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it away, until some one shall appear who is able to show us credibly which way these ancients were inclined in regard of knowledge and discourse: meanwhile let us speak of that for the sake whereof this Tale was started, that the next part of our argument may go forward.

When the time of all these men was fulfilled, and the change must needs come, and of the generation of them that arose out of the Earth there was none left, and every Soul had rendered her tale of births, according to the number of times appointed for her to fall and be sown upon the Earth, then did the Governor of the Universe let go, as it were, the tiller, and depart into his own watch-tower, and Fate and inborn Impulse began to cause the Universe to revolve backwards again. Straightway all the gods which, in their several places, bore rule together with the Great God, when they knew what was done, likewise left their provinces without oversight. Then was the Universe shaken as with a great earthquake through his depths by reason of the concussion of the reversed revolution and the strife betwixt the two contrary motions whereof the one was ending and the other beginning; whereby was wrought a fresh destruction of living creatures of every kind.

Thereafter, when the due time was accomplished, the Universe at last ceased from tumults and confusion and earthquakes, and coming into a calm, and being set in order for the course wherein it useth to go, therein went, itself having superintendency and dominion over itself and all that in it is, calling to mind alway, as it was able, the teaching of the Maker and Father of all.

At first the things which it brought forth were more perfectly wrought, but at last more roughly: the cause whereof was the corporeal part which was mixed in the original nature of things, the which was full of confusion before that it came unto the present order. From Him who composed it the Universe hath all things fair and good; but from the former state thereof come all the things difficult and unrighteous which in itself it hath, and bringeth to pass in the creatures which it fashioneth. Therefore when it was with the Governor, the evil creatures it brought forth were few, and the good were in abundance; but when it was separated

τῆς ἀφέσεως κάλλιστα πάντα διάγει, προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ λήθης ἐγγιγνομένης ἐν αὐτῷ μᾶλλον καὶ δυναΟ στεύει τὸ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἀναρμοστίας πάθος, τελευτῶντος δὲ ἐξανθεῖ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ σμικρὰ μὲν τἀγαθά, πολλὴν δὲ τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων ἐναντίων κρᾶσιν ἐπεγκεραννύμενος ἐπὶ διαφθορᾶς κίνδυνον αὑτοῦ τε ἀφικνεῖται καὶ τῶν ἐν αὑτῷ. διὸ δὴ καὶ τότ ̓ ἤδη θεὸς ὁ κοσμήσας αὐτόν, καθορῶν ἐν ἀπορίαις ὄντα, κηδόμενος ἵνα μὴ χειμασθεὶς ὑπὸ ταραχῆς διαλυθεὶς εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀνομοιότητος ἄπειρον ὄντα τόπον δύῃ, πάλιν ἔφεδρος αὐτοῦ τῶν πηδαλίων γιγνόμενος, τὰ νοσήσαντα καὶ Ελυθέντα ἐν τῇ καθ ̓ ἑαυτὸν προτέρᾳ περιόδῳ στρέψας κοσμεί τε καὶ ἐπανορθῶν ἀθάνατον αὐτὸν καὶ ἀγήρων ἀπεργάζεται. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν τέλος ἁπάντων εἴρηται· τὸ δ ̓ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπόδειξιν ἱκανὸν ἐκ τοῦ πρόσθεν ἁπτομένοις τοῦ λόγου. στρεφθέντος γὰρ αὖ τοῦ κόσμου τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν νῦν γένεσιν ὁδὸν τὸ τῆς ἡλικίας αὖ πάλιν ἵστατο καὶ καινὰ τἀναντία ἀπεδίδου τοῖς τότε. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ σμικρότητος ὀλίγου δέοντα ἠφανίσθαι τῶν ζώων ηὐξάνετο, τὰ δ ̓ ἐκ γῆς νεογενῆ σώματα πολιὰ φύντα πάλιν ἀποθνήσκοντα εἰς γῆν κατῄει. καὶ τἆλλά τε πάντα μετέ 274 βαλλεν, ἀπομιμούμενα καὶ ξυνακολουθοῦντα τῷ τοῦ παντὸς παθήματι, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ τῆς κυήσεως καὶ γεννήσεως καὶ τροφῆς μίμημα συνείπετο τοῖς πᾶσιν ὑπ ̓ ἀνάγκης. οὐ γὰρ ἐξῆν ἔτ ̓ ἐν γῇ δι ̓ ἑτέρων συνιστάντων φύεσθαι ζῶον, ἀλλὰ καθάπερ τῷ κόσμῳ προσετέτακτο αὐτοκράτορα εἶναι τῆς αὑτοῦ πορείας, οὕτω δὴ κατὰ ταὐτὰ καὶ τοῖς μέρεσιν αὐτοῖς δι ̓ αὑτῶν, καθ ̓ ὅσον οἷόν τ ̓ ἦν, φύειν τε καὶ γεννᾶν καὶ τρέφειν προσετάττετο ὑπὸ τῆς ὁμοίας ἀγωγῆς. οὗ δὲ ἕνεκα Β ὁ λόγος ὥρμηκε πᾶς, ἐπ ̓ αὐτῷ νῦν ἐσμεν ἤδη. περὶ μὲν

from him, at first for a while after the separation it performed all things exceeding well; and then, as time went on, and forgetfulness grew more and more within it, discord, inherent from of old, gained ever greater mastery and at last burst forth; and things good that were produced being few, and the admixture of the opposite sort being great, the Universe came into danger of being destroyed together with all that was in it.

