§1.9#2ἕνα μὲν οὖν τρόπον οὐρανὸν λέγομεν τὴν οὐσίαν τὴν τῆς ἐσχάτης τοῦ παντὸς περιφορᾶς, ἢ σῶμα φυσικὸν τὸ ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ περιφορᾷ τοῦ παντός· εἰώθαμεν γὰρ τὸ ἔσχατον καὶ τὸ ἄνω μάλιστα καλεῖν οὐρανόν, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὸ θεῖον πᾶν ἱδρῦσθαί φαμεν, ἄλλον δʼ αὖ τρόπον τὸ συνέχες σῶμα τῇ ἐσχάτῃ περιφορᾷ τοῦ παντός, ἐν ᾧ σελήνη καὶ ἥλιος καὶ ἔνια τῶν ἄστρων·
In one way, then, we call "heaven" the substance of the outermost circumference of the universe, or the physical body in the outermost circumference of the universe; for we are accustomed to call the outermost and uppermost part especially "heaven", in which we also say all the divine is established; and in another way again, the body continuous with the outermost circumference of the universe, in which are the moon and the sun and some of the stars; for we say that these too are in the heaven.
καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ εἶναί φαμεν. ἔτι δʼ ἄλλως λέγομεν οὐρανὸν τὸ περιεχόμενον σῶμα ὑπὸ τῆς ἐσχάτης περιφορὰς· τὸ γὰρ ὅλον καὶ τὸ πᾶν εἰώθαμεν λέγειν οὐρανόν.
And in yet another way we call "heaven" the body enclosed by the outermost circumference; for we are accustomed to call the whole and the sum of things "heaven".
τριχῶς δὴ λέγομένου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, τὸ ὅλον τὸ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐσχάτης περιεχόμενον περιφορὰς ἐξ ἅπαντος ἀνάγκη συνεστάναι τοῦ φυσικοῦ καὶ αἰσθητοῦ σώματος διὰ τὸ μήτʼ εἶναι μηδὲν ἔξω σῶμα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ μήτʼ ἐνδέχεσθαι γενέσθαι.
Since "heaven" is thus said in three ways, the whole enclosed by the outermost circumference must necessarily be constituted from the entirety of physical and sensible body, because there is neither any body outside the heaven nor is it possible for one to come into being.
εἰ γὰρ ἔστιν ἔξω τῆς ἐσχάτης περιφορὰς σῶμα φυσικόν, ἀνάγκη αὐτὸ ἤτοι τῶν ἁπλῶν εἶναι σωμάτων ἢ τῶν συνθέτων, καὶ ἢ κατὰ φύσιν ἢ παρὰ φύσιν ἔχειν.
For if there is a physical body outside the outermost circumference, it must necessarily be either one of the simple bodies or one of the composite ones, and be either in accordance with nature or contrary to nature.
τῶν μὲν οὖν ἁπλῶν οὐθὲν ἂν εἴη.
Now, it could not be any of the simple bodies.
τὸ γὰρ κύκλῳ φερόμενον δέδεικται ὅτι οὐκ ἐνδέχεται μεταλλάξαι τὸν αὑτοῦ τόπον.
For it has been shown that it is not possible for that which is carried in a circle to change its own place.
ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ μέσου δυνατόν, οὐδὲ τὸ ὑφιστάμενον.
But indeed, neither is that which moves away from the center possible, nor that which moves towards the bottom.
κατὰ φύσιν μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἂν εἴησαν (ἄλλοι γὰρ αὐτῶν οἰκεῖοι τόποι), παρὰ φύσιν δʼ εἴπερ εἰσίν, ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἔσται κατὰ φύσιν ὁ ἔξω τόπος· τὸν γὰρ τούτῳ παρὰ φύσιν ἀναγκαῖον ἄλλῳ εἶναι κατὰ φύσιν.
For they could not be there in accordance with nature (for their proper places are elsewhere), and if they are there contrary to nature, the place outside will be in accordance with nature for some other body; for that which is contrary to nature for one must necessarily be in accordance with nature for another.
ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἦν ἄλλο σῶμα παρὰ ταῦτα.
But there was no other body besides these.
οὐκ ἄῤ ἔσται δυνατὸν οὐθὲν τῶν ἁπλῶν ἔξω εἶναι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ σῶμα.
Therefore, it will not be possible for any of the simple bodies to exist outside the heaven.
εἰ δὲ μὴ τῶν ἁπλῶν, οὐδὲ τῶν μικτῶν· ἀνάγκη γὰρ εἶναι καὶ τά ἀπλᾶ τοῦ μικτοῦ ὄντος.
And if none of the simple, neither can there be any of the mixed; for the simple must also exist if the mixed exists.
ἀλλά μὴν οὐδὲ γενέσθαι δυνατόν· ἤτοι γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν ἔσται ἢ παρὰ φύσιν, καὶ ἢ ἀπλοῦν ἢ μικτόν, ὥστε πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς ἥξει λόγος· οὐδὲν γὰρ διαφέρει σκοπεῖν εἰ ἔστιν ἢ εἰ γενέσθαι δυνατόν.
But indeed, neither is it possible for any to come into being; for it would be either in accordance with nature or contrary to nature, and either simple or mixed, so that the same argument will apply again; for it makes no difference to consider whether it exists or whether it is possible for it to come into being.
φανερὸν τοίνυν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ὅτι οὔτ᾿ ἔστιν ἔξω οὔτʼ ἐγχωρεῖ γενέσθαι σώματος ὄγκον οὐθενός· ἐξ ἀπάσης ἄῤ ἐστι τῆς οἰκείας ὕλης ὁ πᾶς κόσμος· ὕλη γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ τὸ φυσικὸν σῶμα καὶ αἰσθητόν.
