CONCERNING TRUTH.
Come now I will tell thee—and do thou hear my
word and heed it—what are the only ways of
enquiry that lead to knowledge. The one way,
1 Archiv f. d. Gesch. d. Phil. iii. p. 173.
πειθοῦς ἐστι κέλευθος, ἀληθείη yap onset :
ἡ δ᾽ ὡς οὖκ ἔστιν τε καὶ ws χρεών ἐστι μὴ εἶναι
\ 4 4 / # > /
τὴν δή τοι φράζω παναπειθέα ἔμμεν ἀταρπόν '
/
οὔτε γὰρ ἂν γνοίης TO γε μὴ ov" οὗ γὰρ ἀνυστόν '
40 οὔτε ᾠράσαι». τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ νοεῖν ἐστίν τε καὶ εἶναι.
ξυνὸν δέ pol ἐστιν, ὁππόθεν ἄρξωμαι, τόθι γὰρ πάλιν ἵξομαι αὖθι».
χρὴ τὸ λέγειν τε νοεῖν 7 gov ἔμμεναι. ἔστι γὰρ
εἶναι,
μηδὲν & οὐκ εἶναι, τά σ᾿ ἐγὼ φράζεθαι ἄνωγα,
45 πρώτης γάρ o° ad’ ὁδοῦ ταύτης διζήσιος < elpyw>
αὐτὰρ treat’ ἀπὸ ths, ἣν δὴ βροτοὶ εἰδότες οὐδὲν
πλάζονται δίκρανοι' ἀμηχανίη γὰρ ἐν αὐτῶν
στήθεσιν ἰθύνει πλαγκτὸν voov: οἱ δὲ φορεῦνται
κωφοὶ ὁμῶς τυφλοί τε τεθηπότες ἄκριτα φῦλα,
50 ols τὸ πέλειν τε καὶ οὐκ εἶναι τὠυτὸν νενόμισται
κοὺὐ τὠυτόν, πάντων δὲ παλίντροπός ἐστι κέλευθον.
ov γὰρ un ποτε τοῦτο δαµῇ, φησιν, εἶναι μὴ ἑόντα
ἀλλὰ σὺ τῇσδ᾽ ad’ ὁδοῦ διζήσιος elpye νόημα
41-42. Prokl. Parm. ii. 120; Vulg. ἄρξομαι corr. Karst. 43-51. Simpl. Phys. 251117, 4. 43-44. Ibid. 19 r 86, 27. 45. Cf. Ibid. 177 78,6. 50. Ibid. 17 r 78, 3.
V.43: F τέο», aDE (19: 86) τὸ By. V.44: MSS. (19: 86) anda (25: 117): D ma) δὲ οἵδ, F οἳδ', E μὴ δέοι 8: £ εἶναι, DEF (25: 117) ἔστι. V.45: Diels supplies e%pyw, Stein concludes the line likey. 52. V.47 DEF πλάττονται, text follows a. Vv. 50, 51: Diels ταὐτόν.
V. 52: Plato, τοῦτ) οὐδαμῇ, Arist. τοῦτο δαῇς Simpl. δαμῆ, corr. Stein. Karsten omits v. 52. V.55: Bergk εὔσκοπο». V.56: CRV κρίνε, G κριναν: L πολύπειρον. Vulg.Adyq, corr. Burnet. Stein
rejects v. 53, and transfers 54-57a to the prooemium following 32.
τηε ειεατιο School: Parmenides 91
assuming that being is and that it is impossible for
it not to be, is the trustworthy path, for truth
attends it. The other, that not-bheing is and that
it necessarily is, I call a wholly incredible course,
40 since thou canst not recognise not-being (for this.is
impossible), nor couldstthou speak of it, for thought
and being are the same thing.
It makes no difference to me at what point I begin, for I shall always come back again to this.
It is necessary both to say and to think that being is ; for it is possible that being is, and it is ee
45 sible that not-being is; this is what I bid thee,
ponder. I restrain thee from this first course of!
investigation; and from that course.also along
which mortals knowing nothing wander aimlessly,
since helplessness directs the roaming thought in
their bosoms, and they are borne on deaf and like-
‘50 wise blind, amazed, headstrong races, they who
consider being and not-being as the same and not
the same ; and that all things follow a back-turning
course. | * 2
That things which are not are, shall never
prevail, she said, but do thou restrain thy mind
from this course of investigation.
' Stein, Symbol. p. 782; Bernays, Rhein. Mus. vii. 115; Zeller, 738 and η. Ἱ.
