PROCLUS DIADOCHUS
ELEMENTS of THEOLOGY

ΠΡΟΚΛΟΥ ΔΙΑΔΟΧΟΥ
ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΩΣΙΣ ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΚΗ.

Proposition 1

— 1 —

All multitude participates in a certain respect in the one

Πᾶν πλῆθος μετέχει πηι τοῦ ἑνός.

For if it in no respect participates of the one, neither will the whole be one whole, nor each of the many of which the multitude consists; but there will also be a certain multitude arising from each of these, and this will be the case to infinity. Each of these infinites, likewise, will again be infinite multitude.

εἰ γὰρ μηδαμῆι μετέχοι, οὔτε τὸ ὅλον ἓν ἔσται οὔθ᾽ ἕκαστον τῶν πολλῶν ἐξ ὧν τὸ πλῆθος, ἀλλ᾽ ἔσται καὶ ἐκείνων ἕκαστον πλῆθος, καὶ τοῦτο εἰς ἄπειρον, καὶ τῶν ἀπείρων τούτων ἕκαστον ἔσται πάλιν πλῆθος ἄπειρον.

For participating in no respect of any one, neither according to the whole of itself, nor according to each of the many which it contains, it will be in every respect, and according to the whole, infinite. For each of the many which you may assume, will either be one, or not one, will either be many or nothing.

μηδενὸς γὰρ ἑνὸς μηδαμῆι μετέχον μήτε καθ᾽ ὅλον ἑαυτὸ μήτε καθ᾽ ἕκαστον τῶν ἐν αὐτῶι, πάντηι ἄπειρον ἔσται καὶ κατὰ πᾶν. τῶν γὰρ πολλῶν ἕκαστον, ὅπερ ἂν λάβηις, ἤτοι ἓν ἔσται ἢ οὐχ ἕν· καὶ εἰ οὐχ ἕν, ἤτοι πολλὰ ἢ οὐδέν.

But if each is nothing, that also which consists of these will be nothing. And if each is many, each will consist of infinites infinitely:

ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν ἕκαστον οὐδέν, καὶ τὸ ἐκ τούτων οὐδέν· εἰ δὲ πολλά, ἐξ ἀπειράκις ἀπείρων ἕκαστον.

These things, however, are impossible. For neither does any being consist of infinites infinitely assumed; since there is not more than the infinite; but that which consists of all is more than each.

ταῦτα δὲ ἀδύνατα. οὔτε γὰρ ἐξ ἀπειράκις ἀπείρων ἐστί τι τῶν ὄντων <τοῦ γὰρ ἀπείρου πλέον οὐκ ἔστι, τὸ δὲ ἐκ πάντων ἑκάστου πλέον>

Nor is it possible for any thing to be composed from nothing.

οὔτε ἐκ τοῦ μηδενὸς συντίθεσθαί τι δυνατόν.

All multitude, therefore, participates in a certain respect of the one.

 πᾶν ἄρα πλῆθος μετέχει πηι τοῦ ἑνός.

Proposition 2

— 2 —

Every thing that participates in the one, is both one and not one.

Πᾶν τὸ μετέχον τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ ἕν ἐστι καὶ οὐχ ἕν.

For if it is not the one itself (since it participates of the one) being something else besides the one, it suffers, or is passive to it according to participation, and sustains to become one. If, therefore, it is nothing besides the one, it is one alone, and does not participate of the one, but will be the one itself.

εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἔστιν αὐτοέν <μετέχει γὰρ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἄλλο τι ὂν παρὰ τὸ ἕν>, πέπονθε τὸ ἓν κατὰ τὴν μέθεξιν καὶ ὑπέμεινεν ἓν γενέσθαι. εἰ μὲν οὖν μηδέν ἐστι παρὰ τὸ ἕν, μόνον ἐστὶν ἕν· καὶ οὐ μεθέξει τοῦ ἑνός, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτοὲν ἔσται.

But if it is something besides the one, which is not the one, but its participant, it is both not one, and one, not indeed such a one as the one itself, but one being, as participating of the one. This, therefore, is not one, nor is it that which the one is.

