Athina

Again, theologists especially celebrate two powers of our sovereign mistress Minerva [2] (ed. Athina = Athena; Gr. Ἀθηνᾶ), the defensive, and the perfective; the former preserving the order of wholes undefiled, and unvanquished by matter, and the latter filling all things with intellectual light, and converting them to their cause.  And on this account, Plato (ed. Platohn; Gr. Πλάτων) also in the Timæus (ed. Timaios; Gr. Τίμαιος), analogously celebrates Minerva (ed. Athina) asphilopolemic and philosophic.  But three orders of this Goddess are delivered by theologists; the one fontal and intellectual, according to which she establishes herself in her father Jupiter (ed Zefs = Zeus; Gr. Ζεύς), and subsists in unproceeding union with him; but the second ranks among the supermundane Gods, according to which she is present with Core (ed. Kori; Gr. Κορη), and bounds and converts all the progression of that Goddess to herself.  And the third is liberated, according to which she perfects and guards the whole world, and circularly invests it with her powers, as with a veil; binding together all the mundane summits, and giving subsistence to all the allotments in the heavens, and to those which proceed into the sublunary region.  Now therefore Socrates (ed. Sohkratis; Gr. Σωκράτης) celebrates herguardian power, through the name of Pallas (ed. Παλλάς); but her perfective power through that of Minerva (ed. Ἀθηνᾶ).  She is the cause therefore of orderly and measured motion, which she first imparts to the Curetic order, and afterwards to the other Gods.  For Minerva according to this power is the leader of the Curetes (ed. Kouritæs; Gr. Κουρῆτες), as Orpheus (ed. Orphefs; Gr. Ὀρφεύς) says, whence also, as well as those divinities she is adorned with empyrean arms, through which she represses all disorder, preserves the demiurgic series immoveable, and unfolds dancing through rhythmical motion.  She also guards reason as it proceeds from intellect; through this power vanquishing matter.  For the visible region, says Timæus (ed. Timaios), is mingled from intellect and necessity, the latter being obedient to the former, and all material causes being in subjection to the will of the father.  It is this Goddess therefore, who arranges necessity under the productions of intellect, raises the universe to the participation of Jupiter (ed. Zefs), excites and establishes it in the port of its father, and eternally guards and defends it.  Hence, if the universe is said to be indissoluble, it is this Goddess who supplies its permanency; and if it moves in measured motion, through the whole of time, according to one reason and order, she is the source of this supply.  She watchfully surveys therefore all the fabrication of her father, and connects and converts it to him; and vanquishes all material indefiniteness.  Hence she is called Victory and Health; the former because she causes intellect to rule over necessity, and form over matter; and the latter, because she preserves the universe perpetually whole, perfect, exempt from age, and free from disease.  It is the property therefore of this Goddess to elevate and distribute, and through an intellectual dance as it were, to connect, establish, and defend inferior natures in such as are more divine.