It is manifest, therefore, from what has been said, that there neither is nor is it possible for there to come to be any mass of body outside; therefore the whole world is composed of all its proper matter; for its matter was physical and sensible body.
ὥστʼ οὔτε νῦν εἰσὶ πλείους οὐρανοὶ οὔτʼ ἐγένοντο, οὔτʼ ἐνδέχεται γενέσθαι πλείους· ἀλλʼ εἷς καὶ μόνος καὶ τέλειος οὗτος οὐρανός ἐστιν.
So that there neither are now more heavens, nor did they come to be, nor is it possible for more to come to be; but this heaven is one, solitary, and perfect.
ἅμα δὲ δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ τόπος οὐδὲ κενὸν οὐδὲ χρόνος ἐστὶν ἔξω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· ἐν ἅπαντι γὰρ τόπῳ δυνατὸν ὑπάρξαι σῶμα· κενὸν δʼ εἶναί φασιν ἐν ᾧ μὴ ἐνυπάρχει σῶμα, δυνατὸν δʼ ἐστὶ γενέσθαι· χρόνος δὲ ἀριθμὸς κινήσεως· κίνησις δʼ ἄνευ φυσικοῦ σώματος οὐκ ἔστιν.
And at the same time it is clear that there is neither place nor void nor time outside the heaven; for in every place it is possible for body to exist; and they say that void is that in which body is not present, but in which it is possible for it to come to be; and time is the number of motion, and motion is not possible without physical body.
ἔξω δὲ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ δέδεικται ὅτι οὔτ᾿ ἔστιν οὔτ᾿ ἐνδέχεται γενέσθαι σῶμα.
But outside the heaven it has been shown that there neither is nor is it possible for there to come to be body.
φανερὸν ἄρα ὅτι οὔτε τόπος οὔτε κενὸν οὔτε χρόνος ἐστὶν ἔξωθεν· διόπερ οὔτʼ ἐν τόπῳ τἀκεῖ πέφυκεν, οὔτε χρόνος αὐτὰ ποιεῖ γηράσκειν, οὐδʼ ἐστίν οὐδενὸς οὐδεμία μεταβολὴ τῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν ἐξωτάτω τεταγμένων φοράν, ἀλλʼ ἀναλλοίωτα καὶ ἀπαθῆ τὴν ἀρίστην ἔχοντα ζωὴν καὶ αὐταρκεστάτην διατελεῖ τὸν ἅπαντα αἰῶκα.
It is clear, therefore, that there is neither place nor void nor time outside; wherefore the things there are not by nature in a place, nor does time make them grow old, nor is there any change of any of the things positioned beyond the outermost motion, but unaltered and unaffected, possessing the best and most self-sufficient life, they continue through all eternity.
καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο τοὔνομα θείως ἔφθεγκται παρὰ τῶν ἀρχαίων.
For indeed this word was divinely uttered by the ancients.
τὸ γὰρ τέλος τὸ περιέχον τὸν τῆς ἑκάστου ζωῆς χρόνον, οὗ μηθὲν ἔξω κατὰ φύσιν, αἰὼν ἑκάστου κέκληται.
For the limit which encompasses the time of each one's life, outside of which there is nothing in accordance with nature, has been called the eternity (aion) of each.
κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ λόγον καὶ τὸ τοῦ παντὸς οὐρανοῦ τέλος καὶ τὸ τὸν πάντα χρόνον καὶ τὴν ἀπειρίαν περιέχον τέλος αἰών ἐστιν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀεὶ εἶναι εἰληφὼς τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν, ἀθάνατος καὶ θεῖος.
And by the same reasoning, the limit of the whole heaven, and the limit encompassing all time and infinity, is eternity (aion), having received its name from "always being" (aei einai), immortal and divine.
ὅθεν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐξήρτηται, τοῖς μὲν ἀκριβέστερον τοῖς δʼ ἀμαυρῶς, τὸ εἶναί τε καὶ ζῆν.
From which dependency is derived for other things, for some more precisely, for others dimly, both their being and their living.
καὶ γὰρ καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς ἐγκυκλίοις φιλοσοφήμασι περὶ τὰ θεῖα πολλάκις προφαίνεται τοῖς λόγοις ὅτι τὸ θεῖον ἀμετάβλητον ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι πᾶν τὸ πρῶτον καὶ ἀκρότατον· ὃ οὕτως ἔχον μαρτυρεῖ τοῖς εἰρημένοις.
For just as in the popular philosophical works concerning the divine it is often made clear by arguments that everything divine, being first and highest, must necessarily be immutable; which, being so, bears witness to what has been said.
οὔτε γὰρ ἄλλο κρεῖττόν ἐστιν ὅ τι κινήσει (ἐκεῖνο γὰρ ἂν εἴη θειότερον) οὔτʼ ἔχει φαῦλον οὐδέν, οὔτʼ ἐνδεὲς τῶν αὑτοῦ καλῶν οὐδενός ἐστιν.
For neither is there anything else stronger which will move it (for that would be more divine), nor does it have anything bad, nor is it in need of any of its own beauties.
καὶ ἄπαυστον δὴ κίνησιν κινεῖται εὐλόγως· πάντα γὰρ παύεται κινούμενα ὅταν ἔλθῃ εἰς τὸν οἰκεῖον τόπον.
And indeed, it moves with an unceasing motion, reasonably enough; for all moving things cease when they arrive at their proper place.
τοῦ δὲ κύκλῳ σώματος ὁ αὐτὸς τόπος ὅθεν ἤρξατο καὶ εἰς ὸν τελευτᾷ.
But for the circular body, the place from which it started and in which it ends is the same.