Stephanus 89

89a as the working result.

Timaeus: Of the movements, again, the best is that which a thing makes in itself by itself—for it is most akin to the movement of thought and of the universe—while the movement under another is worse; worst of all is that which moves a body lying at rest and keeping still, through others, part by part. And so of the purgings and restorations of the body, the best is that through exercise, the second that through rocking—on shipboard, and wherever rides can be had without weariness; a third kind of movement, the medical one that comes of drug-purging, 89b is useful to one under great compulsion, but otherwise is not at all to be accepted by anyone in his right mind. For diseases that do not hold great dangers must not be stirred up with drugs. Every constitution of disease is, in a way, like the nature of living things: for the race of living things, too, comes into being with appointed spans of life for the kind as a whole, and each animal, having the life allotted to it, grows 89c apart from the sufferings of necessity; for the triangles have their power from the very beginnings of each creature and hold together, strong enough to last until a certain time, beyond which no one could ever live out life. So too with the constitution of diseases: when someone destroys it with drugs before the appointed term, the result tends to be that great diseases come from small, and many from few. That is why all such things must be schooled with regimens, so far as a person has leisure, 89d and not, by drugging, provoke a stubborn evil.

And so much, then, for the common living creature and for the part of it that is the body—how one might live most according to reason, both training it and being trained by it, on one's own; but what is to do the educating must itself, earlier and before all, be prepared as far as possible to be most beautiful and best for the work of educating. To go through all this with exactness 89e would itself alone be a work sufficient for the task; but following it in passing, as with what came before, one might carry the account through fittingly enough, viewing it in this way, with an account like this.

Timaeus: As we have said many times—that the soul's forms are settled in us threefold, each in its place, and each of them has its motions—so now too, as briefly as may be, it must be said: that the one which passes its time in idleness, keeping its own motions still, is bound to become the weakest, and the one exercised the strongest;

89a and will so provide it.

Timaeus: Of motions, then, the best is the motion a thing produces in itself by itself—for it is most akin to the motion of thought and to the motion of the universe. The motion produced by another is worse, and the worst is the one that moves the body part by part through other things while the body itself lies still and keeps quiet. That is why, of the cleansings and buildups of the body, the best is the one through exercise; second is the one through being carried along, on voyages and wherever rides are easy. A third kind of motion 89b is useful sometimes when one is forced to it, but otherwise a person with sense should by no means accept it: the cleansing by drugs that comes from medicine. For diseases that do not carry great dangers must not be provoked with drugs. For every formation of diseases is in some way like the nature of living things. The coming together of these happens with set times of life for the whole kind, and each living thing grows with its own life span already allotted to it, 89c apart from the troubles that come by necessity. For the triangles come together right at the start of each thing with a power that can hold out for a certain length of time, beyond which no one could ever live out a life. The same rule holds for the formation of diseases: when someone destroys it before its allotted time with drugs, small diseases tend to become great, and few to become many. That is why all such conditions must be managed with diets, as far as one has leisure for it, 89d and one must not use drugs and provoke a trouble that is hard to handle.

Let this be said about the living thing in common, and about the part of it that is the body—how someone may best live by reason, training it and being trained by it himself. But what is to guide it must rather, and before all this, be prepared, as far as possible, to be the finest and the best guide there is. To go through these matters with precision 89e would be a task big enough on its own; but as a side task, following on from what has been said before, one could look at it this way and finish the account like this, not without reason.

Timaeus: As we have said many times, three kinds of soul are housed in three different ways in us, and each of them happens to have its own motions. So in the same way, now too, we must say as briefly as possible that the one of them that lives in idleness and keeps quiet about its own motions must necessarily become the weakest, while the one that is exercised in training becomes the strongest;

89a Timaeus: Further, as concerns the motions, the best motion of a body is that caused by itself in itself; for this is most nearly akin to the motion of intelligence and the motion of the Universe. Motion due to the agency of another is less good; and the least good motion is that which is imparted to a body lying in a state of rest and which moves it piecemeal and by means of others. Wherefore the motion that is best for purgings and renovations of the body consists in gymnastic exercises; and second-best is the motion provided by swaying vehicles, such as boats or any conveyances that produce no fatigue; while the third kind of motion, although useful for one who is absolutely driven to it, 89b is by no means acceptable, under any other conditions, to a man of sense, it being the medical kind of purging by means of drugs. For no diseases which do not involve great danger ought to be irritated by drugging. For in its structure every disease resembles in some sort the nature of the living creature. For, in truth, the constitution of these creatures has prescribed periods of life for the species as a whole, and each individual creature likewise has a naturally predestined term of life, 89c apart from the accidents due to necessity. For from the very beginning the triangles of each creature are constructed with a capacity for lasting until a certain time, beyond which no one could ever continue to live. With respect to the structure of diseases also the same rule holds good: whenever anyone does violence thereto by drugging, in despite of the predestined period of time, diseases many and grave, in place of few and slight, are wont to occur. Wherefore one ought to control all such diseases, so far as 89d one has the time to spare, by means of dieting rather than irritate a fractious evil by drugging.

Concerning both the composite living creature and the bodily part of it, how a man should both guide and be guided by himself so as to live a most rational life, let our statement stand thus. But first and with special care we must make ready the part which is to be the guide to the best of our power, so that it may be as fair and good as possible for the work of guidance. Now to expound this subject alone in accurate detail would in itself be 89e a sufficient task. But treating it merely as a side-issue, if we follow on the lines of our previous exposition, we may consider the matter and state our conclusions not inaptly in the following terms.

We have frequently asserted that there are housed within us in three regions three kinds of soul, and that each of these has its own motions; so now likewise we must repeat, as briefly as possible, that the kind which remains in idleness and stays with its own motions; in repose necessarily becomes weakest, whereas the kind which exercises itself becomes strongest;