Dal βούλεσθαι del demiurgo di Platone alla voluntas divina in Calcidio. Una traccia nella tradizione del Timeo

This chapter deals with the prehistory of the notion of voluntas by examining Plato’s portrayal of divine will in the Timaeus and by tracing its evolution in the earliest Latin translations of the dialogue. This analysis illustrates how Plato’s nuanced terminology for expressing the Demiurge’s will gradually becomes standardized, being often translated uniformly through voluntas and velle. Special attention will be devoted to Calcidius, who strongly accentuates the notion of divine will in his translation while presenting a less pronounced, non-radical conception of it in his commentary. By highlighting this asymmetry between translation and commentary, this study shows that it does not imply any inconsistency on Calcidius’ art, but rather underlies specific methodological and philosophical reasons. As a result, this asymmetry sheds light on Calcidius’ exegetical approach and proves to be consistent with his commitment to sempiternalism, as it becomes apparent when placing the commentator within Platonist debates on demiurgy, divine will, and providence.