Timaeus — Plato

'Mens Sana in corpore sano.

511 for the soul is united to a small and weak intelligence, then nmaeus. inasmuch as there are two desires natural to man, — one of Timaeus. food for the sake of the body, and one of wisdom for the sake nor the body of the diviner part of us — then, I say, the motions of the '"^•"^^'■"tc . , ... the soul. stronger, gettmg the better and increasing their own power, but making the soul dull, and stupid, and forgetful, engender ignorance, which is the greatest of diseases.

There is one Both should protection against both kinds of disproportion: — that we c.veTdlcd^ ihc should not move the body without the soul or the soul with- mathematiout the body, and thus they will be on their guard against practlsrgymeach other, and be healthy and well balanced.

And therefore "astic, and the mathematician or any one else whose thoughts are much shodd'^mdy absorbed in some intellectual pursuit, must allow his body music, also to have due exercise, and practise gymnastic ; and he who is careful to fashion the body, should in turn impart to the soul its proper motions, and should cultivate music and all philosophy, if he would deserve to be called truly fair and truly good.

And the separate parts should be treated in the Motion, as in same manner, in irriitation of the pattern of the universe ; for ^^'^ "".'^^^j' ' ^ so m the body, as the body is heated and also cooled within by the elements produces which enter into it, and is ae^ain dried up and moistened by ^'^'^^ '^" ^ c tr J harmony. external things, and experiences these and the like affections from both kinds of motions, the result is that the body if given up to motion when in a state of quiescence is overmastered and perishes ; but if any one, in imitation of that which we call the foster-mother and nurse of the universe, v;ill not allow the body ever to be inactive, but is always producing motions and agitations through its whole extent, which form the natural defence against other motions both internal and external, and by moderate exercise reduces to order according to their affinities the particles and affections which are wandering about the body, as we have already said when speaking of the universe ^, he wuU not allow enemy placed by the side of enemy to stir up wars and disorders in the body, but he will place friend by the side of friend, so as to create health.

Now of all motions that is the best which 1 he best 89 is produced in a thing by itself, for it is most akin to the e.verciseand motion of thought and of the universe ; but that motion purification is " . the spontawhich is caused by others is not so good, and worst of all is ncous ' Supra, 33 A.

p. 512

The best method of cure and the worst.

Tiniaeus. TiMAEUS. motion of the body, as in gymnastic; less good is an external motion, as in sailing; least good the external motion of a part only produced by medicine. The last should be employed only in extreme cases.

Enough of the body. The soul, which trains it, must be tended with the utmost care.

The three parts of the soul should be duly exercised, especially the divine part.

that which moves the body, when at rest, in parts only and by some external agency.

Wherefore of all modes of purifying and re-uniting the body the best is gymnastic ; the next best is a surging motion, as in sailing or any other mode of conveyance which is not fatiguing ; the third sort of motion may be of use in a case of extreme necessity, but in any other will be adopted by no man of sense : I mean the purgative treatment of physicians ; for diseases unless they are very dangerous should not be irritated by medicines, since every form of disease is in a manner akin to the living being, whose complex frame has an appointed term of life.

For not the whole race only, but each individual — barring inevitable accidents — comes into the world having a fixed span, and the triangles in us are originally framed with power to last for a certain time, beyond which no man can prolong his hfe. And this holds also of the constitution of diseases ; if any one regardless of the appointed time tries to subdue them by medicine, he only aggravates and multiplies them.

Wherefore we ought always to manage them by regimen, as far as a man can spare the time, and not provoke a disagreeable enemy by medicines.

Enough of the composite animal, and of the body which is a part of him, and of the manner in which a man may train and be trained by himself so as to Hve most according to reason : and we must above and before all provide that the element which is to train him shall be the fairest and best adapted to that purpose.

A minute discussion of this subject would be a serious task ; but if, as before, I am to give only an outline, the subject may not unfitly be summed up as follows.

I have often remarked that there are three kinds of soul located within us, having each of them motions, and I must now repeat in the fewest words possible, that one part, if remaining inactive and ceasing from its natural motion, must necessarily become very weak, but that which is trained and exercised, very strong. Wherefore we should take care that the movements of the different parts of the soul should be in 90 due proportion. And we should consider that God gave the sovereign part of the human soul to be the divinity of each one, being that