92 the First Philosophers of. Greece
μηδέ σ᾿ 200s πολύπειρον ὁδὸν κατὰ τήνδε βιάσθω
55 νωμᾶν ἄσκοπον dupa καὶ ἠχήεσσαν ἀκουήν
καὶ γλῶσσαν, κρῖναι δὲ λόγων πολύδηριν ἔλεγχον
ἐξ ἐμέθεν ῥηθέντα. povos δ ἔτι μῦθος ὁδοῖο
λείπεται, ὧς ἔστιν. ταύτῃ δ᾽ ἐπὶ σήματ’ ἔασι
πολλὰ µάλ’, ws ἀγένητον ἐὸν καὶ ἀνώλεθρόν ἐστιν,
60 οὔὖλον µουνογενές τε καὶ ἀτρεμὲς 8 ἀτέλεστον.
οὐδέ ποτ ἦν ovo’ ἔσται ἐπεὶ νῦν ἔστιν ὁμοῦ Tar,
ἕν, ξυνεχέ»: τίνα γὰρ γέ διζή ὑτοῦ ;
; χέ9: τίνα yap γένναν διζήσεαι αὐτοῦ ;
an πόθεν αὐξηθέν ; οὔτ) ἐκ μὴ ἐόντος ἑάσω
φάσθαι a’ οὐδὲ νοξῖν' οὗ γὰρ φατὸν οὐδὲ νοητὸν
65 ἐστὶν ὅπως οὐκ ἔστι. τί 8 ἄν µιν καὶ χρέος ώρσεν,
ὕστερον ἢ πρόσθεν τοῦ μηδενὸς ἀρξάμενον div ;
οὕτως ἢ πάµπαν πέλεναι χρεών ἐστιν ἢ οὐχί.
> 9” af / / 9 ,
οὐδέ ποτ’ ἔκ πῃ ἐόντος ἐφήσει πίστιος ἰσχύς
γίνεσθαί τι παρ) αὐτό' τοῦ εἵνεκεν οὔτε γενέσθαι
Τ0 ob?’ ὄλλυσθαὶι ἀνῆκε Δίκη χαλάσασα πέδῃσιν
> 9
ἀλλ ἔχει.
[ᾗ δὲ κρίσις περὶ τούτων ἐν TOS’ ἔνεστιν]
V. 57: Stein µόνης: Vide r1, CH δὲ τοι, FG δέ γε. V. 60: Plut. Strom. 5 reads μοῦνον for οὖλον: 8 (17: 78) ἀτέλευτο», MSS. (26: 120) and Dow. 284 and 580 ἀγένητον. V. 62: F di(hoera. V. 66: D (31: 145) μηδαμᾶῶς: EH (31: 145) αὐξάμενον: Da (17: 78) a (31: 145) φῦναι, H piv. Cf. Stein, p. 786. V.68: MSS. ἔκ ye μὴ ὄντος, DE’ om. ye, Karst. ἐκ τοῦ ἐόντος, Stein ex γε πέλοντο». Corr. Diels, paraphrasing Simpl. 78, 27. V. 70: EF Bergk, Diels πέδησιν. V.71b: v. Stein, Symbol. 787. V. 73: aDE ἀνόνητον; text follows F. V.75: MSS. ἔπειτα πέλοι το, corr. Karsten, Stein ἁπόλοιτο πέλον; MSS. ἄν, corr. Stein. V.76: HF éyéver’, D tyer’, corr. Bergk.
The Eleatic School: Parmenides 93
And let not long-practised habit compel thee
along this path, thine eye careless, thine ear and thy
tongue overpowered by noise; but do thou weigh
the much contested refutation of their words, which
I have uttered.
There is left but this single path to tell thee of :
namely, that being is. And on this path there
are many proofs that being is without beginning and
indestructible ; it is universal, existing alone, im-
movable and without end; nor ever was it nor will it
be, since it now is, all together, one, and continuous.
For what generating of it wilt thou seek out 2 From
what did it grow, and how? I will not permit
thee to say or to think that it came from not-being ;
for it is impossible to think or to say that not-being
is. What thing would then have stirred it into
activity that it should arise from not-being later
rather than earlier? So it is necessary that being
either is absolutely or is not. Nor will the force
of the argument permit that anything spring from
being except being itself. Therefore justice does
not slacken her fetters to permit generation or de-
struction, but holds being firm.
(The decision as to these things comes in at
this point.)
