The Timaeus

(Part I)

Socrates: I see one, two, three, but where, O friend Timaeus, is the fourth person, who was taken in by me yesterday for a feast of discussions, should he not, in succession, provide me with similar food?

Timaeus: He struggles, O Socrates, from a particular kind of weakness, for he would not willingly be absent from the present company.

Socrates: It remains, therefore, for you, O Timaeus, and the present company to fill up the part of this absent guest.

Timaeus: Absolutely, Socrates. We shall attempt this to the best of our ability and leave nothing belonging to such a task incomplete, for it would be in no way just that we, who were taken in by you yesterday, in the most appropriate way a guest ought to be received, should not return the guest-friendship with willingness and delight.

Socrates: Are you mindful of the greatness and nature of the things I proposed for you to explain?

Timaeus: I am mindful of some things, but could you recall the others into my mind? Or, if it is not too much trouble, could you run over the whole from the beginning so that it may be firmly taken into our minds?

Socrates: Let it be so. To begin with, the sum of yesterday's discussion was what kind of republic appeared to myself to be the best and what sort of people should form such a republic's component parts.

Timaeus: And all that you said, O Socrates, was greatly received by us.

Socrates: Did we not, in the first place, separate those who cultivate the land, and others who work for the people, from those whom we considered as the custodians of the city?

Timaeus: Yes, definitely.

Socrates: And after we had allocated every individual according to their nature, limiting one to each craft, we likewise assigned to hoplites one area only, that of protecting the city from internal hostility, as well as from external enemies. But in such a way that justice be administered moderately to those natural companions under the form of their government, and with the firecness of battle against those who are external enemies.

Timaeus: We did this.

Socrates: For I believe we made clear that the souls of the custodians should be of a nature that can both become annoyed and [classical] philosophical to an extraordinary degree, so that they will be tender with their own, and brave and fierce to their enemies.

Timaeus: You made it clear in this way.

Socrates: And what did we assert concerning their education? Was it not that they should be instructed in gymnastic exercises, music, and other higher disciplines?

Timaeus: Yes, this was so.

Socrates: We also made it clear that those who are educated in this way should not consider gold, silver or any other commodity of similar kind to be their own private property. Instead, in recognition of their service, they should be supported by contributions from those whom they serve, which should be no more than a moderate support. Further, contributions from those whom they serve should be used to maintain a common level of support so that, with all other concerns abandoned, they can attend solely to virtue and their custodial duties.

Timaeus: You said these words.

Socrates: Of women, too, we argued they should be educated in a manner that when together with men, they form similar natures, performing the duties of war and other matters relating to existence.

Timaeus: You said these words, too.

Socrates: And what did we say about reproduction? Perhaps you easily remember this because of its ingenuity. We determined that children from marriages should be for the community so that no one would be able to identify their own child, but instead that all children should be considered their family. Those of equal age would see themselves as brother and sister, the younger would respect the elder as their own parents and grandparents, and the elder would esteem the younger as their children and grandchildren.

Timaeus: These things you said were easily remembered.

Socrates: And from birth, they would be placed in the best possible position, the custodians we placed over marriage rites would make sure the worthy mingled with the worthy and that no discord may arise if this arrangement does not prove to be good, but the blame is allocated to chance and not to the custodians.

Timaeus: We also remember this.

Socrates: We also ordered that the children of the good should be appropriately educated, but those of the bad secretly sent to another city, where, when they are adults, if they are good, they are brought home from exile. On the contrary, those who first remained in the city, if they proved to be bad, should be banished similarly.

Timaeus: This was so.

Socrates: Have we sufficiently presented yesterday's discussion? Or, do you need anything more, O friend Timaeus, which I may have forgotten? 

Timaeus: Nothing more, O Socrates, for this was everything in our discussion.

Plato, The Timaeus

The Timaeus is written about mundane  nature - parts, wholes, images and paradigms.

Note from the editor of Classical Philosophy