Eight powers and equal celestial kinship

Use in the book

The Athenian's disclosure of eight powers answers his claim that he must make neglected manifest gods known (986a). They are sisters of one another. Sun, moon, and previously mentioned stars are followed by five others. The account immediately forbids a division into gods and non-gods, or legitimate and illegitimate members of the group (986b). Its celestial enumeration is therefore also an argument about religious inclusion.

The sentence distinguishes the powers and “those that are in them.” It then leaves open whether these beings go of themselves or are carried in vehicles. The alternative should survive a lexical explanation. The passage does not settle whether the body is a god in the most immediate sense, an instrument of divine motion, or the vehicle of a divine occupant. Its practical conclusion is firmer than the mechanism: no member of the eightfold family is to be deprived of divine standing and appropriate honor.

The shift from sisters to brothers and sister portions follows the grammar and the objects under discussion. “Powers” are feminine; the divine beings receive masculine familial language. This does not add a second set of eight. The metaphor makes common origin or kind and equal entitlement intelligible, while allowing differences in course and period.

The sun already has a year and the moon a month. The Athenian objects to assigning the others neither a portion nor a time in which each completes its orbit (986c). Equal divine kinship does not mean identical speeds or equal-length calendar periods. Rather, each must be recognized according to its own course as contributing to the visible cosmos. The text does not here furnish all the numerical periods or a completed festival calendar. It states the obligation such an account should satisfy.

The “most divine” reason that orders the visible cosmos links this recognition to the dialogue's larger account of intelligence. The learner's wonder and desire to understand follow immediately. Honoring the eight is not a detached cultic appendix to the scientific curriculum: differentiated astronomical understanding makes the neglected honors possible, while their divine kinship supplies a reason to pursue that understanding.

Places to read

1. 986aὀκτὼ δυνάμεις — The celestial ensemble is announced as eight powers
2. 986aἀδελφὰς ἀλλήλων — The powers are sisters of one another
3. 986bεἴτε αὐτοὺς ἰόντας εἴτε φερομένους ἐν ὀχήμασι — Self-travel and carriage in vehicles remain alternatives
4. 986bοἱ μὲν θεοί εἰσιν αὐτῶν, οἱ δ’ οὔ — The proposed division into gods and non-gods is forbidden
5. 986bοἱ μὲν γνήσιοι — A division by legitimacy is likewise excluded
6. 986cἀδελφούς τ’ εἶναι καὶ ἐν ἀδελφαῖς μοίραις — Brothers occupy sister portions
7. 986cμὴ τῷ μὲν ἐνιαυτόν, τῷ δὲ μῆνα — Familiar allocations of year and month must not exhaust recognition
8. 986cσυναποτελῶν κόσμον — Each contributes to completing the cosmos

Translation in this edition

“Powers,” “brothers,” “sister portions,” and “vehicles” keep the different images audible. The text's alternative construction is translated rather than resolved into one astronomical mechanism. Dynamis here should not be assigned the specialized meaning “square” merely because the mathematical curriculum later uses the same word.

Disclaimed achievement — διαπράττειν (diaprattein)

διαπράττειν (diaprattein)

Disclaimed achievement. The perfect asserts that recognizing the powers is no great accomplishment peculiar to the speaker; another can do it too. Attested: διαπέπραγμαι (986a–b2). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Allot time — τάττειν (tattein)

τάττειν (tattein)

Allot time. The Athenian opposes leaving some powers without a portion or time for their own orbit. Attested: τάττωμεν (986c). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Order the visible cosmos — τάττειν (tattein)

τάττειν (tattein)

Order the visible cosmos. The most divine reason is said to have ordered the cosmos as visible; the verb connects arrangement with intelligible order. Attested: ἔταξεν (986c). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Divine fraternity — ἀδελφός (adelphos)

ἀδελφός (adelphos)

Divine fraternity. The celestial beings are to be called brothers, joining their common divine standing to the sister-language of powers and portions. Attested: ἀδελφούς (986c). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Accessible identification — ῥᾴδιος (rhaidios)

ῥᾴδιος (rhaidios)

Accessible identification. Recognizing the celestial powers is said to be easy for another, distinct from mastering the later difficult circuits. Attested: ῥᾴδιον (986b). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Eight celestial powers — ὀκτώ (oktō)

ὀκτώ (oktō)

Eight celestial powers. The full number of related heavenly powers, including the seven differentiated circuits and the contrary eighth; the numeral does not imply eight planets in modern classification. Attested: ὀκτὼ δυνάμεις (986a). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Contribution to the whole — συναποτελεῖν (synapotelein)

συναποτελεῖν (synapotelein)

Contribution to the whole. Each celestial course contributes to completing the ordered visible cosmos rather than functioning as an unrelated motion. Attested: συναποτελῶν (986c). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Recognize the celestial powers — καθορᾶν (kathoran)

καθορᾶν (kathoran)

Recognize the celestial powers. The Athenian claims to have seen the eight powers while disclaiming an extraordinary personal achievement. Attested: καθεώρακα (986a). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Religious propriety of speech — θέμις (themis)

θέμις (themis)

Religious propriety of speech. It is not permitted to voice the degrading alternative to true-born divinity for members of the celestial family. Attested: θέμις (986b). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Allotted celestial share — μοῖρα (moira)

μοῖρα (moira)

Allotted celestial share. Each god's portion includes appropriate recognition and time; sister portions need not be equal-length periods. Attested: μοίραις (986c). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Celestial power — δύναμις (dynamis)

δύναμις (dynamis)

Celestial power. One of the eight sister powers associated with celestial beings and their motions; not the later specialized square-sense. Attested: δυνάμεις (986a). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Give due honors — ἀποδιδόναι (apodidonai)

ἀποδιδόναι (apodidonai)

Give due honors. The celestial beings must receive the honors owed them rather than being divided into honored and neglected members. Attested: ἀποδιδῶμεν (986c). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Common celestial kinship — ἀδελφή (adelphē)

ἀδελφή (adelphē)

Common celestial kinship. The feminine powers are sisters; later their portions are also called sister portions, indicating common entitlement without identical courses. Attested: ἀδελφὰς (986a). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Rejected division of gods — γνήσιος (gnēsios)

γνήσιος (gnēsios)

Rejected division of gods. Familial legitimacy is invoked in a division the Athenian forbids: some celestial beings must not be called genuine while others are demeaned. Attested: γνήσιοι (986b). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Possible carriage of celestial beings — ὄχημα (ochēma)

ὄχημα (ochēma)

Possible carriage of celestial beings. Vehicles are one expressly retained alternative to divine beings' going of themselves; the passage does not settle the mechanism. Attested: ὀχήμασι (986b). Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

No exceptional personal discovery (contextual phrase)

καὶ οὐδὲν μέγα διαπέπραγμαι (986a–b2)

The Athenian interrupts his disclosure of the eight powers to disclaim a great achievement of his own. The following statement that another can do it easily concerns recognizing the powers, not the complete mastery later required of the true astronomer. Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Two possible modes of divine travel (contextual phrase)

εἴτε αὐτοὺς ἰόντας εἴτε φερομένους ἐν ὀχήμασι (986b)

The paired alternatives leave open whether the celestial beings travel themselves or are carried in vehicles. The injunction to honor all of them does not depend on settling this mechanical question. Neither side should be silently removed in a summary. Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.

Brothers in sister portions (contextual phrase)

ἀδελφούς τ’ εἶναι καὶ ἐν ἀδελφαῖς μοίραις (986c)

Masculine brothers describe the divine beings, while feminine sister portions continue the familial language associated with the powers. The grammatical variation does not add another class of beings. Kinship warrants recognition of all while allowing different courses and periods. Eight powers and equal celestial kinship.