Part 30

126-128. Ibid. 9 r 39, 14. 127-131. Ibid. 7 v 31, 13.

V. 126: EᵃD¹ πάηντο, D²E πύηντο, a ποίηντο, corr. Bergk: DEᵃ ἀκρήτοις, a ἀκρίτοιο, corr. Stein. V. 127: Eᵃ οἴεται. V. 129: MSS. πάντα, Mullach πάντῃ, Stein πᾶσιν: aF ἄρχη, text follows DE. V. 130: Stein suggests μιγῆν, τό τ’.

132. Plato, Symp. 178 B; Arist. Met. i. 4, 984 b 26; Plut. Amat. 756 F; Sext. Emp. Math. ix. 9; Stob. Ecl. i. 10, p. 274; Simpl. Phys. 9 r 39, 18.

133-139. Clem. Al. Strom. v. 14, 732. Stein assigns to Empedokles.

140-143. Simpl. de Coelo f. 138: Peyr. 55 sqq., Brandis 510 a.

V. 140: Stein introduces λέγειν before πως from what precedes.

144. Plut. Colot. p. 1116 A.

145. Plut. Quaest. Rom. 282 A; de fac. lun. 929 A.

146-149. Arist. Met. iii. 5, 1009 b 17; Theophr. de sens. 3; Dox. 499.

V. 146: Text follows Arist. SBᵇCᵇ, Theophr. PF; Vulg. ἕκαστος: MSS. κρᾶσιν, corr. Stephan. V. 147: Arist. παρίσταται; text follows Theophr.

150. Galen, Hipp. Epid. vi. 48; Comm. ii. (ix. p. 430 Char).

151-153. Simpl. de Coelo f. 138; Peyr. 55 sq., Gaisf. Poet. Min. 287.

V. 151: MSS. ἔφυ, corr. Stein. MSS. (καὶ) νῦν ἔασι, Peyr. νῦν τε ἔασι, Stein νῦν καὶ ἔασι. V. 153: Text follows Oxford MS.: Turin MS. transposes last two words.

150-155. (Karsten) Coelius Aurel. de Morb. Chron. iv. 9, p. 545 Wet. R. P. 102 c. V. (151) Vulg. venis informans, corr. Diels, Dox. 193, n. 1.

TRANSLATION.

(Proœmium) The horses which bear me conducted me as far as desire may go, when they had brought me speeding along to the far-famed road of a divinity who herself bears onward through all {5} things the man of understanding. Along this road I was borne, along this the horses, wise indeed, bore me hastening the chariot on, and maidens guided my course. The axle in its box, enkindled by the heat, uttered the sound of a pipe (for it was driven on by the rolling wheels on either side), when the maiden daughters of Helios hastened to conduct me {10} to the light, leaving the realms of night, pushing aside with the hand the veils from their heads. There is the gate between the ways of day and night; lintel above it, and stone threshold beneath, hold it in place, and high in air it is fitted with great doors; retributive Justice holds the keys that open and {15} shut them. However, the maidens addressed her with mild words, and found means to persuade her to thrust back speedily for them the fastened bolt from the doors; and the gate swinging free made the opening wide, turning in their sockets the bronze {20} hinges, well fastened with bolts and nails; then through this the maidens kept horses and chariot straight on the high-road. The goddess received me with kindness, and, taking my right hand in {25} hers, she addressed me with these words:—Youth joined with drivers immortal, who hast come with the horses that bear thee, to our dwelling, hail! since no evil fate has bid thee come on this road (for it lies far outside the beaten track of men), but right and justice. ’Tis necessary for thee to {30} learn all things, both the abiding essence of persuasive truth, and men’s opinions in which rests no true belief. But nevertheless these things also thou shalt learn, since it is necessary to judge accurately the things that rest on opinion, passing all things carefully in review.

CONCERNING TRUTH.

Come now I will tell thee—and do thou hear my word and heed it—what are the only ways of {35} enquiry that lead to knowledge. The one way, assuming that being is and that it is impossible for it not to be, is the trustworthy path, for truth attends it. The other, that not-being is and that it necessarily is, I call a wholly incredible course, {40} since thou canst not recognise not-being (for this is impossible), nor couldst thou speak of it, for thought and being are the same thing.

It makes no difference to me at what point I begin, for I shall always come back again to this.

It is necessary both to say and to think that being is; for it is possible that being is, and it is impossible {45} that not-being is; this is what I bid thee ponder. I restrain thee from this first course of investigation; and from that course also along which mortals knowing nothing wander aimlessly, since helplessness directs the roaming thought in their bosoms, and they are borne on deaf and likewise {50} blind, amazed, headstrong races, they who consider being and not-being as the same and not the same; and that all things follow a back-turning course.

That things which are not are, shall never prevail, she said, but do thou restrain thy mind from this course of investigation.

And let not long-practised habit compel thee {55} along this path, thine eye careless, thine ear and thy tongue overpowered by noise; but do thou weigh the much contested refutation of their words, which I have uttered.

There is left but this single path to tell thee of: namely, that being is. And on this path there are many proofs that being is without beginning and {60} indestructible; it is universal, existing alone, immovable and without end; nor ever was it nor will it be, since it now is, all together, one, and continuous. For what generating of it wilt thou seek out? From what did it grow, and how? I will not permit thee to say or to think that it came from not-being; for it is impossible to think or to say that not-being {65} is. What thing would then have stirred it into activity that it should arise from not-being later rather than earlier? So it is necessary that being either is absolutely or is not. Nor will the force of the argument permit that anything spring from {70} being except being itself. Therefore justice does not slacken her fetters to permit generation or destruction, but holds being firm.

(The decision as to these things comes in at this point.)

Either being exists or it does not exist. It has been decided in accordance with necessity to leave the unthinkable, unspeakable path, as this is not the true path, but that the other path exists and is true. {75} How then should being suffer destruction? How come into existence? If it came into existence, it is not being, nor will it be if it ever is to come into existence.... So its generation is extinguished, and its destruction is proved incredible.

Nor is it subject to division, for it is all alike; nor is anything more in it, so as to prevent its cohesion, nor anything less, but all is full of being; {80} therefore the all is continuous, for being is contiguous to being.

Farther it is unmoved, in the hold of great chains, without beginning or end, since generation and destruction have completely disappeared and {85} true belief has rejected them. It lies the same, abiding in the same state and by itself; accordingly it abides fixed in the same spot. For powerful necessity holds it in confining bonds, which restrain it on all sides. Therefore divine right does not permit being to have any end; but it is lacking in nothing, for if it lacked anything it would lack everything.

{90} Nevertheless, behold steadfastly all absent things as present to thy mind; for thou canst not separate being in one place from contact with being in another place; it is not scattered here and there through the universe, nor is it compounded of parts.