timaeu-第6章

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inner　motion　he　divided　in　six　places　and　made　seven　unequal　circles

having　their　intervals　in　ratios　of　two…and　three；　three　of　each；

and　bade　the　orbits　proceed　in　a　direction　opposite　to　one　another；

and　three　＇Sun；　Mercury；　Venus＇　he　made　to　move　with　equal

swiftness；　and　the　remaining　four　＇Moon；　Saturn；　Mars；　Jupiter＇　to

move　with　unequal　swiftness　to　the　three　and　to　one　another；　but　in

due　proportion。

　　Now　when　the　Creator　had　framed　the　soul　according　to　his　will；　he

formed　within　her　the　corporeal　universe；　and　brought　the　two

together；　and　united　them　centre　to　centre。　The　soul；　interfused

everywhere　from　the　centre　to　the　circumference　of　heaven；　of　which

also　she　is　the　external　envelopment；　herself　turning　in　herself；

began　a　divine　beginning　of　never　ceasing　and　rational　life　enduring

throughout　all　time。　The　body　of　heaven　is　visible；　but　the　soul　is

invisible；　and　partakes　of　reason　and　harmony；　and　being　made　by　the

best　of　intellectual　and　everlasting　natures；　is　the　best　of　things

created。　And　because　she　is　composed　of　the　same　and　of　the　other

and　of　the　essence；　these　three；　and　is　divided　and　united　in　due

proportion；　and　in　her　revolutions　returns　upon　herself；　the　soul；

when　touching　anything　which　has　essence；　whether　dispersed　in　parts

or　undivided；　is　stirred　through　all　her　powers；　to　declare　the

sameness　or　difference　of　that　thing　and　some　other；　and　to　what

individuals　are　related；　and　by　what　affected；　and　in　what　way　and　how

and　when；　both　in　the　world　of　generation　and　in　the　world　of

immutable　being。　And　when　reason；　which　works　with　equal　truth；

whether　she　be　in　the　circle　of　the　diverse　or　of　the　same…in

voiceless　silence　holding　her　onward　course　in　the　sphere　of　the

self…moved…when　reason；　I　say；　is　hovering　around　the　sensible　world

and　when　the　circle　of　the　diverse　also　moving　truly　imparts　the

intimations　of　sense　to　the　whole　soul；　then　arise　opinions　and

beliefs　sure　and　certain。　But　when　reason　is　concerned　with　the

rational；　and　the　circle　of　the　same　moving　smoothly　declares　it；　then

intelligence　and　knowledge　are　necessarily　perfected。　And　if　any　one

affirms　that　in　which　these　two　are　found　to　be　other　than　the　soul；

he　will　say　the　very　opposite　of　the　truth。

　　When　the　father　creator　saw　the　creature　which　he　had　made　moving

and　living；　the　created　image　of　the　eternal　gods；　he　rejoiced；　and　in

his　joy　determined　to　make　the　copy　still　more　like　the　original；

and　as　this　was　eternal；　he　sought　to　make　the　universe　eternal；　so

far　as　might　be。　Now　the　nature　of　the　ideal　being　was　everlasting；

but　to　bestow　this　attribute　in　its　fulness　upon　a　creature　was

impossible。　Wherefore　he　resolved　to　have　a　moving　image　of

eternity；　and　when　he　set　in　order　the　heaven；　he　made　this　image

eternal　but　moving　according　to　number；　while　eternity　itself　rests　in

unity；　and　this　image　we　call　time。　For　there　were　no　days　and

nights　and　months　and　years　before　the　heaven　was　created；　but　when　he

constructed　the　heaven　he　created　them　also。　They　are　all　parts　of

time；　and　the　past　and　future　are　created　species　of　time；　which　we

unconsciously　but　wrongly　transfer　to　the　eternal　essence；　for　we

say　that　he　〃was；〃　he　〃is；〃　he　〃will　be；〃　but　the　truth　is　that　〃is〃

alone　is　properly　attributed　to　him；　and　that　〃was〃　and　〃will　be〃　only

to　be　spoken　of　becoming　in　time；　for　they　are　motions；　but　that　which

is　immovably　the　same　cannot　become　older　or　younger　by　time；　nor　ever

did　or　has　become；　or　hereafter　will　be；　older　or　younger；　nor　is

subject　at　all　to　any　of　those　states　which　affect　moving　and　sensible

things　and　of　which　generation　is　the　cause。　These　are　the　forms　of

time；　which　imitates　eternity　and　revolves　according　to　a　law　of

number。　Moreover；　when　we　say　that　what　has　become　is　become　and

what　becomes　is　becoming；　and　that　what　will　become　is　about　to　become

and　that　the　non…existent　is　non…existent…all　these　are　inaccurate

modes　of　expression。　But　perhaps　this　whole　subject　will　be　more

