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Three Millennia of Greek Literature
 

Plato Bilingual Anthology : MOTIONS OF THE UNIVERSE

from Politicus, * 268.d-274.e, translated by B. Jowett

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Page 6

YSOC. What is it? STR. The life of all animals first came to a standstill, and the mortal nature ceased to be or look older, and was then reversed and grew young and delicate; the white locks of the aged darkened again, and the cheeks the bearded man became smooth, and recovered their former bloom; the bodies of youths in their prime grew softer and smaller, continually by day and night returning and becoming assimilated to the nature of a newly-born child in mind as well as body; in the succeeding stage they wasted away and wholly disappeared. And the bodies of those who died by violence at that time quickly passed through the like changes, and in a few days were no more seen. YSOC. Then how, Stranger, were the animals created in those days; and in what way were they begotten of one another? ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Τὸ ποῖον; ΞΕ. ῝Ην ἡλικίαν ἕκαστον εἶχε τῶν ζῴων͵ αὕτη πρῶτον μὲν ἔστη πάντων͵ καὶ ἐπαύσατο πᾶν ὅσον ἦν θνητὸν ἐπὶ τὸ γεραίτερον ἰδεῖν πορευόμενον͵ μεταβάλλον δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ 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 τῷ τότε χρόνῳ τὸ τοῦ νεκροῦ σῶμα τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα πάσχον παθήματα διὰ τάχους ἄδηλον ἐν ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις διεφθείρετο. ΝΕ. ΣΩ. Γένεσις δὲ δὴ τίς τότ΄ ἦν͵ ὦ ξένε͵ ζῴων; καὶ τίνα τρόπον ἐξ ἀλλήλων ἐγεννῶντο;
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Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-Greece/plato-universe.asp?pg=6