Hermead of Surazeus - Epic Poem about Scientists

Scientia Hermetis Hermead of Surazeus

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Scientia Hermetis Hermead of Surazeus “Like” the Hemead book page for other excerpts and news when each volume will be available for sale. http://FaceBook.com/Hermead Excerpts 2 – Science Of Hermes Beginning fragment of the Invocation 12 – Water Of Thales Question about Nature of Matter 15 – Ideas of Aristokles Platon Complete Tale 106 – Causes Of Aristoteles Categories and Motions 114 – Garden Of Epikouros Finite Mass of Matter 116 – Garden Of Epikouros Principle Doctrines of Atomism 126 – Elements Of Empedokles Four Elements of Nature 128 – Laughter Of Demokritos Atoms and Ethics 130 – Spheres Of Arkhimedes Zodiak


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Science Of Hermes Scientists researching nature and man, sing, Muse Kalliope, about arcane progress of inventive magicians, wizards, druids, philosophers, alchemists, and physicists, bright curious people who study our world and organize knowledge in holy books to record wisdom gleaned by supple minds as they experiment on sacred quest to discover truth and invent better ways we perform tasks to rule civilization that programs actions of each crafting hand. While Homeros once sang of manic rage and versatile wiles, Hesiodos of gods, Valmiki of loyal love, Vyasa of conflict, Lucretius of atoms, Vergilius of arms, Ovidius of bodies transforming shapes, Ferdowsi of wisdom and civilization, Dante of punishment and search for faith, Chaucer of lust and fierce desire to live, Ariosto of chaos, Tasso of order, Camoens of discovery, Spenser of virtues, Shakespeare of outrage at horror of death, and Milton of paradise lost and found, I, Surazeus, inspired by Muses sing of philosophy, science, and inventions when curious men and women observe nature and seek to comprehend physical laws that govern vital scheme of evolution transforming matter of swirling universe in galaxies, stars, planets, and conscious life. Why are heroes in ancient tales poets sing warriors who fight and kill in brutal wars, biggest, strongest, meanest, and wiliest men who wield weapons of death, and crown themselves god-kings, then claim divine right to rule lands? Ten thousand years men argued and fought wars, joining groups lead by men who organize gangs to battle for control over land,


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following men with loyal obedience who comprehend best how rich nature works, and perceive future possible events when they analyze situations well and build strong forts for well-trained warriors to occupy strategic points on hills that guard close fresh-water rivers and lakes. Warriors who founded dynasties of kings play grand roles of power on martial stage of history, killing tyrants and thieves, and decree rules that foster common good to stabilize smooth social interactions between groups, manage prosperous production of commercial enterprise on lush farms, and support design of religious art in songs and plays that relate noble deeds of great hero who founded nation state. Yet every great hero king, mortal man who inhabits body of flesh and blood like us, grows old, dies, and crumbles to dust, and power of his personal authority dissolves in wind that howls in empty halls, and all his grand Ozymandian boasts echo dumb over wasteland of his works. New generations rise who fight again, arrayed and lead by power-hungry kings to impose their worldview on other groups, and millions die in brutal fights for power in endless cycles of destructive wars, so fighters fail to provide secure way that constructs stable, secure social state where all individuals prosper and thrive pursuing personal dreams for happiness. While warriors fought each other for power and fame, to play gods on stage of history, humble men and women, seeking solutions to solve problems, discovered sacred laws of nature, and expressed visions of life to state concepts that explain how things work. While mad warriors destroy to gain control,


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wise philosophers and genius scientists ask questions, conduct research, observe nature, state hypotheses, conduct experiments, analyze data, and develop theories to describe how our universe operates, created in process of cause and effect. While warriors destroy, scientists create better ways to comprehend and describe complex universe that nourishes our souls, so clever thinkers and builders through time, who search for truth beyond out-dated modes of linguistic models, and build worldviews that assist people struggling to survive by providing accurate facts about life, are true heroes who built civilization. Nations build myths of their right to exist on founding fathers, empires on bold kings who kill, and religions on peaceful prophets who teach social rules of moral behavior, while science builds theories of observed facts on exact research of philosophers and scientists into true nature of things. I sing of scientists, who observe nature and develop clear theories to describe how our universe works, rather than warriors who fight and kill, because their honest work constructs Temple of Truth secure on facts which shelters us from storm of social chaos, preserving peace inside strong garden walls. We cooperate building shelter homes to enclose gardens of fruit trees in walls, and gather or grow food to feed our hunger, when men and women facing problems think, considering solutions by puzzling constraints, and explore how things in nature relate and form world woven in molecule web so we understand how everything works. Though we once lived happy and free in trees, eating apples in moonlight as we sang, swinging together in fun games of chase,


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and cuddling with lovers and children close to hide from monsters with sharp crunching jaws, war erupted in battles for control when small clans were fruitful and multiplied, crowding small gardens with more hungry mouths so peaceful paradise was torn by strife. Chased from lush heaven of free fertile trees by jealous ones who refused to share fruit, we wandered hungry in cruel wilderness scratching for seeds in dirt by flowing streams, then grasped stick and stone with transforming hands to change things by combining elements and invent useful tools for daily chores when we swipe apples and plant our own trees. Clever men overcome obstacles with truth we discover while exploring cosmic world, grasping things and observing with our eyes, then gather with First Mother on high hill we pave with bricks to build safe ziggurat, and sing in harmony with tune of her heart ballads that dramatize tales of success. Take my hand, Goddess of Wisdom, in yours, to guide me straight on path of history, and relate how scientists invent good things in progress of technology and art, from banging two flint rocks to spark warm fire we use to cook food and forge metal tools through inventions of pottery and wheels for storing food and driving wagons far, through exploration of existing shapes by asking questions that define thought words so we better explain factual concepts, to development of combustion engines that motorize transportation vehicles, wagons, chariots, trains, cars, airplanes, and rockets, and harnessing electricity to power devices that ease our struggle for life, bright light bulbs, refrigerators, telephones, and televisions showing all that happens, and spark world wide web of computing servers


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that connect distant cities in one hub of human minds communicating truth. Lift your voice, Kalliope, and sing clear words, so vision of perseverance against death shines from Torch of Liberty in your hand to light righteous way through wilderness waste where we terraform wild landscape of hunger and build paradise on shore of rich river. Tell life and deeds of each wise scientist who wrestles agony of blind fear and mute death searching for truth hidden in bright sunlight, studies knowledge that people wrote in books accumulating memes of information to assemble puzzle of diverse concepts, and discovers new laws of our universe to build foundation for Temple of Truth, erecting pillars of principles firm, stacking walls of facts expressed by each man, and clamping roof of acceptance with proof so we may gather in Hall of Humanity where Muses teach new generations truth that preserves knowledge in Museum of Mind. Athena Goddess of Wisdom and Truth appears before my eyes in glow of light, tall woman with bright eyes and flowing hair, wearing long gown of shimmering white silk and crown of gold that glitters diamond eye. Athena extends hands to touch my head and fills my mind with vision of progress, how tribes of men wandered ancient wild lands united by noble man with vision of love to seek knowledge about this complex world investigating unknown through quest for truth by walking beyond perimeter walls of safe haven to explore wilderness then returning to join circle of eyes and explain clear in words what truth perceived supports structure that sustains spinning world. Athena bids me stand and holds my hand that floods my heart with surging waves of love


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for humankind since we first woke from dream at dawn of time and rose from Lake of Dreams and gathered in circles around Tree of Fruit to hold hands and sing mysteries that we see sharing visions of each individual mind to weave our thoughts in one grand epic tale. Goddess of Wisdom guides me down long hall in Temple of Truth built on mountain crown, fashioned from white marble and trimmed with gold, to show me endless row of open rooms where people read tales about human life, and niches between shelves of documents. Each niche features statue of man or woman who investigated world where we live, and wrote research method for truth in books explaining thesis supported by facts that reveal secrets about molecules weaving chemicals that form stars and worlds where ecosystems cradle thriving life of elements, plants, animals, and humans. Sing, Muse of Mysteries, how clever man, like no other animal roaming Earth, could grasp sticks and stones with his clenching hand by curling thumb around shape of round rock, and grasp it tight to use as tool for work to chip edge of flint stone that hones it sharp so he can bind sharp point to tip of spear that pierces hearts of animals he hunts, and slice through tough skin to extract fresh meat, and spark flames flickering on pile of sticks to roast meat for feast while scraping skin clean. Man grows wise using hands to change this world, learning to think beyond moment of need when four fingers with one opposing thumb hold objects to study colors and shapes and learn essence of why they may exist, by touch expanding conscience of his mind to understand complex cosmos of Earth, then speaks words to describe what he perceives. Increasing knowledge about this strange world


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with each generation of human birth, we transfer information memes of facts to minds of children by teaching them ways we perform actions in rituals of life that constrain surging tide of crushing death to savor fleeting joys of precious days. Thus they remember solutions we know for solving problems that threaten cruel death so we may survive attack and disease, and live with joy sharing sweet paradise, till we lie down among flowers to die as our dreaming souls return to blue sky when our consciousness evaporates sense. What helps humans expand scope of our minds except this ability to use our hands for grasping things that constitute this world to build machines by assembling key parts that ease effort of labor to survive so we can do more to build brave new world. What anxiety lead each scientist to research facts about our universe, hypothesize firm laws that govern nature, and invent tools so we build good machines then innovate methods to live each day gathering and preparing healthy food and solve problems that caused anxious fear securing heaven of safe garden home to relieve our minds from terror of death so we may eat well, sing, and dance in joy. Men and women struggling to survive are driven by hunger to hunt wilderness, motivated by anxiety of death that snuffs spiritual flame of our souls dark when our frail bodies are broken or crushed, for necessity is mother of invention that drives hungry minds to create new things, since flash of insight illuminates logic revealing method that connects aspects and combines parts to make a greater whole though we fail but try again to succeed


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solving problems to evade destruction by inventing machines to ease our need so we enjoy another day in heaven. Walking with Athena in Hall of Minds, I see ten thousand statues of great souls who stood tall in darkness of hungry dream and held high flame of knowledge to light way for other people groping in dark fear to see this real world with word-brightened eyes, and by inventing useful things and tools eased struggle to survive for everyone. But I cannot celebrate brilliant mind of every scientist who lead our way, struggling through wasteland to build paradise, for so many normal women and men developed wiser ways to live with joy, each small accomplishment brick in great wall of facts that secure foundation of truth. When Abraham entered temple in Ur and saw statues of ancestors, arrayed on high dais by altar to represent twelve noble men from Adam to Asshur, he wielded axe to chop them into firewood, declaring that eternal creator El subsists beyond shape of existing men, outside space and time, and overthrew cults worshipping images of men as gods. Once God was living man of flesh and blood who stood so long on his firm principles, obsessed by his status as guiding light, he transformed into long-reverenced statue with hard heart of stone and eyes of cold steel, and people lived and died in waves of hope while lost hungry souls worshipped him as god. I respect statues that represent men, and symbolize Mind of humanity, who struggles against fear and violent hate to transcend animal nature of flesh and manipulate matter with our hands, for they point to creative urge in man,


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like my finger points to moon shining bright. Lives of scientists, revealed in gold statues encasing tales of their paths to success, accept as mirrors reflecting your face, living human who breathes spirit of truth, that wakes consciousness of eternal Mind in your mind, so you see Demiurge God shining in your eyes, and eyes of all people who walk beside you on this spinning world. For millions of years we roved in small gangs, naked animals garbed in our own fur, living in trees safe from monsters with teeth, foraging for fruit and berries and nuts, and wandering to play free on shores of lakes and migrate along rivers to bright seas, content to live free in wild paradise. Descending from trees, we played in sea waves, learning to walk upright in surging tides, catching fish and floating in warm sunlight, then gained fat, lost thick hair, and grasped long spear to walk on two legs and hunt deer in packs since those with shorter tails could stand upright and run faster, leaping high during chase. Eating mushrooms that beamed bright our mind eyes, we gestured hands and mouthed sounds from our throats, equating objects and actions with words to mediate thoughts through dance of our tongues, and communicate visions eye to eye which weaves talkers in close communities. Grasping stone, we sparked fire that melted rock, and molded knives and plates to ease our work, preparing food as sun set gleaming gold, then banging sticks, we chanted hunting songs to relate mission and success of life. Eight hundred thousand years ago what spark flames bright in mind of First Mother we share, who sees beyond shapes of moment in time and perceives patterns of actions that change when structures of things evolve over time to foresee consequence of deeds performed


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and understand how life process unfolds, then speaks words to convey visions she sees, explaining with sounds and gestures to mean shapes and colors and actions we perceive, and teaches children how to name all things so we may express thoughts of private minds, and share feelings so others understand when humans first begin to communicate. First Mother rises tall from Lake of Dreams and raises open hands toward shining sun to chant spells that flow from her dreaming heart and code creation of our universe, from Big Bang at dawn of conscious dream time through Flaring Forth of our spirits on quest evolving through forms on genetic wings when sperm and egg become one singing soul reborn again from womb of Mother Earth whose Egg of Life is sparked by Seed of Hope. We stand alive on eye of spinning world reborn from double trinity of souls, Father transforming Son in Holy Sperm, Mother transforming Daughter in Holy Egg, through ten thousand generations of me, billions of ancestors alive in us for we reincarnate ancestral souls who live again in flesh of our new selves because my after-life is my own child who preserves our true Eternal God Soul.