suitably　discussed　on　some　other　occasion。

　　Time；　then；　and　the　heaven　came　into　being　at　the　same　instant　in

order　that；　having　been　created　together；　if　ever　there　was　to　be　a

dissolution　of　them；　they　might　be　dissolved　together。　It　was　framed

after　the　pattern　of　the　eternal　nature；　that　it　might　resemble　this

as　far　as　was　possible；　for　the　pattern　exists　from　eternity；　and

the　created　heaven　has　been；　and　is；　and　will　be；　in　all　time。　Such

was　the　mind　and　thought　of　God　in　the　creation　of　time。　The　sun　and

moon　and　five　other　stars；　which　are　called　the　planets；　were

created　by　him　in　order　to　distinguish　and　preserve　the　numbers　of

time；　and　when　he　had　made…their　several　bodies；　he　placed　them　in　the

orbits　in　which　the　circle　of　the　other　was　revolving…in　seven

orbits　seven　stars。　First；　there　was　the　moon　in　the　orbit　nearest　the

earth；　and　next　the　sun；　in　the　second　orbit　above　the　earth；　then

came　the　morning　star　and　the　star　sacred　to　Hermes；　moving　in

orbits　which　have　an　equal　swiftness　with　the　sun；　but　in　an

opposite　direction；　and　this　is　the　reason　why　the　sun　and　Hermes

and　Lucifer　overtake　and　are　overtaken　by　each　other。　To　enumerate　the

places　which　he　assigned　to　the　other　stars；　and　to　give　all　the

reasons　why　he　assigned　them；　although　a　secondary　matter；　would

give　more　trouble　than　the　primary。　These　things　at　some　future

time；　when　we　are　at　leisure；　may　have　the　consideration　which　they

deserve；　but　not　at　present。

　　Now；　when　all　the　stars　which　were　necessary　to　the　creation　of　time

had　attained　a　motion　suitable　to　them；…and　had　become　living

creatures　having　bodies　fastened　by　vital　chains；　and　learnt　their

appointed　task；　moving　in　the　motion　of　the　diverse；　which　is

diagonal；　and　passes　through　and　is　governed　by　the　motion　of　the

same；　they　revolved；　some　in　a　larger　and　some　in　a　lesser　orbit…those

which　had　the　lesser　orbit　revolving　faster；　and　those　which　had　the

larger　more　slowly。　Now　by　reason　of　the　motion　of　the　same；　those

which　revolved　fastest　appeared　to　be　overtaken　by　those　which　moved

slower　although　they　really　overtook　them；　for　the　motion　of　the

same　made　them　all　turn　in　a　spiral；　and；　because　some　went　one　way

and　some　another；　that　which　receded　most　slowly　from　the　sphere　of

the　same；　which　was　the　swiftest；　appeared　to　follow　it　most　nearly。

That　there　might　be　some　visible　measure　of　their　relative　swiftness

and　slowness　as　they　proceeded　in　their　eight　courses；　God　lighted　a

fire；　which　we　now　call　the　sun；　in　the　second　from　the　earth　of　these

orbits；　that　it　might　give　light　to　the　whole　of　heaven；　and　that

the　animals；　as　many　as　nature　intended；　might　participate　in

number；　learning　arithmetic　from　the　revolution　of　the　same　and　the

like。　Thus　then；　and　for　this　reason　the　night　and　the　day　were

created；　being　the　period　of　the　one　most　intelligent　revolution。

And　the　month　is　accomplished　when　the　moon　has　completed　her　orbit

and　overtaken　the　sun；　and　the　year　when　the　sun　has　completed　his　own

orbit。　Mankind；　with　hardly　an　exception；　have　not　remarked　the

periods　of　the　other　stars；　and　they　have　no　name　for　them；　and　do　not

measure　them　against　one　another　by　the　help　of　number；　and　hence　they

can　scarcely　be　said　to　know　that　their　wanderings；　being　infinite

in　number　and　admirable　for　their　variety；　make　up　time。　And　yet　there

is　no　difficulty　in　seeing　that　the　perfect　number　of　time　fulfils　the

perfect　year　when　all　the　eight　revolutions；　having　their　relative

degrees　of　swiftness；　are　accomplished　together　and　attain　their

completion　at　the　same　time；　measured　by　the　rotation　of　the　same

and　equally　moving。　After　this　manner；　and　for　these　reasons；　came

into　being　such　of　the　stars　as　in　their　heavenly　progress　received

reversals　of　motion；　to　the　end　that　the　created　heaven　might

imitate　the　eternal　nature；　and　be　as　like　as　possible　to　the

perfect　and　intelligible　animal。

　　Thus　far　and　until　the　birth　of　time　the　created　universe　was　made

in　the　likeness　of　the　original；　but　inasmu