From the book
Marsilio Ficino’s Platonic Theology, Volume I
Marsilio Ficino · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordNixus is effort or striving; niti presses toward an outcome; contendere makes for it.
- In the Platonic TheologyThe lowest celestial faculty strives toward all the seeds it possesses but cannot actualize them together.
- In this edition“Nearly attains” renders ferme assequitur and “as far as possible” renders quoad fieri potest.
- A place to readmanifold striving actualizes seeds successively
Meaning
Nixus is effort or striving; niti presses toward an outcome; contendere makes for it. Affectare seeks or aspires to something, whereas frui and perfrui concern enjoying or fully possessing it. In these contexts “affect” is not automatically a passing emotion.
Use in the book
The lowest celestial faculty strives toward all the seeds it possesses but cannot actualize them together. Its many-directed striving produces a continuing succession. At the level of body, world-matter seeks all forms as its perfections but cannot receive contrary forms simultaneously. Succession supplies a qualified substitute for simultaneous completeness.
The Saturn example sharpens the difference between striving and attainment. A part of its sphere seeks contact with every corresponding part of the surrounding sphere; through rotation it nearly attains what rest cannot provide. The sphere also longs to enjoy the soul that is wholly present at every point and hastens to resemble that simultaneous presence as far as possible. Yet motion never makes extended body literally indivisible or everywhere whole at once. The phrases “nearly” and “as far as possible” preserve the asymmetry between the desired model and its bodily imitation.
Places to read
- IV.2.12manifold striving actualizes seeds successively
- IV.2.20matter gains through succession what contrary forms prevent it possessing together
- IV.2.24–2623local affinity, contact, enjoyment of soul, and bodily imitation of whole presence explain continuous rotation
Translation in this edition
“Nearly attains” renders ferme assequitur and “as far as possible” renders quoad fieri potest. Omitting either would make Ficino claim that rotating body achieves the indivisible presence proper to soul.
attingere / affectare
attingere / affectare. Printed forms: affectat; attingere.
To touch; to seek or aspire to. Each part seeks contact with all corresponding parts of the containing sphere, which rotation approximates successively. References: IV.2.25. See Striving and enjoyment.
consequi / consequens
consequi / consequens. Printed forms: consequens; consequitur; consequuntur.
To follow as a consequence or attain an outcome. The existence of earthly souls is a proposed inference, loving union is attained, and balanced mixtures acquire successive capacities. References: IV.1.34, IV.1.93, IV.2.11. See Striving and enjoyment.
ferme / quoad fieri potest
ferme / quoad fieri potest. Printed forms: ferme; quoad fieri potest.
Nearly; as far as possible. The qualifications limit what rotation can achieve compared with soul's whole simultaneous presence. References: IV.2.25. See Striving and enjoyment.
frui / perfrui
frui / perfrui. Printed forms: fruendae; perfruatur.
To enjoy or participate fully in a desired presence. The sphere's desire to enjoy its wholly present soul motivates imitation of simultaneous whole presence without actually making body indivisible. References: IV.2.25. See Striving and enjoyment.
nixus / niti
nixus / niti. Printed forms: nititur; nixu.
Manifold striving; pressing toward actuality. The lower power cannot actualize every seed together and therefore runs through them in succession. References: IV.2.12. See Striving and enjoyment.
successione saltem
successione saltem. Printed forms: successione saltem.
At least through succession. Matter attains in sequence what contrary forms prevent its possessing together in stable simultaneity. References: IV.2.20. See Striving and enjoyment.