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Water Of Thales “I am Thales, home after many years … We comprehend things and how they behave when we investigate substance of matter and understand how all things are composed. I would hold stones and nuts and everything close to my eyes, hoping to peer at heart of their being, and perceive eternal arch of flashing light that subsists all existence. I found this lodestone, sparkling under waves, so I retrieved it, and started amazed to see it move without force of my finger, as if some spirit inhabits its shape. This god-glowing stone guided my long quest, keeping my vision oriented toward home, for this stone always points toward Wagon Star, bright star circling above center of Gaia. I realized unseen gods do not force quick process of change through conscious intent, but all things vibrate with eternal god that acts as agent to join and disperse elements, assembling organic souls, so this lodestone moves because it has soul. I hope to ascertain principle cause that constitutes substance of everything, seeking truth about Oikoumene on quest since I first played as young innocent boy, gathering bird eggs in waters of this bay where Ikaros fell when he tried to fly, escaping from labyrinth of deceit. … My first question, when I was studious boy, standing here entranced by flicker of light, that I asked of every wise priest and mage, is what basic arch of matter subsists to form patterns of structures that support mountains and plants and animals and man, and what originates all that we see,


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measuring span of nature in space and time. I seek one element that sustains life. How often I left house my father built, skipping away to avoid tending fields so I may explore lush wild river vale and catch wriggling fish in Maiandros Stream. I stood in flowing waves, gazing at hills, watching trees dance in swoosh of unseen wind, pondering alone in soaking shower of rain, and felt my spirit transported high, free at sight of sunlight gleaming in raindrops. While traveling desert lands parched for rain, where no plants blossom or animals thrive, and sands glitter hot under scorching sun, body shriveled and skin cracked and mind dazed while I stumbled slow on endless shining path, I longed to stand here again in cool sea and feel sweet moisture revive thirsty soul. Though no number-wise priest in hot Aigyptos, or star-dazzled mage in ziggurat temple, could explain what substance glows core of things, I trust my eyes that perceive complex order, shaping harmony of vast Oikoumene, to suggest water consists base of life. When I saw water fall as rain from clouds, and pour down mountains in fast gushing streams to flood plains where farmers cultivate crops, then fill vast restless swirling ocean deep, where hot sun shimmers mist to form more clouds, I perceived cycle of creation flash in wheel of time that weaves our world of forms as life bubbles vibrant from rain-soaked Gaia in ever-swelling gush of pulsing dream. Now I may answer my own question, what is basic material forming our Gaia, by declaring, after close observation how nature sustains vibrant health of creatures, that water mutates through various forms, becoming shapes of land and air and clouds, then falling as rain and swelling as streams


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to sprout as sweet fruits that animals eat whom humans eat roasted over hot flames, thus water migrates through our many forms. All living things, that move in flow of time, transform from water that sustains rich life through generations of new creatures born, who die, dissolving back to state of water, so though each living body works its time we all return to primal formless sea."


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Ideas Of Aristokles Platon Ideas that inform patterns of existence sing, Muse Ourania, molding shape of Earth, tale of Aristokles Platon, broad mind in man of wisdom who assembles concepts from theses of philosophers to merge opposing thoughts into complete world view, and writes dialogs from questions and answers showing how Sokrates seeks hidden truth to describe real world behind words we speak so we perceive eternal forms of things that persist more real than shadows of shapes that are created and destroyed by time, so she stands in Museum hall and sings. Son of Ariston and Periktione, Aristokles was born in Athenai in Attika, during Olympiad 89 year 1, and died age 76 in Athenai in Attika, during Olympiad 108 year 1, living 1076 to 1152 years after reign of Athena. Roaring ocean waves on sun-gleaming shore ring strange music of rhythmic desire, swelling from boundless core of deep sunless abyss, and swirl tingling through veins beneath his skin, so his soul floats suspended on white foam and glows from searing rays of silent sun, then he shudders at blast of chilling wind that wraps wings around his bare chest, and heaves young boy tumbling under surface of light when he escapes sharp greed of eagle claws. Disk of white fire, through trembling ache of waves, pierces gloom of sorrow to warm his heart, salt spicing sore lips pressed tight against thirst, as motionless boy spreads arms and legs wide to sink back beyond voice-beaten names, beyond memory of gray owl eyes shining with love when his mother, Periktione, embraced his throbbing heart and sang sweet wordless hymn, beyond howl of boys throwing rocks and sticks


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that slashed and bruised his flesh before he dived. Beating heart bursts his eyes open from gloom and flailing arms, slicing streaks in blue waves, propel him forward through terrified joy to grasp at diamonds clattering on sea floor, when broad-chested Aristokles crawls low beneath waves of sight into swirling gush of sparkling river, river of sweet taste that tingles lips thirsty for fierce revenge, and imitates otter wriggling in roots. Transforming to shape of Poseidon, sire who sparks desire alive in seething blood through hale-coiled limbs of his ancestral stock, Aristokles rises slow from tinkling waves of Eridanos Stream, sharp gray owl eyes peering through mist for roving gang of boys, then dips below glittering surface at shouts of hunting furor, and glides on repose of subtle hope to slip past glaring eyes and seek secret sanctum in shady groves of Lykabettos hills where wild wolves roam. "I rise transformed from sea of fearful death as if reborn from womb of Mother Gaia, and sing strange thoughts of ancient timeless tale to recite words written in stars, my eyes flickering memories when I rose before countless generations from dreaming sea, life after life crawling up river stream to stand shivering in gold rays of sunlight and pluck sweet fruit from loving tree of truth to taste light and rain, and make my own name. Who am I today, still Aristokles, son of Ariston, descended from bold Kodros who sacrificed his life to save our town, and shrewd Periktione, from sage Solon, wise soul of Athena, reborn in flesh, who wrote laws to establish Democracy that balances power between rich and poor. So I rise burdened by their noble deeds no longer naked, nameless, singing god


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clutching trident to challenge howling storm and heave stone to build citadel of power heaped on Akros, where my mother assists Nike, goddess of owls in flesh, assigned to light hearth flames with torch of Helios. I know too well who I am, noble born to perform rites in duty to support ancient power my elders wield to rule space of streets where merchants sell urgent crafts, measuring length of streets where enclosing walls of private gardens are licensed to stand, collecting rents from profits of commerce, and stamping laws with seal of owl-eyed coins, so I plan to play political game. Ancient trail of success, clear glittering stream of Eridanos, ever leads me home, and wakes strange dream that I was born swift fish who crawled as otter, then climbed tree as monkey to sit beside moon-eyed owl under stars, then leaped from branch to stand on solid land, and raise my arms toward words of gleaming stars, and howl aching song of love to bright sun who guides my beating heart through cluttered maze of hungry faces to cool peaceful grove where singing birds welcome me to relax and forget sorrow tearing at my heart, so rage flows away on sun-sparkling waves and leaves me empty to drink rain of joy. I see before my feet clear sunlit path leading me straight to pillar of success if I avoid pitfalls and traps of greed in power games that arrogant men play to wear mask of Apollon in stage dramas or write laws to imitate Perikles battling Sparta to manage Delian League. I must learn wisdom and how numbers build structure of ordered Kosmos so my mind comprehends complex patterns of behavior people play to manipulate emotions driving commerce of production and sales


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how good actions create beauty and truth. I want to understand this universe how Theos connives right social control, once living man now remembered in tales corrupted by human desires of lust and greed suppressing men who long to learn, gripped by anger when he bound with cold chains Prometheus he punished for stealing fire by thinking ahead to benefit man. What jealousy and rage grips thundering heart of Zeus hurling spear of lightning flames at heads of mortal men who dare presume to rise above mud of earth and dance high on mountain of far sight from drinking wine to seek enlightenment about this world, obstructed by haughty kings on gold thrones who strike to kill rebels against their cause. Boldest mortal man who succeeds to play role of Theos, controlling fates of men, attains eternal fame in epic tales that write his name in lights of gleaming stars and carve his face in Hermean marble bust so growing generations hear his name repeated on stage of sacred theater. What glory or fame would polish my name bright jewel of light guiding steps of men to make things beautiful in shape and use that benefits man by easing his labor, honest work rather than arrogant rule, path of life I prefer as legacy. Cruel Zeus raging in ancient music tales I would replace with god loving and kind who teaches men to create not destroy." Aristokles watches wolf-cubs play games, while eating ripe figs and honey-soaked bread after sleeping all night in secret cave, then studies rays of light that pierce dim gloom and stream over distant dark mountain ridge, shooting straight to soak trees and stones in flames of gold glow that glitters bright in dew drops


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and casts rainbow stripes on rough cavern wall. Shadow of his broad shoulders and round head appears on cave wall at gleam of sunrise, moving when he moves in sharp contrast shape of gentle strength, and turns when he turns slow, though never revealing mask of his face. "When I was younger, exploring lush meadows and wild woods, I thought shadow was my soul, beam extending substance of my perception to anchor my frail flesh with bonds of love to seething world that flows around my feet. Yet self unseen, though felt, I sit in dark and seek my first forgotten name, unreal substance of tingling nerves in bag of bones, wondering if I exist, for my sense spreads beyond limits of skin and permeates hills, lakes, and flowing wind, so I become everything, awake clear in darkness, alone and nameless alive. Then light shimmers over horizon curve, strange glow that gives shape to shivering dreams, and sun spreads wings wide over mountain peaks, and things that dissolved at sunset appear again, springing from memory in my mind, same but changed by molding hands of time. Light rays flow down in waves of glowing drops raising mountains, trees, animals, and men from shadow to fill their defining shells with substance of throbbing desire, so shapes stand out clear in air-billowing expanse. My eyes apprehend their colors and shapes, of purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, of circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares, each object conforming to basic pattern that defines each thing bound in word we speak and connects thought we picture in our mind to object solid through our hands and eyes, things painted by qualities we describe. Bright sun that pours light and rain over Gaia, weaving web of land and things that exist


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like spider that weaves web from threads of light, you create this world from patterns of thoughts with urgent dreams through spark of blooming love. Your fingers of warm light mold curves of hills jagged peaks of mountains, and winding caves, mold trees and flowers that sprout from moist soil, mold lithe bodies of animals and humans, and mold swift flow of water, wind, and fire, like fingers of whistling potter molds clay on spinning wheel to design perfect sphere, model of this world that nurtures our souls. I thought my shadow was my soul, but now, after careful observations and tests, moving fast or slow, bending tall or low, I see that light rays beaming past my body are blocked from lighting ground around my feet, so my body casts shadow when its bulk obstructs rays that beam in perfect straight lines from bright sun to illuminate our world, straight because edge of my shadow is sharp. How strange that words of language people speak describe this universe in simple terms that fail to describe rich complexity of real world I perceive with eyes and hands. How can we pry open hard words like clams to find pearl of truth, and better define terms we use to describe objects and actions and qualities that define their details, so we can better communicate our thoughts that shift and flow in wild chaotic waves. Urgent dream of my eyes emits bright rays that beam reflected from shimmering sun, rays glowing from thought-shape stored in my mind to perceive concept in dynamic form, for perfect shape that defines each object persists in perpetual pattern prepared to project image and substantiate pattern of thing with matter to be real. My mind stores image of thing that exists, and beams that image as light through my eyes


