Marsilio Ficino, a leading scholar of the Italian Renaissance who
translated all the works of Plato into Latin, examines Plato's
Timaeus, the most widely influential and hotly debated of the Platonic
writings. Offering a probable account of the creation and nature of the
cosmos, the discussion incorporates such questions as What is the
function of arithmetic and geometry in the design of creation? What is
the nature of mind, soul, matter, and time? and What is our place in
the universe? To his main commentary Ficino adds an appendix, which
amplifies and elucidates Plato's meanings and reveals fascinating
details about Ficino himself.