οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἔστω παραμυθία τοῦ θαυμάζοντος, εἰ τὴν ἐν γενέσει καὶ μεταβολῇ φύσιν εἰς γένη τοσαῦτα διαιροῦμεν. ἐκεῖνο δʼ ἤδη σκοπεῖτε κοινῇ προσέχοντες, ὅτι τῶν ἀνωτάτω ἀρχῶν, λέγω δὲ τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ τῆς ἀορίστου δυάδος, ἡ μὲν ἀμορφίας πάσης στοιχεῖον οὖσα καὶ ἀταξίας ἀπειρία κέκληται ἡ δʼ τοῦ ἑνὸς φύσις ὁρίζουσα καὶ καταλαμβάνουσα τῆς ἀπειρίας τὸ κενὸν καὶ ἄλογον καὶ ἀόριστον ἔμμορφον παρέχεται, καὶ τὴν ἑπομένην περὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ δείξει καταγόρευσιν ἁμωσγέπως ὑπομένον καὶ δεχόμενον. αὗται δὲ πρῶτον αἱ ἀρχαὶ περὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἐπιφαίνονται, μᾶλλον δʼ ὅλως ἀριθμὸς οὐκ ἔστι τὸ πλῆθος, ἂν μὴ καθάπερ εἶδος ὕλης τὸ ἓν γενόμενον ἐκ τῆς ἀπειρίας τοῦ ἀορίστου πῆ μὲν πλεῖον πῆ δʼ ἔλαττον ἀποτέμνηται. τότε γὰρ ἀριθμὸς γίγνεται τῶν πληθῶν ἕκαστον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἑνὸς ὁριζόμενον ἐὰν δʼ ἀναιρεθῇ τὸ ἕν, πάλιν ἡ ἀόριστος δυὰς συγχέασα πᾶν ἄρρυθμον καὶ ἄπειρον καὶ ἄμετρον ἐποίησεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ εἶδος οὐκ ἀναίρεσίς ἐστι τῆς ὕλης ἀλλὰ μορφὴ καὶ τάξις ὑποκειμένης, ἀνάγκη καὶ τῷ ἀριθμῷ τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐνυπάρχειν ἀμφοτέρας, ὅθεν ἡ πρώτη καὶ μεγίστη διαφορὰ καὶ ἀνομοιότης γέγονεν. ἔστι γὰρ ἡ μὲν ἀόριστος ἀρχὴ τοῦ ἀρτίου δημιουργὸς ἡ δὲ βελτίων τοῦ περιττοῦ πρῶτος δὲ τῶν ἀρτίων τὰ δύο καὶ τὰ τρία τῶν περιττῶν, ἐξ ὧν τὰ πέντε τῇ μὲν συνθέσει κοινὸς ὢν ἀμφοῖν ἀριθμὸς τῇ δὲ δυνάμει γεγονὼς περιττός. ἔδει γάρ, εἰς πλείονα μέρη τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ καὶ σωματικοῦ μεριζομένου διὰ τὴν σύμφυτον ἀνάγκην τῆς ἑτερότητος, μήτε τὸν πρῶτον ἄρτιον γενέσθαι μήτε τὸν πρῶτον περιττόν, ἀλλὰ τὸν τρίτον ἐκ τούτων ἀποτελούμενον, ὅπως ἀπʼ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ἀρχῶν γένηται, καὶ τῆς τὸ ἄρτιον δημιουργούσης καὶ τῆς τὸ περιττόν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν οἷόν τε τῆς ἑτέρας ἀπαλλαγῆναι τὴν ἑτέραν· ἑκατέρα γὰρ ἀρχῆς; φύσιν ἔχει καὶ δύναμιν. ἀμφοτέρων οὖν συνδυαζομένων, ἡ βελτίων κρατήσασα τῆς ἀοριστίας διαιρούσης τὸ σωματικὸν ἐνέστη, καὶ τῆς ὕλης ἐν ἀμφοτέροις διισταμένης μέσην τὴν μονάδα θεμένη δίχα νεμηθῆναι τὸ πᾶν οὐκ εἴασεν, ἀλλὰ πλῆθος μὲν γέγονε κόσμων ὑπὸ τῆς ἑτερότητος τοῦ ἀορίστου καὶ διαφορᾶς, περιττὸν δὲ πλῆθος ἡ ταὐτοῦ καὶ ὡρισμένου δύναμις ἀπείργασται, περιττὸν δὲ τοιοῦτον, ὅτι πορρωτέρω τὴν φύσιν ἢ βέλτιον ἔχει προελθεῖν οὐκ εἴασεν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀμιγὲς καὶ καθαρὸν ἦν τὸ ἕν, οὐδʼ ἂν ὅλως εἶχεν ἡ ὕλη διάστασιν· ἐπεὶ δὲ τῷ διαιρετικῷ τῆς δυάδος μέμικται, τομὴν μὲν ἐδέξατο καὶ διαίρεσιν, ἐνταῦθα δʼ ἔστη τῷ περισσῷ τοῦ ἀρτίου κρατηθέντος.