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to apprehend real object I perceive and by perceiving bestow verbal shape to populate space with life-seething souls. My weird thoughts seethe in swirling ocean waves, half-perceived concepts glimpsed in sudden flash that emerge from waves of deep contemplation to reveal truth, then sink in wordless sea so I stand clutching at elusive water that slips lost from grasp of my blinking eyes. More I think I understand about life, more I know I know nothing but myself. Did I conclude this world is but frail dream of shadows beamed from light of my eyes? I must observe this world and touch all shapes to understand structure of their existence, and change how I describe what I perceive to convey more clear on firm ships of words vision of my mind to bloom in their minds so other people see same thing I see. Hunger drives me from my comforting grove to seek friends and feast, and attend school class so wiser men may teach me all they know. More I perceive this world through other eyes better I will comprehend what I see." Chewing ripe apple plucked from Tree of Truth, Aristokles saunters path through clear woods toward school, whistling with birds in swaying trees, then pauses long moment on sloping ledge of verdant grass to gaze at crowded cluster of farms, shacks, cabins, halls, towers, and temples that form grand city of goddess Athena, and his heart swells with pride for every person who plays vital role in drama of life. Walking along Sacred Way at bright dawn, Aristokles arrives at fertile garden of Kolonos, where bones of Oidipous fertilize flowers blooming by stone walls, and finds gentle Kratylos in long gown, bumbling teacher in grove tending beehives. "My mind is eager to learn more from you,


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honey-scraper, after hearing you speak about eternal forms that never change in contrast to fluctuations of shapes that become, grow, and die in ceaseless flow. Last week you taught world view of Demokritos who argued our universe is composed of tiny particles that swirl and crash in random chaos to form all that exists, so I contemplated thesis of Atoms, and considered if his view might be true. After days of careful thought, I object to view that our beautiful universe formed from crashing particles in vast void of pointless chaos, that everything real we see glommed together into being without purpose. I think Zeus created our universe from perfect model that will never change with purpose to express beauty of forms. I formed my own opinion, but I wish to learn more about complex universe. Confused I contemplate your tangled words, hoping to unravel mysteries of life you wish to reveal, so clarify thoughts so I apprehend complex universe." Kratylos poses on round marble disk, acting role of Apollon playing bone lyre, and chants about firm forms and flowing changes, explaining to thoughtful Aristokles deep concepts he learned at Ephesian school while following Herakleitos in swift stream. "My clever teacher, Herakleitos, taught that we never step in same river twice, sparking clear visions of philosophy blooming in my mind, so I pluck ripe fruit of wisdom and offer it now to you. I will be glad to teach you all I learned during my travels to sand-gold Aigyptos, and secrets revealed to me by high priests on ancient star-lit ziggurats of Persis, for they began quest to discover knowledge


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long ages ago, back at dawn of time, centuries before clever children of Hellas began to question how our universe was formed, and from what substance it was shaped. We Hellenes are young children in this world, but sons of shepherds and daughters of weavers, just awakening from dim dream of wheat fields to gaze up at stars, and voice silent thoughts of wonder at how this world was created. Still amazed at magic of numbers, spells of prophetic riddles, and herbal potions, we apple-cheeked innocents have begun to seek deeper secrets that operate physical laws of nature, to discover facts and figures that explain how things work yet new to our eager minds, and construct temple of philosophy to enshrine truth. Things we just discover with wide awed eyes wise magicians of Aigyptos and Persis first discovered and expressed on clay tablets or pressed paper sheets, stored in temple halls, long before Zeus overthrew Titanos and founded temple on Olympos slopes, for while our fathers herded sheep in mist their fathers began to delve deep in soil, observing objects and process of change, to expose secrets hidden inside things. We think we gathered from experiments vast stores of knowledge about complex world, but we know small bits of theories and facts so little read or understood from scrolls that fill vast library halls in grand temples, as if we dip small frail cup in huge pool and sip meager taste of abundant truth. I studied teachings of wise Pythagoras while attending school to learn number ways, and mastered magic of numbers to code curving shapes through measurement of broad space, for numbers describe how Kosmos is shaped, mountains and valleys, with rivers and lakes,


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plants and animals sprouting from wet soil, for all existing things stand out in bounds of volume and length, glossed by qualities. I can measure space, so I am here now at this firm spot, during flow of this time, performing actions in movements of limbs, thus my soul exists confined in my flesh at this location here and nowhere else. When Parmenides was here years ago, and discussed how to perceive our world with Sokrates and eager group of friends, I listened in rapt silence while they talked. I learned basic forms from Parmenides who taught that everything we see is bound in never-changing shapes, reflecting pattern of eternal objects designed from forms of perfect timeless essence, many things like thousands of trees, reflecting one thing, so each tree is illusion that reflects eternal tree we perceive through our minds. I learned from Herakleitos changing flow of fluid shapes that forever transform through shifting waves of forward-stepping time in process of growth or close interaction between things that affect motions of life, so stream of elements balance exchange in conflict of opposites that converge then emerge in waves of mutating forms. While strolling with Herakleitos in woods, feasting on sweet juicy apples, I stepped in gushing stream, that froze our trembling knees, then weird wizard stopped and shouted in glee, no man can step in same swift river twice for this chunk of water, swirling by me now, will flow away in deep sunless sea, so when I return tomorrow, new stream of water, flushed from rain on mountain slopes, will be flowing past in same river ditch. This deep channel where river water flows never changes, though even flow of water


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carves it wider, tearing dirt chunks away, while water changes, flowing ceaseless motion, so I think my wise Magister was wrong, because even at that moment one man steps in gushing flow, that river is new as he walks each step through its changing stream. Like ceaseless flow of water between banks, so ceaseless flow of sounds between our lips swirls wild eddies of meaning mind to mind, and clear concept I picture in my eyes changes through twisting dissonance of words, thus you hear words I speak but see new thoughts, different thoughts I intended to convey, so I may mean one thing with words I say but you may hear something I did not mean. Everything that exists bears secret name bestowed by nature to reveal its essence, but names we call things by common agreement are nothing more than noises of our voices we apply to things, so when we perceive unseen truth vibrate through process of action, we huff sounds hoping to explain concept so other people may also perceive and comprehend feelings that urge our thoughts. Words are frail symbols that connect our thoughts fleeting moment attached to vibrate things, but things surge past lost moment of expression so I say Hippos and point at swift horse while horse gallops beyond puff of my voice thus things change as I label them with names. Attempting to communicate concepts of truth fails because I may mean one thing but other people may mean something else, and talking to Sokrates about truth befuddles my mind, making frozen ice of statue thoughts melt into gushing stream of fluid meanings, since he twists my words in puffing gusts of storming dialog, so heated light of his arguments beams blinding my mind, so nothing I once thought


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is real, and everything is upside down. How better I say nothing any more and let wind-swirling thoughts clattering my mind huff around inside my head, and not speak, and never speak again, but wave my hand. I will wave my hand so you comprehend my meaning, inventing what you might think I may mean, or not, as truth is meaningless." Kratylos shuts his mouth and never speaks again, though his friends urge him to express his hopes and desires, to fulfill his need, but he clamps shut his mouth and waves his hands in dance of thoughts that no one understands. Aristokles chuckles at clever method wise fool employs to convey complex concepts, then, offering gift basket of pomegranates, he leaves garden of Kolonos to walk, whistling amazed at clever thoughts of truth inspired by concepts honey-scraper teaches. Contemplating mysteries Kratylos taught, Aristokles pauses and stares in space, then paces perturbed on lush river shore watching stream flow between solid dirt banks, and mumbles under his breath, gesturing his hands in wild jerks, and crouching stalwart to lunge as if he wrestles powerful unseen force. "My mind seethes in crass confused contemplation while considering concepts of change and form, whether transformation through ceaseless flow or foundation through long-enduring shape explains real world my eyes and mind perceive. Herakleitos teaches all solid objects that exist beaming this shape at our eyes express quick growth through agent of desire chanting nature of substance while we watch, thus deceiving our eyes with illusion of form. He declared as clear fact with confidence that we never step in same river twice, for same as different drops of water waves each passing moment flow around our legs


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so substance of plants and animals change each passing day we eat, grow old, and die. Rain falls from clouds as individual drops that flow over soil and merge into streams, and waves of rivers flow down mountain vales to fill abyss with surging ocean tides, yet oceans never rise and overflow expansive lands of mountains and broad plains, except when snow melts after warm spring thaw. Hot sun evaporates sea to misty clouds that swirl over land and drop streams of rain, so water flows through cycle of change like seeds and eggs that sprout and grow new shapes in repeating flow of birth, life, and death. Parmenides teaches all morphing processes that cycle through stages of formal growth compress solid shapes through structure of need maintaining nature of substance in form, thus deceiving eyes with illusion of change. He declared as permanent truth with trust that everything we see reflects shape of perfect external form which contains substantial matter that conforms to rules of factored design to fulfill right purpose and function in relation to whole world. Each day I look at plants or animals, or peruse landscapes of mountains and lakes, their forms and substance remain ever same, though plants and animals grow, rivers flow, clouds swirl light or dark, rain falls or sun shines, and people move about daily work tasks, yet every process of change maintains form controlled by rules that govern moving flow. Same as rivers flow through channeling shapes of river banks that contain surging change, so all processes of apparent change conform to rules in stages I perceive. Though forms appear to change over long time, trees sprout as tender shoots from seeds in soil, grow larger and taller each passing year,


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then bear fruit or nuts that deposit seeds in soil, yet during each phase of its growth that tree maintains solid unchanging form defined by abstract measurement and shape that persists in thought world of intellect. One says everything continues to change but other says everything maintains form yet both ways of perceiving complex world explain what I perceive in equal ways. How can two different views of our world which supports rich variety of life that seem to present opposing perceptions both reflect accurate model of ground truth, first, claim of Herakleitos that all things transform in swift process of ceaceless change, next, claim of Parmenides that all things conform in pure patterns of changeless shapes? I need to observe phenomenal objects to contemplate process of changing forms so I may comprehend through intellect complex factors that comprise universe of eternal forms that appear to change." Platon steps from river flow, gazing down at streaming current watching visions glow, then continues following road in woods. Arriving at gymnasium where boys train, running, jumping, wrestling, and throwing spears, Aristokles finds his teacher on field outside palaistra, Ariston of Argos, who slaps his shoulder with jovial delight. "Platon, broad-shouldered son of Poseidon, when you won wrestling match against Palaimon competing in games at Isthmia to win honor for Athenai, proving her worth, you won my heart above all other boys. Since you were young, I trained you well to fight, and now you surpass excellence of form, so I feel pride at work of art I made, like potter feels pride for jar he creates, since you are pliant clay in my strong hands.


