κἀγὼ τὸν Δημήτριον προσαγορεύσας πῶς ἔχει ἔφην τὰ τῶν μνηστήρων ἔπη, τὸν Ὀδυσσέα θαυμασάντων τὸ τόξον μεταχειριζόμενον ὑπομνησθέντος δὲ τοῦ Δημητρίου, ταῦτʼ ἔφην ἐπέρχεται κἀμοὶ περὶ τοῦ ξένου εἰπεῖν ἦ τις θηητὴρ καὶ ἐπίκλοπος ἔπλετο δογμάτων τε καὶ λόγων παντοδαπῶν, καὶ πολυπλανὴς ἐν γράμμασι καὶ οὐ βάρβαρος ἀλλʼ Ἕλλην γένος ἦν, πολλῆς Ἑλληνίδος μούσης ἀνάπλεως. ἐλέγχει ὁ αὐτὸν ὁ τῶν κόσμων ἀριθμὸς οὐκ ὢν Αἰγύπτιος οὐδʼ Ἰνδὸς ἀλλὰ Δωριεὺς ἀπὸ Σικελίας, ἀνδρὸς Ἱμεραίου τοὔνομα Πέτρωνος· αὐτοῦ μὲν ἐκείνου βιβλίδιον οὐκ ἀνέγνων οὐδʼ οἶδα διασῳζόμενον Ἵππυς δʼ ὁ Ῥηγῖνος, οὗ μέμνηται Φανίας ὁ Ἐρέσιος, ἱστορεῖ δόξαν εἶναι ταύτην Πέτρωνος καὶ λόγον, ὡς ἑκατὸν καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ τρεῖς κόσμους ὄντας ἁπτομένους δʼ ἀλλήλων κατὰ στοιχεῖον· ὅ τι τοῦτʼ ἐστί, κατὰ στοιχεῖον ἅπτεσθαι, μὴ προσδιασαφῶν μηδʼ ἄλλην τινὰ πιθανότητα προσάπτων. ὑπολαβὼν δʼ ὁ Δημήτριος τίς δʼ ἄν εἶπεν ἐν τοιούτοις πράγμασιν εἴη πιθανότης, ὅπου καὶ Πλάτων οὐδὲν εἰπὼν εὔλογον οὐδʼ εἰκὸς οὕτω κατέβαλε τὸν λόγον;ʼ καὶ ὁ Ἡρακλέων ἀλλὰ μὴν ὑμῶν ἔφη τῶν γραμματικῶν ἀκούομεν εἰς Ὅμηρον ἀναγόντων στεγμαννυς· ἀγόντωντὴν δόξαν, ὡς ἐκείνου τὸ πᾶν εἰς πέντε κόσμους διανέμοντος, οὐρανὸν ὕδωρ ἀέρα γῆν ὄλυμπον. ὧν τὰ μὲν δύο κοινὰ καταλείπει, γῆν μὲν τοῦ κάτω παντὸς οὖσαν ὄλυμπον δὲ τοῦ· ἄνω παντός· οἱ δʼ ἐν μέσῳ τρεῖς τοῖς τρισὶ θεοῖς ἀπεδόθησαν. οὕτω δὲ καὶ Πλάτων ἔοικε τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ πρῶτα σωμάτων εἴδη καὶ σχήματα συννέμων ταῖς τοῦ ὅλου διαφοραῖς πέντε κόσμους καλεῖν, τὸν γῆς τὸν ὕδατος τὸν ἀέρος τὸν πυρός· ἔσχατον δὲ τὸν περιέχοντα τούτους, τὸν τοῦ δωδεκαέδρου, πολύχυτον καὶ πολύτρεπτον, ᾧ μάλιστα δὴ ταῖς ψυχικαῖς; περιόδοις καὶ κινήσεσι πρέπον σχῆμα καὶ συναρμόττον ἀπέδωκε καὶ ὁ Δημήτριος Ὅμηρον ἔφη τί κινοῦμεν ἐν τῷ παρόντι; μύθων γὰρ ἅλις. Πλάτων δὲ πολλοῦ δεῖ τὰς πέντε τοῦ κόσμου διαφορὰς πέντε κόσμους; προσαγορεύειν ἐν οἷς τε μάχεται τοῖς ἀπείρους κόσμους ὑποτιθεμένοις, αὑτῷ δή φησὶ δοκεῖν ἕνα τοῦτον εἶναι μονογενῆ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἀγαπητόν, ἐκ τοῦ σωματοειδοῦς παντὸς ὅλον καὶ τέλειον καὶ αὐτάρκη γεγενημένον. ὅθεν ἄν τις καὶ θαυμάσειεν, ὅτι τἀληθὲς εἰπὼν αὐτὸς ἑτέροις ἀπιθάνου καὶ λόγον οὐκ ἐχούσης ἀρχὴν παρέσχε δόξης. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἕνα μὴ φυλάξαι κόσμον εἶχεν ἁμωσγέπως ὑπόθεσιν τὴν τοῦ παντὸς ἀπειρίαν, τὸ δʼ ἀφωρισμένως; ποιῆσαι τοσούτους καὶ μήτε πλείους τῶν πέντε μήτʼ ἐλάττους κομιδῇ παράλογον καὶ πάσης πιθανότητος ἀπηρτημένον, εἰ μὴ τι σὺ λέγεις ἔφη πρὸς ἐμὲ βλέψας.ʼ κἀγὼ δοκεῖ γὰρ οὕτως ἔφηνʼ ἀφέντας ἤδη τὸν περὶ χρηστηρίων λόγον ὡς τέλος ἔχοντα, μεταλαμβάνειν ἕτερον τοσοῦτον οὐκ ἀφέντας εἶπεν ὁ Δημήτριος ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλὰ μὴ παρελθόντας τοῦτον ἀντιλαμβανόμενον ἡμῶν. οὐ γὰρ ἐνδιατρίψομεν, ἀλλʼ ὅσον ἱστορῆσαι τὴν πιθανότητα θιγόντες αὐτοῦ μέτιμεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπόθεσιν.
