TIMAEU [43]
term of life. For not the whole race only, but each
individual-barring inevitable accidents-comes into the world having
a fixed span, and the triangles in us are originally framed with power
to last for a certain time, beyond which no man prolong his life.
And this holds also of the constitution of diseases; if any one
regardless of the appointed time tries to subdue them by medicine,
he only aggravates and multiplies them. Wherefore we ought always to
manage them by regimen, as far as a man can spare the time, and not
provoke a disagreeable enemy by medicines.
Enough of the composite animal, and of the body which is a part of
him, and of the manner in which a man may train and be trained by
himself so as to live most according to reason: and we must above
and before all provide that the element which is to train him shall be
the fairest and best adapted to that purpose. A minute discussion of
this subject would be a serious task; but if, as before, I am to
give only an outline, the subject may not unfitly be summed up as
follows.
I have often remarked that there are three kinds of soul located
within us, having each of them motions, and I must now repeat in the
fewest words possible, that one part, if remaining inactive and
ceasing from its natural motion, must necessarily become very weak,
but that which is trained and exercised, very strong. Wherefore we
should take care that the movements of the different parts of the soul
should be in due proportion.
And we should consider that God gave the sovereign part of the human
soul to be the divinity of each one, being that part which, as we say,
dwells at the top of the body, inasmuch as we are a plant not of an
earthly but of a heavenly growth, raises us from earth to our
kindred who are in heaven. And in this we say truly; for the divine
power suspended the head and root of us from that place where the
generation of the soul first began, and thus made the whole body
upright. When a man is always occupied with the cravings of desire and
ambition, and is eagerly striving to satisfy them, all his thoughts
must be mortal, and, as far as it is possible altogether to become
such, he must be mortal every whit, because he has cherished his
mortal part. But he who has been earnest in the love of knowledge
and of true wisdom, and has exercised his intellect more than any
other part of him, must have thoughts immortal and divine, if he
attain truth, and in so far as human nature is capable of sharing in
immortality, he must altogether be immortal; and since he is ever
cherishing the divine power, and has the divinity within him in
perfect order, he will be perfectly happy. Now there is only one way
of taking care of things, and this is to give to each the food and
motion which are natural to it. And the motions which are naturally
akin to the divine principle within us are the thoughts and
revolutions of the universe. These each man should follow, and correct
the courses of the head which were corrupted at our birth, and by
learning the harmonies and revolutions of the universe, should
assimilate the thinking being to the thought, renewing his original
nature, and having assimilated them should attain to that perfect life
which the gods have set before mankind, both for the present and the
future.
Thus our original design of discoursing about the universe down to
the creation of man is nearly completed. A brief mention may be made
of the generation of other animals, so far as the subject admits of
brevity; in this manner our argument will best attain a due
proportion. On the subject of animals, then, the following remarks may
be offered. Of the men who came into the world, those who were cowards
or led unrighteous lives may with reason be supposed to have changed
into the nature of women in the second generation. And this was the
reason why at that time the gods created in us the desire of sexual
intercourse, contriving in man one animated substance, and
individual-barring inevitable accidents-comes into the world having
a fixed span, and the triangles in us are originally framed with power
to last for a certain time, beyond which no man prolong his life.
And this holds also of the constitution of diseases; if any one
regardless of the appointed time tries to subdue them by medicine,
he only aggravates and multiplies them. Wherefore we ought always to
manage them by regimen, as far as a man can spare the time, and not
provoke a disagreeable enemy by medicines.
Enough of the composite animal, and of the body which is a part of
him, and of the manner in which a man may train and be trained by
himself so as to live most according to reason: and we must above
and before all provide that the element which is to train him shall be
the fairest and best adapted to that purpose. A minute discussion of
this subject would be a serious task; but if, as before, I am to
give only an outline, the subject may not unfitly be summed up as
follows.
I have often remarked that there are three kinds of soul located
within us, having each of them motions, and I must now repeat in the
fewest words possible, that one part, if remaining inactive and
ceasing from its natural motion, must necessarily become very weak,
but that which is trained and exercised, very strong. Wherefore we
should take care that the movements of the different parts of the soul
should be in due proportion.
And we should consider that God gave the sovereign part of the human
soul to be the divinity of each one, being that part which, as we say,
dwells at the top of the body, inasmuch as we are a plant not of an
earthly but of a heavenly growth, raises us from earth to our
kindred who are in heaven. And in this we say truly; for the divine
power suspended the head and root of us from that place where the
generation of the soul first began, and thus made the whole body
upright. When a man is always occupied with the cravings of desire and
ambition, and is eagerly striving to satisfy them, all his thoughts
must be mortal, and, as far as it is possible altogether to become
such, he must be mortal every whit, because he has cherished his
mortal part. But he who has been earnest in the love of knowledge
and of true wisdom, and has exercised his intellect more than any
other part of him, must have thoughts immortal and divine, if he
attain truth, and in so far as human nature is capable of sharing in
immortality, he must altogether be immortal; and since he is ever
cherishing the divine power, and has the divinity within him in
perfect order, he will be perfectly happy. Now there is only one way
of taking care of things, and this is to give to each the food and
motion which are natural to it. And the motions which are naturally
akin to the divine principle within us are the thoughts and
revolutions of the universe. These each man should follow, and correct
the courses of the head which were corrupted at our birth, and by
learning the harmonies and revolutions of the universe, should
assimilate the thinking being to the thought, renewing his original
nature, and having assimilated them should attain to that perfect life
which the gods have set before mankind, both for the present and the
future.
Thus our original design of discoursing about the universe down to
the creation of man is nearly completed. A brief mention may be made
of the generation of other animals, so far as the subject admits of
brevity; in this manner our argument will best attain a due
proportion. On the subject of animals, then, the following remarks may
be offered. Of the men who came into the world, those who were cowards
or led unrighteous lives may with reason be supposed to have changed
into the nature of women in the second generation. And this was the
reason why at that time the gods created in us the desire of sexual
intercourse, contriving in man one animated substance, and