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Accept high position as my Ephebos and I will train you well in warrior ways to fight with sword and bow, for I think you could rise to lead as general to defend our lush homeland, for your dynamic will is broad and bold as your shoulders and heart." Aristokles relaxes in warm bath, stretching muscled arms and drinking fresh wine. "While wrestling thrills my heart with flushing joy, to dominate and subdue weaker men, my heart longs to rise above brutal strength and seek wisdom in performing good deeds to understand beauty that shapes our world so I communicate deep thoughts with men rather than rub their faces in dry dirt. I wrote lyric songs to declare my love for Apollonis, priestess muse who works in Temple of Ourania and sings hymns for worshippers at evening sacrifice, and hope to win her heart to walk with me, hands bound, to altar of marriage and pledge loyal love, committed to guard her hearth and cherish fertile garden of her heart. I see wild chaos of people who chase elusive desires, and clash in fierce fights when opposing parties both want one thing, grasping in blind rage to control same land or woman, contending strength to win right rather than acknowledge partisan claim and dialog to exchange just concerns. I want to write new laws that better guide actions of men so they cooperate building homes, growing crops, and crafting things that ease frail hands performing mindless toil, and, like Solon, whose blood flows in my veins, manage contending wills of noble men to balance conservation and progress, expanding broad vision of our success while preserving foundation of our values. While I would succeed as warrior to guard


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city of my heart, I want to transcend limits of this binding flesh so my mind may soar on spirit-supported wings high above complex world, so I may perceive complete perfection of our universe, and teach people value of gentle love so actions create rather than destroy. You taught me how to wrestle, and defend my soul against oppressors, so I live free from commandments of arrogant men, but I must learn to command my own heart. Lessons you taught will always guide my steps as I blaze new path through forest of lies to seek wisdom that reveals radiant truth." Bidding Ariston farewell after bath, Aristokles strides from Gymnasion hall, inspired with vision painted by his words to rise above simple duty and seek divine secrets that govern complex Kosmos, then play creative role in social drama, appointed Arkhon to manage republic on principle of justice for all men. Someone shouts, calling is name, so he turns and sees ardent brother, Athenokles, hauling small wagon of wine jars and bread. "Attend me, broad-chested brother, Platon, to bright marble cave where Sokrates carves, helping me bring food for our evening feast, to eat and drink, chanting songs about girls, while we discuss philosophy of life." Aristokles joins his brother to haul wagon of clattering jars on winding road along Ilissos Stream by Pankrates, that shelters witches who cook mushroom stew, and Kallirrhoe Spring where pretty girls dance, to Temple of Zeus Ombrios on summit of Mount Hymettos where Sokrates swings hammer to carve statues in quarry cave. Sokrates laughs pleased, and spreads both arms wide to welcome young brothers to studio cave


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where he carves statues of immortal gods to capture spirits of their forms in stone. "Broad-chested Platon and owl-eyed Glaukon, more descriptive names than Aristokles and Athenokles, regal pompous masks that hide good hearts in aristocratic souls. Welcome to cave of long-remembered dreams where memories of those who lived before us linger in shadows that flicker on walls. My heart is always pleased to see you both. Platon, I would rather call you Kyknodos, for your gentle voice rings sweet in my ears as song from white swan on star-sparkling lake. Did I tell you, one night before we met I dreamed young swan with heart-enchanting voice perched on my knees, repeating my harsh words in dulcet tones, so I spoke more to hear honey-flowing voice fill my mind with visions, then it spread wings and flew in silver wind. Next morning at dawn, when I washed my face and drank cool water from Kallirrhoe Spring, you appeared before me with silver eyes, elegant and lithe, graceful like Athena, introduced by your brother as new student, and when you spoke, I heard voice of that swan." Aristokles blushes grinning, and sits on stone by fire to watch stone mason sculpt. Sokrates grins while eating melon rinds, then gripping chisel tight, angled at stone, he swings hammer to free beautiful form. "My foolish mind is cluttered with deep questions for I seek to understand how this world emerged from chaos in swirl of desire and surged into forms of things that exist. I love wisdom, and consider its glow of guiding light in psychic soul of man sacred flame lit by Theos in our minds, so I shall call myself Philosopher, lover of wisdom and truth in all things. I seek ways to behave, obeying law


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of divine voice that speaks inside my head. I must examine process of my life, questioning assumptions that blind my eyes, to understand truth hidden inside words since clear perception will help me live right, for unexamined life is not worth living, while examined life reveals my weak ways that I may now know to strengthen my will so my actions never hurt, but ever heal. Since I met Parmenides years ago, I learned how to ask questions to reveal facts of real world teeming behind stiff words, probing for meaning when proud men declare statements that crumble under piercing glare of my eyes, when I strip away assumptions with sharp wit to dissect weak wriggling words. I am midwife helping men birth new thoughts probing beyond static dogma of words to help them transform their perceptive view, and birth wisdom free on butterfly wings. When I was young, my mother Phainarete, midwife priestess from clean Temple of Hera, took me to cave where young mothers give birth, and memory of what I saw glows still bright. Shadow flickered on wall of mountain cave, green shade surrounded by fire-glowing gold, that outlined form of woman wearing robe who kneeled, bending over, and stretched arms to reach inside another shadow form of woman leaning back, both legs spread wide, then she lifted shadow form of newborn wiggling arms and legs, who threw back its head and wailed loud after gasping its first breath. I watched bright shadow of my gentle mother, Phainarete, who brings virtue to light, as she delivered babies in dark cave, fascinated at how babies emerge from womb, wondering how life of soul is sparked. My whole life is journey to understand how humans live on fertile teeming land."


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Sokrates grasps hammer and chisel tight in both hands and chips rock from cavern wall to carve image of dancing girls from stone. While Aristokles listens to them talk in serious silence to contemplate truth, Athenokles owl-eyes and Sokrates discuss light, perception, concepts, and dreams, and how we comprehend our world of shapes, as if we stare at shadows on cave wall, using language to describe things and actions and qualities that define separate aspects, bantering about meaning and why we live, and how men best relate in city walls sharing resources and duties of work to benefit good of all over one. Flutes twitter sweet music of birds in cave of shadows when young muses twirl and dance, enchanting heart of stone mason who carves square blocks from cave marble for men to haul on creaking wagons to build temple hall for grey-eyed Athena on mountain plate. Listening to Kratylos teach number magic to his brother Athenokles who marks numbers and shapes in dust of cavern floor, Aristokles watches Sokrates carve rectangle blocks and circle disks from marble. Muscled hands grip handle of iron hammer as Sokrates strikes chisel that chips slivers from smooth white marble, then slides his hand slow over cool curve, dreaming of tender thighs that sway half-hidden under swirling robes. "What miracle of kiss from loving mind could transform cold white stone to soft warm flesh, if power of Pygmalion to spark life were bestowed on my hands by crafty Zeus, so caress of my hands would bring to life this image of sweet Xanthippe, my bride, and mold her Galatea with my skill alive with elegant beauty and grace. I search for beauty of woman and man


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pure form hidden inside unchanging marble, aiding birth of timeless souls with my hands. All enchanting nymphs are figured alike, elegant form of face with pointed chin, sweet strawberry-plump lips, apple-red cheeks, broad forehead, curving eyebrows, almond eyes, soft white breath-swelled belly, mountain-peak breasts, hill-sloping hips, secret moist vine-veiled cave where jewels of precious treasure lie hidden, slender leaping-fawn legs, embracing arms, strange shapes that complete real goddess in flesh. Each girl displays different features of form, tall, short, slender, plump, hair curly or straight, skin, hair, and eyes colored wide range of shades, each individual unique mixture that forms special person alive with urgent love, yet all conform from universal shape we label girl, girl who always persists before each girl is born and after age and death dissolves flesh girls back to dry dust. I will carve marble into shape of girl, preserving timeless beauty of her form so grinding wind of time may not destroy perfection of her sweet elegant shape. Muses, who sing tales that enchant our hearts, freeze your swift joyful dance in graceful stance so I may express beauty of your spirits, preserving your souls beyond wasting death." Kephiso bearing silver jar of water smiles and glances down in sly desire. Apollonis plucking golden lyre strings gazes enraptured up at sunlit clouds. Borysthenis holding tangled grape vines spreads arms outward like soaring eagle wings. Sokrates carves statue of three cute graces while three sly mischievous giggling girls pose, expressing perfect beauty of their forms in marble to capture essence of life, then Aristokles, with broad shoulder brawn, helps heave wagon hauling statue on path


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to lofty Akropolis, where Three Graces, forever marble perfect, they erect to stand before brass doors of Parthenon. Aristokles offers basket of fruit to Apollonis, whose enchanting smile smites his heart with love, and asks if she will hold his hand, and walk by his side at feast of honeycombs, declaring pledge of love, but Anytos shoulders shy boy aside, boasting in loud tones his noble exploits, and immense wealth gained selling spears for war, then hooking arm around her slender waist, spirits her away as bride at his hearth who giggles in love never looking back. Aristokles wanders in numb despair along moonlit shore of sad roaring waves, shocked at losing sweet girl whom he adored, then writes tragic play about stolen love, scribbling words of action and dialog as if inspired with visions from Kytherea. Pleased at emotional impact of his play expressing force of true love lost in game, dramatized through noble actions and words, Aristokles arrives at golden gates before Temple of Dionysos at dawn where boys and men assemble to submit plays for presentation on tragic stage, sighing without hope his play would be chosen for actors playing dead gods to demonstrate aching tragedy of true love kidnapped. Aristokles watches bemused when Dolon, wearing wolf cloak, teases weird Sokrates. "Who is wisest fool who hoots in Owl Town?" Standing with Sokrates on temple porch, Khairephon laughs at comment from large crowd, unheard, though Aristokles strains to hear, then raises right hand in mock serious pose. "When Sokrates and I, on quest for truth, sailed Argo to visit Pythia in Delphoi, seeking gold of wisdom washed in lamb fleece,


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I asked wispy witch who moaned in gray mist, is any man in all this world more wise than Sokrates, and her answer surprised me not, that no human is wiser than he who asks a thousand questions seeking truth, prying concepts of words open like clam shells to discover bright pearls hidden in myths, for dream of life appearing in our eyes is shaped by tall tales our ancestors lived. Our wise god, who chortles on throne of Zeus, may wear ugly mask of mud snorting goat, our wild Seilenos leaping in fun play to mock pretension of men inflated huge by self-important pride, but behind mask of goat-snout face shines soul of wise Apollon, enchanting our minds with honey-sweet words that teach our eyes to see this world more clear. Open your ears, wild sons of wise Athena, and hear thoughts of Sokrates, our stone mason, whose words build hall of wisdom in our minds." Sokrates grins and waves to cheering crowd, short bearded man with piercing silver eyes that bulge like eggs, and pudgy goat-snout nose, hands covered in dust carving marble blocks. "I am not wise, for I am greatest fool, since I know nothing about this strange world, thus barbed questions spring from bow of my tongue, soaring swift to pierce pretty mask of lies and expose heart of truth that activates compulsion in cycle of life and death. Man is measure of all things in this world, wisdom I learned from inventor of Sophism, Protagoras who preferred we compare nature in relation to man, not gods. Know yourself, and you will comprehend truth that supports complex structure of existence, for though we are wild animals controlled by hunger and desire, we employ reason like harness to rein progress of swift horse to master control of our natural urges


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and choose by wit how we will act and speak guided by light of good on path of life. I know one thing, and that is I know nothing. I think none of you will believe my words, that highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself, and question others, peeling away mask that hides your true self. For years I thought her oracle was wrong. Pythia declaring no human is wiser than me proved she is deluded and blind, and old religions are fables of fools, for I am most foolish of all living men since I long believed that angry Zeus caused crashing thunder when he hurled lightning spear. Might of Zeus was written by Hesiodos, was it not, and read to us by old priests who hissed and struck me when I dared to ask questions about contradictions blatant that twist bizarre tales of murderous gods who behave worse than petty human tyrants. I know nothing about this complex world, and that is why I ask questions, to learn how other people perceive universe of forms, and explain how everything works, without blaming gods, symbols of dead men who performed great deeds remembered in songs, as if they still breathed and trampled on men. Compare name for Zeus with divine god and notice how Theos matches its style, so that conniving tyrant, mortal man, provides template for our view of Great Mind Anaxagoras named who sparked creation. I stumbled blind and confused in dark gloom groping at statues of all-powerful gods that clutter our memories with trembling fear, until I heard Anaxagoras preach how Mind of Love activates spark of life, then light of truth beamed from words of his mind and brightened pathless woods of superstition revealing way of truth to paradise


