Proclus

ON THE PRIESTLY [hieratic] ART ACCORDING to THE GREEKS	Περὶ τῆς καθ' Ἕλληνας ἱερατικῆς τέχνης.
JUST as lovers systematically leave behind what is beautiful to the senses and attain the one true source of all that is fair and intelligible, in the same way priests, observing how all things are in all from the sympathy that all visible things have for one another and for the invisible powers, have also framed their priestly knowledge;	Ὥσπερ οἱ ἐρωτικοὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν αἰσθήσει καλῶν ὁδῶι προϊόντες ἐπ' αὐτὴν καταντῶσι τὴν μίαν τῶν καλῶν πάντων καὶ νοητῶν ἀρχήν, οὕτως καὶ οἱ ἱερατικοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν τοῖς φαινομένοις ἅπασι συμπαθείας πρός τε ἄλληλα καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀφανεῖς δυνάμεις, πάντα ἐν πᾶσι κατανοήσαντες, τὴν ἐπιστήμην τὴν ἱερατικὴν συνεστήσαντο,
because they were amazed to see the last in the first and the very first in the last: in heaven they saw earthly things acting causally and in a heavenly manner, in the earth heavenly things in an earthly manner.	θαυμάσαντες τῶι βλέπειν ἔν τε τοῖς πρώτοις τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τὰ πρώτιστα, ἐν οὐρανῶι μὲν τὰ χθόνια κατ' αἰτίαν καὶ οὐρανίως, ἔν τε γῆι τὰ οὐράνια γηΐνως.
So do heliotropes move together with the sun, selenotropes with the moon, moving around to the extent of their ability with the luminaries of the cosmos?	Ἢ πόθεν ἡλιοτρόπια μὲν ἡλίωι, σεληνοτρόπια δὲ σελήνηι συγκινεῖται συμπεριπολοῦντα ἐς δύναμιν τοῖς τοῦ κόσμου φωστῆρσιν.
For all things pray according to their own order and sing hymns to the rulers of the whole chains, either intellectually (noetically) or rationally or naturally or sensibly:	Εὔχεται γὰρ πάντα κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν καὶ ὑμνεῖ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας τῶν σειρῶν ὅλων ἢ νοερῶς ἢ λογικῶς ἢ φυσικῶς ἢ αἰσθητῶς·
and since the heliotrope is also moved toward that to which it readily opens, if anyone hears it striking the air as it turns around, he perceives in the sound that it offers to the king the kind of hymn that a plant can sing.	ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ ἡλιοτρόπιον ὧι ἔστιν εὔλυτον, τούτωι κινεῖται καί, εἰ δή τις αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν περιστροφὴν ἀκούειν τὸν ἀέρα πλήσσοντος οἷός τε ἦν, ὕμνον ἄν τινα διὰ τοῦ ἤχου τούτου συνήισθετο τῶι Βασιλεῖ προσάγοντος, ὃν δύναται φυτὸν ὑμνεῖν.
In the earth, then, it is possible to see suns and moons terrestrially, but in heaven one can also see celestially all the heavenly plants and stones and animals living intellectually (noetically).	Ἐν μὲν οὖν τῆι γῆι χθονίως ἐστὶν ἡλίους καὶ σελήνας ὁρᾶν, ἐν οὐρανῶι δὲ οὐρανίως τά τε φυτὰ πάντα καὶ λίθους καὶ ζῶια, ζῶντα νοερῶς.
