o( peri\ th=s e(n tw=| *timai/w| yuxogoni/as e)pigegramme/nos lo/gos, o(/sa *pla/twni kai\ toi=s *platwnikoi=s pefiloti/mhtai, a)pagge/llei: ei)sa/gei de\ kai\ gewmetrika/s tinas a)nalogi/as kai\ o(moio/thtas, pro\s th\n th=s yuxh=s w(s oi)/etai qewri/an sunteinou/sas au)tw=|, kai\ dh\ kai\ mousika\ kai\ a)riqmhtika\ qewrh/mata.

o(/ti oi( peri\ to\n *poseidw/nion ou) makra\n th=s u(/lhs a)pe/sthsan th\n yuxh/n, a)lla\ deca/menoi th\n tw=n pera/twn ou)si/an peri\ ta\ sw/mata le/gesqai EPITOME LIBRI meristh\n kai\ tau=ta tw=| nohtw=| mi/cantes a)pefh/nanto th\n yuxh\n i)de/an ei)=nai tou= pa/nth| diastatou= kat' a)riqmo\n sunestw=san a(rmoni/an perie/xonta: ta/ te ga\r maqhmatika\ tw=n prw/twn nohtw=n metacu\ kai\ tw=n ai)sqhtw=n teta/xqai: th=s te yuxh=s tw=| nohtw=| to\ a)i/dion kai\ tw=| ai)sqhtikw=| to\ paqhtiko\n e)xou/shs, prosh=kon e)n me/sw| th\n ou)si/an u(pa/rxein. e)/laqe ga\r kai\ tou/tous o( qeo\s toi=s tw=n swma/twn pe/rasin u(/steron, a)peirgasme/nhs h)/dh th=s yuxh=s, xrw/menos e)pi\ th\n th=s u(/lhs diamo/rfwsin, to\ skedasto\n au)th=s kai\ a)su/ndeton o(ri/zwn kai\ perilamba/nwn tai=s e)k tw=n trigw/nwn sunarmottome/nwn e)pifanei/ais. a)topw/teron de\ to\ th\n yuxh\n i)de/an poiei=n: h( me\n ga\r a)eiki/nhtos h( d' a)ki/nhtos, kai\ h( me\n a)migh\s pro\s to\ ai)sqhto\n h( de\ tw=| sw/mati suneirgme/nh: pro\s de\ tou/tois o( qeo\s th=s me\n i)de/as w(s paradei/gmatos ge/gone mimhth/s, th=s de\ yuxh=s w(/sper a)potele/smatos dhmiourgo/s. o(/ti d' ou)d' a)riqmo\n o( *pla/twn th\n ou)si/an ti/qetai th=s yuxh=s a)lla\ tattome/nhn u(p' a)riqmou=, proei/rhtai.

pro\s d' a)mfote/rois tou/tois koino/n e)sti to\ mh/te toi=s pe/rasi mh/te toi=s a)riqmoi=s mhqe\n i)/xnos e)nupa/rxein e)kei/nhs th=s duna/mews, h(=| to\ ai)sqhto\n h( yuxh\ pe/fuke kri/nein. nou=n me\n ga\r au)th=| kai\ nohtiko\n h( th=s nohth=s me/qecis a)rxh=s; e)mpepoi/hke, do/cas de\ kai\ pi/steis kai\ to\ fantastiko\n kai\ to\ paqhtiko\n u(po\ tw=n peri\ to\ sw=ma poioth/twn, o(\ ou)k a)/n tis e)k mona/dwn ou)de\ grammw=n ou)d' e)pifaneiw=n a(plw=s noh/seien e)ggino/menon. kai\ mh\n ou) mo/non ai( tw=n qnhtw=n yuxai\ gnwstikh\n tou= ai)sqhtou= du/namin e)/xousin, a)lla\ kai\ th\n tou= ko/smou' fhsi\n a)nakukloume/nhn au)th\n pro\s e(auth/n, o(/tan ou)si/an skedasth\n e)/xonto/s tinos e)fa/pthtai kai\ o(/tan a)me/riston, le/gein kinoume/nhn dia\ pa/shs e(auth=s, o(/tw| a)/n ti tau)to\n kai\ o(/tou a)\n e(/teron, pro\s o(/ti te ma/lista kai\ o(/ph kai\ o(/pws sumbai/nei, kai\ ta\ gigno/mena pro\s e(/kaston e(/kasta ei)=nai kai\ pa/sxein. e)n tou/tois a(/ma kai\ tw=n de/ka kathgoriw=n poiou/menos u(pografh\n e)/ti ma=llon toi=s e)fech=s diasafei=. lo/gos ga/r fhsin a)lhqh/s, o(/tan me\n peri\ to\ ai)sqhto\n gi/gnhtai kai\ o( tou= qate/rou ku/klos o)rqo\s i)w\n ei)s pa=san