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that we create with our own conscious minds, for Eternal Mind wakes inside our minds. By learning truth about our urgent minds we learn truth about Creator of life. Long ago real men and women of flesh and blood lived in grand Temple of Olympos, managing agriculture, craft industry, and wealthy commerce of human production, yet played with lives of men like fragile toys, manipulating them to perform deeds that achieved their will from expense of strength, then power games they discharged were encased in myths that Homeros and Hesiodos wrote, enshrining their squabbles as holy deeds. Divine bodies crumbled to dust, and souls of high authority, like sparkling wine poured from crumbling jugs into new-baked jars, flowed in reborn bodies of growing children, who assume social role so human men and women become power-wielding gods, but label themselves with invented titles to avoid presumption of divine rule. So Athena springing from head of Zeus means she was daughter of his urgent seed, born strong from fertile womb of gentle mother, and grew wise under guidance of bold father who bore her on his shoulders while he tended business of his people, so she could watch his words and actions, learning how he ruled, then, when she matured into warrior woman, her flesh body attained eternal soul of conscious wisdom after Zeus ceased life. Eternal soul of authority, god, migrates through flesh of our bodies to live beyond death and sustain communal peace, so when noble man attains high position Daimon soul of god possesses his flesh, and when he dies, releasing Daimon soul, another mortal man sits on gold throne and opens mind to guidance of good love,


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thus immortal Daimon soul of true god flows like river through good leaders of men. Weird tales of Homeros and Hesiodos, teaching our young minds how to perceive life, are mere shadows flickering on wall of dream, dim memories of our tribe from long ago preserved by wiser men who scribbled lines on skin of lambs and calves to preserve dreams of their lives, so when we now read their words, new generation sprung from fertile soil, we live their lives again, and we perceive this complex universe through their clear eyes. We are like people sitting in dark cave, arms and legs shackled so we cannot stand, heads bound tight so we cannot turn our heads, thinking shadows we see are normal facts, so we must free our souls from chains of fear and seek wisdom, though good light blinds our eyes. When I was carving statues, forms of girls who embody radiant charm of Ourania, in bright Cave of Arkhedemos near Vari, Glaukon, wise owl-eyes spurred my heart to quest beyond shadow of illusions for truth, so I descended in underworld Hades, following footsteps of Orpheus in gloom. Eyes wide open in sunless dark I saw shape of perfect good revealed by clear light of sunrays beaming from warm sphere of flames that sponsors wisdom sprouting in our minds from seeds of trust, that bear delicious fruit which feeds our hearts with nourishment of truth. Treasure more precious than jewels and gold I found vibrant in young, tender, lithe nymph who danced laughing and singing by bright lake in deep cave illuminated by gems. Soul of Athena lives reborn in flesh of daughters and sons sprung from her wise mind who populate meadows and garden groves of vibrant city we rebuild with stone, for Athena lives now in you and me.


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Name of Athena, our wise goddess queen, who sprang full-grown from head of father Zeus, derives from Theos, god, and Nous, mind, God-Mind of consciousness alive in us, for she stands as symbol, eternal form, who represents fertile mind that sparks life glowing bright as inner light in clear eyes of women, mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, who generate life and teach us to speak. Eternal forms define our universe, so nature must conform to perfect laws, but when nature seems to perform contrary to perfect Idea, discard perception as false illusion that deceives your eyes, then study solid rules of measurement for real truth is based on ideal concepts we reason in our mind, not appearances that cloud our eyes when we try to see light. We see shapes of this world with open eyes when sunlight bounces off surface of things in shimmering waves, and we discern one shape repeated many times in separate things, basic pattern shaped by matter of flesh, so when we close our eyes to stimulus of light, then open our inner mind eye, we wake our intellect to see real thought glowing with light of reason, and perceive real world, for things that exist in sunlight are shadows of things that persist, timeless beyond birth and decay and death of flesh. When I heard Anaxagoras describe cosmic mind that activates force of life creating world that sustains mental dream, explaining how eternal mind controls process of change to form bodies from flesh, causing elements to revolve in shapes and causing chaos to order all things, I felt timeless consciousness of one god who permeates boundless and timeless worlds wake inside my mind, so I know myself,


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small frail shell of flesh glowing with great light. We are projections of eternal Zeus, imperfect men reflecting perfect God." Awe-struck crowd erupts in loud chanting cheers, amazed at vision his clever words beam like sunlight bursting through clouds after storm, then flow inside theater to demonstrate plays they hope are chosen for festival to celebrate grape-drinking god of joy. Aristokles stares at pages with play he wrote at gush of bright vision from pride, and sighs dismayed at childish concepts posed, that seemed so vast and right when first he wrote scenes of action and speeches to display tragic consequence of hesitant hope to woo heart of sweet girl with charming words when powerful god, jealous of human love, harasses innocent young man with rash of weird disastrous events to disrupt play of affection grown between two hearts, then raptures girl away from loving arms and leaves broken-hearted boy on sea shore howling in bleak despair at deafening wind. "Lost love destroyed by supernatural god, who tramples tender shoots of sprouting passion, messing with fragile lives of mortal men, now seems so quaint after hearing rich speech of Sokrates explaining purpose required for discussing words to discover truth so enlightened men may perform good deeds while they seek wisdom in labyrinth of hunger attempting to perceive real form of truth. No longer will I compose tragic plays that feature gods who toy with lives of men, for Sokrates exposes fables false, and presents more noble action for Theos, rather I will write simple dialogs showing how Sokrates confronts blind pride and guides men to wisdom on lighted path through method of asking questions that delve


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beneath surface of assumptions to find hidden truth, digging through hard rocks of lies to reveal treasure of righteous desire. Men who walk rigid on straight path of truth avoid dangers that destroy fragile souls and blaze trail for others to travel safe through tangled forest of despair and death, leaders who guide lost travelers to heaven. Come hither, God of Fire, Platon broad-head needs your light to devour pages of words scribbled in blindness of anger and fear, and thus release my soul from chaining heart of darkness so I may bring light to all by recording words of prophet from Theos." Aristokles drops play he wrote on fire, and watches pages crinkle in red flames while feeling ache of loss, yet reborn faith, seeking truth behind illusion of words, blossoms with petals under moon-white glow. "My heart beats with great excitement to learn, inspired to seek deep truths from dialogs through method of Elenkhos to ask questions extracting facts from statements people claim and cross-examine assumptions in steps that crack open dogma to refute lies, and through scrutiny assay to find truth." Aristokles attends lectures each dawn when Sokrates speaks before eager crowd assembled near Agora market stalls, writing notes to capture essential thoughts from convoluted arguments in terms simple craftsmen would comprehend and see complex concepts explained in metaphors that summarize admissions in catalogs assembling thought puzzles to reveal truth. While Aristokles attends reason school, writing long dialogs of Sokrates, warriors from Sparta, hurling strong oak spears, invade Attika, storming marble walls as they follow Lysandros on swift horse,


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deeds recorded full by Thoukydides in history book Peloponnesian War, then conquer enfranchised people of Athenai, shatter strong Delian League, and wrest control from fierce thundering fist of Alkibiades, who learned wisdom from Sokrates in school, when Theramenes leads rebels to fight against honest gold scepter of Athena. Rising against rule of Theramenes, forcing him to drink hemlock, juice of death, bold Kritias, uncle to mother of Platon, founds bloody rule of thirty supreme Arkhons, aided by Kharmides, uncle of Platon, who battle and kill all who dare defy power of land owners, to suppress free speech, and stamp heads of people in muddy graves, then steal land and wealth of people they kill. Aristokles Platon, repulsed by hate and brutal oppression of working folk, deserts two uncles through moral disgust, condemning violent attacks on good men, and supports Thrasyboulos who assembles thousand democrats to fight for just freedom against oligarchy of greedy tyrants and kills Kritias on rock hill of Munykhia then sets Democracy back on her feet to bear Liberty Lamp for all to see. Because Kritias pursued knowledge of truth guided by Sokrates on path of wisdom, Anytos, leader of new government in halls of Akropolis clutching power, concerned probing questions of Sokrates undermine people power with mocking lectures casting doubt on existence of great gods, riles angry Meletos to charge wise fool with impiety against religious state, refusing to worship ancestral gods, introducing new gods that mock great Zeus, and corrupting wild young men to rebel against grand authority of their fathers.


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Aristokles attends trial in court on high Areios Pagos, Hill of Ares, transcribing accusations from Meletos and Lykon, orchestrated by Anytos, then Apologia, speech of self defense that Sokrates declares in humorous tones exposing Meletos as pompous fool to show why weak accusations are false. Sokrates stands on stone and faces crowd of men assembled to judge his life worth. "How do you feel, good men of Athenai, hearing speeches of accusers relate vile deeds of that evil Sophist who lies, depicted in Dionysian play Clouds written by Aristophanes who hates how I teach young men to contemplate facts and think beyond doctrines of aging priests, so they discover truth with their own eyes and weave their own words to express real truth. I cannot tell how I feel but their words persuaded me to forget who I am, yet their deceptive words reflect no truth, but buried in heap of lies one lie amazed my heart that you should guard against my words, and not let your agile minds be deceived by force of my eloquence to speak truth, for when I open my mouth you will hear no beguiling spells to enchant your minds. Since you were boys, you heard false tales describe strange character, Sokrates, that wise man who speculated about heavens above and searched into darkness of earth beneath, and made worse appear better cause of action. Accusers who spread false rumors and lies about me are more dangerous than weak charges of Meletos, beak-nosed puppet of Anytos, for I never earn money when I teach, preferring to question in search for truth, for often I declared no man should pay teachers of wisdom, as I told Kallias


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he should hire trainer of horses to train his sons rather than throw money at sophists, for simple farmer could teach eager boys to be better men than sophists who blather fancy phrases that deceive minds of youth. Yet someone among you will ask me why I am accused of teaching boys to think, for my reputation, long built on words I spoke exploring concepts behind truths, is based on normal wisdom I possess, attained by any man who seeks to learn. My accusers have superhuman wisdom I cannot describe for I have no such wisdom, for he who claims I have great wisdom lies. Wisdom I have was revealed by Apollon, god of Delphoi who wakes reason in minds of men seeking to understand our world. Years ago, when my friend Khairephon and I attended rituals in holy Delphoi, Khairephon asked Pythia in misty cave is any person wiser than Sokrates and he told me she answered in weird riddle, there is none wiser, so when he told me I wondered what could wise Apollon mean when he declares I am wisest of men, yet he is clever god and cannot lie. Long I considered how to test his claim I could refute if I found but one man wiser than myself, then I could return and stand before Apollon and his priestess with refutation in hand and declare, here is one man who is wiser than I am, though you said I was wisest of all men. I failed to understand riddle of truth hidden in oracle calling me wise, since all accept words of Pythia as wise, so I developed plan to prove her wrong, refuting assessment through dialog, thus I approached three groups of wisest men in great city that Perikles rebuilt,


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discussing truth with politicians, poets, and craftsmen, to find man wiser than me. Finding good man whose name was praised by all to speak wise words and provide good advice, I spoke with bold politician, whose name I shield to protect him from cruel insults, observing confident response to questions concerning facts in what is right and good portrayed by bold actions of Herakles. We discussed how men are judged good or shamed based on actions they perform in craft shop, battle field, or market stall, to express strength of character through how they behave when they mimic valiant deeds of Akhilleus, pride and grief of our tribe, to emulate public display of courage and win praise. I think moral character is revealed if gentle man feels sharp guilt pierce his heart when he steals, hurts, breaks, or kills, and declares intention to change actions and convert motive for behavior to help and give, attending force of his hands to create. We discussed what reveals beauty and good, yet words he spoke revealed his ignorance, and I thought, he is not wise as he thinks, though many smart people think he is wise, and he thinks himself wisest of all men. So I explained, though he thinks he is wise yet his answers expose clueless dimwit, but showing him truth of his shallow mind sparked hatred for me from him and his friends. I pondered how this fool could be thought wise, but realized neither of us knows real truth about things that are beautiful and good, so I am better than he knowing truth, for he knows nothing yet thinks he does know, while I know nothing nor think that I know. I stand firm on high rock knowing myself that I know nothing and I am not wise, so I am much wiser because I know


