Book 10
898
Ath. The sun’s body is seen by everyone, its soul by no one. And the same is true of the soul of any other body, whether alive or dead, of living beings. There is, however, a strong suspicion that this class of object, which is wholly imperceptible to sense, has grown round all the senses of the body,i.e. envelopes the body and its sense-organs (like circum-ambient air). and is an object of reason alone. Therefore by reason and rational thought let us grasp this fact about it,—
898
Clin. What fact?
898
Ath. If soul drives round the sun, we shall be tolerably sure to be right in saying that it does one of three things.
898
Clin. What things?
899
Ath. That either it exists everywhere inside of this apparent globular body and directs it, such as it is, just as the soul in us moves us about in all ways; or, having procured itself a body of fire or air (as some argue), it in the form of body pushes forcibly on the body from outside; or, thirdly, being itself void of body, but endowed with other surpassingly marvellous potencies, it conducts the body.
899
Clin. Yes, it must necessarily be the case that soul acts in one of these ways when it propels all things.
899
Ath. Here, I pray you, pause. This soul,—whether it is by riding in the car of the sun,Cp.Plat. Tim. 41d ff, Plat. Tim. 41e ff, where the Creator is said to apportion a soul to each star, in which it rides as though in a chariot. or from outside, or otherwise, that it brings light to us all—every man is bound to regard as a god. Is not that so?
899
Clin. Yes; everyone at least who has not reached the uttermost verge of folly.