ἔστιν ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν. κέκριται δ οὖν ὥσπερ ἀνάγκη,
4 a a ? / 3 / > b 4
τὴν μὲν say ἀνόητον, ἀνώνυμον' οὐ γὰρ ἀληθὴς
ἐστὶν ὁδόφ' τὴν δ' ὥστε πέλειν καὶ ἑτήτυμον εἶναι.
πῶς δ᾽ ἂν ἔπειτ) ἀπόλοιτο gov; πῶς δ᾽ avd κε γένοιτο;
ei γὰρ ἐγέντ᾽ οὐκ Bor’ οὐδ el ποτε μέλλει ἔσεσθαι.
Tos γένεσι μὲν ἀπέσβεσται καὶ ἄπυστος ὄλεθρος.
Or / a e a
οὐδὲ διαἰρετὀν ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ πᾶν ἔστιν opotov’
οὐδέ τι τῇ μᾶλλον, TO κεν εἴργοι µιν συνέχεσθαι,
9 / a“ ο / /
οὐδέ τι χειρότερον, Tay & ἔμπλ.εόν ἐστιν ἐόντος.
A Ν A \ Ν 4 A
τῷ Evveyes πᾶν ἐστιν, gov yap ἐόντι πελάζει.
αὐτὰρ ἀκίνητον μεγάλων ἐν πείρασι δεσμῶν
ἔστιν, ἄναρχον, ἄπαυστον, ere γένεσις καὶ ὄλεθρος
τῆλε MAN ἐπλώγχθησαν, ἀπῶσε δὲ πίστι ἀληθής.
TWUTOV T ἐν τωὐτῷ τε µένον καθ’ ἑωυτό τε κεῖται,
χοὔτως ἔμπεδον αὖθι µένει' κρατερὴ γὰρ ἀνάγκη
πείρατοε ev δεσμοῖσιν ἔχει, To µιν ἀμφὶςο ἐέργει.
οὕνεκεν οὐκ ἀτελεύτητον τὸ ἐὸν θέµις εἶναι :
3 \ \ > 5 5 é Lp 8’ A \ 9 8 a
ἐστὶ yap οὖκ emidevés, cov & ἂν παντὸς ἐδεῖτο.
a / |
λεῦσσε ὃ) ὅμως ἀπεόντα vow παρεόντα βεβαίως
a a ,
ov yap ἀποτμήξεις TH gov TH ἐόντος ἔχεσθαι
77. De Caelo, 559,115. 78. Simpl. Phys. 19 r 86, 24, 31 r 148, 3; 81. Simpl. Phys. 86, 22; 87, 23. Plot. Enmead. vi. 4, 4,648.4; Prokl. Parm. ii. 62 and 120; Philop. B 5: 65. 82-89 (except 85). Simpl. Phys. 9 r 39,26. 82-84. Ibid. 17 v 79, 32. 85-89. Ibid. 7 r 80,6; 9r 40, 3. 86. Prokl. Parm. iv. 32. Simpl. Phys. 31 r 148, 15.
V.78: Ιδιαιρέτεον. V.79: For μᾶλλον Stein reads κεν ἐόν. V.
80: Ε' δὲ πλέον. V. 82: D ἀκινήτων. V.84: MSS. τῇῆδε, corr. Scal. DEF ἐπλάχθησαν, corr. a. V. 85: Diels ταύτόν, ταὐτφ, ἑαυτό. Simpl. 30, 6 omits the last re. V. 86: C οὐχ οὕτως, a οὕτως, text from DF. V.88: Stein πέλον. V.89: Simpl. μὴ eddy δὲ ἂν wayrds. Karsten reads ἐπιδευές in three syllables and puts κε for ἄν. Preller omits µή. Stein considers these views untenable, and finds a break, probably longer than one line, after ἐπιδευές.
90-93. Clem. Al. Strom. v. 2, 653. 90. Theod. Ther. Ser. i. 13.
V. 90: Stein suggests ἀπεόν τε νόφ παρεόν τε βεβαίφ. V. 91:
Stein πέλο»: Vulg. ἀποτμήξει, corr. Brandis. MSS. τὸ édy τοῦ, corr. Preller, comparing vv. 105 and 108.
The Eleatic School: Parmenides 95
Kither being exists or it does not exist. It has ;
been decided in accordance with necessity to leavethe
unthinkable, unspeakable path, as this is not the
true path, but that the other path exists and is true.
How then should. being suffer destruction? How
come into existence ? If it came into existence, it is
not being, nor will it be if it ever is to come into
- existence. . .. So its generation is extinguished,
and its destruction is proved incredible.
