Calcidius on Nature

This contribution aims to examine Calcidius’ account of nature in his translation of and commentary on Plato’s Timaeus, with particular emphasis on the status of nature and its role in the cosmological framework. While Calcidius’ uses of natura in the translation are broadly consistent with Plato’s uses of physis, in the commentary he articulates a more robust account of nature as a causal agent and a teleological demiurgic principle, closely mirroring the role assigned to the lesser gods in Timaeus 41a–d. Remarkably, although the commentary testifies to an account of nature that goes beyond Plato’s, it does not provide evidence to support the hypothesis that Calcidius elevates nature to the status of a separate level of being. This hypothesis is further weakened by comparing Calcidius’ stance on nature with Neoplatonist hypostatic models. Finally, and most importantly, I will argue that regardless of the sources that may have had an influence on Calcidius, his introduction of nature as a demiurgic principle and causal agent alongside God is part of his own philosophical agenda and represents a crucial exegetical strategy to effectively rethink Plato’ account of cosmogenesis.