Ocellus Lucanus on the nature of the universe. Taurus, the Platonic philosopher, on the eternity of the world. Julius Firmicus Maternus of the Thema mundi: in which the positions of the stars at the commencement of the several mundane periods is given. Select theorems on the perpetuity of time, by Proclus. Tr. by T. Taylor

Front Cover
Pr. for the translator, 1831 - 96 pages

From inside the book

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 27 - See dying vegetables life sustain, See life dissolving vegetate again : All forms that perish other forms supply, (By turns we catch the vital breath, and die) Like bubbles on the sea of matter born, They rise, they break, and to that sea return.
Page 77 - The different periods in which these mutations happen, are called by Plato, with great propriety, periods of fertility and sterility. For in these periods, a fertility or sterility of men, animals, and plants, takes place ; so that in fertile periods, mankind will be both more numerous, and upon the whole, superior in mental and bodily endowments; to the men of a barren period. And a similar reasoning must be extended to animals and plants.
Page 77 - ... according to, and sometimes contrary to nature. Hence the celestial bodies, which are the first parts of the universe, perpetually subsist according to nature, both the whole spheres, and the multitude co-ordinate to these wholes*; and the only alteration which they experience is a mutation of figure, and variation of light at different periods : but in the sublunary region, while the spheres of...
Page 80 - They say that a conjunction of planets then took place, and their tables show this conjunction. Bailly states that Jupiter and Mercury were then in the same degree of the ecliptic, Mars at a distance of only eight, and Saturn of seven degrees ; whence it follows that at the point of time given by the Brahmins as the commencement of...
Page 48 - Necepso ( a ), who deserve all possible admiration, and whose wisdom approached to the very penetralia of Deity, scientifically delivered to us the geniture of the world, that they might demonstrate and show that man was fashioned conformably to the nature and similitude of the world...
Page 48 - And thus the Demiurgus exhibited man by the artifice of a divine fabrication, in such a way, that in a small body he might bestow the power and essence of all the elements, nature, for this purpose, bringing them together ; and also, so that from the divine spirit, which descended from a celestial intellect, to the support of the mortal body, he might prepare an abode for man, which, though fragile, might be similar to the world. On this account, the five stars...
Page 71 - O Egypt, Egypt, fables alone shall remain of thy religion, and these such as will be incredible to posterity ; and words alone shall be left engraved in stones, narrating thy pious deeds. The Scythian also, or Indian, or some other similar nation, shall inhabit Egypt. For divinity shall return to heaven, all its inhabitants shall die, and thus Egypt, bereft both of God and man, shall be deserted.
Page 40 - ... natures. Thus we call a thing visible, which is not seen, nor has been seen, nor will be seen, but yet is in the same genus with things of a visible nature. And this will take place with a body which may exist about the centre of * See my Translation of the Commentaries of Proclus on the.
Page 37 - ... representing this beautiful distribution of the elements, by Proclus, arithmetically. Let the number 60 represent fire, and 480 earth ; and the media between these, viz. 120 and 240, will correspond to air and water. For, as 60 : 120 : : 240 : 480. But 60 = 3 X 5 X 4, 120 = 3 X 10 X 4, 240 = 6 X 10 X 4, and 480 = 6 X 10 X 8. So that these numbers will correspond to the properties of the elements as follows: Fire. Air. 3X5X4 3X10X4:: Subtle, acute, moveable. Subtle, blunt, moveable. Water. Earth....
Page 48 - Quid mirum, noscere mundum Si possunt homines, quibus est et mundus in ipsis, Exemplumque dei quisque est in imagine parva?

Bibliographic information