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world　has　been　framed　in　the　likeness　of　that　which　is　apprehended

by　reason　and　mind　and　is　unchangeable；　and　must　therefore　of

necessity；　if　this　is　admitted；　be　a　copy　of　something。　Now　it　is

all…important　that　the　beginning　of　everything　should　be　according

to　nature。　And　in　speaking　of　the　copy　and　the　original　we　may

assume　that　words　are　akin　to　the　matter　which　they　describe；　when

they　relate　to　the　lasting　and　permanent　and　intelligible；　they

ought　to　be　lasting　and　unalterable；　and；　as　far　as　their　nature

allows；　irrefutable　and　immovable…nothing　less。　But　when　they

express　only　the　copy　or　likeness　and　not　the　eternal　things

themselves；　they　need　only　be　likely　and　analogous　to　the　real

words。　As　being　is　to　becoming；　so　is　truth　to　belief。　If　then；

Socrates；　amid　the　many　opinions　about　the　gods　and　the　generation

of　the　universe；　we　are　not　able　to　give　notions　which　are

altogether　and　in　every　respect　exact　and　consistent　with　one　another；

do　not　be　surprised。　Enough；　if　we　adduce　probabilities　as　likely　as

any　others；　for　we　must　remember　that　I　who　am　the　speaker；　and　you

who　are　the　judges；　are　only　mortal　men；　and　we　ought　to　accept　the

tale　which　is　probable　and　enquire　no　further。

　　Soc。　Excellent；　Timaeus；　and　we　will　do　precisely　as　you　bid　us。　The

prelude　is　charming；　and　is　already　accepted　by　us…may　we　beg　of　you

to　proceed　to　the　strain？

　　Tim。　Let　me　tell　you　then　why　the　creator　made　this　world　of

generation。　He　was　good；　and　the　good　can　never　have　any　jealousy　of

anything。　And　being　free　from　jealousy；　he　desired　that　all　things

should　be　as　like　himself　as　they　could　be。　This　is　in　the　truest

sense　the　origin　of　creation　and　of　the　world；　as　we　shall　do　well

in　believing　on　the　testimony　of　wise　men：　God　desired　that　all　things

should　be　good　and　nothing　bad；　so　far　as　this　was　attainable。

Wherefore　also　finding　the　whole　visible　sphere　not　at　rest；　but

moving　in　an　irregular　and　disorderly　fashion；　out　of　disorder　he

brought　order；　considering　that　this　was　in　every　way　better　than

the　other。　Now　the　deeds　of　the　best　could　never　be　or　have　been　other

than　the　fairest；　and　the　creator；　reflecting　on　the　things　which

are　by　nature　visible；　found　that　no　unintelligent　creature　taken　as　a

whole　was　fairer　than　the　intelligent　taken　as　a　whole；　and　that

intelligence　could　not　be　present　in　anything　which　was　devoid　of

soul。　For　which　reason；　when　he　was　framing　the　universe；　he　put

intelligence　in　soul；　and　soul　in　body；　that　he　might　be　the　creator

of　a　work　which　was　by　nature　fairest　and　best。　Wherefore；　using　the

language　of　probability；　we　may　say　that　the　world　became　a　living

creature　truly　endowed　with　soul　and　intelligence　by　the　providence　of

God。

　　This　being　supposed；　let　us　proceed　to　the　next　stage：　In　the

likeness　of　what　animal　did　the　Creator　make　the　world？　It　would　be　an

unworthy　thing　to　liken　it　to　any　nature　which　exists　as　a　part

only；　for　nothing　can　be　beautiful　which　is　like　any　imperfect

thing；　but　let　us　suppose　the　world　to　be　the　very　image　of　that　whole

of　which　all　other　animals　both　individually　and　in　their　tribes　are

portions。　For　the　original　of　the　universe　contains　in　itself　all

intelligible　beings；　just　as　this　world　comprehends　us　and　all　other

visible　creatures。　For　the　Deity；　intending　to　make　this　world　like

the　fairest　and　most　perfect　of　intelligible　beings；　framed　one

visible　animal　comprehending　within　itself　all　other　animals　of　a

kindred　nature。　Are　we　right　in　saying　that　there　is　one　world；　or

that　they　are　many　and　infinite？　There　must　be　one　only；　if　the

created　copy　is　to　accord　with　the　original。　For　that　which　includes

all　other　intelligible　creatures　cannot　have　a　second　or　companion；　in

that　case　there　would　be　need　of　another　living　being　which　would

include　both；　and　of　which　they　would　be　parts；　and　the　likeness　would

be　more　truly　said　to　resemble　not　them；　but　that　other　which　included

them。　In　order　then　that　the　world　might　be　solitary；　like　the　perfect

animal；　the　creator　made　not　two　worlds　or　an　infinite　number　of　them；

but　there　is　and　ever　will　be　one　only…begotten　and　created　heaven。

　　Now　that　which　is　created　is　of　necessity　corporeal；　and　also

visible　and　tangible。　And　nothing　is　visible　where　there　is　no　fire；

or　tangible　which　has　no　solidity；　and　nothing　is　solid　without　earth。

Wherefore　also　God　in　the　beginning　of　creation　made　the　body　of　the

universe　to　consist　of　fire　and　earth。　But　two　things　cannot　be

