B

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Φαίνεται γοῦν δὴ καὶ μάλα εἰκότως εἰρῆσθαι πάνθ ̓ ὅσα διελήλυθας.

ΞΕ. Λογισάμενοι δὴ ξυννοήσωμεν τὸ πάθος ἐκ τῶν νῦν λεχθέντων, ὃ πάντων ἔφαμεν εἶναι τῶν θαυμαστῶν αἴτιον. ἔστι γὰρ οὖν δὴ τοῦτ ̓ αὐτό.

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Τὸ ποῖον ;

ΞΕ. Τὸ τὴν τοῦ παντὸς φορὰν τοτὲ μὲν ἐφ ̓ ἃ νῦν κυκλεῖται φέρεσθαι, τοτὲ δ ̓ ἐπὶ τἀναντία.

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Πώς δή ;

ΞΕ. Ταύτην τὴν μεταβολὴν ἡγεῖσθαι δεῖ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ο οὐρανὸν γιγνομένων τροπῶν πασῶν εἶναι μεγίστην καὶ τελεωτάτην τροπήν.

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Εοικε γοῦν.

ΞΕ. Μεγίστας τοίνυν καὶ μεταβολάς χρή νομίζειν γίγνεσθαι τότε τοῖς ἐντὸς ἡμῖν οἰκοῦσιν αὐτοῦ.

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Καὶ τοῦτ ̓ εἰκός.

ΞΕ. Μεταβολὰς δὲ μεγάλας καὶ πολλὰς καὶ παντοίας συμφερομένας ἆρ ̓ οὐκ ἴσμεν τὴν τῶν ζώων φύσιν ὅτι χαλεπῶς ἀνέχεται ;

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Πῶς δ ̓ οὔ;

ΞΕ. Φθοραὶ τοίνυν ἐξ ἀνάγκης τότε μέγισται ξυμβαί D νουσι τῶν τε ἄλλων ζώων, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος ὀλίγον τι περιλείπεται. περὶ δὲ τούτους ἄλλα τε παθήματα πολλὰ καὶ θαυμαστὰ καὶ καινὰ ξυμπίπτει, μέγιστον δὲ τόδε καὶ ξυνεπόμενον τῇ τοῦ παντὸς ἀνειλίξει, τότε ὅταν ἡ τῆς νῦν καθεστηκυίας ἐναντία γίγνηται τροπή.

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Τὸ ποῖον ;

ΞΕ. Ἣν ἡλικίαν ἕκαστον εἶχε τῶν ζώων, αὕτη πρῶτον μὲν ἔστη πάντων, καὶ ἐπαύσατο πᾶν ὅσον ἦν θνητὸν ἐπὶ τὸ γεραίτερον ἰδεῖν πορευόμενον, μεταβάλλον δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ Ε τοὐναντίον οἷον νεώτερον καὶ ἁπαλώτερον ἐφύετο. καὶ τῶν μὲν πρεσβυτέρων αἱ λευκαὶ τρίχες ἐμελαίνοντο, τῶν δ ̓ αὖ γενειώντων αἱ παρειαὶ λεαινόμεναι πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν παρελθοῦσαν ὥραν ἕκαστον καθίστασαν, τῶν δὲ ἡβώντων τὰ σώματα λεαινόμενα καὶ σμικρότερα καθ ̓ ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα ἑκάστην γιγνόμενα πάλιν εἰς τὴν τοῦ νεογενοῦς παιδὸς φύσιν ἀπῄει, κατά τε τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἀφομοιούμενα· τὸ δ' ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη μαραινόμενα κομιδῇ τὸ πάμπαν ἐξηφανίζετο. τῶν δ ̓ αὖ βιαίως τελευτώντων ἐν

Socrates.
Stranger.

All this, methinks, hath great likelihood.

Let us then reason with ourselves, and comprehend from this that which, coming to pass, is, as we said, the cause of all these wonders. Well, it is this.

Stranger. The circular motion of the Universe going as it now goeth, and then at another time going in the contrary direction.

Socrates. How?

Stranger. This alteration we must needs deem to be of all the changes which are accomplished in the Heaven the change which is greatest and most complete.

Socrates. So it would seem.

Stranger. And we must conclude that by reason of it the greatest changes are then accomplished for us who dwell within this Universe.

Stranger. Now, when changes many and great and of all sorts come to pass, is it not true that the nature of living creatures hardly endureth them?

Socrates. Yea, 'tis true.

Stranger. So it is then, of necessity, that beasts do perish most, and of mankind only a little remnant is left; and unto these men do many things strange and new happen, but the strangest is that which attendeth the rolling back of the Universe when the motion contrary to this which is now established cometh to be.

Socrates. What is that?

