Stephanus 46

46a such and so many images presented themselves, likenesses of the motions formed within, made into remembrances for those who had waked. And about the making of images in mirrors, and in all that is manifest and smooth, there is nothing left hard to make out. For out of the partnership with one another of the fire within and the fire without, and of the smoothness, which each moment takes one form and is refashioned in many ways, 46b all such things of necessity come to view, the fire about the face growing compact, upon the smooth and bright, with the fire about the sight. And so the left appears as right, because the contact comes about with opposite parts of the sight upon opposite parts, contrary to the established habit of impact; while right appears as right and left as left, the reverse of before, when the light that is joining shifts to what it joins with—46c and this happens when the smoothness of the mirror, taking on heights on this side and on that, pushes the right part of the sight toward the left and each toward the other. And when the face is turned along its length, this same thing makes everything appear upside down, thrusting the lower part of the beam toward the upper, and the upper in turn toward the lower.

All these, then, are co-causes which the god uses as serving instruments, working out, so far as is possible, the form of the 46d best; though most people suppose them not co-causes but causes of all things—cooling, heating, compacting, melting, and producing all such effects—things that in no way can have reason or intelligence. For of the things that are, to soul alone—so it must be said—does it belong to win intelligence; and soul is invisible, while fire and water and earth and air have all come to be visible bodies. And the lover of intelligence and knowledge must of necessity pursue as first 46e the causes of the intelligent nature, and as second those that come to be when things moved by others move others by necessity. And so must we do likewise: both kinds of causes must be spoken of, and apart from one another—the kinds that with intelligence fashion what is beautiful and good, and those that, bereft of intelligence, at every turn produce what is random and without order.

Timaeus: Let it stand as said, then, that the eyes are co-causes of the power sight has come to hold; but the greatest of their works for our benefit, that for which the god bestowed

46a such and so many images do they supply, made alike inside and outside; and when a person wakes, these are remembered. The making of images in mirrors, and in everything smooth and bright, is no longer hard to make out. For out of the meeting of the two fires, the fire inside and the fire outside, and out of one surface always forming on the smooth part and being reshaped in many ways, 46b all such things appear by necessity, when the fire about the face is packed together with the fire about the sight on the smooth, bright surface. Left things show as right, because the meeting happens with opposite parts of the sight on opposite sides, against the settled habit of meeting. But right things show as right and left things as left, the other way around, when the light, as it joins with what it joins with, falls to the other side; and this happens when the smooth face of a mirror takes on a rise on this side or that and pushes the right part of the sight to the left, and each part to its opposite. 46c Turned along the length of the face, the same thing makes the whole image show upside down, pushing the lower part of the light to the top and the upper part back to the bottom.

All these things are among the joint causes that the god uses as servants, 46d as he completes the form of the best as far as he can. But most people take them to be not joint causes but the causes of everything, as they cool and heat, pack together and break apart, and produce all such things. Yet it is not possible for them to have any reason or intelligence in anything. For of the things that are, one must say that the soul alone is the thing that can gain intelligence; the soul is unseen, while fire, water, earth, and air have all come to be as bodies that can be seen. The lover of intelligence and knowledge must hunt for the causes of intelligent nature first, and for the things that come to be because other things move them and move yet others by necessity second. 46e This is what we must do too: both kinds of causes must be spoken of, but apart—the ones that with intelligence are makers of things fine and good, and the ones that, cut off from intelligence, always turn out whatever falls to them, without order.

Timaeus: So let it be said that the eyes are joint causes of the power sight now holds; but their greatest useful work, the thing for which the god

46a such and so great are the images they produce, which images are copied within and are remembered by the sleepers when they awake out of the dream. And it is no longer difficult to perceive the truth about the formation of images in mirrors and in bright and smooth surfaces of every kind. It is from the combination with each other of the inner and the outer fires, every time that they unite on the smooth surface and are variously deflected, 46b that all such reflections necessarily result, owing to the fire of the reflected face coalescing with the fire of the vision on the smooth and bright surface. And left appears as right, because contact takes place between opposite portions of the visual stream and opposite portions of the object, contrary to the regular mode of collision. Contrariwise, right appears as right and left as left whenever the fire changes sides on coalescing with the object 46c wherewith it coalesces; and this occurs whenever the smooth surface of the mirrors, being elevated on this side and on that, repels the right portion of the visual stream to the left and the left to the right. And when this same mirror is turned lengthwise to the face it makes the whole face appear upside down, since it repels the bottom of the ray to the top, and conversely the top to the bottom.

Now all these are among the auxiliary Causes which God employs as his ministers in perfecting, so far as possible, 46d the Form of the Most Good; but by the most of men they are supposed to be not auxiliary but primary causes of all things—cooling and heating, solidifying and dissolving, and producing all such effects. Yet they are incapable of possessing reason and thought for any purpose. For, as we must affirm, the one and only existing thing which has the property of acquiring thought is Soul; and Soul is invisible, whereas fire and water and earth and air are all visible bodies; and the lover of thought and knowledge must needs pursue first 46e the causes which belong to the Intelligent Nature, and put second all such as are of the class of things which are moved by others, and themselves, in turn, move others because they cannot help it. And we also must act likewise. We must declare both kinds of Causes, but keep distinct those which, with the aid of thought, are artificers of things fair and good, and all those which are devoid of intelligence and produce always accidental and irregular effects.

Timaeus: Now regarding the auxiliary causes which have helped the eyes to acquire the power which they now possess, let this statement suffice. Next we must declare the most important