Here, turning myself to Demetrius, I asked him what were the words which the wooers of Penelope spake in Homer, when they saw Ulysses handling his bow. And Demetrius having put me in mind of them, I said: It came into my thoughts to say as much of this wonderful man. He was indeed an observer and a cunning thief of opinions and discourses, and a person conversant in all sorts of learning, being a Greek born, and perfectly well skilled in the studies of his country. For this number of worlds shows us that he was neither an Indian nor an Egyptian; but his father was a Dorian Greek of the country of Sicily, named Petron, born in the city of Himera, who wrote a little book on this subject, which I indeed never saw, nor can tell whether it be extant. But Hippys, a native of Rhegium, mentioned by Phanias the Eresian, tells us, it was the doctrine of Petron that there were a hundred and eighty-three worlds, tacked to one another in their first principle; but he does not explain to us what this phrase means, nor does he offer any reason to prove this. It is certain, says Demetrius, that Plato himself, bringing no argument to evince this point, does hereby overthrow this opinion. Yet, says Heracleon, we have heard you grammarians say that Homer was the first author of this opinion, as having divided the universe into five worlds, heaven, water, air, earth, and that which he calls Olympus; of which he leaveth two to be common,—the earth to all beneath, and Olympus to all above, —but the three in the midst between them he attributes unto three several Gods. In the, like manner Plato, assigning unto the principal parts of the universe the first forms and most excellent figures of the bodies, calls them five worlds,—those of the earth, water, air, and fire, and finally, of that which comprehended all the others, which he calls Dodecaedron (which is to say, with twelve bases), which, amply extending, is of easy motion and capacity, its form and figure being very fit and proper for the revolutions and motions of the souls. What need is there then, cried Demetrius, of bringing in good old Homer? For we have had fables enough already. But Plato is far from calling the different elements five worlds; for even where he disputes against those who assert an infinite number of worlds, he affirms, there is only one created of God and satisfying him, consisting of the entire corporeal Nature, perfect, endued with self-sufficiency, and wanting nothing; and therefore we may well think it strange that the truth which he spake should occasion the extravagancy of others. For had he not maintained the world’s unity, he would in some sort have given a foundation to those who affirm an infinite number of worlds; but that he asserted precisely five, this is marvellously strange and far from all probability, unless you can (says he, turning himself to me) clear this point. How! (said I) are you then resolved to drop here your first dispute about oracles, and to take up another of no less difficulty? Not so, replied Demetrius; yet we must take cognizance of this, which does, as it were, hold out its hand to us, though we shall not remain long upon it, but treat of it by the way, and soon return to our first discourse.
