All

But why does the existence of the Principle of Good necessarily comport the existence of a Principle of Evil? Is it because the ALL necessarily comports the existence of Matter? Yes: for necessarily this ALL is made up of contraries: it could not exist if Matter did not. The Nature of this Kosmos is, therefore, a blend; it is blended from the Intellectual-Principle and Necessity: what comes into it from God is good; evil is from the Ancient Kind which, we read, is the underlying Matter not yet brought to order by the Ideal-Form.

But, since the expression “this place” must be taken to mean the ALL, how explain the words “mortal nature”? The answer is in the passage (in which the Father of Gods addresses the Divinities of the lower sphere), “Since you possess only a derivative being, you are not immortals… but by my power you shall escape dissolution.” Ennead I,8,7