timaeu-第7节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
instruments of time severally adapted to them; and to come forth the
most religious of animals; and as human nature was of two kinds; the
superior race would here after be called man。 Now; when they should be
implanted in bodies by necessity; and be always gaining or losing some
part of their bodily substance; then in the first place it would be
necessary that they should all have in them one and the same faculty
of sensation; arising out of irresistible impressions; in the second
place; they must have love; in which pleasure and pain mingle; also
fear and anger; and the feelings which are akin or opposite to them;
if they conquered these they would live righteously; and if they
were conquered by them; unrighteously。 He who lived well during his
appointed time was to return and dwell in his native star; and there
he would have a blessed and congenial existence。 But if he failed in
attaining this; at the second birth he would pass into a woman; and
if; when in that state of being; he did not desist from evil; he would
continually be changed into some brute who resembled him in the evil
nature which he had acquired; and would not cease from his toils and
transformations until he followed the revolution of the same and the
like within him; and overcame by the help of reason the turbulent
and irrational mob of later accretions; made up of fire and air and
water and earth; and returned to the form of his first and better
state。 Having given all these laws to his creatures; that he might
be guiltless of future evil in any of them; the creator sowed some
of them in the earth; and some in the moon; and some in the other
instruments of time; and when he had sown them he committed to the
younger gods the fashioning of their mortal bodies; and desired them
to furnish what was still lacking to the human soul; and having made
all the suitable additions; to rule over them; and to pilot the mortal
animal in the best and wisest manner which they could; and avert
from him all but self…inflicted evils。
When the creator had made all these ordinances he remained in his
own accustomed nature; and his children heard and were obedient to
their father's word; and receiving from him the immortal principle
of a mortal creature; in imitation of their own creator they
borrowed portions of fire; and earth; and water; and air from the
world; which were hereafter to be restored…these they took and
welded them together; not with the indissoluble chains by which they
were themselves bound; but with little pegs too small to be visible;
making up out of all the four elements each separate body; and
fastening the courses of the immortal soul in a body which was in a
state of perpetual influx and efflux。 Now these courses; detained as
in a vast river; neither overcame nor were overcome; but were hurrying
and hurried to and fro; so that the whole animal was moved and
progressed; irregularly however and irrationally and anyhow; in all
the six directions of motion; wandering backwards and forwards; and
right and left; and up and down; and in all the six directions。 For
great as was the advancing and retiring flood which provided
nourishment; the affections produced by external contact caused
still greater tumult…when the body of any one met and came into
collision with some external fire; or with the solid earth or the
gliding waters; or was caught in the tempest borne on the air; and the
motions produced by any of these impulses were carried through the
body to the soul。 All such motions have consequently received the
general name of 〃sensations;〃 which they still retain。 And they did in
fact at that time create a very great and mighty movement; uniting
with the ever flowing stream in stirring up and violently shaking
the courses of the soul; they completely stopped the revolution of the
same by their opposing current; and hindered it from predominating and
advancing; and they so disturbed the nature of the other or diverse;
that the three double intervals 'i。e。 between 1; 2; 4; 8'; and the
three triple intervals 'i。e。 between 1; 3; 9; 27'; together with the
mean terms and connecting links which are expressed by the ratios of 3
: 2; and 4 : 3; and of 9 : 8…these; although they cannot be wholly
undone except by him who united them; were twisted by them in all
sorts of ways; and the circles were broken and disordered in every
possible manner; so that when they moved they were tumbling to pieces;
and moved irrationally; at one time in a reverse direction; and then
again obliquely; and then upside down; as you might imagine a person
who is upside down and has his head leaning upon the ground and his
feet up against something in the air; and when he is in such a
position; both he and the spectator fancy that the right of either
is his left; and left right。 If; when powerfully experiencing these
and similar effects; the revolutions of the soul come in contact
with some external thing; either of the class of the same or of the
other; they speak of the same or of the other in a manner the very
opposite of the truth; and they become false and foolish; and there is
no course or revolution in them which has a guiding or directing
power; and if again any sensations enter in violently from without and
drag after them the whole vessel of the soul; then the courses of
the soul; though they seem to conquer; are really conquered。
And by reason of all these affections; the soul; when encased in a
mortal body; now; as in the beginning; is at first without
intelligence; but when the flood of growth and nutriment abates; and
the courses of the soul; calming down; go their own way and become
steadier as time goes on; then the several circles return to their
natural form; and their revolutions are corrected; and they call the
same and the other by their right names; and make the possessor of
them to become a rational being。 And if these combine in him with
any true nurture or education; he attains the fulness and health of
the perfect man; and escapes the worst disease of all; but if he
neglects education he walks lame to the end of his life; and returns
imperfect and good for nothing to the world below。 This; however; is a
later stage; at present we must treat more exactly the subject
before us; which involves a preliminary enquiry into the generation of
the body and its members; and as to how the soul was created…for
what reason and by what providence of the gods; and holding fast to
probability; we must pursue our way。
First; then; the gods; imitating the spherical shape of the
universe; enclosed the two divine courses in a spherical body; that;
namely; which we now term the head; being the most divine part of us
and the lord of all that is in us: to this the gods; when they put
together the body; gave all the other members to be servants;
considering that it partook of every sort of motion。 In order then
that it might not tumble about among the high and deep places of the
earth; but might be able to get over the one and out of the other;
they provided the body to be its vehicle and means of locomotion;
which consequently had length and was furnished with four limbs
extended and flexible; these God contrived to be instruments of
locomotion with which it might take hold and find support; and so be
able to pass through all places; carrying on high the dwelling…place
of the most sacred and divine part of us。 Such was the origin of
legs and hands; which for this reason were attached to every man;
and the gods; deeming the front part of man to be more honourable
and more fit to command than the hinder part; made us to move mostly
in a forward direction。 Wherefore man must needs have his front part
unlike and distinguished from the rest of his body。
And so in the vessel of the head; they first of all put a face in
which they inserted organs to minister in all things to the providence
of the soul; and they appointed this part; which has authority; to
be by nature the part which is in front。 And of the organs they
first contrived the eyes to give light; and the principle according to
which they were inserted was as follows: So much of fire as would
not burn; but gave a gentle light; they formed into a substance akin
to the light of every…day life; and the pure fire which is within us
and related thereto they made to flow through the eyes in a stream
smooth and dense; compressing the whole eye; and especially the centre
part; so that it kept out everything of a coarser nature; and
allowed to pass only this pure element。 When the light of day
surrounds the stream of vision; then like falls upon like; and they
coalesce; and one body is formed by natural affinity in the line of
vision; wherever the light that falls from within meets with an
external object。 And the whole stream of vision; being similarly
affected in virtue of similarity; diffuses the motions of what it
touches or what touches it over the whole body; until they reach the
soul; causing that perception which we call sight。 But when night
comes on and the external and kind