Wherefore, when things were come to this pass, God, who fashioned this Order, perceiving that it was in distress, and careful lest, being tossed in the storm of so great a tumult, it should be loosed asunder and founder down into the measureless deep of Confusion, again took up His post at the helm ; and having turned round that which was gone the way of disease and dissolution in the former Period when the Universe was left to itself, put all in order, and restored the Universe to the right way, and made it exempt from death and old age.

Here endeth the Tale: now let us return, and take up the beginning thereof, which will suffice for our setting forth of "The King."

When the Universe was turned back, and went the way of this present sort of generation, then again did man's age first stand still, and thereafter straightway began to bring forth things new, in the order contrary to that of the former period; for those creatures which, by reason of their smallness, were all but vanished away, began to grow bigger, and the bodies of men newly come forth from the Earth, which were born grey-headed, died again, and went down into the Earth; and all other things were likewise changed, according to the changed condition of the Universe, their Example and Controller; and among these things which were of necessity so changed were the Conception and Birth and Nourishment of living creatures; for no longer could a living creature grow in the Earth, compacted together out of his elements by others, but even as it was ordained unto the Universe to be master of his own path, so also was it ordained, by the like law, that the parts of the Whole, of themselves, as far as might be, should bring forth, and beget, and provide nourishment. Now, therefore, are we come whither our Whole Discourse was bound.

γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων θηρίων πολλὰ ἂν καὶ μακρὰ διεξελθεῖν γίγνοιτο, ἐξ ὧν ἕκαστα καὶ δι ̓ ἃς αἰτίας μεταβέβληκε· περὶ δὲ ἀνθρώπων βραχύτερα καὶ μᾶλλον προσήκοντα. τῆς γὰρ τοῦ κεκτημένου καὶ νέμοντος ἡμᾶς δαίμονος ἀπερημωθέντες ἐπιμελείας, τῶν πολλῶν αὖ θηρίων, ὅσα χαλεπὰ τὰς φύσεις ἦν, ἀπαγριωθέντων, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀσθενεῖς ἄνθρωποι C καὶ ἀφύλακτοι γεγονότες, διηρπάζοντο ὑπ ̓ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔτ ̓ ἀμήχανοι καὶ ἄτεχνοι κατὰ τοὺς πρώτους ἦσαν χρόνους, ἅτε τῆς μὲν αὐτομάτης τροφῆς ἐπιλελοιπυίας, πορίζεσθαι δὲ οὐκ ἐπιστάμενοί πω διὰ τὸ μηδεμίαν αὐτοὺς χρείαν πρότερον ἀναγκάζειν. ἐκ τούτων πάντων ἐν μεγάλαις ἦσαν ἀπορίαις. ὅθεν δὴ τὰ πάλαι λεχθέντα παρὰ θεῶν δῶρα ἡμῖν δεδώρηται μετ ̓ ἀναγκαίας διδαχῆς καὶ παιδεύσεως, πῦρ μὲν παρὰ Προμηθέως, τέχναι δὲ παρ' Ηφαίστου καὶ τῆς συντέχνου, Ο σπέρματα δὲ αὖ καὶ φυτὰ παρ ̓ ἄλλων· καὶ πάνθ', οπόσα

τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον συγκατεσκεύακεν, ἐκ τούτων γέγονεν, ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν ἐκ θεῶν, ὅπερ ἐρρήθη νῦν δή, τῆς ἐπιμελείας ἐπέλιπεν ἀνθρώπους, δι ̓ ἑαυτῶν δὲ ἔδει τήν τε διαγωγὴν καὶ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν αὐτοὺς αὑτῶν ἔχειν, καθάπερ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος, ᾧ ξυμμιμούμενοι καὶ ξυνεπόμενοι τὸν ἀεὶ χρόνον νῦν μὲν οὕτως, τότε δὲ ἐκείνως ζῶμέν τε καὶ φυόμεθα. καὶ τὸ μὲν Ε δὴ τοῦ μύθου τέλος ἐχέτω, χρήσιμον δὲ αὐτὸν ποιησόμεθα πρὸς τὸ κατιδεῖν, ὅσον ἡμάρτομεν ἀποφηνάμενοι τὸν βασιλικόν τε καὶ πολιτικὸν ἐν τῷ πρόσθεν λόγῳ.

As for the beasts of the field, to tell how and by what causes they were changed would be a long story; but our proper concern is man, and a shorter story will suffice.

When we were bereft of the care of the god which had gotten us to keep and tend, then came it to pass, because the multitude of wild beasts, being fierce by nature, were become more savage, and we ourselves were become weak and defenceless, that we were harried by them; and, moreover, at first, we were helpless, and without the aid of the arts; for the food which grew spontaneous was now lacking, and we knew not yet how to provide food, because that aforetime need had not constrained us to make provision. By reason of all these things were men in sore straits: wherefore it came to pass that those Gifts from the Gods whereof the old stories tell were bestowed upon us, together with the teaching and training which were needful; to wit, fire from Prometheus, and the arts from Hephaestos and his mate; and seeds and herbs from others: yea, all things which have furnished man's life were thus brought forth, ever since the time when the watch kept over us by the Gods, as I said just now, failed us, and it behoved us to spend our lives by ourselves, caring for ourselves; even as the whole Universe must care for itself; the which we imitating and following alway throughout all ages do live and grow up, now after this manner, and then again after that manner.

Here endeth our Tale; the use whereof will be to make us see how wrongly we set forth the nature of the King and Statesman in our former Discourse.

Before I go on to offer observations on the Politicus Myth, I will supplement the foregoing translation of it by giving a translation of the Myth of the Golden Age of Cronus as it appears also in the Laws.

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