πρῶτον τοίνυν ἔφην ἐγώ τὰ κωλύοντα ποιεῖν κόσμους ἀπείρους οὐκ ἀπείργει πλείονας ἑνὸς ποιεῖν. καὶ γὰρ οἷόν τʼ ἔστιν εἶναι καὶ μαντικὴν καὶ πρόνοιαν ἐν πλείοσι κόσμοις, καὶ τὸ μικροτάτην τύχην παρεμπίπτειν, τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα καὶ μέγιστα τάξιν λαμβάνειν πρὸς γένεσιν καὶ μεταβολήν, ὧν οὐδὲν ἡ ἀπειρία δέχεσθαι πέφυκεν. ἔπειτα τῷ λόγῳ μᾶλλον ἕπεται τὸ τῷ θεῷ μὴ μονογενῆ μηδʼ ἔρημον εἶναι τὸν κόσμον. ἀγαθὸς γὰρ ὢν τελέως οὐδεμιᾶς ἀρετῆς ἐνδεής ἐστιν, ἥκιστα δὲ τῶν περὶ δικαιοσύνην καὶ φιλίαν· κάλλισται γὰρ αὗται καὶ θεοῖς πρέπουσαι. μάτην δʼ οὐδὲν ἔχειν οὐδʼ ἄχρηστον θεὸς πέφυκεν. εἰσὶν οὖν ἐκτὸς ἕτεροι θεοὶ καὶ κόσμοι, πρὸς οὓς χρῆται ταῖς κοινωνικαῖς ἀρεταῖς· οὐ γὰρ πρὸς αὑτὸν οὐδὲ μέρος αὑτοῦ χρῆσίς ἐστι δικαιοσύνης ἢ χάριτος ἢ χρηστότητος ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἄλλους;. ὥστʼ οὐκ εἰκὸς ἄφιλον οὐδʼ ἀγείτονα τόνδʼ οὐδʼ ἄμικτον ἐν ἀπείρῳ κενῷ τὸν κόσμον σαλεύειν· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν φύσιν ὁρῶμεν τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστα γένεσιν καὶ εἴδεσιν οἷον ἀγγείοις ἢ περικαρπίοις σπέρματος περιέχουσαν. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐν ἀριθμῷ τῶν ὄντων ἔστιν, οὗ γε μὴ λόγος ὑπάρχει κοινός, οὐδὲ τυγχάνει τῆς τοιᾶσδε προσηγορίας ὃ μὴ κοινῶς ποιὸν ἢ ἰδίως ἐστίν. ὁ δὲ κόσμος οὐ λέγεται κοινῶς εἶναι ποιός· ἰδίως τοίνυν ποιός ἐστιν ἐκ διαφορᾶς τῆς πρὸς ἄλλα συγγενῆ καὶ ὁμοειδῆ γεγονὼς τοιοῦτος. εἰ γὰρ οὔτʼ ἄνθρωπος εἷς οὔτʼ ἵππος ἐν τῇ φύσει γέγονεν οὔτʼ ἄστρον οὔτε θεὸς οὔτε δαίμων, τί κωλύει μηδὲ κόσμον ἕνα τὴν φύσιν ἔχειν ἀλλʼ ἢ πλείονας; ὁ γὰρ λέγων, ὅτι καὶ γῆν μίαν ἔχει καὶ θάλατταν, ἐμφανὲς τι παρορᾷ τὸ τῶν ὁμοιομερῶν τήν τε γὰρ γῆν εἰς ὁμώνυμα μέρη καὶ τὴν θάλατταν ὡσαύτως διαιροῦμεν· τοῦ δὲ κόσμου μέρος οὐκέτι κόσμος ἀλλʼ ἐκ διαφόρων φύσεων συνέστηκε.
First of all then, I say, the reasons which hinder us from asserting an infinite number of worlds do not hinder us from affirming that there are more than one; for as well in many worlds as in one there may be Providence and Divination, while Fortune intervenes only in the smallest things; but most part of the grand and principal things have and take their beginnings and changes by order, which could not be in an infinite number of worlds. And it is more conformable to reason to say that God made more than one world; for, being perfectly good, he wants no virtue, and least of all justice and friendship, for they do chiefly become the nature of the Gods. Now God hath nothing that is superfluous and useless; and therefore there must be other inferior Gods proceeding from him, and other worlds made by him, towards whom he must use these social virtues; for he cannot exercise those virtues of justice and benignity on himself or any part of himself, but on others. So that it is not likely this world should float and wander about, without either friend, neighbor, or any sort of communication, in an infinite vacuum. For we see Nature includes all single things in genera and species, like as in vessels or in husks of seeds; for there is nothing to be found in Nature—and nothing can have a common notion or appellation—which is not qualified both in common and in particular. Now the world is not said to be such in common, but in particular, for its quality is derived from its being an harmonious whole made up of different parts. But yet, there being no such thing in Nature as one man alone, one horse, one star, one God, one Daemon, why may we not believe that there is not in Nature one only world and no more, but several? And if any one shall object against me that this world hath likewise but one earth and one sea, I can answer him, he is much deceived by not understanding the evidence afforded by like parts. For we divide the earth into similar parts of the same denomination; for all the parts of the earth are earth, and so of the sea; but no part of the world is still the world, it being composed of divers and different natures.