And this may serve for an answer to those that wonder at our dividing Nature, subject to generation and alteration, into so many kinds. But I entreat you all further, attentively to consider with yourselves that, of the two first and supreme principles of all things,—that is to say, the unity, and the indefinite binary or duality,—this latter, being the element and chief origin of all deformity and disorder, is termed infinity, and on the contrary, the nature of unity, determining and limiting the void infinity, which has no proportion nor termination, reduces it into form, and renders it in some manner capable of receiving a denomination which belongs only to sensible and particular things. Now these two general principles appear first in number; for the multitude is indeed no number, unless a certain form of the matter resulting out of indeterminate infinity is cut off, and bounded within respective limits, either shorter or longer. For then each multitude is made number, when once it is determined and limited by unity; whereas, if we take away unity, then the indeterminate duality brings all into confusion, and renders it without harmony, without number or measure. Now, the form not being the destruction of matter, but rather the order and the beauty of it, both these principles therefore must be within number, from whence ariseth the chief disparity and greatest difference. For the infinite and indeterminate principle is the cause of the even number; and the other better principle, which is the unity, is the father (as it were) of the odd number. So that the first even number is two, and the first odd number is three; of which is composed five by conjunction, which is by its composition common to both, but of power or nature not even but odd. For, since sensible and corporeal nature is divided into several parts, on account of its inborn necessity of diversity, it was necessary that the number of these parts should not be either the first even number, nor yet the first uneven or odd, but a third, consisting of both; to the end that it might be procreated out of both principles, viz. of that which causeth the even number, and of that which produceth the odd; for the one cannot be parted from the other, inasmuch as both have the nature, power, and force of a principle. These two principles being then joined together, the better one being mightier prevails over the indeterminate infinity or duality, which divideth the corporeal nature; and thus the matter being divided, the unity interposing itself between has hindered the universe from being divided and parted into two equal portions. But there has been a multitude of worlds caused by the diversity and disagreement of the infinite Nature; but this multitude was brought into an odd number by the virtue and power of identity, or the finite principle; and it was therefore odd, because the better principle would not suffer Nature to stretch itself further than was fitting. For if there had been nothing but pure and simple unity, the matter would have known no separation; but being mixed with the dividing nature of duality, it has by this means suffered separation and division; yet it has stopped here, by the odd numbers being the superior and master to the even.
