Staying and preserving · Lexicon

From the book

Marsilio Ficino’s Platonic Theology, Volume I

Marsilio Ficino · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Orientation

At a Glance

The wordStare stands or remains stable; manere abides.
In the Platonic TheologyFicino explicitly explains “standing” as continuing within the unity of one’s nature.
In this editionThe English alternates “stand,” “abide,” and “remain.”
A place to readPreservation holds together things described as dissoluble in themselves.

Meaning

Stare stands or remains stable; manere abides. Permanere and perseverare emphasize continuing; servare and conservare preserve; retinere retains. Remaining and being preserved are related but grammatically distinct relations.

Use in the book

Ficino explicitly explains “standing” as continuing within the unity of one’s nature. Angel stands through divine unity, so its stability is not independent self-sufficiency. Soul’s substance stands while operation flows. The discourse thereby distinguishes persistence of a subject from unchanging activity. In the earlier hierarchy, creatures may be preserved indissoluble even when described as dissoluble in themselves. That preservation is not the same claim as God’s indissolubility through himself. The verbs of retaining and losing articulate limited likeness to a cause: angel retains stability while falling from simple unity, and must neither retain all divine attributes in the same mode nor lose every resemblance. Ordinary verbs thus carry the precise distinctions among underived stability, received endurance, and persistent substance amid changing acts.

Selected annotated passages.

Places to read

III.1.5Preservation holds together things described as dissoluble in themselves.
III.1.8Retaining stability and losing simple unity distinguish angel from God.
III.1.15Soul’s substance is said to stand firm.
III.1.22Standing is explicitly glossed as persevering in the unity of one’s nature.

Translation in this edition

The English alternates “stand,” “abide,” and “remain.” Their metaphorical use should not be reduced to physical immobility. Nor does conservare automatically mean merely repairing damage after it occurs; here it includes the continuing gift of persistence.

manere / permanere / remanere

manere / permanere / remanere. Printed forms: permanet; remanens.

Remain or continue. Angel remains full through received goodness, while soul remains whole during its presence in divided body. References: III.1.7, III.2.12. See Staying and preserving.

perseverare

perseverare. Printed forms: perseverare.

Continue or persist. Ficino’s explicit gloss of standing is persevering in the unity of one’s own nature. References: III.1.22. See Staying and preserving.

retinere / amittere

retinere / amittere. Printed forms: amittit; retinebit; Retinere.

Retain / lose. Angel cannot retain all divine features in their unrestricted mode or lose every likeness; it retains stability while losing simple unity. References: III.1.7, III.1.8. See Staying and preserving.

stare / status

stare / status. Printed forms: stare; status.

Stand or remain stable / stability or state. Standing is explained through remaining in the unity of a nature, not merely occupying an unmoving spatial location. References: III.1.6, III.1.22. See Staying and preserving.