rightly　put　together　without　a　third；　there　must　be　some　bond　of　union

between　them。　And　the　fairest　bond　is　that　which　makes　the　most

complete　fusion　of　itself　and　the　things　which　it　combines；　and

proportion　is　best　adapted　to　effect　such　a　union。　For　whenever　in　any

three　numbers；　whether　cube　or　square；　there　is　a　mean；　which　is　to

the　last　term　what　the　first　term　is　to　it；　and　again；　when　the　mean

is　to　the　first　term　as　the　last　term　is　to　the　mean…then　the　mean

becoming　first　and　last；　and　the　first　and　last　both　becoming　means；

they　will　all　of　them　of　necessity　come　to　be　the　same；　and　having

become　the　same　with　one　another　will　be　all　one。　If　the　universal

frame　had　been　created　a　surface　only　and　having　no　depth；　a　single

mean　would　have　sufficed　to　bind　together　itself　and　the　other

terms；　but　now；　as　the　world　must　be　solid；　and　solid　bodies　are

always　compacted　not　by　one　mean　but　by　two；　God　placed　water　and

air　in　the　mean　between　fire　and　earth；　and　made　them　to　have　the　same

proportion　so　far　as　was　possible　（as　fire　is　to　air　so　is　air　to

water；　and　as　air　is　to　water　so　is　water　to　earth）；　and　thus　he　bound

and　put　together　a　visible　and　tangible　heaven。　And　for　these　reasons；

and　out　of　such　elements　which　are　in　number　four；　the　body　of　the

world　was　created；　and　it　was　harmonised　by　proportion；　and

therefore　has　the　spirit　of　friendship；　and　having　been　reconciled

to　itself；　it　was　indissoluble　by　the　hand　of　any　other　than　the

framer。

　　Now　the　creation　took　up　the　whole　of　each　of　the　four　elements；　for

the　Creator　compounded　the　world　out　of　all　the　fire　and　all　the　water

and　all　the　air　and　all　the　earth；　leaving　no　part　of　any　of　them

nor　any　power　of　them　outside。　His　intention　was；　in　the　first

place；　that　the　animal　should　be　as　far　as　possible　a　perfect　whole

and　of　perfect　parts：　secondly；　that　it　should　be　one；　leaving　no

remnants　out　of　which　another　such　world　might　be　created：　and　also

that　it　should　be　free　from　old　age　and　unaffected　by　disease。

Considering　that　if　heat　and　cold　and　other　powerful　forces　which

unite　bodies　surround　and　attack　them　from　without　when　they　are

unprepared；　they　decompose　them；　and　by　bringing　diseases　and　old

age　upon　them；　make　them　waste　away…for　this　cause　and　on　these

grounds　he　made　the　world　one　whole；　having　every　part　entire；　and

being　therefore　perfect　and　not　liable　to　old　age　and　disease。　And

he　gave　to　the　world　the　figure　which　was　suitable　and　also　natural。

Now　to　the　animal　which　was　to　comprehend　all　animals；　that　figure　was

suitable　which　comprehends　within　itself　all　other　figures。

Wherefore　he　made　the　world　in　the　form　of　a　globe；　round　as　from　a

lathe；　having　its　extremes　in　every　direction　equidistant　from　the

centre；　the　most　perfect　and　the　most　like　itself　of　all　figures；

for　he　considered　that　the　like　is　infinitely　fairer　than　the

unlike。　This　he　finished　off；　making　the　surface　smooth　all　around　for

many　reasons；　in　the　first　place；　because　the　living　being　had　no　need

of　eyes　when　there　was　nothing　remaining　outside　him　to　be　seen；　nor

of　ears　when　there　was　nothing　to　be　heard；　and　there　was　no

surrounding　atmosphere　to　be　breathed；　nor　would　there　have　been　any

use　of　organs　by　the　help　of　which　he　might　receive　his　food　or　get

rid　of　what　he　had　already　digested；　since　there　was　nothing　which

went　from　him　or　came　into　him：　for　there　was　nothing　beside　him。　Of

design　he　was　created　thus；　his　own　waste　providing　his　own　food；

and　all　that　he　did　or　suffered　taking　place　in　and　by　himself。　For

the　Creator　conceived　that　a　being　which　was　self…sufficient　would

be　far　more　excellent　than　one　which　lacked　anything；　and；　as　he　had

no　need　to　take　anything　or　defend　himself　against　any　one；　the

Creator　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　bestow　upon　him　hands：　nor　had

he　any　need　of　feet；　nor　of　the　whole　apparatus　of　walking；　but　the

movement　suited　to　his　spherical　form　was　assigned　to　him；　being　of

all　the　seven　that　which　is　most　appropriate　to　mind　and　intelligence；

and　he　was　made　to　move　in　the　same　manner　and　on　the　same　spot；

within　his　own　limits　revolving　in　a　circle。　All　the　other　six　motions

were　taken　away　from　him；　and　he　was　made　not　to　partake　of　their

deviations。　And　as　this　circular　movement　required　no　feet；　the

universe　was　created　without　legs　and　without　feet。

　　Such　was　the　whole　plan　of　the　eternal　God　about　the　god　that　was　to

be；　to　whom　for　this　reason　he　gave　a　body；　smooth　and　even；　having

a　surface　in　every　direction　equidistant　from　the　centre