communions, the unconfused distinctions, the powers of the subordinate that lead up to the superior, the providences of the senior for the secondary, the guards of the proper powers of each and the unswerving convolutions around themselves, the identities and summits in the desire for the Good, and whatever else has been said by us in *On the Angelic Properties and Orders*. But also, whatever belongs to the heavenly hierarchy, the purifications befitting angels, the supermundane illuminations and the perfecting actions of the whole angelic perfection are from the all-causal and fontal Goodness, from which was bestowed on them the good-like quality and the power to reveal in themselves the hidden Goodness, and to be angels, as it were, messengers of the divine Silence and, as it were, manifest lights put forth to interpret Him Who is in the innermost sanctuaries. But also after those sacred and holy minds, souls and whatever good things of souls exist through the super-good Goodness: that they are intelligent, that they have essential life, their very being indestructible, and are able, stretched out towards the angelic lives, through them as good guides, to be led up to the good-Principle of all good things, and to come into participation of the illuminations gushing forth from thence according to their own proportion, and to partake of the gift of the good-like, as far as is possible, and whatever else has been enumerated by us in *On the Soul*. But also concerning, if one must say, irrational souls or animals, all that cleave the air and all that walk on earth and all that creep upon the earth and those that have received life in the waters or an amphibious life, and all that live covered under the earth and buried in it, and simply all that have a sensitive soul or life, all these too are ensouled and enlivened through the Good. And all plants too have their nutritive and motive life from the Good, and every inanimate and lifeless substance exists through the Good and through it has received its essential state. <3> But if the Good is even above all beings, as indeed it is, it also gives form to the formless. And in it alone, even non-being is a transcendence of being, and non-life is pre-eminent life, and non-intellect is transcendent wisdom, and whatever in the Good belongs to the transcendent forming of the formless. And, if it is lawful to say, the Good which is above all beings is desired even by non-being itself, which strives somehow to be itself also in the Good, which is truly super-essential by the abstraction of all things. <4> But what escaped us, running past in our midst, the Good is the cause also of heavenly beginnings and endings, of this flow that is without increase or decrease and altogether unchangeable, and of the soundless, if one must so speak, movements of the immense celestial course, and of the orders and beauties and lights and positions of the stars, and of the manifold transitional motion of some stars, and of the periodic restoration from the same points to the same points of the two luminaries, which the oracles call great, by which our days and nights are defined, and months and years are measured, which define and number and order and contain the circular movements of time and of things in time. What might one say about the solar ray itself? For light is from the Good and is an