Nor is it subject to division, for it is all alike ;
nor is anything more in it, so as to prevent its co-
hesion, nor anything less, but all is full of being;
therefore the all is continuous, for being is con-
tiguous to being.
Farther it is unmoved, in the hold of great
chains, without beginning or end, since generation
and destruction have completely disappeared and
true belief has rejected them. It lies the same, .
abiding in the same state and by itself; accordingly
it abides fixed in the same spot. For powerful neces-
sity holds it in confining bonds, which restrain it on
all sides. Therefore divine right does not permit
(lor i to have any end ; but it is lacking in nothing,
for if it lacked anything it would lack everything.'
Nevertheless, behold steadfastly all absent things as present to thy mind; for thou canst not separate
-! Following Karsten and Preller; Stein rejects the interpretation.
9 ὰ 4 a 9 / 4 φ 3 /
οὗ γὰρ ἄνευ τοῦ ἐόντος, ἐν ᾧ πεφατισµένον ἐστίν,
εὑρήσεις τὸ νοεῖν. οὐδὲν χρέον ἔστιν ἢ ἔσται
νά A / / a
ἄλλο πάρεξ τοῦ ἐόντος, ἐπεὶ TO γε μοῖρ᾽ ἐπέδησεν
Φ > / / 9 a / 9 9” οὖλον ἀκίνητόν T ἔμεναι. τῷ πάἀντ᾽ ὄνομ᾽ ἔσται
η , 9 ol ὅσσα βροτοὶ κατέθεντο, πεποιθότες εἶναι ἀληθῆ,
oN \ a /
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πεῖρας πύματον, τετελεσμένον ἐστὶ
πάντοθεν, εὐκύκλου σφαίρης ἐναλίγκιον ὄγκῳν
µεσσόθεν ἰσοπαλὲς πάντῃ:' τὸ γὰρ οὔτε τι μεῖζον
οὔτε τι βαιότερον πέλεναι χρεών ἐστι τῇ ἢ τῇ.
οὔτε γὰρ οὐκ gov ἐστι, TO KEY παύοι pw ἱκνεῖσθαι
> ες / 92 ef Υψ / |
εἰς οµὀν, οὐτ) gov ἔστιν ὅπως εἴη KEV ἐόντος
τῇ μᾶλλον τῇ δ᾽ ἧσσον, ἐπεὶ wav ἐστιν ἄσυλον.
si γὰρ πάντοθεν ἶσον ὁμῶς ἐν πείρασι κύρει.
V. 95: DZ (87,15) πεφωτισμένον. V.96: (19: 86, 18) οὐδὲν γάρ
ἐστιν, (31: 146) οὐδ' εἶ χρόνος ἐστίν, corr. Stein. V. 98: Text from Simpl. 19: 87. Simpl. 31: 146 πάντ᾽ dvdpacra. Plato οἷον ἀκίνητον Ἱ τελέθει τῷ πάντι] ὄνομ) εἶναι. V. 100: MSS, οὐχί, corr. Karst. V.105: H and Plato χρεόν. V. 102: Kar- sten avrap ἐπί, Stein αὐτὰρ ἐόν. V. 106: DEF παύοι, text from a: F κινεῖσθαι, Stein ἱκέσθαι. V. 107: MSS. οὔτε by; corr.a. DEF καὶ ἕν, a κενὸν, corr. Karsten. V.109: DEF οἱ γάρ, a } γάο, Diels ei γάρ or ᾗ γάρ: MSS. κυρεῖ, corr. Stein. e
The Eleatic School: Parmenides 97
being in one place from contact with being in an-
other place; it is not scattered here and there
through the universe, nor is it compounded of parts.
Therefore thinking and that by reason of which
thought exists are one and the same thing, for thou
wilt not find thinking without the being from which
it receives its name. Nor is there nor will there be
anything apart from being; for fate has linked it
together, so that it is a whole and immovable.
Wherefore all these things will be but a name, all
these things which mortals determined in the belief
that they were true, viz. that things arise and perish,
100 that they are and are not, that they change their
position and vary in colour.
~ But since there is a final limit, it is perfected on
every side, like the mass of a rounded sphere,
equally distant from the centre at every point. For
it is necessary that it should neither be greater at
all nor less anywhere, since there is no not-being
which can prevent it from arriving at equality, nor
is being such that there may ever be more than
what is in one part and less in another, since the
whole is inviolate. For if it is equal on all sides,
it abides in equality within its limits,