διὸ καὶ πεμπάσασθαι τὸ ἀριθμῆσαι τοῖς παλαιοῖς ἔθος ἦν καλεῖν. οἶμαι δὲ καὶ τὰ πάντα τῶν πέντε παρώνυμα γεγονέναι κατὰ λόγον, ἅτε δὴ τῆς πεντάδος ἐκ τῶν πρώτων ἀριθμῶν συνεστώσης. καὶ γὰρ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι πολλαπλασιαζόμενοι πρὸς ἄλλους εἰς ἕτερον αὑτῶν ἀριθμὸν ἐκβαίνουσιν ἡ δὲ πεντάς, ἂν μὲν ἀρτιάκις λαμβάνηται, τὸν δέκα ποιεῖ τέλειον· ἐὰν δὲ περισσάκις, ἑαυτὴν πάλιν ἀποδίδωσιν. ἐῶ δʼ ὅτι πρώτη μὲν ἐκ πρώτων δυεῖν τετραγώνων συνέστηκε τῆς τε μονάδος καὶ τῆς τετράδος ἡ πεντάς, πρώτη δʼ ἴσον δυναμένη τοῖς πρὸ αὑτῆς δυσὶ τὸ κάλλιστον τῶν ὀρθογωνίων τριγώνων συνίστησι πρώτη δὲ ποιεῖ τὸν ἡμιόλιον λόγον. οὐ γὰρ ἴσως οἰκεῖα ταῦτα τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις πράγμασιν· ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο μᾶλλον, τὸ φύσει διαιρετικὸν τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ καὶ τὸ πλεῖστα τούτῳ τὴν φύσιν διανέμειν. ἔνειμε γὰρ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς αἰσθήσεις πέντε καὶ μέρη ψυχῆς, φυτικὸν ω· φυσικὸναἰσθητικὸν ἐπιθυμητικὸν θυμοειδὲς λογιστικόν· καὶ δακτύλους ἑκατέρας χειρὸς τοσούτους, καὶ τὸ γονιμώτατον σπέρμα πενταχῆ σχιζόμενον. οὐ γὰρ ἱστόρηται γυνὴ πλείονα τεκοῦσʼ ἢ πέντε τέκνα ταῖς αὐταῖς ὠδῖσι. καὶ τὴν Ῥέαν Αἰγύπτιοι μυθολογοῦσι πέντε θεοὺς τεκεῖν, αἰνιττόμενοι τὴν ἐκ μιᾶς ὕλης τῶν πέντε κόσμων γένεσιν. ἐν δὲ τῷ παντὶ πέντε μὲν ζώναις ὁ περὶ γῆν τόπος, πέντε δὲ κύκλοις ὁ οὐρανὸς διώρισται, δυσὶν ἀρκτικοῖς καὶ δυσὶ τροπικοῖς καὶ μέσῳ τῷ ἰσημερινῷ· πέντε δʼ αἱ τῶν πλανωμένων ἄστρων περίοδοι γεγόνασιν, ἡλίου καὶ Φωσφόρου καὶ στίλβοντος ὁμοδρομούντων. ἐναρμόνιος δὲ καὶ ἡ τοῦ κόσμου σύνταξις, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ τὸ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἡρμοσμένον ἐν πέντε τετραχόρδων θέσεσιν ὁρᾶται, τῶν ὑπάτων καὶ μέσων καὶ συνημμένων καὶ διεζευγμένων καὶ ὑπερβολαίων· καὶ τὰ μελῳδούμενα διαστήματα πέντε, δίεσις καὶ ἡμιτόνιον καὶ τόνος καὶ τριημιτόνιον καὶ δίτονον. οὕτως ἡ φύσις ἔοικε τῷ πέντε ποιεῖν ἅπαντα χαίρειν μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ σφαιροειδῆ, καθάπερ Ἀριστοτέλης ἔλεγε.
