§144ἄρτιά τε ἄρα ἀρτιάκις ἂν εἴη καὶ περιττὰ περιττάκις καὶ ἄρτια περιττάκις καὶ περιττὰ ἀρτιάκις.
So there would be even times even, and odd times odd, and even times odd, and odd times even.
ἔστιν οὕτω.
That is so.
εἰ οὖν ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, οἴει τινὰ ἀριθμὸν ὑπολείπεσθαι ὃν οὐκ ἀνάγκη εἶναι;
If, then, this is so, do you think any number is left over which is not of necessity to be?
οὐδαμῶς γε.
By no means.
εἰ ἄρα ἔστιν ἕν, ἀνάγκη καὶ ἀριθμὸν εἶναι.
If, then, there is one, it is necessary that there is also number.
ἀνάγκη.
Necessary.
ἀλλὰ μὴν ἀριθμοῦ γε ὄντος πολλὰ ἂν εἴη καὶ πλῆθος ἄπειρον τῶν ὄντων· ἢ οὐκ ἄπειρος ἀριθμὸς πλήθει καὶ μετέχων οὐσίας γίγνεται;
But indeed, if there is number, there would be many, and an infinite multitude of beings; or does not number become infinite in multitude and participating in being?
καὶ πάνυ γε.
Very much so.
οὐκοῦν εἰ πᾶς ἀριθμὸς οὐσίας μετέχει, καὶ τὸ μόριον ἕκαστον τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ μετέχοι ἂν αὐτῆς;
Is it not so, then, that if all number participates in being, each part of number would also participate in it?
ναί.
Yes.
ἐπὶ πάντα ἄρα πολλὰ ὄντα ἡ οὐσία νενέμηται καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀποστατεῖ τῶν ὄντων, οὔτε τοῦ σμικροτάτου οὔτε τοῦ μεγίστου;
Has being, then, been distributed over all things which are many, and is it absent from none of beings, neither the smallest nor the greatest?
ἢ τοῦτο μὲν καὶ ἄλογον ἐρέσθαι;
Or is it even unreasonable to ask this?
πῶς γὰρ ἂν δὴ οὐσία γε τῶν ὄντων του ἀποστατοῖ;
For how indeed could being be absent from any of beings?
οὐδαμῶς.
In no way.
κατακεκερμάτισται ἄρα ὡς οἷόν τε σμικρότατα καὶ μέγιστα καὶ πανταχῶς ὄντα, καὶ μεμέρισται πάντων μάλιστα, καὶ ἔστι μέρη ἀπέραντα τῆς οὐσίας.
Therefore, it has been cut up into the smallest possible, and the greatest, and beings in every way, and has been divided most of all things, and there are limitless parts of being.
ἔχει οὕτω.
It is so.
πλεῖστα ἄρα ἐστὶ τὰ μέρη αὐτῆς.
Then its parts are most numerous.
πλεῖστα μέντοι.
Most numerous indeed.
τί οὖν;
What then?
ἔστι τι αὐτῶν ὃ ἔστι μὲν μέρος τῆς οὐσίας, οὐδὲν μέντοι μέρος;
Is there any of them which is a part of being, but yet is no part?
καὶ πῶς ἄν τοῦτο γένοιτο;
And how could that be?
ἀλλʼ εἴπερ γε οἶμαι ἔστιν, ἀνάγκη αὐτὸ ἀεί, ἕωσπερ ἂν ᾖ, ἕν γέ τι εἶναι, μηδὲν δὲ ἀδύνατον.
But if indeed it exists, I think it is necessary that it always, as long as it exists, be some one thing, and impossible to be nothing.
ἀνάγκη.
Necessary.
πρὸς ἅπαντι ἄρα τῷ τῆς οὐσίας μέρει πρόσεστιν τὸ ἕν, οὐκ ἀπολειπόμενον οὔτε σμικροτέρου οὔτε μείζονος μέρους οὔτε ἄλλου οὐδενός.
Therefore, the one is present with every part of being, not being absent from a smaller part nor from a greater part nor from any other.
οὕτω.
So it is.
ἆρα οὖν ἓν ὂν πολλαχοῦ ἅμα ὅλον ἐστί;
Is it then, being one, as a whole in many places at the same time?
τοῦτο ἄθρει.
Consider this.
ἀλλʼ ἀθρῶ καὶ ὁρῶ ὅτι ἀδύνατον.
But I am considering it and see that it is impossible.
μεμερισμένον ἄρα, εἴπερ μὴ ὅλον· ἄλλως γάρ που οὐδαμῶς ἅμα ἅπασι τοῖς τῆς οὐσίας μέρεσιν παρέσται ἢ μεμερισμένον.
Divided, then, if indeed it is not a whole; for in no other way, I suppose, could it be present at the same time with all the parts of being except as divided.
ναί.
Yes.
καὶ μὴν τό γε μεριστὸν πολλὴ ἀνάγκη εἶναι τοσαῦτα ὅσαπερ μέρη.
And indeed, that which is divided must of necessity be just as many as the parts.
ἀνάγκη.
Necessary.
οὐκ ἄρα ἀληθῆ ἄρτι ἐλέγομεν λέγοντες ὡς πλεῖστα μέρη ἡ οὐσία νενεμημένη εἴη.
Then we were not speaking the truth just now when we said that being was distributed into the most numerous parts.
οὐδὲ γὰρ πλείω τοῦ ἑνὸς νενέμηται, ἀλλʼ ἴσα, ὡς ἔοικε, τῷ ἑνί· οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ὂν τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀπολείπεται οὔτε τὸ ἓν τοῦ ὄντος, ἀλλʼ ἐξισοῦσθον δύο ὄντε ἀεὶ παρὰ πάντα.
For it has not been distributed into more parts than the one, but, as it seems, into equal parts to the one; for neither is being absent from the one nor the one from being, but they are always equal, being two, throughout all things.
παντάπασιν οὕτω φαίνεται.
It certainly appears so.
τὸ ἓν ἄρα αὐτὸ κεκερματισμένον ὑπὸ τῆς οὐσίας πολλά τε καὶ ἄπειρα τὸ πλῆθός ἐστιν.
The one itself, then, being cut up by being, is both many and infinite in multitude.
φαίνεται.
So it appears.
οὐ μόνον ἄρα τὸ ὂν ἓν πολλά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἓν ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄντος διανενεμημένον πολλὰ ἀνάγκη εἶναι.
Not only, then, is the one which is many, but also the one itself, being distributed by being, must of necessity be many.
παντάπασι μὲν οὖν.
Most certainly.