Stranger. Then cometh it to pass that the age of every creature, according as his time of life is, first standeth still, and mortals are all stayed in that course which maketh them look older and older: but presently they begin to go in the contrary direction-that is to say, they grow younger and more tender; and the hoary locks of the old man become black, and the cheeks of the bearded man become smooth, and he is restored to the bygone springtime of his life; and the lad becometh smooth again, and smaller day after day and night after night, till he cometh back, soul and body, unto the nature and likeness of a new-born child; and thereafter he ever dwindleth away, and at the last utterly vanisheth. Like

τῷ τότε χρόνῳ τὸ τοῦ νεκροῦ σῶμα ταὐτὰ ταῦτα πάσχον 271 παθήματα διὰ τάχους ἄδηλον ἐν ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις διεφθεί

ρετο.

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Γένεσις δὲ δὴ τίς τότ ̓ ἦν, ὦ ξένε, ζώων ; καὶ τίνα τρόπον ἐξ ἀλλήλων ἐγεννῶντο

ΞΕ. Δῆλον, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἐξ ἀλλήλων οὐκ ἦν ἐν τῇ τότε φύσει γεννώμενον, τὸ δὲ γηγενὲς εἶναί ποτε γένος λεχθέν, τοῦτ ̓ ἦν τὸ κατ ̓ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον ἐκ γῆς πάλιν ἀναστρεφόμενον, ἀπεμνημονεύετο δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων προγόνων τῶν πρώτων, οἳ τελευτώσῃ μὲν τῇ προτέρα Β περιφορᾷ τὸν ἑξῆς χρόνον ἐγειτόνουν, τῆσδε δὲ κατ ̓ ἀρχὰς ἐφύοντο· τούτων γὰρ οὗτοι κήρυκες ἐγένονθ' ἡμῖν τῶν λόγων, οἳ νῦν ὑπὸ πολλῶν οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἀπιστοῦνται. τὸ γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν, οἶμαι, χρὴ ξυννοεῖν. ἐχόμενον γάρ ἐστι τῷ τοὺς πρεσβύτας ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ παιδὸς ἰέναι φύσιν, ἐκ τῶν τετελευτηκότων αν, κειμένων δ ̓ ἐν γῇ, πάλιν ἐκεῖ ξυνισταμένους καὶ ἀναβιωσκομένους ἕπεσθαι τῇ τροπῇ συνανακυ κλουμένους 2 εἰς τἀναντία τῆς γενέσεως, καὶ γηγενείς δὴ C κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον ἐξ ἀνάγκης φυομένους οὕτως ἔχειν τοὔνομα καὶ τὸν λόγον, ὅσους μὴ θεὸς αὐτῶν εἰς ἄλλην μοῖραν εκόμισεν.

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Κομιδῇ μὲν οὖν τοῦτό γε ἕπεται τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν. ἀλλὰ δὴ τὸν βίον ὃν ἐπὶ τῆς Κρόνου φῂς εἶναι δυνάμεως, πότερον ἐν ἐκείναις ἦν ταῖς τροπαῖς ἢ ἐν ταῖσδε; τὴν μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἄστρων τε καὶ ἡλίου μεταβολὴν δῆλον ὡς ἐν ἑκατέραις ξυμπίπτει ταῖς τροπαῖς γίγνεσθαι. ΞΕ. Καλῶς τῷ λόγῳ ξυμπαρηκολούθηκας. ὁ δ ̓ ἤρου Ο περὶ τοῦ πάντα αυτόματα γίγνεσθαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἥκιστα τῆς νῦν ἐστι καθεστηκυίας φορᾶς, ἀλλ ̓ ἦν καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἔμπροσθεν. τότε γὰρ αὐτῆς πρῶτον τῆς κυκλήσεως ήρχεν ἐπιμελούμενος ὅλης ὁ θεός· ὡς νῦν κατὰ τόπους, ταὐτὸν τοῦτο ὑπὸ θεῶν ἀρχόντων πάντῃ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου μέρη διειλημμένα. καὶ δὴ καὶ τὰ ζῶα κατὰ γένη καὶ ἀγέλας οἷον νομῆς θεῖοι διειλήφεσαν δαίμονες, αὐτάρκης εἰς πάντα Ε ἕκαστος ἑκάστοις ὢν οἷς αὐτὸς ἔνεμεν, ὥστε οὔτ ̓ ἄγριον ἦν οὐδὲν οὔτε ἀλλήλων ἐδωδαί, πόλεμός τε οὐκ ἐνῆν οὐδὲ στάσις τό παράπαν· ἄλλα θ ̓, ὅσα τῆς τοιαύτης ἐστὶ κατακοσμήσεως ἑπόμενα, μυρί' ἂν εἴη λέγειν. τὸ δ ̓ οὖν τῶν

wise the corpses of them that have died by violence at this time go through the same changes quickly, and in a few days are dissolved and gone clean out of sight.

Socrates. But how were creatures then brought forth, and after what manner were they begotten of their kind?