This is the reason why the ancients were used to express numbering or reckoning by πεμπάσασθαι, to count by fives. And I am of opinion that that word πάντα, all, is derived from πέντε, which is to say five, five being compounded of the first numbers. For all the other numbers being afterwards multiplied by others, they produce numbers different from themselves; whereas five, being multiplied by an even number, produceth a perfect ten, and multiplied by an odd number, representeth itself again; not to insist that it is composed of the two first tetragons or quadrate numbers (unity and four), and that, being the first number whose square is equivalent to the two squares before it, it composeth the fairest of right angled triangles, and is the first number which containeth the sesquilateral proportion. Perhaps all these reasons are not very pertinent to the discourse of the present dispute, it being better to allege that in this number there is a natural virtue of dividing, and that nature divideth many things by this number. For in ourselves she has placed five senses, and five parts of the soul, the vital, the sensitive, the concupiscible, the irascible, and the rational; and as many fingers on each hand; and the most fruitful seed disperseth itself but into five, for we read nowhere of a woman that brought forth more than five at a birth. And the Egyptians also tell us that the Goddess Rhea was delivered of five Gods, giving us to understand in covert terms that of the same matter were procreated five worlds. And in the universe, the earth is divided into five zones, the heaven into five circles,—two arctics, two tropics, and one equinoctial in the midst. There are five revolutions of planets or wandering stars, inasmuch as the Sun, Venus, and Mercury make but one and the same revolution. And the construction of the world consists of an harmonical measure; even as our musical chords consist of the posture of five tetrachords, ranged orderly one after another, that is to say, those called ὑπάτων, μέσων, συνημμένων, διεζευγμένων, and ὑπερβολαίων. The intervals also which are used in singing are five, diesis, semitone, tone, the tone and a half, and the double tone; so that Nature seems to delight more in making all things according to the number five, than she does in producing them in a spherical form, as Aristotle writeth.
