Stephanus 45

45a carrying the dwelling of the divinest and holiest thing in us high above us. Legs and arms, then, grew attached to all creatures for this reason; and because the gods judged the front more precious and more fit to lead than the back, it was in that direction they granted us the greater part of our going. Man's front, too, had to be set apart and unlike the rest of his body. And so first, about the hollow of the head, setting the face forward there, they embedded instruments 45b for all the soul's foresight, and ordained that this should be the ruling part, as being by nature in front. And first among the instruments they forged together the light-bearing eyes, binding into them a cause of this kind: of fire, so much of it as does not burn but gives a mild light, kindred to each day, they contrived a body to come to be. For they made the fire within us, being brother to that fire, stream pure through the eyes, smooth and close through the whole, and packed densest 45c in the middle of the eyes, so that all the coarser part was held back within, and only such fire as this strained through, pure. And whenever the light of day is about the stream of sight, then it falls forth, like to like, and, coming together into one compact body, kindred, it settles along the straightness of the eyes, wherever the thing falling from within braces against what has chanced from without. And everything, being made of like affections through likeness, whenever it touches 45d this, or anything else touched by it, hands on the motions of these things through the whole body clear to the soul, and so gives rise to that sensation by which, as we say, we see. But when the kindred fire has gone away into night, the stream is cut off; for going out toward the unlike, it is altered and quenched, being no longer akin to the neighboring air, since that air has no fire. And so it ceases to see, and becomes a bringer of sleep instead; for the safeguard the gods contrived for sight, the nature of the 45e eyelids—when these close together, it shuts in the power of the fire within; and this power spreads and smooths the motions within, and when they are smoothed, quiet comes; and when quiet has grown great, a sleep falls lightly touched with dreams,

Timaeus: And when certain of the greater motions were left behind, of whatever sort, and in whatever places they chanced to remain,

45a It carries the home of what is most divine and most holy above the rest of us. For that reason, legs and hands grew onto it. 45b The gods judged the front more honorable and more commanding than the back, and so they gave us most of our movement in that direction. A person's front had to be set apart and unlike the rest of his body. That is why, first, around the hollow of the head, they set the face onto the front of it and tied to it the tools of all the soul's planning. They ordered that the part that is by nature in front should be the part that shares in rule. 45c Of these tools, they first built the eyes, which carry light. They bound them in for this reason. Out of the part of fire that cannot burn, but gives a mild light, a light kin to every day, they made a body come to be. For the pure fire inside us, brother to that fire, they made to flow through the eyes, smooth and thick throughout, and they packed the middle of the eyes most full of it, so that only that pure kind strained through clean, and everything thicker was held back. 45d So when the light about the stream of sight is of the day's own kind, it flows out like to like, joins into one solid thing, and forms one body of kindred stuff along the straight line of the eyes, wherever the stream falling from inside meets something outside. This whole thing, made to feel alike through its likeness, passes on the motions of whatever it touches, and of whatever touches that, into the whole body, all the way to the soul. And so it gives the sense by which we say we see. But when the kindred fire goes away into night, the stream is cut off. Going out toward what is unlike, it changes and is put out like a flame, no longer joining with the air next to it, since that air holds no fire. So the person stops seeing, and this is what brings sleep on. For the gods made a device to keep sight safe—the eyelids' 45e nature: when these close, they shut in the power of the fire inside. That power then spreads out and evens the motions inside; when they are evened, quiet comes; and when much quiet has come, a sleep with few dreams falls.

Timaeus: But if some greater motions are left behind—the kind that stay, in whatever places they stay—

45a to serve as instruments of transport, so that grasping with these and’ supported thereon it was enabled to travel through all places, bearing aloft the chamber of our most divine and holy part. In this wise and for these reasons were legs and hands attached to all men; and inasmuch as they demand the forepart superior to the hinder part in honor and dignity, the Gods gave us the most part of our going in this direction. Thus it was necessary that man should have the forepart of his body distinct and dissimilar. Wherefore, dealing first with the vessel of the head, they set the face in the front thereof 45b and bound within it organs for all the forethought of the Soul; and they ordained that this, which is the natural front, should be the leading part. And of the organs they constructed first light-bearing eyes, and these they fixed in the face for the reason following. They contrived that all such fire as had the property not of burning but of giving a mild light should form a body akin to the light of every day. For they caused the pure fire within us, which is akin to that of day, to flow through the eyes in a smooth and dense stream; 45c and they compressed the whole substance, and especially the center, of the eyes, so that they occluded all other fire that was coarser and allowed only this pure kind of fire to filter through. So whenever the stream of vision is surrounded by midday light, it flows out like unto like, and coalescing therewith it forms one kindred substance along the path of the eyes’ vision, wheresoever the fire which streams from within collides with an obstructing object without. And this substance, having all become similar in its properties because of its similar nature, 45d distributes the motions of every object it touches, or whereby it is touched, throughout all the body even unto the Soul, and brings about that sensation which we now term seeing. But when the kindred fire vanishes into night, the inner fire is cut off; for when it issues forth into what is dissimilar it becomes altered in itself and is quenched, seeing that it is no longer of like nature with the adjoining air, since that air is devoid of fire. Wherefore it leaves off seeing, and becomes also an inducement to sleep. For the eyelids —whose structure the Gods devised 45e as a safeguard for the vision,—when they are shut close, curb the power of the inner fire; which power dissipates and allays the inward motions, and upon their allaying quiet ensues; and when this quiet has become intense there falls upon us a sleep that is well-nigh dreamless;

Timaeus: but when some greater motions are still left behind, according to their nature and the positions they occupy