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I am not wise, for I am greatest fool. Then I approached another politician, who claimed still greater pretensions to wisdom, yet again I exposed arrogant pride, revealing clear his foolish confidence, and again he and his friends hated me, twisted by rage at truth of honest words. Aware of hatred my questions provoke, I discussed beauty, virtue, good, and truth with one man after another in hopes to find just one man wiser than myself, for though I feared stirring beehive of rage and provoking anger against my search, yet I felt compelled by necessity urging my heart forward on sacred mission, for word of Apollon we respect first, to speak with all men who appear to know and discover meaning of his oracle, as if Apollon commissioned me quest and wants me to teach men wisdom and truth by exposing their assumptions as lies. Result of my mission contained strange fact, that most men with reputation for wisdom were most foolish of all men in our town, while other men less esteemed and more humble had greater wisdom and more noble souls, so wise men are fools, and foolish men wise. I continued labor like Herakles enduring most difficult tests to find wiser men, discussing truth about life, but found at last that I could not refute puzzling oracle of Apollon, god of reason and justice, whose glowing light of knowledge illuminates cosmic world. I talked to poets, wise masters of words, thinking they will detect my ignorance, by reciting complex lines of deep verse to ask meaning of concepts they express, hoping they would teach wisdom I could learn, but, ashamed to confess truth, I must say


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most of you could explain their obtuse verse better than poets who scribble weird words, for they claim genius inspires what they write, like diviners and soothsayers who reveal riddles and prophecies, yet what words mean exposing truth they could never explain. I talked then with craftsmen and artisans, conscious that I know nothing about truth, thinking they would know from skill of their hands to create useful and beautiful things, but they know nothing more than skill they use, like politicians and poets sagacious in narrow fields of knowledge where they work, but ignorant of deeper truths that support structure of complex Kosmos where we live, and this defect overshadows their wisdom. I asked myself, with voice Apollon tones, from oracle declaring none are wiser than me, whether I would like to remain ignorant fool who knows how little he knows, or become fool who believes he is wise, having neither knowledge nor ignorance but claiming both like every man alive, so I answered myself and oracle that I am better living as I am. I am wiser knowing I am not wise. My method of antilogy requires I refute all statements declaring truth till most accurate statement is revealed that best defines real physical nature. My investigations ignited hate and spawned enemies who seek to destroy my life for I am considered most wise, since they imagine that I possess wisdom which I prove arrogant men lack, but know Theos alone is wise and knows all things. My quest to find one man wiser than me aroused hostility and fervent hate, persistent and bitter, against my name, and spurred cruel malicious accusations


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that I am no better than haughty Sophists who claim to teach deep wisdom they possess, even though I know well I am not wise. Because I disproved claim of every man to wisdom, people standing near who heard my questions refute his arrogant pride assumed I know real truth while playing game, and accused me of hiding truth I know even though I ask because I do not know. Open wide your eyes, men of Athenai, and realize wisdom about complex world belongs to Theos Apollon, who alone knows everything about beauty and truth, and this oracle was his way to tell mortal men that human wisdom is vain, limited in scope to reveal broad truth to minds of frail humans who nothing know, since each man can only know so much truth. Thus oracle referred not to me alone, but placed my name before you as example that wisest man of men who walk this world is that one man who comes to realize, like Sokrates, that his wisdom is worthless. So I go my way, obedient to Theos, inquiring about wisdom of any man, citizen or stranger, who appears wise, commissioned by oracle to reveal whether confident men are wise or not, and my devotion to mission for truth absorbs focus of my mind finding facts so I neglect public duties and work falling into poverty through devotion to fulfill mission Apollon gave me. Sons of rich men, who are idle and bored, come to me of their own accord to learn methods I use to expose and refute, for they like to hear pretenders examined, then they imitate and question others, exposing blind fools who think they are wise, who nurse anger against me for abuse,


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then slander me as misleader of youth, even though they cannot know what I teach, for I teach nothing but how to find truth. Theos imposed sacred duty on me to play gadfly poking horse of our state for state is noble steed slow in his motions because huge size requires deliberation to discuss and decide what actions best improve strength of justice for secure state, so I am sent to stir state to right action. I ever strove to perform righteous acts, guided by signs from voices in my head urging me to consider consequences, how actions may result in life or death. Theos imposed duty on me to question assumptions boasted by grand-standing men, to cross-exam pretenders to wisdom for I am assured well by divine visions and oracles that I was assigned task to wake men from slumber of piety and spark thoughts inherent in their own minds to doubt lies and seek truth behind grand word. Look at me with open eyes, mortal men, and see I am normal man like other men, creature of flesh and blood, not wood or stone, and three sons I sired need me as their guide to teach them how to emulate good men who contemplate mysteries in their own minds and channel strength to perform righteous deeds. I commend my soul to hands of Apollon who appointed me on mission to plant quest for truth in heart of every good man, for I feasted on sweet fruit of my labor when eyes of young men are lit bright by wisdom. Silent hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways down long road of life, I to die, and you to live, though which path is better for honest fools Theos knows." Jury of sour grim-faced elders, good fathers, shaken by demonstrations of their sons


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rebelling against hard authority, vote supporting verdict of impious guilt. Sokrates laughs surprised at sudden speed of short deliberation to assess obvious innocence Apology proved. "Reward me with free meals at Prytaneion, and crown me Prytanis, chief of our clan, guard at central hearth to tend sacred fire that sustains warm faith for mothers to cook, for I will bear bright torch of Liberty to preserve justice and good in our nation. But if you wish I will pay hefty fine of one hundred drakhmai, one fifth my wealth, to treasure chest for maintenance of laws." Fuming at arrogance of goat-faced man who mocks serious proceedings of good court by stating public sense of good is false, Anytos condemns Sokrates to death, then snaps robe as he storms from marble court amid howling jeers of violent crowd. Kind jailer conveys aged philosopher to room of death where he lies on hard bed, and sighs, then laughs welcoming kiss of death, as weeping friends gather around his bed attending needs of condemned philosopher. Aristokles clutches hands of wise fool to his chest and, falling to his knees, prays. "Flee from unjust punishment of blind tyrants, aided by noble people of Athenai who expect you to escape from stone walls and seek freedom to live and speak your mind as you will, for vast Gaia where we live presents broad open valleys with fruit trees, cool sparkling fountains, and fish-teeming lakes, far from frail grip of power these weak fools wield. Leave this small land and attend me on trip to expansive cities full of good folk who would welcome you home with open arms. Flee to save your life from murderous intent and seek paradise in garden of fruit


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where we can sit again in evening glow, eating spicy lamb stew, drinking fresh wine, listening to sweet music from ringing lyres, and discuss meaning of life in dialogs exploring substance of words to discern hidden gems of knowledge that when exposed enlighten our eyes with visions of truth. Flee with us, Sokrates, and live reborn." Sokrates hugs young broad-shouldered boy close to aging heart, caressing long black hair, and cherishes friendship of noble youth who flock close to his bench in garden grove on mountain of olive trees at sunset, weeping in despair at losing wise fool, who smiles amused at wild displays of grief. "Ease your hearts, Platon, and kind loyal friends, for I will stay and face punishment judged, welcoming death, for my soul will return to Ideal World of perfect changeless forms and dwell forever in paradise of peace." Stunned at verdict of death on honest head of wise but stubborn Sokrates, heart shocked at callous rage of accusers who cheered for killing divine teacher of strange truth, Aristokles trudges home and lies flat in stunned silence listening to voices shout echoing loud from court of condemnation, and sinks into bitter sea of numb sorrow. Sweating in fever of heart-aching loss, Aristokles writhes and moans, grasping shadows that swirl dizzy on bedroom wall in glare of blazing sun, and cries out from wild fear beholding men thrusting spear in soft belly of wise fool who prances on Satyr hooves, but snaps awake gasping for breath at dawn. Athenokles, owl-eyed brother Glaukon, sits beside him in glare of morning rays, wiping tears from his eyes, cold stricken face twisted from sorrow of wrenching despair. "Our noble teacher and philosopher,


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Sokrates son of Sophroniskos, is dead, dead corpse cold and gray, deserted by spark of life that drove him to challenge our rules trying in vain to focus minds of men on good of their souls rather than false wealth of gold, land, power, fame, these transient things that lead men stumbling blind in foul quagmire, so men might wake to right meaning of truth and act on concept of justice for all. Krito arrived and watched him while he slept, and expressed admiration at calm state of peace he displayed when Seilenos woke, then offered to pay for his quick escape. Sokrates related dream from bright light of woman in white cloak who offered cup of sweet ambrosia from hand of Apollon and told him he would journey in three days to fertile Phthia in lush Thessalia where Akhilleus waits near Othrus Mountain, then explained this dream means he soon would die. Declaring good man should do what is just regardless of how people may view his honor, since city of Athenai gave him life he will not violate her sacred laws though angry men enforce judgment of death. Our noble Seilenos, philosopher of justice and good, refused to escape, and offered unjust death as sacrifice to give salvation through knowledge of self as sacred gift to people who accused and condemned his honest soul to foul death. How noble and wise at grim hour of death Sokrates walked and spoke with calming strength, bathed, and spoke with three grieving sons and wife, gentle Xanthippe, clever Lamprokles, stone-cutter Sophroniskos with long hair, and Menexenos, baby in her arms. Jailer Mentes offered Sokrates cup brimming with poison juice from Hemlock bloom, Konion flower that spins mind in dizzy whirl,


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but wept in sorrow for gentle wise fool who condoled him with kind forgiving words. Sokrates grasped cup with courageous hands and lifted it high toward blank sky and prayed, then offered libation to Apollon Theos giving thanks for divine mission to find secret truth and wisdom hidden in hearts of honest men who become wise on path of self-awareness, understanding nature, and bloom performing deeds of social good that build on ruins new temples to gods. So wise teacher touched cup to lips and drank, swallowing anger, resentment, and fear, in sacrifice to save good citizens who populate city of wise Athena. He walked in circles as if at still point of spinning universe, center of life, calm core at heart of whirling hurricane whipped in frenzy by wings of aching hearts, then lay down and spirit left his frail flesh, vibrant soul of quest for truth that vacates corpse of bones, and animates it no more. Last words of breath that expired with his soul he directed to Krito who wept long, saying, we owe young cock to Asklepios, so do not neglect to pay debt of thanks." Sokrates stares out window of bedroom watching sun blazing bright behind far peaks, and sighs in heart-breaking hopeless despair. "Bright sun of truth that cast darkness of lies from minds of men has sunk in sunset flames, and torch of freedom he carried to guide lost men to warm hearth of friendship and peace has fallen, and flame of quest for true knowledge shrouds our world with blind ignorance and fear that may crackle in storm for centuries before bold men, who love truth and right, will again lift torch of liberty high and rally warriors for justice to fight tyrants of greed enslaving minds of men


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to found new democracy on strong pillars that Sokrates erected on firm concepts that men awake to beauty of our world seek justice, truth, liberty, and wise love. Sokrates, wise fool, always seeking truth, defied authority of king and priest, and knocked over frail pillars of tradition, by questioning doctrines, laws, and assertions of knowledge that lords erect to support facade of right to rule, causing collapse of fragile power built from intimidation. Our wise-cracking Seilenos cast weird spells that cleared detailed illusions hiding facts from consciousness of open seeking minds to extract perfect universal concepts of permanent patterns that define ideas so all men may learn truth from their own eyes." Wrapped in dark cloaks, Eukleides and friends of Sokrates arrive at sunset fire, assembling with Aristokles at hearth to discuss options surviving attack based on rumors Anytos plans to charge Platon and gang of thinkers with foul crime impious heresy against sacred gods, so they plan escape to Megara by ship where Eukleides owns land in hidden vale, who offers haven from accusations safe. Resting in refuge on deck of swift ship, slipping unseen from harbor of Peiraieus, that glides on wine-dark sea under bright stars, Aristokles gazes at stricken faces of loyal friends, with heart heavy as stone, and ponders memories of philosopher who challenged men to examine beliefs. "Tales of Homeros about grandiose gods clutter our young minds with violent intrigue since we were boys sitting around bright fire after sunset while Orpheus played lyre, wandering singers trained in school of Hermes who chanted plots of gods to play with men,


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Poseidon hounding Odysseus ten years to prevent return home to faithful wife, and Zeus chaining Prometheus bound to mount of Kaukasos in punishment for giving secrets of fire to mortal man. Vindictive gods, once mortal men in halls of power, by deceptive poets deified as driving will behind forces of nature, blazing sun, howling wind, raging sea waves, who play games with lives of men on game board, we see portrayed in epics and stage plays worst forms of men who command loyal worship. Worship no more false gods, cruel men disguised by masks of heroes that poets paint gold, for weak and frail they fall from heights of pride, image of wild man Zeus immortalized as tyrant whose fierce attitude to rule is mimicked by angry arrogant men, like Alkibiades, who attempt by force of bold action to crown themselves great kings and control lives of men struggling for freedom. I would knock statue of Zeus from pillar to overthrow bad example of kingship, tyrant in grand hall manipulating men, and replace broken Hermai, vandalized by blind anger at power uncontrolled, then erect statue of good humble man who sought for truth hidden in spoken words to awake honest self-assessment in men. I would erect statue of Sokrates where Zeus long stood, noble philosopher presenting image of kind honest Theos, whose hands shape minds of men to perceive clear mysteries that motivate actions through love, replacing image of cruel lying Theos, whose hands crush minds of men with striking bolt of rage to prevent us from learning truth, with image of compassionate frank Theos, whose words guide minds of men with questing thoughts of love to encourage us to learn truth.


