68C-D

40D concerning the other divinities, 

to declare and determine 

their generation 

were a task too mighty for us:

 therefore we must 

trust in those who have revealed it heretofore, 

seeing that they are offspring, 

as they said, of gods, 

and without doubt know their own forefathers.

 We cannot then mistrust the children of gods,

 though they speak without probable

 or inevitable demonstrations ; 

but since they profess 

to announce what pertains to their own kindred,

 we must conform to usage and believe them.

 Let us then accept on their word

 this account of the generation of these gods.

 Of Earth and Heaven were born children, 

Okeanos and Tethys; 

of these Phorkys and Kronos 

and Rhea and all their brethren: 

and of Kronos and Rhea, 

Zeus and Hera and 

all whom we know 

to be called their brothers ;

 and they in their turn had children 

after them. 

Now when all the gods

 had come to birth, 

both those who revolve 

before our eyes 

and those who reveal themselves 

in so far as they will, 

he who begat this universe 

spake to them these words: 

Gods of gods,

 whose creator 

am I 

and father of works, 

which 

by me

 coming into being 

are indissoluble 

save by 

my will: 

Behold, all which hath been fastened

 may be 

loosed, 

yet to loose 

that which 

is

 well fitted 

and

 in 

good case 

were the will of an evil one. 

Wherefore, forasmuch as ye 

have come into being, 

immortal ye are not,

 nor indissoluble altogether;

 nevertheless shall ye not be loosed

 nor meet with the doom of death, 

having found in my will 

a bond 

yet mightier

 and more sovereign 

than those that

 ye 

were bound withal

 when ye came into being. 

Now therefore 

hearken to the word 

that 

I 

declare unto you.

 Three kinds of mortal beings 

are yet uncreate(Δ). 

And if these be not created, 

the heaven will be imperfect; 

for it will not have within it

 all kinds of living things; 

yet these it must have, 

if it is to be perfect. 

But if these were created

 by my hands

 and from me received their life,

 they would be equal to gods.

Therefore

 in order that they may be mortal,

 and that this All

 may be truly all, 

turn ye according to nature

 unto the creation of living things,

 imitating my power

 that was put forth in the generation of you.

 Now

 such part of them 

as is worthy to share 

the name of the immortals, 

which is called

 divine 

and governs in the souls

 of those that are willing 

ever to follow after justice 

and after you,

 this I,

 having sown and provided it,

 will deliver unto you: 

and ye for the rest, 

weaving the mortal with the immortal, 

shall create living beings 

and bring them to birth, 

and giving them sustenance 

shall ye increase them, 

and when they perish 

receive them back again. 

XIV. Thus spake he; 

and again into the same bowl

 wherein he mingled and blended

 the universal soul he poured 

what was left of the former, 

mingling it somewhat after the same manner, 

yet no longer so pure as before

 but second and third 

in pureness. 

And when he had compounded

 the whole,

 he 

portioned off souls 

equal in number to the stars

 and distributed a soul to 

each star,

 and setting them 

in the stars 

as though in a chariot,

 he shewed them 

the nature of the universe

 and declared to 

them its fated laws;

 how that the first incarnation

 should be ordained 

to be the same for all, 

that none might suffer disadvantage 

at his hands; 

and how they must be 

sown into the instruments 

of time, 

each 

into that which was meet for it,

 and be born 

as the most god-fearing 

of all living creatures; 

and whereas human nature 

was twofold, 

the stronger was 

that race which should hereafter be called

 man. 

 All these things being thus 

constituted by necessity,

 the creator of the most fair 

and perfect

 in the realm of becoming 

took them over, 

when he was generating 

the self-sufficing 

and most perfect god, 

using the forces 

in them 

as subservient causes,

 but himself 

working out

 the good in all things 

that come into being. 

Wherefore we must distinguish 

two kinds of causes

 one of necessity 

 one of God: 

and 

the divine 

we must seek 

in all things 

for the sake of winning a happy life,

 so far as our nature admits of it;

 and the necessary

 for the sake of the divine,

 reflecting ~ that 

without ~ these 

we cannot apprehend 

by themselves 

the other truths,

 which are the object

 of our serious study, 

nor grasp them

 nor in any other way 

attain to them.