So the ancient wise men, by discerning these things	Ἃ δὴ κατιδόντες οἱ πάλαι σοφοί,
and attributing some of the heavenly things to certain objects and some to others,	τὰ μὲν ἄλλοις, τὰ δὲ ἄλλοις προσάγοντες τῶν οὐρανίων,
brought divine powers into the region of mortals,	ἐπήγοντο θείας δυνάμεις εἰς τὸν θνητὸν τόπον
attracting them through likeness.	καὶ διὰ τῆς ὁμοιότητος ἐφειλκύσαντο·
For similarity is sufficient to join beings to one another.	ἱκανὴ γὰρ ἡ ὁμοιότης συνάπτειν τὰ ὄντα ἀλλήλοις·
And if then one first heats up a wick and then holds it under the light of a lamp not far from the flame, he will see it kindled, though untouched by the flame; and the kindling proceeds upwards from below.	ἐπεὶ καί, εἴ τις θρυαλλίδα προθερμήνας ὑπόσχοι τῶι λυχναίωι φωτὶ μὴ πόρρω τοῦ πυρός, ἴδοι ἂν αὐτὴν ἐξαπτομένην μὴ ψαύουσαν τοῦ πυρός, καὶ τὴν ἔξαψιν ἄνωθεν τοῦ κατωτέρω γινομένην.
By analogy, then, understand the preparatory heating as like the sympathy of lower things for those above:	Ἀναλόγως οὖν ἡ μὲν προθέρμανσις νοείσθω σοι τῆι συμπαθείαι τῶν τῆιδε πρὸς ἐκεῖνα,
the approach and the proper placement as [analogous] to	ἡ δὲ προσαγωγὴ καὶ ἐν καλῶι θέσις
the use made in the priestly art of material things, at the right moment and in the appropriate manner:	τῆι τῆς ἱερατικῆς τέχνης κατά τε καιρὸν τὸν πρέποντα καὶ τρόπον τὸν οἰκεῖον προσχρήσει τῶν ὑλῶν,
the communication of the fire	ἡ δὲ τοῦ πυρὸς διάδοσις
as like the coming of the divine light to what is capable of sharing [participating in] it;	τῆι παρουσίαι τοῦ θείου φωτὸς εἰς τὸ δυνάμενον μετέχειν,
and the kindling	ἡ δὲ ἔξαψις
[analogous] to the divinization of mortals	τῆι θειώσει τῶν θνητῶν
and the illumination of [things encased] in matter,	καὶ τῆι περιλάμψει τῶν ἐνύλων,
which things then are moved toward the others above insofar as they share in the divine seed.	ἃ δὴ κινεῖται πρὸς τὸ ἄνω λοιπὸν κατὰ τὸ μετασχεθὲν ὑπ' αὐτῶν σπέρμα θεῖον,
like the light of the wick when it is lit.	ὥσπερ τὸ τῆς ἐξαφθείσης θρυαλλίδος φῶς.
The lotus also shows that there is sympathy. Before the sun's rays appear, it is closed, but as the sun first rises it is slowly unfolded, and the higher the light goes the more it is expanded, and then it is contracted again as the sun goes down.	Καὶ ὁ λωτὸς δὲ παρίστησι τὴν συμπάθειαν, μεμυκὼς μὲν πρὸ τῶν ἡλιακῶν αὐγῶν, διαπτυσσόμενος δέ πως ἠρέμα τοῦ ἡλίου πρῶτον φανέντος, καὶ ὅσον ὑψοῦται τὸ φῶς, ἐξαπλούμενος, καὶ αὖθις συναγόμενος, ἐπὶ δύσιν ἰόντος.
How then does it differ when men open and close mouths and lips to hymn the sun,	Τί δὴ οὖν διαφέρει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους αἴροντας ἢ τιθέντας <τὰς> γένυς ἢ τὰ χείλη ὑμνεῖν τὸν ἥλιον,
from the folding and opening of the lotus petals?	ἢ τὸν λωτὸν τὰ φύλλα συμπτύσσοντα καὶ ἀναπλοῦντα;
For the petals of the lotus take the place of a mouth, and its hymn is a natural one.	Γίγνεται γὰρ ἀντὶ τῶν γενύων ταῦτα τῶι λωτῶι, καὶ ὁ ὕμνος φυσικός.
But why talk of plants, which have some trace of generative life?	Καὶ τί δεῖ λέγειν περὶ φυτῶν οἷς ὑπάρχει ζωῆς ἴχνος τι γεννητικῆς.
