Stephanus 53

53a winnowed by the winnowing fans and the implements used for cleansing grain—the dense and heavy settling in one place, the rare and light coming to rest in another as they were carried; at that time, then, the four kinds, shaken by the receiver as it moved like an implement giving the shake, drew off: the most unlike marking their bounds farthest from one another, the most like driven most into the same place; and for this reason each kind held a different region even before the whole came to be ordered out of them. Before this, all these things had existed without reason and without measure. 53b But when the whole set out to be ordered, fire first and water and earth and air—possessing, to be sure, some traces of themselves, yet altogether in the state in which everything naturally is when a god is absent—in that state, then, he first marked them out, as they were by nature, with forms and numbers. That the god joined them together, as best and most beautifully was possible, out of things in such a state—let this stand as the premise always granted among us; but now we must attempt to set forth the ordering of each kind and its coming-to-be 53c by an account unfamiliar to you; yet since you share in the courses of education through which one must make what is said plain, you will follow along.

First, that fire and earth and water and air are bodies is evident to everyone; but the form of body has depth in every case. And depth, in turn, must of necessity be everywhere enclosed by the plane surface; and the plane's true base is put together from triangles. All triangles, in turn, begin from 53d two triangles, each having one right angle and the rest of its angles acute: of these, one has on either side an equal part of a right angle divided by equal sides; the other has unequal parts of a right angle divided by unequal sides. This, then, we posit as the principle of fire and of the other bodies, proceeding along the likely account joined to necessity; but the principles still prior to these the god knows, and the men who are his friends. We must next say what kinds of most beautiful bodies 53e would come to be, four in number, unlike one another, yet such that some can come to be out of others by their dissolution—for once we have this, we hold the truth about the coming-to-be of earth and fire and the proportionate kinds between them. For this much we will concede to no one: that visible bodies finer than these could exist, each kind being what it is. This, then, is what we must strive for: to fit together the four kinds of bodies that differ in beauty, and to say that we have adequately grasped their nature.

53a as they are dried out, the dense and heavy ones settle one way, and the rare and light ones are carried off and settle into a different seat. This is how the four kinds were shaken by the receptacle, as it moved and gave a shaking like an instrument: it pushed the most unlike ones furthest apart from each other, and drove the most alike ones together into the same place. That is why they took different places, one here and one there, even before the whole universe was put in order and came to be from them. Before that, all these things were in a state without reason and without measure. 53b But when an attempt was made to put the universe in order—fire, water, earth, and air first, still showing some traces of their own nature, but disposed exactly as anything is likely to be when a god is absent from it—these things, in that state, were the first he shaped, with forms and numbers. And let this stand for us as a rule to be repeated at every point: that the god set them together to be as beautiful and as good as possible, out of things that were not in that state. For now, though, we must try to explain to you the arrangement of each of them and their coming-to-be, 53c in an account unlike the one we are used to. But since you share in the paths of education along which what is said has to be shown, you will follow.

First, that fire, earth, water, and air are bodies is clear to everyone. Every form of body also has depth. And depth of necessity includes within it a flat surface. And the straight-edged base of the flat surface is made up of triangles. All triangles begin from 53d two triangles, each of which has one right angle and the others acute. Of these, one has, on both of its sides, parts of a right angle divided by equal sides, and the other has unequal parts divided by unequal sides. These we lay down as the starting point of fire and the other bodies, since we follow the likely account that goes along with necessity. As for the principles above these, god knows them, and any man who is a friend of his. We must say what the 53e four most beautiful bodies would be: unlike each other, and yet able, when they break apart, to come to be from one another in some cases. If we get this, we have the truth about the coming-to-be of earth and fire and of the ones in between that follow proportion. For we will agree with no one that there are visible bodies more beautiful than these, each of them being a single kind. So we must try to fit together the four kinds of bodies that differ in beauty, and say that we have grasped their nature well enough.

53a but fly off and settle elsewhere if they are spongy and light. So it was also with the Four Kinds when shaken by the Recipient: her motion, like an instrument which causes shaking, was separating farthest from one another the dissimilar, and pushing most closely together the similar; wherefore also these Kinds occupied different places even before that the Universe was organized and generated out of them.

Before that time, in truth, all these things were in a state devoid of reason or measure, but when the work of setting in order this Universe was being undertaken, 53b fire and water and earth and air, although possessing some traces of their own nature, were yet so disposed as everything is likely to be in the absence of God; and inasmuch as this was then their natural condition, God began by first marking them out into shapes by means of forms and numbers. And that God constructed them, so far as He could, to be as fair and good as possible, whereas they had been otherwise,—this above all else must always be postulated in our account. Now, however, it is the disposition and origin 53c of each of these Kinds which I must endeavor to explain to you in an exposition of an unusual type; yet, inasmuch as you have some acquaintance with the technical method which I must necessarily employ in my exposition, you will follow me.

In the first place, then, it is plain I presume to everyone that fire and earth and water and air are solid bodies; and the form of a body, in every case, possesses depth also. Further, it is absolutely necessary that depth should be bounded by a plane surface; and the rectilinear plane is composed of triangles. 53d Now all triangles derive their origin from two triangles, each having one angle right and the others acute; and the one of these triangles has on each side half a right angle marked off by equal sides, while the other has the right angle divided into unequal parts by unequal sides. These we lay down as the principles of fire and all the other bodies, proceeding according to a method in which the probable is combined with the necessary; but the principles which are still higher than these are known only to God and the man who is dear to God. 53e We must now declare what will be the four fairest bodies, dissimilar to one another, but capable in part of being produced out of one another by means of dissolution; for if we succeed herein we shall grasp the truth concerning the generation of earth and fire and the mean proportionals. For to no one will we concede that fairer bodies than these, each distinct of its kind, are anywhere to be seen. Wherefore we must earnestly endeavor to frame together these four kinds of bodies which excel in beauty, and to maintain that we have apprehended