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Old Theos Zeus demands all men portray deeds of Herakles fighting brutal war as active warrior who attacks to kill enemies of our town-controlling state to build gold-collecting power of strong league so we unite and defend allied clans against attack of Persians who bow low before god-king on ziggurat of pride. New Theos Sokrates requires all men assess motives driving will of their minds seeking knowledge how their actions result in consequence to preserve right and good supporting justice based on divine law to construct strong state where every man shares discussion through democracy of truth equal giving and receiving reward for loyal devotion to wise Athena. Image of Zeus as right idea of Theos I replace with image of Sokrates, gentle man who described our world Creator as Demiurgos, craftsman who molds sphere of Gaia, mother earth who nurtures soul of man with fruit that blooms in fertile spring, for he taught us to look inside our minds, question truth, and explore to learn facts from secrets of how nature operates." Arriving in Megara, loyal friends of Sokrates assemble in wood hall and follow Eukleides in river boat to quiet grove in ancient tangled woods, who welcomes them to his ancestral home where they relax and feast safe far from harm. Eukleides founds school within city walls, declaring in market intent to teach philosophy of famous Sokrates, so sons of merchants and farmers will learn art of speaking for politics and law in rhetoric, along with natural science, geometry, astronomy, and math, molding new generation of young minds


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to learn self-control and knowledge of truth. Eukleides stands before eager young men, teaching wisdom he learned from Sokrates. "Home to sweet Megara I have returned after learning wisdom from Sokrates. I heard legends about his profound speech so I sailed to Athenai in vain hope to hear Goat-Face refute arrogant men, but citizens of Megara were banned from entering gate into City of Olives, so I dressed in gown disguised as young woman and slipped through gates after evening twilight to sit before wise fool and hear bold words of clever Seilenos while he debated truth. Sokrates, midwife to knowledge who helps men wake from dream and drink sweet milk of truth, and express concepts born from pregnant minds, guided my mind to understand clear process how we perceive and judge accurate account explaining comprehension in true phrases of words that reflect real world we experience so people who hear and understand thoughts see secrets revealed hidden in our minds. Impatient to understand hidden secrets, I asked countless questions, struggling through gloom, and Sokrates cheered my heart, teaching me, wonder belongs to bold philosopher who presses eager quest beyond word walls, then told me, like young woman gestates child nine moons and births full-grown baby in time, I should embrace bright facts close to my heart, so I cultivate patience while truth grows strong enough to crawl from shadow-dim cave, then preach enlightenment with torch of freedom. Sokrates taught greatest knowledge consists in understanding good beauty of things. Parmenides taught greatest knowledge shines in one universal being of our world. I will teach you mixture of noble thoughts, that good is knowledge of this one great being,


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for this good is only force that exists disguised by many names of things we see, but all things originate from this one. I call this great one that unifies all form of good that beams bright from shining sun, noble mind that seeks wisdom through clear truth based on reason of logic we discuss to question meaning and discover right, for true essence through universal being persists eternal and unchangeable, supporting structure of our changing world. Men who understand good will seek to act from virtue that guides them on road of life, and no man may understand edifice that forms never-changing world of ideas except through logic of philosophy, for virtue blooms from knowing soul of good. Good is one, called wisdom, reason, or god, and opposite of good cannot exist." Heart broken at loss of wise Sokrates, Aristokles wanders forlorn in garden by pond where swans glide on clear sparkling waves to join Theaitetos who scratches triangles in shore mud using stick to study shapes through strict principles of angles and lines, but scratches out shape he scribbled in error. "Platon, broad-minded dramatist, your tongue lies silent while quick hands express your thoughts. Since Sokrates drank poison of bad judgment my heart aches disrupting focus to learn, and like mine your face is twisted by sorrow. Years ago when I was eager for honor to prove myself noble and worth respect, since estate wealth my father left was squandered by friends he trusted to guard me with love, I left Sounion cape, lashed by angry waves, and walked to Athenai with empty hands. I stood hungry before Phrontisterion, where youth are sheltered while they ponder truth, warming my hands over pot-bellied stove,


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when Theodoros, crawling among vines and peering close to study bugs in dirt, invited me to study number tricks guided by wisest man alive on Gaia, then led me inside large study hall where I watched Sokrates in basket hung observe moon and stars through small polished gems. When I was lost, Theodoros was kind teaching me secrets of geometry and math, which excited me to learn more, for I love measuring shape of our vast world founded on structure of numbers and forms, then Sokrates invited me to join their talk of knowledge in Gymnasion. My mind was bulging with questions on how to comprehend mysteries of our weird world, and Sokrates, like his mother mid-wife, helped me articulate and express thoughts that struggled unseen in my pregnant mind, guiding my growth, naive youth to wise man. How bright light of truth glittered in my mind when he explained what Protagoras said, that man is measure of all things on Gaia, ruler for existence of things that are and non-existence of things that are not, and how Herakleitos assigned concept that nothing is, but everything becomes in ever-moving flow of elements that feed shapes of things so they grow and die. Theodoros returned to his hometown, Kyrene, named for daughter of Hypseus, who was wooed and won by clever Apollon, and bore his son Aristaios cheese-maker, who taught his children how to gather honey, so my heart urges me to follow him but I hope you will attend me as friend." Aristokles agrees, eager to travel far from buzzing hive of fierce enemies who killed wise Sokrates, and may intend to target him as close associate


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by hunting him wherever he may dwell. Pleased at success of new blossoming school of Eukleides, crowded with eager boys, Aristokles bids farewell and sails ship across sparkling Terra Sea to hot Kyrenaike, to study math at school of Theodoros in peaceful palm-shadowed hills of Kyrene. Arriving at large farm of Theodoros, companions of learning hail long-time friend who welcomes them with open fostering arms, proclaiming feast for priests to roast fresh beef so reunited friends drink sparkling wine on couches gathered around warm flickering fire to share tales and discuss philosophy. Theaitetos lays slab of wood on dirt then steps feet toe to heel three times across marking meter of each length equal size to create ruler by which he measures space, then stares at distant mountains, logging height and length, and degree of triangle slope, to record absolute that could provide concept for knowing size of cosmic world that sustains rivers nurturing fertile plants eaten by animals and humans for life. Aristokles learns math and measurement from Theaitetos, how to calculate area of shapes that reveal curves of Gaia. Striding before Platon and group of students, Theaitetos lectures in leaf-shaded grove. "Sokrates taught my mind how to perceive realm of pure forms beyond objects we see, for knowledge is not acquired through our eyes sensing light reflected from face of things, but realized clear through images of thought reason organizes to invent meaning, for reason unveils real ideal forms behind appearances that sustain force of will surging on soul waves of existence. My mind thrills to measure full shapes of things, and comprehend how various parts append


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complete bulk for negotiating space, how most creatures maneuver on four limbs but humans stand erect on two, and use hands to manipulate and change with craft material wood and stone Gaia provides, and thus invent machines that aid our work. When measuring things of diverse types I see constant themes that constitute single form, like all horses follow pattern of Horseness, same fact true for every object we name, never-changing structure that defines idea. Yet each object that exists from its form acts urged by will to ever-changing movement, so each object we name in sentient thought we describe through action it can perform revealing how unchanging things exchange station of existence in swirling space. When image-makers fashion clay in shapes that imitate things real, we perceive form of pure idea that persists outside flow of corrupting time, so we gain true knowledge measuring shapes of things by numbers retained. I see Theodoros draw figures in dirt, drawing angles to create spiral shape that illustrates dynamic roots of numbers, showing that squares containing three square feet and five square feet are not commensurable in length with unit of that foot, and then selected each one in its turn in steps to square containing seventeen square feet. Since number of roots appear to step far beyond finite end, we collect them all under one name we call dynamic root. We divided all numbers in two classes. First are numbers formed when we multiply equal factors, represented by shape of square considered equilateral numbers, so we classify them as square numbers. Numbers between these, such as three and five, and all other numbers else which cannot


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be formed by multiplying equal factors, but only formed by multiplying greater by less factor, or less by greater factor, thus always contained in unequal sides, we represent by shape of oblong rectangle, so we classify them as oblong numbers. Equal lines which form four sides of square numbers we call lengths, and those which form oblong numbers we call surds because they are not same length, but they are equal in areas of planes they form, and this is same for solid cubes. Dear Sokrates, who claimed his mind was barren of ideas, like barren Artemis aided women birthing children, he aided men birthing ideas more complex beyond dogma our fathers taught, showing us how to forge new instruments of thought from old concepts. I remember how he congealed fragments of ideas from philosophers in theory, that nothing is one and invariable, and we could not ascribe one quality to all things, like if we call something large, and large it appears in eyes of one man, yet it will also appear to be small in eyes of another man, relative to perception based on their points of view, and same with heavy and light, hot and cold, and many other qualities assigned by perceiving minds, yet true quality appears out of movement, motion, and mixture with one another in constant exchange. Nothing ever is, but always becomes, base concept all philosophers in concert, except Parmenides, stand in one line, Protagoras who measured based on man, Herakleitos who declared all things flow, and Empedokles who described consistence of four elements mixing in all forms. Even Homeros described fluid concept of ever-blossoming change when he wrote


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speech for crafty Hera seducing Zeus, saying she fares to limits of nurturing Gaia, and Okeanos from whom all gods are sired, springing in new generations reborn, and mother Tethys who nourished their souls, offspring of flowing motion, life and death, for our parents create bodies of flesh that contain souls they pour into our shells. Thus we see that motion causes existence, spark that urges our becoming and growth, whereas stopped rest is cause of non-existence, destruction of forms that crumble to dust when Daimon soul ceases to animate vibrant flesh, for warm flames preserve all life, fire itself offspring of movement and friction. Through constant emotion of exploration we nourish our souls, pushing beyond walls when we acquire information of ideas, preserved and improved in learning and practice to develop skills and increase bright wisdom." Aristokles listens rapt to rich words while Theaitetos lectures in school hall teaching young boys how to measure our world and classify forms of ideas conceived in two worlds of sense and intelligence. Theodoros teaches him geometry, explaining complex concepts about circles and triangles that form lattice of lines supporting structures of landscape and things, till Aristokles masters math equations and formulas that aid mind contemplation to comprehend measurement of our world. "Platon broad-mind, you are master of numbers, attaining knowledge with consummate ease, but knowledge is limited I can teach, for you consume all concepts I present to grow equal with me in apprehension, so empty from you sits my bowl of facts. Journey to Aigyptos where ancient roots of wisdom, tended several thousand years,