Stranger. It is manifest, O Socrates, that none was then naturally begotten of his kind, but that the earth-born kind they tell of was that which came up again from the earth in those days, whereof our first forefathers had remembrance who lived in the time next after the end of the former Period, being born at the beginning of this present one. From their mouth hath word concerning these things come down unto us: which of many is not believed; but herein they err; for consider what followeth next:After the old men who go back to childhood, there follow in their turn the men who are already dead and lying in their graves; these begin therein to be compacted anew out of their elements, and when his time cometh unto each of them in the cycle of generation whose motion is contrary to the former motion, he riseth from the dead. Thus were men, of necessity, earth-born in those days, and this name of earth-born which we have received is the true name of them all, save of those whom God translated to some other portion.

Socrates. Yea, indeed, this followeth from that which went before. But tell me the life thou sayest men led when Cronus reigned, was it in that Period or in this? For 'tis plain that the change whereof thou speakest in the course of the stars and the sun falleth to happen in each.

Stranger. Well hast thou followed the argument; and thy question is to be answered thus:-That the age when all things came forth spontaneous for the use of man congrueth not with this present motion, but with that which was before; for then did God control with his providence the whole revolution, and all the parts of the Universe everywhere were divided amongst gods appointed to rule over them, as now gods rule over certain places; and, moreover, living creatures, according to their kinds, were assigned unto angels, as flocks unto divine shepherds, each angel being wholly sufficient in all things for his own flock, so that there was then no savagery, no devouring of one another, no war or sedition

ἀνθρώπων λεχθὲν αὐτομάτου πέρι βίου διὰ τὸ τοιόνδε εἴρηται. θεὸς ἔνεμεν αὐτοὺς αὐτὸς ἐπιστατῶν, καθάπερ νῦν ἄνθρωποι, ζῶον ἂν ἕτερον θειότερον, ἄλλα γένη φαυλότερα αὑτῶν νομεύουσι. νέμοντος δὲ ἐκείνου πολιτεῖαί τε οὐκ ἦσαν 272 οὐδὲ κτήσεις γυναικῶν καὶ παίδων· ἐκ γῆς γὰρ ἀνεβιώσκοντο πάντες, οὐδὲν μεμνημένοι τῶν πρόσθεν· ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν τοιαῦτα ἀπῆν πάντα, καρποὺς δὲ ἀφθόνους εἶχον ἀπό τε δένδρων καὶ πολλῆς ὕλης ἄλλης, οὐχ ὑπὸ γεωργίας φυομένους, ἀλλ ̓ αὐτομάτης ἀναδιδούσης τῆς γῆς. γυμνοὶ

δὲ καὶ ἄστρωτοι θυραυλοῦντες τὰ πολλὰ ἐνέμοντο· τὸ γὰρ τῶν ὡρῶν αὐτοῖς ἄλυπον ἐκέκρατο, μαλακὰς δὲ εὐνὰς εἶχον ἀναφυομένης ἐκ γῆς πόας ἀφθόνου. τὸν δὴ βίον, ὦ Β Σώκρατες, ἀκούεις μὲν τὸν τῶν ἐπὶ Κρόνου· τόνδε δ', ὃν λόγος ἐπὶ Διὸς εἶναι, τὸν νυνί, παρὼν αὐτὸς ᾔσθησαι. κρῖναι δ ̓ αὐτοῖν τὸν εὐδαιμονέστερον ἆρ ̓ ἂν δύναιό τε καὶ εθελήσειας ;

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Οὐδαμῶς.

ΞΕ. Βούλει δῆτα ἐγώ σοι τρόπον τινὰ διακρίνω ;

ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Πάνυ μὲν οὖν.

ΞΕ. Εἰ μὲν τοίνυν οἱ τρόφιμοι τοῦ Κρόνου, παρούσης αὐτοῖς οὕτω πολλῆς σχολῆς καὶ δυνάμεως πρὸς τὸ μὴ μόνον ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ καὶ θηρίοις διὰ λόγων δύνασθαι ο ξυγγίγνεσθαι, κατεχρῶντο τούτοις ξύμπασιν ἐπὶ φιλοσοφίαν, μετά τε θηρίων καὶ μετ ̓ ἀλλήλων ὁμιλοῦντες, καὶ πυνθα νόμενοι παρὰ πάσης φύσεως εἴ τινά τις ἰδίαν δύναμιν ἔχουσα ᾔσθετό τι διάφορον τῶν ἄλλων εἰς συναγυρμὸν φρονήσεως, εὔκριτον, ὅτι τῶν νῦν οἱ τότε μυρίῳ πρὸς εὐδαιμονίαν διέφερον. εἰ δὲ ἐμπιπλάμενοι σίτων ἅδην καὶ ποτῶν διελέγοντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ τὰ θηρία μύθους, οἷα Ὠδὴ καὶ τὰ νῦν περὶ αὐτῶν λέγονται, καὶ τοῦτο, ὥς γε κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν δόξαν ἀποφήνασθαι, καὶ μάλ' εὔκριτον. ὅμως δ ̓ οὖν ταῦτα μὲν ἀφῶμεν, ἕως ἂν ἡμῖν μηνυτής τις