One can also see that stones inhale the influences of the luminaries, as we see the sunstone with its golden rays imitating the rays of the sun;	Ἀλλὰ καὶ λίθους ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ταῖς τῶν φωστήρων ἀπορροίαις ἐμπνέοντας, ὡς τὸν μὲν ἡλίτην ταῖς χρυσοειδέσιν ἀκτῖσιν ὁρῶμεν τὰς ἡλιακὰς ἀκτῖνας μιμούμενον,
and the stone called Bel's eye resembling the pupil of the eye and emitting a glittering light from the center of its pupil	τὸν δὲ Βήλου προσαγορευόμενον ὀφθαλμὸν καὶ σχῆμα παραπλήσιον ἔχοντα κόραις ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἐκ μέσης τῆς ἐν αὐτῶι κόρης στιλπνὸν ἀφιέντα φῶς,
(which they say should be called sun's eye.)	ὅν φασιν ἡλίου χρῆναι καλεῖν ὀφθαλμόν,
And the Moonstone changing in figure and motion along with the moon:	τὸν δὲ σεληνίτην τύπωι τε καὶ κινήσει σὺν τῆι σελήνηι τρεπόμενον,
and the sun-moonstone, a kind of image of the conjunction of these luminaries. imitating their conjunctions and separations in the heavens.	τὸν δὲ ἡλιοσέληνον τῆς συνόδου τῶν φωστήρων τούτων οἷον ἄγαλμα ταῖς κατ' οὐρανὸν συνόδοις τε καὶ διαστάσεσιν ἀφομοιωθέν.
Thus, all things are full of gods:	Οὕτω μεστὰ πάντα θεῶν,
Things on earth are full of heavenly gods: things in heaven are full of supercelestials: and each chain continues abounding up to its final members.	τὰ μὲν ἐν γῆι τῶν οὐρανίων, τὰ δὲ ἐν οὐρανῶι τῶν ὑπὲρ τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ πρόεισιν ἑκάστη πληθυομένη σειρὰ μέχρι τῶν ἐσχάτων·
For what is in the One that is Before All makes its appearance in all, in which are also communications between souls set beneath one god or another.	τὰ γὰρ ἐν ἑνὶ πρὸ τῶν πάντων, ταῦτα ἐν πᾶσιν ἐξεφάνη, ἐν οἷς καὶ ψυχῶν συστάσεις ἄλλων ὑπ' ἄλλοις ταττομένων θεοῖς,
Thus, consider the multitude of solar animals, such as lions and cocks, which also share in the divine, following their own order. It is amazing how the lesser in might and size among these animals are regarded with fear by those greater in both respects. For they say the lion shrinks from the cock.	ἔπειτα ζώιων ἡλιακῶν εἰ τύχοι πλῆθος, οἷον λέοντες καὶ ἀλεκτρυόνες, μετέχοντες καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῦ θείου κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν τάξιν. Καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν ὅπως ἐν τούτοις τὰ ἐλάττονα δυνάμει τε καὶ μεγέθει τοῖς κατ' ἄμφω κρείττοσίν ἐστι φοβερά· ὑποστέλλεται γὰρ ὁ λέων, φασί, τὸν ἀλεκτρυόνα.
The cause of this is not to be grasped from appearances but from intellectual vision and from differences among the causes. In fact, the presence of heliacal symbols is more effective for the cock:	Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς αἰσθήσεως οὐκ ἔστι λαβεῖν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς νοερᾶς ἐπιβλέψεως καὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς αἰτίοις διαφορᾶς. Ἐνεργεστέρα γοῦν ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἡλιακῶν συμβόλων εἰς τὸν ἀλεκτρυόνα παρουσία·
it is clear that he perceives the solar orbits and sings a hymn to the luminary as it rises and moves among the other cardinal points.	δηλοῖ δὲ τῶν ἡλιακῶν περιόδων συναισθανόμενος καὶ ἄιδων ὕμνον τῶι φωστῆρι προσιόντι τε καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ λοιπὰ κέντρα τρεπομένωι·
Therefore, some solar angels seem to have forms of this same kind, and though they are formless they appear formed to us who are bound in form.	διὸ καὶ ἄγγελοί τινες ἡλιακοὶ ὤφθησαν τοιαύτας ἔχοντες μορφάς, καὶ ὄντες ἀμόρφωτοι, φαίνονται τοῖς ἐν μορφῆι κατεχομένοις ἡμῖν μεμορφωμένοι.