εἰ δ᾽ ἐστί τι παρ᾽ ἐκεῖνο, ὃ μὴ ἔστιν ἕν, τὸ μετέχον τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ οὐχ ἕν ἐστι καὶ ἕν, οὐχ ὅπερ ἓν ἀλλ᾽ ἓν ὄν, ὡς μετέχον τοῦ ἑνός τούτωι ἄρα οὐχ ἕν ἐστιν, οὐδ᾽ ὅπερ ἕν·

But it is one, and at the same time a participant of the one. Hence, being of itself not one, it is both one and not one, being something else besides the one.

ἓν δὲ ὂν ἅμα καὶ μετέχον τοῦ ἑνός, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐχ ἓν καθ᾽ αὑτὸ ὑπάρχον, ἕν ἐστι καὶ οὐχ ἕν, παρὰ τὸ ἓν ἄλλο τι ὄν·

And so far indeed as it abounds, it is not one, but so far as it is passive it is one.

ὧι μὲν ἐπλεόνασεν, οὐχ ἕν· ὧι δὲ πέπονθεν, ἕν.

Every thing, therefore, which participates in the one, is both one, and not one.

πᾶν ἄρα τὸ μετέχον τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ ἕν ἐστι καὶ οὐχ ἕν.

Proposition 3

— 3 —

All that becomes one does so by participation in unity

Πᾶν τὸ γινόμενον ἓν μεθέξει τοῦ ἑνὸς γίνεται ἕν.

For what becomes one is itself not-one, but is one inasmuch as it is affected by participation of unity: since, if things which are not in themselves one should become one, they surely do so by coming together and by communication in each other, and so are subjected to the presence of unity without being unity unqualified. In so far, then, as they undergo a process of becoming one, they participate unity.

αὐτὸ μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ἕν ἐστι, καθὸ δὲ πέπονθε τὴν μετοχὴν τοῦ ἑνός, ἕν ἐστιν. εἰ γὰρ γίνοιτο ἓν ἃ μὴ ἔστιν ἓν καθ᾽ αὑτά, συνιόντα δήπου καὶ κοινωνοῦντα ἀλλήλοις γίνεται ἕν, καὶ ὑπομένει τὴν τοῦ ἑνὸς παρουσίαν οὐκ ὄντα ὅπερ ἕν. μετέχει ἄρα τοῦ ἑνὸς ταύτηι, ἧι πάσχει τὸ ἓν γενέσθαι.

For if they already are one, they cannot become one: nothing can become what it already is. But if from a former not-one they become one, their unity must be due to a • one' which has entered into them.

εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἤδη ἐστὶν ἕν, οὐ γίνεται ἕν· τὸ γὰρ ὂν οὐ γίνεται ὃ ἤδη ἐστίν. εἰ δὲ γίνεται ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ἑνὸς πρότερον, ἕξει τὸ ἓν ἐγγενομένου τινὸς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑνός.

Proposition 142

— 142 —

The gods are present alike to all things: not all things, however, are present alike to the gods, but each order has a share in their presence proportioned to its station and capacity, some things receiving them as unities and others as manifolds, some perpetually and others for a time, some incorporeally and others through the body.

Πᾶσι μὲν οἱ θεοὶ πάρεισιν ὡσαύτως· οὐ πάντα δὲ ὡσαύτως τοῖς θεοῖς πάρεστιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἕκαστα κατὰ τὴν αὐτῶν τάξιν τε καὶ δύναμιν μεταλαγχάνει τῆς ἐκείνων παρουσίας, τὰ μὲν ἑνοειδῶς, τὰ δὲ πεπληθυσμένως, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀϊδίως, τὰ δὲ κατὰ χρόνον, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀσωμάτως, τὰ δὲ σωματικῶς.

Thus, while the gods are present alike to all things, not all things are present alike to them; each order is present in the degree of its capacity, and enjoys them in the degree of its presence, which is the measure of its participation.

ὥστε πᾶσιν ἐκείνων ὡσαύτως παρόντων, τὰ πάντα οὐχ ὡσαύτως πάρεστιν ἐκείνοις, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἕκαστα δύναται, πάρεστι, καὶ ὡς πάρεστιν, οὕτως ἐκείνων ἀπολαύει· κατὰ γὰρ τὸ μέτρον τῆς τούτων παρουσίας ἡ μέθεξις.

Proposition 1

— 1 —