Page:Works of Plato his first fifty-five dialogues (Taylor 1804) (Vol 2 of 5) (IA Vol2worksofplato00plat).pdf/458

 INTRODUCTION TO THE TIMiEUS.

448

divine circulations; about which the revolutions of the ſtars fubfifl, and which fu fains the whole of the heavens by its power.

And hence it is

called Atlas, from the immutable and unwearied energy with which it is endued.

Add too that the word t;ta^svov, extended, fignifies that this one

power is Titanic, guarding the circulations of the wholes which the univerfe contains. “ Earth is like wife called the guardian and fabricator of night and day. And that (he caufes the night indeed is evident ; for her magnitude and figure give that great extent to the conical (hadow which (he produces. But (he is the fabricator of the day, confidered as giving perfection to the day which is conjoined with night; fo that earth is the artificer of both thefe in conjunction with the fun. “ But (lie is the moil antient and firfi of the Gods in the heavens, con¬ fidered with refpeCt to her (lability and generative power, her fymphony with heaven, and her pofition in the centre of the univerfe.

For the

centre poiTeffes a mighty power in the univerfe, as connecting all its cir¬ culations ; and hence it was called by the Pythagoreans the tower of Jupiter, from its containing a demiurgic guard.

And if we recoiled; the Platonic

bypothefis concerning the earth (which we have mentioned before), that our habitable part is nothing but a dark hollow, and very different from the true earth, which is adorned with a beauty fimilar to that of the heavens, we (hall have no occafion to wonder at her beins: called the firfi and mod antient of the celeflial Gods.” Again, according to the Platonic philofophy, fome of the fixed (lars are fometimes fo affected, that for a confiderable fpace of time they become invifible to us ; and in this cafe, both when they withdraw themfelves from our view, and when they again make their appearance, they are faid by fuch as are (killed in thefe affairs, according to the information of Proclrs 1, both to produce and fignify mighty events.

But though it is evident from the

very words of Plato, in this part of the dialogue, that this opinion con¬ cerning certain flars difappearing and becoming again vifible was entertained by all the aflronomers of his time, and by the Pythagoreans prior to him, 1 In Tim. p. 285.

And in p. 333 he informs us, that the fixed ftars have periods of revolu¬

tion, though to us unknown, and that different ftars have different periods.

See alfo Chalcidius

in Plat. Tim. p. 218.

yet