καὶ μὴν ὅ γε μάλιστα φοβηθέντες ἔνιοι καταναλίσκουσιν τὴν ὕλην εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἅπασαν, ὡς μηδὲν ὑπολειπόμενον ἐκτὸς ἐνστάσεσιν ἢ πληγαῖς διαταράττοι τὴν τοῦδε σύστασιν, οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἔδεισαν. πλειόνων γὰρ ὄντων κόσμων ἰδίᾳ δʼ ἑκάστου συνειληχότος οὐσίᾳ καὶ ὕλῃ μέτρον ὡρισμένον ἐχούσῃ καὶ πέρας, οὐδὲν ἄτακτον οὐδʼ ἀκατακόσμητον οἷον περίττωμα λειφθήσεται προσπίπτον ἔξωθεν. ὁ γὰρ περὶ ἕκαστον λόγος ἐγκρατὴς ὢν τῆς συννενεμημένης ὕλης οὐδὲν ἔκφορον ἐάσει καὶ πλανώμενον ἐμπεσεῖν ἐξ ἄλλου οὐδʼ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐξ ἄλλον διὰ τὸ μήτε πλῆθος ἀόριστον καὶ ἄπειρον τὴν φύσιν ἔχειν μήτε κίνησιν ἄλογον καὶ ἄτακτον. εἰ δὲ καί τις ἀπορροὴ φέρεται πρὸς ἑτέρους ἀφʼ ἑτέρων, ὁμόφυλον εἶναι καὶ προσηνῆ καὶ πᾶσιν ἠπίως ἐπιμιγνυμένην ὥσπερ αἱ τῶν ἀστέρων αὐγαὶ καὶ συγκράσεις, αὐτούς τε τέρπεσθαι καθορῶντας ἀλλήλους εὐμενῶς, θεοῖς τε πολλοῖς καὶ ἀγαθοῖς καθʼ ἕκαστον οὖσι παρέχειν ἐπιμιξίας καὶ φιλοφροσύνας. ἀδύνατον γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι τούτων οὔτε μυθῶδες οὔτε παράλογον εἰ μὴ νὴ Δία τὰ τοῦ Ἀριστοτέλους ὑπόψονταί τινες ὡς φυσικὰς αἰτίας ἔχοντα. τῶν γὰρ σωμάτων ἑκάστου τόπον οἰκεῖον ἔχοντος, ὥς φησιν, ἀνάγκη τὴν γῆν πανταχόθεν ἐπὶ τὸ μέσον φέρεσθαι καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς διὰ βάρος ὑφιστάμενον τοῖς κουφοτέροις. ἂν οὖν πλείονες ὦσι κόσμοι, συμβήσεται τὴν γῆν πολλαχοῦ μὲν ἐπάνω τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἀέρος κεῖσθαι πολλαχοῦ δʼ ὑποκάτω· καὶ τὸν ἀέρα, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ὁμοίως, πῆ μὲν ἐν ταῖς κατὰ φύσιν πῆ δʼ ἐν ταῖς παρὰ φύσιν χώραις ὑπάρχειν. ὧν ἀδυνάτων ὄντων, ὡς οἴεται, μήτε δύο μήτε πλείονας εἶναι κόσμους, ἀλλʼ ἕνα τοῦτον ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας ἁπάσης συγκείμενον, ἱδρυμένον κατὰ φύσιν, ὡς προσήκει ταῖς τῶν σωμάτων διαφοραῖς.