Now if one of the solar demons becomes manifest with the face of a lion, it is said that as soon as a cock is presented he becomes invisible,	Ἤδη δέ τινα τῶν ἡλιακῶν δαιμόνων λεοντοπρόσωπον φαινόμενον, ἀλεκτρυόνος δειχθέντος, ἀφανῆ γενέσθαι φασὶν ὑποστελλόμενον τὰ τῶν κρειττόνων συνθήματα·
In the same way, many who see the images of divine men refrain from committing abominable acts.	ἐπεὶ καὶ θείων ἀνδρῶν εἰκόνας ὁρῶντες πολλοὶ ἀνεστάλησαν ὑπ' αὐταῖς τι τῶν μιαρῶν ἐνεργεῖν.
In brief, then, such things as the plants mentioned above follow the orbits of the luminary; others imitate the appearance of its rays (e.g., the palm) or the empyrean substance (e.g.. the laurel) or something else.	Ἁπλῶς δὲ τὰ μὲν ταῖς περιόδοις τοῦ φωστῆρος συγκινεῖται, ὡς τὰ εἰρημένα φυτά, τὰ δὲ τὸ σχῆμα μιμεῖται τῶν ἀκτίνων, ὥσπερ ὁ φοῖνιξ, τὰ δὲ τὴν ἐμπύριον οὐσίαν, ὥσπερ ἡ δάφνη, τὰ δὲ ἄλλο τι.

SO it seems that properties sown together in the sun are distributed among the angels, demons, souls, animals, plants, and stones that share them.	Ἴδοις ἂν οὖν τὰς συνεσπειραμένας ἰδιότητας ἐν ἡλίωι μεριζομένας ἐν τοῖς μετέχουσιν ἀγγέλοις, δαίμοσι, ψυχαῖς, ζώιοις, φυτοῖς, λίθοις.
From this evidence of the eyes, the leaders of the priestly art have thus discovered how to serve the higher powers, mixing some things together and setting others apart in the proper way.	Ὅθεν οἱ τῆς ἱερατικῆς ἡγεμόνες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς κειμένων τὴν τῶν ἀνωτέρω δυνάμεων θεραπείαν εὑρήκασι, τὰ μὲν μίξαντες, τὰ δὲ οἰκείως ἀναιρούμενοι·
And mixing is used because they saw that each unmixed thing possesses some property of the god but is not enough to call forth that [god].	ἡ δὲ μῖξις διὰ τὸ βλέπειν τῶν ἀμίκτων ἕκαστόν τινα ἔχον ἰδιότητα τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐ μὴν ἐξαρκοῦν πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου πρόκλησιν·
Therefore, by mixing many things they unified the aforementioned influences and made a unity generated from all of them similar to the whole that is prior to them all.	διὸ τῆι μίξει τῶν πολλῶν ἑνίζουσι τὰς προειρημένας ἀπορροίας καὶ ἐξομοιοῦσι τὸ ἐκ πάντων ἓν γενόμενον πρὸς ἐκεῖνο τὸ πρὸ τῶν πάντων ὅλον·
And they often devised composite statues and incensations, having blended together into one the separate symbols	καὶ ἀγάλματα πολλάκις κατασκευάζουσι σύμμικτα καὶ θυμιάματα, φυράσαντες εἰς ἓν τὰ μερισθέντα συνθήματα
and having by art made the divine as it were comprehensible in its essence through unification of many powers, which divided would each be indistinct, while mixing elevated it to the idea of the exemplar.	καὶ ποιήσαντες τέχνηι ὁποῖον κατ' οὐσίαν τὸ θεῖον περιληπτικὸν καθ' ἕνωσιν τῶν πλειόνων δυνάμεων, ὧν ὁ μὲν μερισμὸς ἠμύδρωσεν ἑκάστην, ἡ δὲ μῖξις ἐπανήγαγεν εἰς τὴν τοῦ παραδείγματος ἰδέαν.