au)tou= th\n yuxh\n diaggei/lh|, do/cai kai\ pi/steis gi/gnontai be/baioi kai\ a)lhqei=s: o(/tan d' au)= pa/lin peri\ to\ logistiko\n kai\ o( tou= tau)tou= ku/klos eu)/troxos w)\n au)ta\ mhnu/sh|, e)pisth/mh e)c a)na/gkhs a)potelei=tai. tou/tw de\ e)n w(=| tw=n o)/ntwn e)ggi/gnesqon, e)a/n, pote/ tis au)to\ a)/llo plh\n yuxh\n prosei/ph|, pa=n ma=llon h)\ to\ a)lhqe\s; e)rei= po/qen ou)=n e)/sxen h( yuxh\ th\n a)ntilhptikh\n tou= ai)sqhtou= kai\ docastikh\n tau/thn ki/nhsin, e(te/ran th=s nohtikh=s e)kei/nhs kai\ teleutw/shs ei)s e)pisth/mhn, e)/rgon ei)pei=n, mh\ qeme/nous; bebai/ws o(/ti nu=n ou)x a(plw=s yuxh\n a)lla\ ko/smou yuxh\n suni/sthsin e)c u(pokeime/nhs th=s te krei/ttonos ou)si/as kai\ a)meri/stou kai\ th=s xei/ronos, h(\n peri\ ta\ sw/mata meristh\n ke/klhken, ou)x e(te/ran ou)=san h)\ th\n docastikh\n kai\ fantastikh\n kai\ sumpaqh= tw=n ai)sqhtw=n ki/nhsin, ou) genome/nhn a)ll' u(festw=san a)i/dion, w(/sper h( e(te/ra. to\ ga\r noero\n h( fu/sis e)/xousa kai\ to\ docastiko\n ei)=xen: a)ll' e)kei=no me\n a)ki/nhton kai\ a)paqe\s kai\ peri\ th\n a)ei\ me/nousan i(drume/non ou)si/an: tou=to de\ meristo\n kai\ planhto/n, a(/te dh\ ferome/nhs kai\ skedannume/nhs e)fapto/menon u(/lhs. ou)/te ga\r to\ ai)sqhto\n ei)lh/xei ta/cews a)ll' h)=n a)/morfon kai\ a)o/riston, h(/ te peri\ tou=to tetagme/nh du/namis ou)/te do/cas e)na/rqrous ou)/te kinh/seis a(pa/sas ei)=xe tetagme/nas, a)lla\ ta\s polla\s e)nupniw/deis kai\ parafo/rous kai\ tarattou/sas to\ swmatoeide/s, o(/sa mh\ kata\ tu/xhn tw=| belti/oni perie/pipten e)n me/sw| ga\r h)=n a)mfoi=n kai\ pro\s a)mfo/tera sumpaqh= kai\ suggenh= fu/sin ei)=xe, tw=| me\n ai)sqhtikw=| th=s u(/lhs a)ntexome/nh tw=| de\ kritikw=| tw=n nohtw=n.

ou(/tw de/ pws kai\ *pla/twn diasafei= toi=s o)no/masin: ou(=tos ga/r fhsi para\ th=s e)mh=s yh/fou logisqei\s e)n kefalai/w| dedo/sqw lo/gos, o)/n te kai\ xw/ran kai\ ge/nesin ei)=nai tri/a trixh= kai\ pri\n ou)rano\n gene/sqai. xw/ran te ga\r kalei= th\n u(/lhn w(/sper e(/dran e)/stin o(/te kai\ u(podoxh/n, o)\n de\ to\ nohto/n, ge/nesin de\ tou= ko/smou mh/pw gegono/tos ou)demi/an a)/llhn h)\ th\n e)n metabolai=s kai\ kinh/sesin ou)si/an, tou= tupou=ntos kai\ tou= tupoume/nou metacu\ tetagme/nhn, diadidou=san e)ntau=qa ta\s e)kei=qen ei)ko/nas. dia/ te dh\ tau=ta meristh\ proshgoreu/qh kai\ o(/ti tw=| ai)sqhtw=| to\ ai)sqano/menon kai\ tw=| fantastw=| to\ fantazo/menon a)na/gkh sundiane/mesqai kai\ sumparh/kein h( ga\r ai)sqhtikh\ ki/nhsis i)di/a yuxh=s ou)=sa kinei=tai pro\s to\ ai)sqhto\n e)kto/s: o( de\ nou=s au)to\s me\n e)f' e(autou= mo/nimos h)=n kai\ a)ki/nhtos, e)ggeno/menos de\ th=| yuxh=| kai\ krath/sas ei)s e(auto\n e)pistre/fei kai\ sumperai/nei th\n e)gku/klion fora/n, peri\ to\ me/non a)ei\ ma/lista yau/ousan tou= o)/ntos. dio\ kai\ dusana/kratos