For as to the inconvenience which some do seem to fear, and in respect of which they confine all the matter within one world, lest, there remaining any thing without, it should disturb the composition of this, by the resistances and jars which it would make against it,—they have no need to dread this. For, there being many worlds, and each of them in particular having one definite and determinate measure and limit of its substance and matter, no part thereof will be without order and good disposition, nothing will remain superfluous or be cast out as an excrement. For the reason which belongeth to each world, being able to rule and govern the matter that is allotted thereto, will not suffer that any thing shall run out of course and order, and rencounter and jumble another world, nor likewise that any thing from another shall justle or disturb it, there being nothing in Nature infinite and inordinate in quantity, nor in motion without reason and order. And if perhaps there be any influence that passes from the one to the other, this is a fraternal communication, whereby they mix themselves together, like the light of the stars and the influence of their temperatures, and whereby they themselves do rejoice in beholding one another with a benign aspect, and give to the Gods (who are good and many in number in every world) an opportunity of knowing and caressing one another. For there is nothing in all this that is impossible, or fabulous, or contrary to reason; though some may think so because of the opinion of Aristotle, who saith that all bodies have their proper and natural places, by which means the earth must on all sides tend to the midst, and the water must rest upon it, serving by its weight for a foundation to the other lighter elements. Were there then many worlds, the earth would be often found above the airy and fiery regions, and as often under them; while air and water would be sometimes in their natural places, and sometimes in others which are their unnatural; which things being impossible, as he thinks, it follows then, there are neither two nor more worlds, but one only, which is this here, consisting of all kinds of elements, disposed according to Nature, agreeably to the diversity of bodies.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα πιθανῶς μᾶλλον ἢ ἀληθῶς εἴρηται σκόπει δʼ οὕτως ἔφην ὦ φίλε Δημήτριε. τῶν γὰρ σωμάτων τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ μέσον καὶ κάτω κινεῖσθαι λέγων τὰ δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ μέσου καὶ ἄνω τὰ δὲ περὶ τὸ μέσον καὶ κύκλῳ, πρὸς τί λαμβάνει τὸ μέσον; οὐ δήπου πρὸς τὸ κενόν· οὐ γὰρ ἔστι κατʼ αὐτόν. καθʼ οὓς δʼ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔχει μέσον, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ πρῶτον οὐδʼ ἔσχατον πέρατα γὰρ ταῦτα, τὸ δʼ ἄπειρον καὶ ἀπεράτωτον. εἰ δὲ καὶ βιάσαιτό τις αὑτὸν λόγου βίᾳ κενοῦ μέσον ἀπείρου νοῆσαί τι, τίς ἡ πρὸς τοῦτο γιγνομένη τῶν κινήσεων διαφορὰ τοῖς σώμασι; οὔτε γὰρ ἐν τῷ κενῷ δύναμίς ἐστι τῶν σωμάτων οὔτε τὰ σώματα προαίρεσιν ἔχει καὶ ὁρμήν, ἣ τοῦ μέσου γλίχεται καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο συντείνει πανταχόθεν. ἀλλʼ ὁμοίως ἄπορόν ἐστιν ἀψύχων σωμάτων πρὸς ἀσώματον χώραν καὶ ἀδιάφορον ἢ φορὰν ἐξ αὑτῶν ἢ ὁλκὴν ὑπʼ ἐκείνης γιγνομένην νοῆσαι. λείπεται τοίνυν τὸ μέσον οὐ τοπικῶς ἀλλὰ σωματικῶς λέγεσθαι. τοῦδε γὰρ τοῦ κόσμου μίαν ἐκ πλειόνων σωμάτων καὶ ἀνομοίων ἑνότητα καὶ σύνταξιν ἔχοντος, αἱ διαφοραὶ τὰς κινήσεις ἄλλοις πρὸς ἄλλα ποιοῦσιν ἐξ ἀνάγκης· δῆλον δὲ τῷ μετακοσμούμενα ταῖς οὐσίαις ἕκαστα καὶ τὰς χώρας ἅμα συμμεταβάλλειν αἱ μὲν γὰρ διακρίσεις ἀπὸ τοῦ μέσου τὴν ὕλην αἰρομένην ἄνω κύκλῳ διανέμουσιν αἱ δὲ συγκρίσεις καὶ πυκνώσεις πιέζουσι κάτω πρὸς τὸ μέσον καὶ συνελαύνουσι.
But in all this there is more probability than truth. For consider, friend Demetrius; when he saith that some bodies tend towards the midst, which is to say, downwards, the others from the midst, that is, upward, and a third sort move round about the midst, what does he mean by the midst? This cannot be understood in respect of a vacuum, there being no such thing in Nature, as he says himself; and, moreover, those that do allow it say that it can have no middle, no more than beginning and end; for beginning and end are extremities, but that which is infinite, everybody knows, is without an end. But supposing we should be necessitated to admit a middle in a vacuum, it is impossible to comprehend and imagine the difference in the motions of bodies towards it, because there is neither in this vacuum any power attractive of the body, nor in the bodies any inclination or affection to tend on all sides to this middle. And it is no less difficult to imagine that bodies can move of themselves towards an incorporeal place, or receive any motion from it. This middle then must be understood not locally, but corporeally. For this world being a mass and union consisting of different bodies joined together, this diversity of them must beget different motions from one another; which appears in that each of these bodies changing its substance does at the same time change its place. For subtilization and rarefaction dissipate the matter which springeth from the midst and ariseth upwards; whereas, on the contrary, condensation and constipation depress and drive it down towards the middle.
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