But there are times when one plant or one stone suffices for the work. Flax-leaved daphne is enough for a manifestation: laurel, box-thorn, squill, coral, diamond, or jasper will do for a guardian spirit; but for foreknowledge one needs the heart of a mole and for purification sulfur and salt water.	Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καὶ μία πόα καὶ λίθος εἷς ἀρκεῖ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον· ἀπόχρη γὰρ πρὸς μὲν αὐτοφάνειαν τὸ κνέωρον, πρὸς δὲ φυλακὴν δάφνη, ῥάμνος, σκύλλα, κουράλιον, ἀδάμας καὶ ἴασπις, πρὸς δὲ πρόγνωσιν ἡ τοῦ ἀσπάλακος καρδία, πρὸς δὲ καθάρσεις τὸ θεῖον καὶ τὸ θαλάττιον ὕδωρ.
By means of sympathy, then, they draw them near, but by antipathy they drive them away, using sulfur and bitumen for purification, perhaps, or an aspersion of sea water.	Διὰ μὲν οὖν τῆς συμπαθείας προσήγοντο, διὰ δὲ τῆς ἀντιπαθείας ἀπήλαυνον, καθαίροντες εἰ τύχοι θείωι καὶ ἀσφάλτωι καὶ περιρραίνοντες θαλάττηι·
For sulfur purifies by the sharpness of its scent, sea water because it shares in the empyrean power.	καθαίρει γὰρ τὸ μὲν θεῖον διὰ τὸ δριμὺ τῆς ὀσμῆς, ἡ δὲ θάλαττα διὰ τὸ μετέχειν ἐμπυρίου δυνάμεως.
For consecrations and other divine services they search out appropriate animals as well as other things.	Καὶ ἐν ταῖς τελεταῖς δὲ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς θεραπείαις ζῶιά τε προσήκοντα ἐξελέγοντο καὶ ἕτερ' ἄττα.
Beginning with these things and others like them, they gained knowledge of the daimonic powers, how closely connected they are in substance to natural and corporeal energy, and through these very substances they achieved association with the [daimons],	Ἀπὸ δὴ τούτων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὁρμηθέντες, τὰς δαιμονίους δυνάμεις ἔγνωσαν, ὡς προσεχεῖς εἰσιν οὐσίαι τῆς ἐν τῆι φύσει καὶ τοῖς σώμασιν ἐνεργείας, καὶ ἐπηγάγοντο δι' αὐτῶν τούτων εἰς συνουσίαν·
from whom they returned forthwith to actual works of the gods, learning some things from the [gods], for other things being moved by themselves toward accurate consideration of the appropriate symbols.	ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων ἐπ' αὐτὰς ἤδη τὰς τῶν θεῶν ἀνέδραμον ποιήσεις, τὰ μὲν ἀπ' αὐτῶν διδασκόμενοι, τὰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ κινούμενοι παρ' ἑαυτῶν εὐστόχως εἰς τὴν τῶν οἰκείων συμβόλων ἐπίνοιαν· καὶ οὕτω λοιπόν,
Thence, leaving nature and natural energies (activities) below, they had dealings with (made use of) the primary and divine powers.	τὴν φύσιν καὶ τὰς φυσικὰς ἐνεργείας κάτω καταλιπόντες, ταῖς πρωτουργοῖς καὶ θείαις ἐχρήσαντο δυνάμεσι.

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