Stephanus 57

57a when a kind of the others is cut by it through the sharpness of its angles and its sides, it ceases being cut once it has settled into that one's nature — for each kind, like and the same as itself, can neither implant any change in another nor suffer any from a thing that remains the same in the same way — while so long as, becoming something else and being the weaker, it battles with the stronger, it does not stop being broken apart. And again, when the smaller kinds, enclosed 57b by many larger ones and few in number, are shattered and quenched, they cease being quenched, willing as they are to compose themselves into the form of what prevails over them; and as they are quenched, fire becomes air, and air water. But if it moves against them and battles with some of the other kinds as they gather, it does not cease being broken apart until either, driven hard and utterly dissolved, it escapes to its kindred, or, defeated, it becomes one out of many, resembling the victor, and remains as that one's settled dweller. And by such affections as these all of them change their regions; 57c for the multitudes of each kind stand apart in a place of their own, because of the motion of the receiving thing, while the things that are unlike themselves at each moment and like others are carried, by the shaking, toward the place of those to which they have become like.

So much, then, for the bodies that are unmixed and primary, and the causes of such a kind through which they came to be. But the other kinds that have grown into their forms must be credited to the structure of each of the elements — 57d in that it planted at the beginning not one size of each triangle only, but smaller and larger ones as well, and in a number just as great as the kinds there are in the forms. That is why, as they mix both with themselves and with one another, their variety is beyond counting; and those who mean to reason about nature with a likely account must become observers of it.

About motion and rest, then — in what manner and through what they come to be — unless someone settles the matter by agreement, many things will stand in the way 57e of the reasoning that comes after. What has been said about them already, and in addition to that this further point: that motion is never willing to reside in uniformity. For the thing moved to be without the mover, or the mover without the thing moved, is hard — rather, impossible; and there is no motion when these are absent, while it is impossible for these ever to be uniform.

Timaeus: In this way, then, let us set rest in uniformity and motion, always, into

57a another kind is cut by it, by the sharpness of its angles and its sides; and once it has settled into the nature of that thing, it stops being cut—for each kind, being alike and the same as itself, can neither cause any change in anything nor suffer any from what stays the same and like itself—but as long as it keeps coming to be as something else, and being the weaker fights the stronger, it does not stop being broken up. And again, when smaller things are surrounded by many larger ones and are smashed to pieces while they are few and put out, 57b they stop being put out when they have formed themselves into the shape of the thing that overpowers them; and so air comes to be from fire, and water from air. But if it moves toward the same kind and some other kind joins in and fights it, it does not stop being broken up, until either it is pushed and broken apart completely and escapes to what is related to it, or, being beaten, it becomes one out of many, like the thing that won, and stays there living beside it. And 57c in fact all things change their places through these experiences. For the masses of each kind have been separated off in their own place, because of the motion of the thing that receives them; and things that keep becoming unlike themselves but like others are carried by the shaking toward the place of those they have come to be like.

This is how the pure and first bodies have come to be, through causes of this kind. But the fact that other kinds grow within their shapes we must blame on the way each of the elements was put together: 57d at the beginning, each of them did not plant only one size of triangle, but smaller and larger ones as well, and in number as many as there are kinds within each shape. So when they mix with themselves and with one another, their variety is endless. Anyone who is going to use a likely account about nature must become a student of this variety.

So about motion and rest—how they come about, and with what things—unless someone comes to an agreement about them, many things will stand in the way 57e of the reasoning that follows. Some things have already been said about them; to those we now add these further points: there can never be motion in a state of uniformity. For it is hard, or rather impossible, for a thing that is going to be moved to be there without something to move it, or for something that is going to move to be there without something to be moved. But there is no motion when these are absent, and it is impossible for them ever to be uniform.

Timaeus: So let us take it that rest goes with uniformity, and motion always goes with

57a Timaeus: Once again let us reason out their character in this way. Whenever any of the other Kinds is caught within fire it is cut up thereby, owing to the acuteness of its angles and of the line of its sides, but when it has been re-composed into the substance of fire it ceases to be cut; for the Kind that is similar and uniform is in no case able either to cause any change in, or to suffer any affection from, a Kind which is in a uniform and similar state; but so long as, in the course of its passage into another form, it is a weaker body fighting against a stronger, it is continually being dissolved. And again, 57b whenever a few of the smaller corpuscles, being caught within a great number of larger corpuscles, are broken up and quenched, then, if they consent to be re-compounded into the shape of the victorious Kind, they cease to be quenched, and air is produced out of fire, and out of air water; but if they fight against combining with these or with any of the other Kinds, they do not cease from dissolution until either they are driven out to their own kindred, by means of this impact and dissolution, or else they are defeated and, instead of many forms, assume one form similar to the victorious Kind, and continue dwelling therewith as a united family. Moreover, it is owing to these affections 57c that they all interchange their places; for while the bulk of each Kind keeps apart in a region of its own because of the motion of the Recipient, yet those corpuscles which from time to time become dissimilar to themselves and similar to others are carried, because of the shaking, towards the region which belongs to those corpuscles whereto they have been assimilated.

Such are the causes which account for the generation of all the unmixed and primary bodies. But within these four Kinds other classes exist, whereof the cause must be sought in the construction of each of the two elemental triangles, each such construction having originally produced 57d not merely a triangle of one definite size, but larger and smaller triangles of sizes as numerous as are the classes within the Kinds. Consequently, when these are combined amongst themselves and with one another they are infinite in their variety; and this variety must be kept in view by those who purpose to employ probable reasoning concerning Nature.

Now, unless we can arrive at some agreed conclusion concerning Motion and Rest, as to how and under what conditions they come about, 57e our subsequent argument will be greatly hampered. The facts about them have already been stated in part; but in addition thereto we must state further that motion never consents to exist within uniformity. For it is difficult, or rather impossible, for that which is to be moved to exist without that which is to move, or that which is to move without that which is to be moved; but in the absence of these there is no motion, and that these should ever be uniform is a thing impossible.

Accordingly, we must always place rest in uniformity,