h( koinwni/a ge/gonen au)tw=n, tw=| a)meri/stw| to\ meristo\n kai\ tw=| mhdamh=| kinhtw=| to\ pa/nth| forhto\n mignu/ousa kai\ katabiazome/nh qa/teron ei)s tau)to\n sunelqei=n. h)=n de\ to\ qa/teron ou) ki/nhsis w(/sper ou)de\ tau)to\n sta/sis, a)ll' a)rxh\ diafora=s kai\ a)nomoio/thtos. e(ka/teron ga\r a)po\ th=s e(te/ras a)rxh=s ka/teisi, to\ me\n tau)to\n a)po\ tou= e(no\s to\ de\ qa/teron a)po\ th=s dua/dos kai\ me/miktai prw=ton e)ntau=qa peri\ th\n yuxh/n, a)riqmoi=s kai\ lo/gois sundeqe/nta kai\ meso/thsin e)narmoni/ois, kai\ poiei= qa/teron e)ggeno/menon tw=| tau)tw=| diafora/n, to\ de\ tau)to\n e)n tw=| e(te/rw| ta/cin, w(s dh=lo/n e)stin e)n tai=s prw/tais th=s yuxh=s duna/mesin ei)si\ d' au(=tai to\ kritiko\n kai\ to\ kinhtiko/n. h( me\n ou)=n ki/nhsis eu)qu\s e)pidei/knutai peri\ to\n ou)rano\n e)n me\n th=| tau)to/thti th\n e(tero/thta th=| perifora=| tw=n a)planw=n, e)n de\ th=| e(tero/thti th\n tau)to/thta th=| ta/cei tw=n planh/twn: e)pikratei= ga\r e)n e)kei/nois to\ tau)to/n, e)n de\ toi=s peri\ gh=n tou)nanti/on. h( de\ kri/sis a)rxa\s me\n e)/xei du/o, to/n te nou=n a)po\ tou= tau)tou= pro\s ta\ kaqo/lou kai\ th\n ai)/sqhsin a)po\ tou= e(te/rou pro\s ta\ kaq' e(/kasta. me/miktai de\ lo/gos e)c a)mfoi=n, no/hsis e)n toi=s nohtoi=s kai\ do/ca gino/menos e)n toi=s ai)sqhtoi=s: o)rga/nois te metacu\ fantasi/ais te kai\ mnh/mais xrw/menos, w(=n ta\ me\n e)n tw=| tau)tw=| to\ e(/teron ta\ d' e)n tw=| e(te/rw| poiei= to\ tau)to/n. e)/sti ga\r h( me\n no/hsis ki/nhsis tou= noou=ntos; peri\ to\ me/non, h( de\ do/ca monh\ tou= ai)sqanome/nou peri\ to\ kinou/menon: fantasi/an de\ sumplokh\n do/chs pro\s ai)/sqhsin ou)=san i(/sthsin e)n mnh/mh| to\ tau)to/n: to\ de\ qa/teron kinei= pa/lin e)n diafora=| tou= pro/sqen kai\ nu=n, e(tero/thtos a(/ma kai\ tau)to/thtos e)fapto/menon.

dei= de\ th\n peri\ to\ sw=ma tou= ko/smou genome/nhn su/nthcin ei)ko/na labei=n th=s a)nalogi/as; e)n dihrmo/sato th\n yuxh/n. e)kei= me\n ga\r h)=n a)/kra to\ pu=r kai\ h( gh=, xaleph\n pro\s a)/llhla kraqh=nai fu/sin e)/xonta, ma=llon d' o(/lws a)/kraton kai\ a)su/staton: o(/qen e)n me/sw| qe/menos au)tw=n to\n me\n a)e/ra pro\ tou= puro\s to\ d' u(/dwr pro\ th=s gh=s, tau=ta prw=ton a)llh/lois e)ke/rasen ei)=ta dia\ tou/twn e)kei=na pro/s te tau=ta kai\ a)/llhla sune/mice kai\ sunh/rmosen. e)ntau=qa de\ pa/lin to\ tau)to\n kai\ to\ qa/teron, e)nanti/as duna/meis kai\ a)kro/thtas a)ntipa/lous, sunh/gagen ou) di' au(tw=n, a)ll' ou)si/as e(te/ras metacu/, th\n me\n a)me/riston pro\ tou= tau)tou=, pro\ de\ tou= qate/rou th\n meristh/n, e)/stin prosh/kousan e(kate/ran e(kate/ra| ta/cas, ei)=ta mixqei/sais e)kei/nais e)pegkerannu/menos, ou(/tw to\ pa=n sunu/fhne th=s yuxh=s ei)=dos, w(s: h)=n a)nusto/n, e)k diafo/rwn o(/moion e)/k te pollw=n e(\n a)pergasa/menos.