Stephanus 44

44a whenever they chanced upon something outside belonging to the kind of the same or to the kind of the other, then, calling it the same or the other of something, quite contrary to the truth, they became false and foolish, with no circuit in them then ruling or leading; and when certain sensations, arriving from outside and falling in, dragged after them the whole vessel of the soul, then those circuits, themselves mastered, seemed to be mastering. And because of all these affections the soul becomes, as things now are, 44b at first without intelligence, whenever it is bound into a mortal body. But when the stream of growth and nourishment runs less, and the circuits, recovering their calm, go upon their own courses and are restored more and more as time advances, then the revolutions, guided toward the shape natural to each of the circles, and calling the other and the same by their right names, make the one who has them become intelligent. If, then, a right nurture of learning also comes to his aid, 44c he becomes whole and wholly sound, having fled the greatest of diseases; but if he neglects it, he makes his way through life lame, and comes again to Hades unfinished and unintelligent. All this, then, comes to pass later; but the things now set before us must be gone through with more exactness, and those before them—the birth of the body part by part, and of the soul, and by what causes and providences of the gods each came to be—must be traveled through by those holding 44d to what is most likely, pursuing these things in this same way.

The divine circuits being two, and the shape of the all a sphere, the gods, imitating that round shape, bound them into a spherical body—the thing we now name the head, divinest of all that is in us and master of all the rest; and the gods, gathering all the body together, handed it over to be the head's servant, perceiving that it would share in all the motions there were to be. And that it might not, rolling along the ground with its heights and depths of every kind, be at a 44e loss now to climb over, now to come down from, they gave it this body as a chariot, and with it a ready means of passage;

Timaeus: And this is why the body came to have length, and why it grew four limbs, stretching out and bending, the god contriving a way of travel; laying hold on these and pushing off against them, it became possible for it to journey through all places,

44a whenever they met with something outside from the kind of the Same or from the kind of the Other. Then, calling the Same "other" and the Other "same," against the truth, they became false and foolish; and no circle in them was then ruling or leading. When certain sensations, moving in from outside, fell upon them and dragged the whole vessel of the soul along with them, then those sensations, though mastered themselves, seemed to rule. 44b Because of all these experiences, the soul is at first, when it is newly tied into a mortal body, without intelligence. But when the flow of growth and food grows less, and the circles, coming back to calm, go their own road again and settle more as time goes on, then the turnings are guided back to the natural course of each circle. They name the Other and the Same correctly, and they make the person who has them become intelligent. And if someone adds to them right nurture and education, 44c he becomes whole and perfectly healthy, and he escapes the greatest disease. But if he neglects them, he travels through life lame, and he comes back to Hades unfinished and without intelligence. These things happen later, though. What is set before us now must be gone through more exactly. The things before this—the birth of the body part by part, and the soul, and through what causes and what care of the gods it came to be—must be set out by those who hold to what is most likely, 44d going this same road as they do it.

The two divine circles: the gods imitated the round shape of the whole and tied them into a ball-shaped body, the thing we now name the head. This part is the most divine, and it rules over everything in us. The gods gathered the whole body together to serve it, since they understood that it was to share in every kind of motion there would be. 44e And so that the head, rolling along the ground—a ground with heights and depths of every kind—would not be stuck, unable to climb over some places and get down from others, they gave it the body as a carriage and an easy way to travel.

Timaeus: That is why the body got its length, and why it grew four limbs that stretch out and bend; the god planned this way of travel. By gripping these limbs and bracing on them, the body became able to move through every kind of place,

44a and every time they happen upon any external object, whether it be of the class of the Same or of the Other, they proclaim it to be the same as something or other than something contrary to the truth, and thereby prove themselves false and foolish, and devoid, at such times, of any revolution that rules and guides. And whenever external sensations in their movement collide with these revolutions and sweep along with them also the whole vessel of the Soul, then the revolutions, though actually mastered, appear to have the mastery. Hence it comes about that, because of all these affections, now as in the beginning, 44b so often as the Soul is bound within a mortal body it becomes at the first irrational. But as soon as the stream of increase and nutriment enters in less volume, and the revolutions calm down and pursue their own path, becoming more stable as time proceeds, then at length, as the several circles move each according to its natural track, their revolutions are straightened out and they announce the Same and the Other aright, and thereby they render their possessor intelligent. And if so be 44c that this state of his soul be reinforced by right educational training, the man becomes wholly sound and faultless, having escaped the worst of maladies; but if he has been wholly negligent therein, after passing a lame existence in life he returns again unperfected and unreasoning to Hades. These results, however, come about at a later time. Regarding the subjects now before us, we must give a more exact exposition; and also regarding the subjects anterior to these, namely, the generation of bodies in their several parts, and the causes and divine counsels whereby the Soul has come into existence, we must hold fast to the most probable account, 44d and proceed accordingly, in the exposition now to be given.

The divine revolutions, which are two, they bound within a sphere-shaped body, in imitation of the spherical form of the All, which body we now call the head, it being the most divine part and reigning over all the parts within us. To it the gods delivered over the whole of the body they had assembled to be its servant, having formed the notion that it should partake in all the motions which were to be. 44e In order, then, that it should not go rolling upon the earth, which has all manner of heights and hollows, and be at a loss how to climb over the one and climb out of the other, they bestowed upon it the body as a vehicle and means of transport.

Timaeus: And for this reason the body acquired length, and, by God’s contriving, shot forth four limbs, extensible and flexible,