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Proclus : DIVINE TRUTH

from the Theology of Plato, * Excerpts from ch. 20 & 21
Translated by Thomas Taylor  * Greek Fonts  * Proclus Resources


ELPENOR EDITIONS IN PRINT
Page 3

The truth therefore of the Gods alone, is the undivided union and all-perfect communion of them. And through this the ineffable knowledge of the Gods, surpasses all knowledge, and all secondary forms of knowledge participate of an appropriate perfection. But this knowledge alone of the Gods contractedly comprehends these secondary forms of knowledge, and all beings according to an ineffable union. And through this the Gods know all things at once, wholes and parts, beings and non-beings, things eternal and things temporal, not in the same manner as intellect by the universal knows a part, and by being, non-being, but they know every thing immediately, such things as are common, and such as are particulars, though you should speak of the most absurd of all things, though you should speak of the infinity of contingencies, or even of matter itself. If, however, you investigate the mode of the knowledge and truth of the Gods, concerning all things that have a subsistence in any respect whatever, it is ineffable and incomprehensible by the projecting energies of the human intellect; but is alone known to the Gods themselves. Μόνη τοίνυν ἡ τῶν θεῶν ἀλήθεια ἕνωσις αὐτῶν ἐστὶν ἀδιαίρετος καὶ παντελὴς κοινωνία͵ καὶ διὰ ταύτην ἥ τε τῶν θεῶν ἄρρητος γνῶσις ὑπερέχει πάσης γνώσεως καὶ πάντα τὰ δεύτερα τῶν γνώσεων εἴδη τελειότητος μεταλαγχάνει τῆς προσηκούσης. Μόνη δὲ αὕτη καὶ πάντα τὰ ὄντα καθ΄ ἕνωσιν ἄφραστον συνῃρημένως περιέχει͵ καὶ διὰ ταύτην οἱ θεοὶ τὰ πάντα γινώσκουσιν ὁμοῦ͵ τά τε ὅλα καὶ τὰ μέρη͵ τά τε ὄντα καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα͵ τά τε αἰώνια καὶ τὰ ἔγχρονα· οὐχ ὥσπερ ὁ νοῦς τῷ καθόλου τὸ μέρος καὶ τῷ ὄντι τὸ μὴ ὄν͵ ἀλλ΄ αὐτόθεν ἕκαστα͵ καὶ ὅσα κοινὰ καὶ ὅσα καθ΄ ἕκαστα͵ κἂν τὰ τῶν πάντων ἀτομώτατα λέγῃς͵ κἂν τὴν ἀπειρίαν τῶν ἐνδεχομένων͵ κἂν τὴν ὕλην αὐτήν. Εἰ δὲ τὸν τρόπον ἐπιζητεῖς τῆς τῶν θεῶν περὶ πάντα τὰ ὁπωσοῦν ὑφεστηκότα γνώσεως καὶ ἀληθείας͵ ἄρρητός ἐστι καὶ ἄληπτος ἀνθρωπίναις ἐπιβολαῖς͵ μόνοις δὲ αὐτοῖς γνώριμος τοῖς θεοῖς.
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Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/proclus_truth.asp?pg=3