its generation is derived from love.
Herm. How is this? Soc. Do you not know that heroes are demigods? Herm.
What then? Soc. All of them were doubtless generated either from the
love of a God towards a mortal maid, or from the love of a man towards
a Goddess. If, therefore, you consider this matter according to the
ancient Attic tongue, you will more clearly understand the truth of
this derivation. For it will be evident to you that the word hero is
derived from love, with a trifling mutation for the sake of the name.”
The meaning of Plato in this passage, and also the characteristic
properties of terrestrial heroes are beautifully unfolded by Proclus as
follows, in his very rare and invaluable MS. Scholia on the Cratylus.
“Every where the extremities of a prior, are conjoined with the
summits of a secondary order. Thus for instance, our master Hermes
(ο δεσποτης ημων Ερμης) being an archangelic monad, is celebrated as
a God. But Plato calls the whole extent between Gods and men dæmons.
And they indeed, are dæmons by nature. Those dæmons, however, that are
now mentioned, together with the demigods heroes, are not dæmons and
heroes by nature, for they do not always follow the Gods; but they are
only so from habitude, being souls who naturally deliver themselves
to generation, such as was the great Hercules, and others of the like
kind. But the peculiarity of heroic souls is magnitude of operation,
elevation and magnificence. Such heroes also it is necessary to
honour, and to perform funeral rites to their memory, conformably to
the exhortation of the Athenian guest in the Laws. This heroic genus
of souls, therefore, does not always follow the Gods, but is undefiled,
and more intellectual than other souls. And it descends indeed for
the benefit of the life of men, as partaking of a destiny inclining
downwards; but it has much of an elevated nature, and which is properly
liberated from matter. Hence souls of this kind are easily led back to
the intelligible world, in which they live for many periods; while on
the contrary, the more irrational kind of souls, are either never led
back, or this is accomplished with great difficulty, or continues for a
very inconsiderable period of time.”
Each of the Gods indeed is perfectly exempt from secondary natures,
and the first and more total of dæmons are likewise established above
a habitude of this kind. They employ, however, terrestrial and partial
spirits in the generations of some of the human race, not physically
mingling with mortals, but moving nature, perfecting its power,
expanding the path of generation, and removing all impediments. Fables,
therefore, through the similitude of appellation conceal the things
themselves. For spirits of this kind are similarly denominated with the
Gods, the leading causes of their series. Hence they say, either that
Gods have connexion with women, or men with Goddesses. But if they were
willing to speak plainly and clearly, they would say that Venus, Mars,
Thetis, and the other divinities, produce their respective series,
beginning from on high, as far as to the last of things; each of which
series comprehends in itself many essences differing from each other;
such as the angelical, dæmoniacal, heroical, nymphical, and the like.
The lowest powers, therefore, of these orders, have much communion with
the human race; for the extremities of first are connascent with the
summits of secondary natures. And they contribute to our other natural
operations, and to the production of our species. On this account it is
frequently seen that from the mixture of these powers with men heroes
are generated, who appear to possess a certain prerogative above human
nature. Not only a dæmoniacal genus, however, of this kind, physically
sympathizes with men, but a different genus sympathizes with other
animals, as Nymphs with trees, others with fountains, and others with
stags, or serpents.
But how is it that at one time the Gods are said to have connexion with
mortal females, and at another time mortal females with the Gods? We
reply, that the communion of Gods with Goddesses gives subsistence to
Gods or dæmons eternally; but heroic souls having a two-fold form of
life, viz. _doxastic_ and _dianoëtic_, the former of which is called by
Plato in the Timæus _the circle of difference_, and the latter, _the
circle of sameness_, and which are characterized by the properties of
_male_ and _female_;--hence these souls at one time exhibit a deiform
power, by energizing according to the masculine prerogative of their
nature, or _the circle of sameness_, and at another time according to
their feminine prerogative, or _the circle of difference_; yet so as
that according to both these energies they act with rectitude, and
without merging themselves in the darkness of body. They likewise know
the natures prior to their own, and exercise a providential care over
inferior concerns, without at the same time having that propensity to
such concerns which is found in the bulk of mankind. But the souls
which act erroneously according to the energies of both these circles,
or which, in other words, neither exhibit accurate specimens of
practical, nor of intellectual virtue--these differ in no respect from
_gregarious_ souls, or the herd of mankind, with whom the circle of
sameness is fettered, and the circle of difference sustains all-various
fractions and distortions.
As it is impossible therefore, that these heroic souls can act with
equal vigour and perfection, according to both these circles at once,
since this is the province of natures more divine than the human, it is
necessary that they should sometimes descend and energize principally
according to their doxastic part, and sometimes according to their
more intellectual part. Hence, one of these circles must energize
naturally, and the other be hindered from its proper energy. On this
account heroes are called _demigods_, as having only one of their
circles illuminated by the Gods. Such of these therefore, as have the
circle of sameness unfettered, as are excited to an intellectual life,
and are moved about it according to a deific energy,--these are said
to have a God for their father, and a mortal for their mother, through
a defect with respect to the doxastic form of life. But such, on the
contrary, as energize without impediment according to the circle of
difference, who act with becoming rectitude in practical affairs, and
at the same time _enthusiastically_, or in other words, under the
inspiring influence of divinity,--these are said to have a mortal for
their father, and a Goddess for their mother. In short, rectitude
of energy in each of these circles is to be ascribed to a divine
cause.[184] Hence when the circle of sameness has dominion, the divine
cause of illumination is said to be masculine and paternal; but when
the circle of difference predominates, it is said to be maternal. Hence
too, Achilles in Homer acts with rectitude in practical affairs,[185]
and at the same time exhibits specimens of magnificent, vehement, and
divinely-inspired energy, as being the son of a Goddess. And such
is his attachment to practical virtue, that even when in Hades, he
desires a union with body, that he may assist his father. While on
the contrary, Minos and Rhadamanthus, who were heroes illuminated by
Jupiter, raised themselves from generation to true being, and meddled
with mortal concerns no further than absolute necessity required.
In the last place Proclus adds, that heroes are very properly
denominated from Love, since Love is a great dæmon: and from the
co-operation of dæmons heroes are produced. To which may also be
added, that Love originated from Plenty as the more excellent cause,
and from Poverty as the recipient and the worse cause; and heroes are
analogously produced from different genera.
Plato who was one of these heroes or demigods, was the offspring of
Apollo in the way above explained by Proclus, as we are informed by
Olympiodorus in his life of him. For he says, “It is reported that
an Apolloniacal spectre had connection with Perictione the mother of
Plato, and that appearing in the night to Aristo the father of Plato,
it commanded him not to sleep with Perictione during the time of her
pregnancy--which mandate Aristo obeyed.” The like account of the divine
origin of Plato is also given by Apuleius in his treatise on the dogmas
of Plato, and by Plutarch in the 8th book of his Symposiacs. Epimenides
likewise, Eudoxus and Xenocrates asserted that Apollo becoming
connected with Parthenis the mother of Pythagoras, and causing her to
be pregnant, had in consequence of this predicted concerning Pythagoras
by his priest.[186] And thus much concerning those undefiled souls who
were called by the ancients terrestrial dæmons, heroes and demigods,
and who descended into the regions of mortality for the benevolent
purpose of benefiting those apostate souls, who are elegantly called by
Empedocles,
Heaven’s exiles straying from the orb of light.