τί δῆτα, φήσαι τις ἄν, ὁ Πλάτων ἐπὶ τὰ πέντε σχήματα τὸν τῶν πέντε κόσμων ἀριθμὸν ἀνήνεγκεν, εἰπὼν ὅτι τῇ πέμπτῃ συστάσει ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ τὸ πᾶν κατεχρήσατο ἐκεῖνο διαζωγραφῶν· εἶτα τὴν περὶ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν κόσμων ὑποθεὶς ἀπορίαν, πότερον ἕνʼ ἢ πέντʼ αὐτοὺς ἀληθείᾳ πεφυκότας λέγειν προσήκει, δῆλός ἐστιν ἐντεῦθεν οἰόμενος ὡρμῆσθαι τὴν ὑπόνοιαν. εἴπερ οὖν δεῖ πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου διάνοιαν ἐπάγειν τὸ εἰκός, σκοπῶμεν ὅτι ταῖς τῶν σωμάτων καὶ σχημάτων ἐκείνων διαφοραῖς ἀνάγκη καὶ κινήσεων εὐθὺς ἕπεσθαι διαφοράς, ὥσπερ αὐτὸς διδάσκει, τὸ διακρινόμενον ἢ συγκρινόμενον ἅμα τῆς οὐσίας τῇ ἑτεροιώσει καὶ τὸν τόπον μεταλλάττειν ἀποφαινόμενος. ἂν γὰρ ἐξ ἀέρος πῦρ γένηται, λυθέντος τοῦ ὀκταέδρου καὶ κερματισθέντος εἰς πυραμίδας, ἢ πάλιν ἀὴρ ἐκ πυρός, συνωσθέντος καὶ συνθλιβέντος εἰς ὀκτάεδρον, οὐ δυνατὸν μένειν ὅπου πρότερον ἦν, ἀλλὰ φεύγει καὶ φέρεται πρὸς ἑτέραν χώραν ἐκβιαζόμενον καὶ μαχόμενον τοῖς ἐνισταμένοις καὶ κατεπείγουσιν. ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον εἰκόνι τὸ συμβαῖνον ἐνδείκνυται, τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν πλοκάνων καὶ ὀργάνων τῶν περὶ τὴν τοῦ σίτου κάθαρσιν σειομένοις καὶ ἀναλικμωμένοις ὁμοίως λέγων τὰ στοιχεῖα σείοντα τὴν ὕλην ὑπʼ ἐκείνης; τε σειόμενα, προσχωρεῖν ἀεὶ τὰ ὅμοια τοῖς ὁμοίοις, ἄλλην τε χώραν ἄλλα ἴσχειν πρὶν ἐξ αὐτῶν γενέσθαι τὸ πᾶν διακοσμηθέν οὕτως οὖν τῆς ὕλης ἐχούσης ὡς ἔχειν τὸ πᾶν εἰκός, οὗ θεὸς ἄπεστιν, εὐθὺς αἱ πρῶται πέντε ποιότητες ἰδίας ἔχουσαι ῥοπὰς ἐφέροντο χωρίς, οὐ παντάπασιν οὐδʼ εἰλικρινῶς ἀποκρινόμεναι, διὰ τὸ πάντων ἀναμεμιγμένων ἀεὶ τὰ κρατούμενα τοῖς ἐπικρατοῦσι παρὰ φύσιν ἕπεσθαι. διὸ δὴ τοῖς τῶν σωμάτων γένεσιν ἄλλων ἀλλαχῆ φερομένων ἰσαρίθμους μερίδας καὶ διαστάσεις ἐποίησαν, τὴν μὲν οὐ καθαροῦ πυρὸς ἀλλὰ πυροειδῆ, τὴν δʼ οὐκ ἀμιγοῦς αἰθέρος ἀλλʼ αἰθεροειδῆ, τὴν δʼ οὐ γῆς αὐτῆς καθʼ ἑαυτὴν ἀλλὰ γεοειδῆ· μάλιστα δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀέρος κοίνωσιν τὴν ὕδατος διὰ τὸ πολλῶν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, τῶν ἄλλων φύλων ἀναπεπλησμένʼ ἀπελθεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς διέστησεν οὐδὲ διῴκισε τὴν οὐσίαν, ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ αὐτῆς διεστῶσαν αὐτὴν καὶ φερομένην χωρὶς ἐν ἀκοσμίαις τοσαύταις παραλαβὼν, ἔταξε καὶ συνήρμοσε διʼ ἀναλογίας καὶ μεσότητος· εἶθʼ ἑκάστῃ λόγον ἐγκαταστήσας ὥσπερ ἁρμοστὴν καὶ φύλακα, κόσμους ἐποίησε τοσούτους, ὅσα γένη τῶν πρώτων σωμάτων ὑπῆρχε. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇ Πλάτωνος ἀνακείσθω χάριτι διʼ Ἀμμώνιον· ἐγὼ δὲ περὶ μὲν ἀριθμοῦ κόσμων οὐκ ἄν ποτε διισχυρισαίμην ὅτι τοσοῦτοι, τὴν, δὲ πλείονας μὲν ἑνὸς οὐ μὴν ἀπείρους ἀλλʼ ὡρισμένους πλήθει τιθεμένην δόξαν, οὐδετέρας ἐκείνων ἀλογωτέραν ἡγοῦμαι, τὸ φύσει τῆς ὕλης σκεδαστὸν καὶ μεριστὸν ὁρῶν οὔτʼ ἐφʼ ἑνὸς μένον οὔτʼ εἰς ἄπειρον ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου βαδίζειν ἐώμενον. εἰ δʼ ἀλλαχόθι που κἀνταῦθα τῆς Ἀκαδημείας ὑπομιμνήσκοντες ἑαυτοὺς τὸ ἄγαν τῆς πίστεως ἀφαιρῶμεν, καὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ὥσπερ ἐν χωρίῳ σφαλερῷ, τῷ περὶ τῆς ἀπειρίας λόγῳ, μόνον διασῴζωμεν.