image of Goodness. Wherefore the Good is also praised by the name of Light, as the archetype is revealed in an image. For as the Goodness of the Godhead which is beyond all things extends from the highest and most senior substances down to the lowest, and is still above them all, with neither the highest reaching its transcendence nor the lowest passing beyond its embrace, but it also illuminates all things capable of it and creates and enlivens and contains and perfects, and is the measure of beings and aeon and number and order and embrace and cause and end, so indeed also the manifest image of the divine Goodness, this great and all-bright and ever-shining sun, as a very faint echo of the Good, both illuminates all things which are able to partake of it and has its light spread out above all, extending the splendors of its own rays to the whole visible world, both above and below. And if anything does not partake of it, this is not due to the inactivity or shortness of its illuminative distribution, but to the unsuitability for receiving light of those things that are not unfolded for the participation of light. Indeed, the ray passes through many such things and illuminates what is beyond them, and there is nothing among visible things which it does not reach, according to the surpassing magnitude of its own splendor. But it also contributes to the generation of sensible bodies and to their life

χωρήσεις, αἱ ἀσύγχυτοι διακρίσεις, αἱ πρὸς τὰς κρείττους ἀναγωγικαὶ τῶν ὑφειμένων δυνάμεις, αἱ περὶ τὰ δεύτερα πρόνοιαι τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, αἱ τῶν οἰκείων ἑκάστης δυνάμεως φρουραὶ καὶ περὶ ἑαυτὰς ἀμετάπτωτοι συνελίξεις, αἱ περὶ τὴν ἔφεσιν τἀγαθοῦ ταὐτότητες καὶ ἀκρότητες καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα εἴρηται πρὸς ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ Περὶ τῶν ἀγγελικῶν ἰδιοτήτων καὶ τάξεων. Ἀλλὰ καί, ὅσα τῆς οὐρανίας ἱεραρχίας ἐστίν, αἱ ἀγγελοπρεπεῖς καθάρσεις, αἱ ὑπερκόσμιοι φωταγωγίαι καὶ τὰ τελεσιουργὰ τῆς ὅλης ἀγγελικῆς τελειότητος ἐκ τῆς παναιτίου καὶ πηγαίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθότητος, ἐξ ἧς καὶ τὸ ἀγαθοειδὲς αὐταῖς ἐδωρήθη καὶ τὸ ἐκφαίνειν ἐν ἑαυταῖς τὴν κρυφίαν ἀγαθότητα καὶ εἶναι ἀγγέλους ὥσπερ ἐξαγγελτικὰς τῆς θείας σιγῆς καὶ οἷον φῶτα φανὰ τοῦ ἐν ἀδύτοις ὄντος ἑρμηνευτικὰ προβεβλημένας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ μετ' ἐκείνους τοὺς ἱεροὺς καὶ ἁγίους νόας αἱ ψυχαὶ καὶ ὅσα ψυχῶν ἀγαθὰ διὰ τὴν ὑπεράγαθον ἔστιν ἀγαθότητα τὸ νοερὰς αὐτὰς εἶναι, τὸ ἔχειν τὴν οὐσιώδη ζωὴν ἀνώλεθρον αὐτὸ τὸ εἶναι καὶ δύνασθαι πρὸς τὰς ἀγγελικὰς ἀνατεινομένας ζωὰς δι' αὐτῶν ὡς ἀγαθῶν καθηγεμόνων ἐπὶ τὴν πάντων ἀγαθῶν ἀγαθαρχίαν ἀνάγεσθαι καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἐκβλυζομένων ἐλλάμψεων ἐν μετουσίᾳ γίνεσθαι κατὰ τὴν σφῶν ἀναλογίαν καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀγαθοειδοῦς δωρεᾶς, ὅση δύναμις, μετέχειν καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα πρὸς ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς Περὶ ψυχῆς ἀπηρίθμηται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν, εἰ χρὴ φάναι, τῶν ἀλόγων ψυχῶν ἢ ζῴων, ὅσα τὸν ἀέρα τέμνει καὶ ὅσα ἐπὶ γῆς βαίνει καὶ ὅσα εἰς γῆν ἐκτέταται καὶ τὰ ἐν ὕδασι τὴν ζωὴν ἢ ἀμφιβίως λαχόντα καὶ ὅσα ὑπὸ γῆν ἐγκεκαλυμμένα ζῇ καὶ ἐγκεχωσμένα καὶ ἁπλῶς ὅσα τὴν αἰσθητικὴν ἔχει ψυχὴν ἢ ζωήν, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα διὰ τἀγαθὸν ἐψύχωται καὶ ἐζώωται. Καὶ φυτὰ δὲ πάντα τὴν θρεπτικὴν καὶ κινητικὴν ἔχει ζωὴν ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ, καὶ ὅση ἄψυχος καὶ ἄζωος οὐσία διὰ τἀγαθὸν ἔστι καὶ δι' αὐτὸ τῆς οὐσιώδους ἕξεως ἔλαχεν. <3> Eἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ὄντα ἐστίν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐστι, τἀγαθόν, καὶ τὸ ἀνείδεον εἰδοποιεῖ. Καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ μόνῳ καὶ τὸ ἀνούσιον οὐσίας ὑπερβολὴ καὶ τὸ ἄζωον ὑπερέχουσα ζωὴ καὶ τὸ ἄνουν ὑπεραίρουσα σοφία καὶ ὅσα ἐν τἀγαθῷ τῆς τῶν ἀνειδέων ἐστὶν ὑπεροχικῆς εἰδοποιίας. Καί, εἰ θεμιτὸν φάναι, τἀγαθοῦ τοῦ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ὄντα καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ μὴ ὂν ἐφίεται καὶ φιλονεικεῖ πως ἐν τἀγαθῷ καὶ αὐτὸ εἶναι τῷ ὄντως ὑπερουσίῳ κατὰ τὴν πάντων ἀφαίρεσιν. <4> Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἡμᾶς ἐν μέσῳ παραδραμὸν διαπέφευγε, καὶ τῶν οὐρανίων ἀρχῶν καὶ ἀποπερατώσεων αἰτία τἀγαθόν, τῆς ἀναυξοῦς καὶ ἀμειώτου καὶ ὅλως ἀναλλοιώτου ταύτης εὐροίας, καὶ τῶν ἀψόφων, εἰ οὕτω χρὴ φάναι, τῆς παμμεγέθους οὐρανοπορίας κινήσεων καὶ τῶν ἀστρῴων τάξεων καὶ εὐπρεπειῶν καὶ φώτων καὶ ἱδρύσεων καὶ τῆς ἐνίων ἀστέρων μεταβατικῆς πολυκινησίας καὶ τῆς τῶν δύο φωστήρων, οὓς τὰ λόγια καλεῖ μεγάλους, ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν εἰς τὰ αὐτὰ περιοδικῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως, καθ' ἃς αἱ παρ' ἡμῖν ἡμέραι καὶ νύκτες ὁριζόμεναι καὶ μῆνες καὶ ἐνιαυτοὶ μετρούμενοι τὰς τοῦ χρόνου καὶ τῶν ἐν χρόνῳ κυκλικὰς κινήσεις ἀφορίζουσι καὶ ἀριθμοῦσι καὶ τάττουσι καὶ συνέχουσι. Τί ἄν τις φαίη περὶ αὐτῆς καθ' αὑτὴν τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος; Ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ γὰρ τὸ φῶς καὶ εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαθότητος. ∆ιὸ καὶ φωτωνυμικῶς ὑμνεῖται τἀγαθὸν ὡς ἐν εἰκόνι τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἐκφαινόμενον. Ὡς γὰρ ἡ τῆς πάντων ἐπέκεινα θεότητος ἀγαθότης ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνωτάτων καὶ πρεσβυτάτων οὐσιῶν ἄχρι τῶν ἐσχάτων διήκει καὶ ἔτι ὑπὲρ πάσας ἐστὶ μήτε τῶν ἄνω φθανουσῶν αὐτῆς τὴν ὑπεροχὴν μήτε τῶν κάτω τὴν περιοχὴν διαβαινουσῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φωτίζει τὰ δυνάμενα πάντα καὶ δημιουργεῖ καὶ ζωοῖ καὶ συνέχει καὶ τελεσιουργεῖ καὶ μέτρον ἐστὶ τῶν ὄντων καὶ αἰὼν καὶ ἀριθμὸς καὶ τάξις καὶ περιοχὴ καὶ αἰτία καὶ τέλος, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ τῆς θείας ἀγαθότητος ἐμφανὴς εἰκών, ὁ μέγας οὗτος καὶ ὁλολαμπὴς καὶ ἀείφωτος ἥλιος, κατὰ πολλοστὸν ἀπήχημα τἀγαθοῦ καὶ πάντα, ὅσα μετέχειν αὐτοῦ δύναται, φωτίζει καὶ ὑπερηπλωμένον ἔχει τὸ φῶς εἰς πάντα ἐξαπλῶν τὸν ὁρατὸν κόσμον ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω τὰς τῶν οἰκείων ἀκτίνων αὐγάς. Καὶ εἴ τι αὐτῶν οὐ μετέχει, τοῦτο οὐ τῆς ἀδρανείας ἢ τῆς βραχύτητός ἐστι τῆς φωτιστικῆς αὐτοῦ διαδόσεως, ἀλλὰ τῶν διὰ φωτοληψίας ἀνεπιτηδειότητα μὴ ἀναπλουμένων εἰς τὴν φωτὸς μετουσίαν. Ἀμέλει πολλὰ τῶν οὕτως ἐχόντων ἡ ἀκτὶς διαβαίνουσα τὰ μετ' ἐκεῖνα φωτίζει, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔστι τῶν ὁρατῶν, οὗ μὴ ἐφικνεῖται κατὰ τὸ τῆς οἰκείας αἴγλης ὑπερβάλλον μέγεθος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὴν γένεσιν τῶν αἰσθητῶν σωμάτων συμβάλλεται καὶ πρὸς ζωὴν αὐτὰ