But it will perhaps be demanded, why Plato refers the number of worlds to the five regular bodies or figures, saying that God made use of the number five in the fabric of the world, as it were transcribing and copying this; and then, having proposed a doubt and question of the number of the worlds, whether there be five, or one only, thereby clearly shows that his conjecture is grounded on this conceit of the five regular bodies. If now we may make a probable conjecture as to his opinion, we may believe that of necessity, with the diversity of these figures and bodies, there must presently ensue a difference and diversity of motions; as he himself teacheth, affirming that whatever is subtilized or condensed does, at the same time with its alteration of substance, alter and change its place. For if from the air there is engendered fire, when the octahedron is dissolved and vanished into pyramids, or, on the contrary, if the air be produced from the fire pressed and squeezed up into the form of the octahedron, it is not possible it should remain there where it was before, but it flies and runs to another place, forcing and combating whatever stands in the way to oppose it. And he shows this more clearly and evidently by an example and similitude of fans, and such like things as drive away the chaff from the corn; for thus the elements driving the matter, and being driven by it, do always bring like to like, some taking up this place, others that, before the world was digested as now it is. The matter then being in that condition in which it is likely every thing is where God is not present, the five first qualities, or first bodies, having each their proper and peculiar inclinations and motions, went apart, not wholly and altogether, nor throughly divided and separated one from another; for when all was huddled in confusion, such as were surmounted went continually against their nature with the mightier. And therefore, some going on one side and others going on the other, hence it has happened that there have been as many portions and distinctions as there are divers kinds of first bodies; one of fire, not wholly pure, but inclining towards the form of fire; another of an ethereal nature, yet not wholly so, but inclining thereto; another of earth, not simple and mere earth, but inclining to the form of earth. But especially there was a communication of water and air; for these, as we have already mentioned, went their ways, replenished with divers other kinds. For God did not separate and distribute the matter, but having found it thus carelessly dissipated in itself, and each part being carried away in such great disorder and confusion, he ranged and ordered it into symmetry and proportion; and setting reason over each as a guardian and governor, he made as many worlds as there were first bodies. However, in respect to Ammonius, let these Platonical notions pass for what they are worth. For my part, I will never be overzealous in this precise number of worlds; but this I will say, that those who hold there are more than one, yet not an infinite number, have as good grounds as others, seeing the matter does naturally spread itself and is diffused into many parts,—not resting in one, while yet it is contrary to reason that it should be infinitely extended. In short, let us here especially be mindful of the wise precepts of the Academy, and preserve ourselves upon such slippery ground as the controversy concerning the infinity of worlds, by refusing a too confident assent.
ἐμοῦ δὲ ταῦτʼ εἰπόντος, ὁ Δημήτριος ὀρθῶς ἔφη Λαμπρίας παραινεῖ. πολλαῖς γὰρ οἱ θεοὶ μορφαῖς οὐ σοφισμάτων ὡς Εὐριπίδης φησίν, ἀλλὰ πραγμάτων σφάλλουσιν ἡμᾶς, ὅταν ὡς ἐπιστάμενοι τολμῶμεν ἀποφαίνεσθαι περὶ τηλικούτων. ἀλλʼ ἀνοιστέος ὁ λόγος, ὡς ὁ αὐτὸς ἀνήρ φησιν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπόθεσιν. τὸ γὰρ ἀφισταμένων καὶ ἀπολειπόντων τὰ χρηστήρια τῶν δαιμόνων ὥσπερ ὄργανα τεχνιτῶν ἀργὰ καὶ ἄναυδα κεῖσθαι λεχθέν, ἕτερον λόγον ἐγείρει τὸν περὶ τῆς αἰτίας μείζονα καὶ δυνάμεως, ᾗ χρώμενοι ποιοῦσι κατόχους τοῖς ἐνθουσιασμοῖς καὶ φαντασιαστικοὺς τοὺς προφήτας καὶ τὰς προφήτιδας. οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε τὴν ἔκλειψιν αἰτιᾶσθαι τοῦ ἀπαυδᾶν τὰ μαντεῖα, μὴ πεισθέντας ὃν τρόπον ἐφεστῶτες αὐτοῖς καὶ παρόντες ἐνεργὰ καὶ λόγια ποιοῦσιν οἱ δαίμονες. ὑπολαβὼν δʼ ὁ Ἀμμώνιος οἴει γὰρ ἕτερόν τι τοὺς δαίμονας εἶπεν ἢ ψυχὰς ὄντας περιπολεῖν καθʼ Ἡσίοδον ἠέρα ἑσσαμένους;ʼ ἐμοὶ μὲν γάρ, ἣν ἄνθρωπος ἔχει διαφορὰν πρὸς ἄνθρωπον ὑποκρινόμενον τραγῳδίαν ἢ κωμῳδίαν, ταύτην ἔχειν δοκεῖ ψυχὴ πρὸς ψυχὴν ἐνεσκευασμένην σῶμα τῷ παρόντι βίῳ πρόσφορον. οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλογον οὐδὲ θαυμαστόν, εἰ ψυχαὶ ψυχαῖς ἐντυγχάνουσαι φαντασίας ἐμποιοῦσι τοῦ μέλλοντος, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἀλλήλοις οὐ πάντα διὰ φωνῆς ἀλλὰ καὶ γράμμασι καὶ θιγόντες μόνον καὶ προσβλέψαντες πολλὰ καὶ μηνύομεν τῶν γεγονότων καὶ τῶν ἐσομένων προσημαίνομεν. εἰ μή τι σὺ λέγεις ἕτερον, ὦ Λαμπρία· καὶ γὰρ ἔναγχος ἧκέ τις φωνὴ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὡς σοῦ πολλὰ περὶ τούτων ἐν Λεβαδείᾳ ξένοις διαλεχθέντος, ὧν οὐδὲν ὁ διηγούμενος ἀκριβῶς διεμνημόνευσε. μὴ θαυμάσῃς ἔφην ἐγώ, πολλαὶ γὰρ ἅμα πράξεις διὰ μέσου καὶ ἀσχολίαι συντυγχάνουσαι διὰ τὸ μαντεῖον εἶναι καὶ θυσίαν, τοὺς λόγους διεσπαρμένους ἡμῖν καὶ σποράδας ἐποίησαν ἀλλὰ νῦν ὁ Ἀμμώνιος ἔφη καὶ σχολὴν ἄγοντας ἀκροατὰς ἔχεις καὶ προθύμους τὰ μὲν ζητεῖν τὰ δὲ μανθάνειν, ἔριδος ἐκποδὼν οὔσης καὶ φιλονεικίας ἁπάσης. συγγνώμης δὲ παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ παρρησίας ὡς ὁρᾷς δεδομένης.
And when I had finished this discourse, Demetrius said: Lamprias is very much in the right; for the Gods deceive us with multiplicities, not of shadows and impostures (as Euripides expresseth it), but even of realities and substances themselves, when we presume to be positive, as if we understood them in things of such weight and moment. But we must, as he advises us, return to our first question, which we seem to have forgotten. For what was said concerning the oracles remaining dumb and useless when the Daemons who presided over them were departed, even as we see musical instruments yield no harmony when the musician does not handle them,—this, I say, brings a greater question into debate, namely touching the cause and power by which these Daemons use to make their prophets and prophetesses to be ravished with enthusiasm and filled with fantastical imaginations. For to say the oracles are silent as being forsaken by the Daemons is nothing, unless we be first shown how (when they are present and govern them) they set them at work and make them prophesy.
Ammonius then taking up the discourse, Do you think, said he, that the Daemons are any thing else Than wandering spirits clothed in finest air, as Hesiod says? For as to my part, I think the same difference which there is between one man and another, when they act in a tragedy or comedy, is also to be found in this life in souls that are clothed with bodies. So that there is nothing in this which is strange or contrary to reason, if souls meeting with other souls do imprint on them visions and apprehensions of future things, just as we show several things already done and come to pass, and prognosticate of those which have not yet happened, not only by the help of speech, but also by letters and writings, or by a bare touch, or a single look;—unless you, Lamprias, are of another opinion. For we heard but very lately, that you discoursed at large upon this subject with the strangers that came to Lebadea; but he that gave us this information could give us no particular account of what passed. No wonder, replied I, for several avocations and businesses intervening, occasioned by the oracle and the solemn sacrifice that was then performing, made our discourse very broken and interrupted. But now, says Ammonius, you have auditors at leisure, that are inquisitive and desirous of instruction, so that you may speak freely, and expect all the candor and consideration which you can desire.
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