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still nourish Tree of Knowledge that bears fruit, since fertile soil of Neilos River bursts seeds of eager learning, and Tree of Life first sprouted from caring hands of wise women where Amen first tended Garden of Truth. Seek school of Theothos, near pyramid, founded by that wizard in mists of time, before dawn of writing, since he first scratched pictures of things in mud and codified system of writing to preserve our thoughts, and taught men to observe patterns of stars and nature, so crafting hands organize plants in gardens surrounded by brick walls. Our concept of Theos, supernal god who teaches man secrets of fire and words, stems from name of Theothos, primal man who woke from dream of hunger and desire to master emotions and wield weird will of wand used as tool to manipulate elements of things and invent new ways to remember truth and work with our hands. Find school of Theothos on knowledge quest in shining Heliopolis, city of lights, where science of truth first sprang from rich soil." Sailing swift ship, laden with honey jars, east into glow of rising scarlet sun, Aristokles reviews path of his life, born and raised in city of wise Athena, attending deep lectures of Sokrates, escaping killers who murdered wise prophet, learning geometry with honey bees, and traveling to land where learning began. Sun glimmers gold among wind-swayed palm fronds, crocodiles lurk beneath flowing brown waves, huge long ships bristling bowmen with sharp spears who guard elegant women in white gowns glide among papyrus reeds that young slaves gather in bundles they heap on wide wagons, flat-top pyramids where people bake bread, roast cows, and hammer metal on square blocks,


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tower enormous in rows on river shore, and people bearing bundles walk in lines that snake through labyrinth of crowded streets. Following crowd of tourists from distant lands, Aristokles bathes in pool and dons robe, then climbs high pyramid stairway to haven among worshippers who palm hands and chant hymns of praise to Mother Isith for she holds bright stars aloft to protect all souls. At last attaining seat near highest level, Aristokles meditates on cold stone with thousands of people covering flour slopes, and gazes far through polished gem to see vast maze of small pyramids and broad pools in labyrinth of streets and garden walls, complex urban landscape beneath bright stars that shimmer broad stream of white twinkling eyes, river of milk flowing from fertile breast of Mother Isith to nourish flesh souls. Young girls with skin brown-red as river soil move among worshippers, bearing gold plates and silver pitchers, so Aristokles mimics actions when two priestesses offer small round cake they place on his tongue, then pour sparkling juice in grail, so he eats and drinks as girl chants spells in words he understands. "Eat this cake baked from wheat, mushrooms, and milk, for from flesh of Mother Isith they bloom. Drink this wine brewed from grapes, honey, and dates, for from blood of Mother Isith they flow. Follow her true face in dream of your mind for she will destructure your rotten flesh. Follow her bright eyes in dream of your heart for she will restructure your baby soul. Mother Isith takes your seed in her heart and generates your soul again in flesh. Our bodies crumble away to dry dust then Mother Isith gives our souls new life." Gazing down from dizzy pyramid height, Aristokles feels spirit of his mind


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spread conscious wings, and rise on flowing wind to glide among clouds close to twinkling stars, blinking eyes that watch roots of his mind curl down into clattering soil to grip gold heart of spinning sphere, bulging planet of eyes, that sucks water of life from weeping caves so liquid streams of laughter surge through legs into tree trunk torso of heaving chest, billows of wind that fill skeleton shell of flesh with gusting soul of Kosmos Mind. Broad beyond small seed shell of his frail body Platon becomes every creature alive, heart throbbing in thrill of pulsing awake to see from all eyes hundred thousand worlds one world of thick interlocking triangles that spiral from flame center of his head, for sunlight threads beams through lush grapes of stars in woven vines of nets fishermen cast, but Platon fish slithers free and swims swift darting toward clear eye light of aching hope and crawls diamond river bed to broad lake where he stands on two legs and reaches arm to grasp fruit from Tree of Knowledge and Life. Thirsty for fruit, Aristokles extends open eyes on grape vine of generations, becoming every mother who gave birth to daughter in shimmering flow of face stream, life after life of heads on vine of soul sprouting human minds from eternal God, and looks about him at thousands of people meditating on steep pyramid slope, mountain of souls who all hum through one voice and blend swirling souls on wings of their minds, and he knows their names and journeys they traced in tangled web of steps along stream shores, all children from one original mother, for he knows he is small frail shell of flesh of boat woven from sunlight tossed on waves, so he sails above Gaia mountain breasts, solid island of rock in seething waves


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of Okeanos who places gentle hands on his shoulders to speak through glowing eyes, my son, awake and know your secret name. Platon opens his mouth to speak his name, so fish, birds, mammals, and reptiles escape swirling from his tongue that creates concepts, but grins and denies real power to create, then gazes around at vast spinning disk of mountains and seas teeming with wildlife, that dwell on skin of his translucent flesh, and sees each living soul spring in detail of new-born self from one eternal form, blossoming in full shape from seed and egg. Sphere of life, woven from wet flames of light, Aristokles feels encased in his skull, vast world of creatures alive in his eye, and senses motion of planet turn slow on wheeling whirl in circle around sun shuddering at piercing gleam of milk-white stars that twinkle bright in broad band that crowns head of singing world through halo of desire, though named self, chained by hungry will for love, swells wide in waves of light beyond cold flesh to become Gaia, reliving when goddess of earth gave birth to first mother of fruit, who taught him how to speak words that shine things, so he tries to speak, I am what I am, but voice of wind echoes in cave of skulls. "I am what I am, eternal sun soul transformed into flesh to dwell on this world, opening eyes that see myself in eyes of every living creature that breathes spirit of I am, sunlight evolving to human. We lived in trees after rising from lake, swinging in games of chase and tossing fruit, cuddling in starlight with lover embraced, and singing wordless spells of happiness, then down from trees we dropped to walk in wheat, clutching stick and stone to hunt milk rich cows, draping cloak of skin to hide our frail souls,


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and eating white mushrooms sprouting from dung of cows who blink large black eyes and give milk. Minds expanding in beams of conscious light, we breathed spirit of wind and spoke new words assigned as reference sounds to indicate objects, qualities, actions, and desires, then mothers taught language to growing children who reached out their hands to manipulate elements of water, fire, wind, and soil, and thus we built towers, and organized chaos of will harnessed by guiding reins in hands of honest woman and good man, and raised children to read thoughts we preserve encased in letters we write with hot blood so future born remember how we fight against ignorance and hate to succeed building empire of truth in human minds. I am what I am, human from wet soil transformed by light of reason into God." Snapping awake at noon on pyramid, Aristokles gazes around to see people waking from visions of one God, who rise in groups and descend steep stone stairs, so he follows to pool where he bathes clean, then asks directions to nearest school hall. Aristokles studies secret of stars, measurement of landscapes for building halls, and mixing chemicals distilled from stones in flaming furnace to mold metal shapes, acquiring knowledge from wizards and priests who received wisdom handed down from gods four thousand years written on leather scrolls he copies while sitting in hall of scribes, then bundles safe in pack to journey home. While attending classes in learning halls, Aristokles meets fellow country men from islands of Hellas, students of wisdom, and becomes friends with clever Ekhekrates of Phleious, small sheep town east of Korinthos, who invites him to School of Pythagoras


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in seaport Taras where Philolaos teaches principles of numbers and music scales, so they travel together on swift ship that glides with dolphins over gleaming waves. Landing safe at Metapontion dock, Aristokles bears bag of ancient scrolls and follows Ekhekrates to large wood hall where old bearded man sitting by fish pond exclaims delighted to see him again, and grasps hand of Platon with welcome smile. Philolaos, sitting on stone platform raised four feet high so every student may hear, lectures each morning by pond of large fish, both hands clutching brass scepter to support trembling frame seasoned by wisdom and time. "When I was young student of Pythagoras, learning tricks of numbers and music scales, our well-ordered school was attacked and burned by violent gang lead by jealous Kylon who was turned away for acting with greed, and we escaped to found this thriving school in Metabus where silver coins are forged. To preserve concepts Pythagoras taught, before he died hidden in crumbling temple safe from killers jealous of great respect honest people bestowed on humble sage, I wrote book On Nature of complex Kosmos describing how vibrant universe works. Physical nature in cosmic world order is composed together from elements that swirl earth, air, fire, water, space, and time unlimited in ceaseless flowing change, and limiting in strong structure of shapes, both spinning world order as complete whole where plants and animals in harmony interact through cycles of life and death. Empedokles described our world composed in balance of water, fire, earth, and air, pushing and pulling as opposite forces of hot and cold, rare and dense, wet and dry,


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then Anaximandros explained deep source of substance that shapes our universe flows unlimited in streams of molding light, while Parmenides explained pure shape of pattern that informs structure of things limited by measure of numbered angles. Yet I perceive substance in bounding shapes limited inside shell of being, enclosed force of life so each object exists here in space, and now at this moment in time, so you can describe basic qualities, size, shape, length, width, height in geometry measured by numbers that stop at some point, each thing defined by limiting constraints. Each object that exists stands out, enclosed to occupy space while it moves on track motivated by will to survive long as subject which affects other objects through force of its shape moving in desire to consume, copulate, or create crafts. Subjects are limited in scope of life, sprouting from eggs fertilized by small seeds to grow in progress into defined shape, ceases change at peak vibrance of its soul while enforcing changes through strength of will, sparked by vision of how things operate and how things could be improved by bold hands, then decays and deteriorates from best shape crumbling down in dissolution of death. Because we humans, small as crawling ants on vast sphere of mountains and seas and winds, see no farther than distant mountain ridge, we insist from perception of our eyes that world where we live never moves, while lights of heaven, sun, moon, planets, and stars, spin around disk of dirt and water that floats on seething flames, but how narrow our view. Consider shape of this world where we live, and notice how wagons rolling on plains away from where we stand will disappear


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beyond horizon edge, and same when ships bouncing on waves disappear beyond edge sinking downward section by section slow, as if they move down slope of curving surface, proof our world is perfect sphere that spins slow around central fire at heart of our Kosmos. Our planet breathes in cosmic flame of light from central fire that sustains gleaming stars and spinning planets that join our round world on ceaseless cycle around shining Monad, first principle of all things that exist. Central fire and conscious creative mind that sustains cycle of life is bright core around which Gaia, Sun, and planets spin, like worshippers gathered around warm hearth, though many people think this ball of dirt is center still point of our universe, because we cannot feel how our sphere spins. Our head is seat of conscious intellect, receiver of impressions from our senses, heart of psychic life and active sensation, navel of roots that spread throughout our flesh and spark genitals where we sow life seeds that generate new life in fertile wombs, for all things grow from seeds that sprout from minds. Since brain is base of sensation and thought, our soul glows in harmonious vibrations from its shining core, so our soul is yoked to this body of flesh, so when it dies and breaks down, ceasing to function in life, our soul darkens and is buried with corpse of bones and flesh in silent tomb of death. Unlimited spirit of consciousness surrounds our Kosmos with music of stars, like pillars and walls of our temple halls, world community guarded by kind Theos, world soul that generates all living souls, expressing feelings through musical scale of ascending sounds that ring in harmony. Theos God is like Zeus who guards hall


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where people gather to feast and sing tales, and central fire is hearth at temple heart, while creator who constructs forms we see is like Prometheus, man who explores physical nature to understand truth, so follow example of clever man who seeks knowledge in transformative flame." Aristokles gazes at silver clouds that shimmer bright over meadows and hills, contemplating shapes born from central fire, forms limited by measurement of numbers, and remembers vision of spinning world from height of pyramid when sparkling stars arched high overhead in bright diamond ring, circling with sink and rise of glowing sun. Regal man in long cloak and round gold ring around his head approaches thinking rock. "I am Dion from Syrakousai, port town and capitol on island of Sikelia, where tyrant Dionysios, bold husband of my honest sister, Aristomakhe, wields scepter of power in grand hall of Zeus. I enjoy learning true philosophy, studying methods of measurement for truth to find our correct way through labyrinth of false appearances and see real truth." Aristokles gestures toward city maze and ponders how men act in social groups. "Men who speak and perform based on illusions of sense perceptions, thinking things we see, like gold and gems, and control over lives of men forced to obey their will by whips, are more real than ideas about good for people involved in life of their state, cause destruction through violence of greed, wreaking havoc on lives of citizens who act loyal to broad communal needs and offer their small lives for greater good. Best man suited to rule cities of men, wielding scepter of law from policies,


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written in response to terrible crimes, that give power to enforce justice for actions that destroy, reward actions that create, and organize loyal men to police all interactions of business and pleasure, that man would require complete education learning philosophy to grasp contents of being, eternal and unchangeable. Though cities and men that clutter our world burst through stone walls in wild chaotic mess, and aggressive bullies crown themselves kings then lead gangs of men blinded by desire attacking other tribes to enslave people and abuse weak souls for personal gain, yet good men trained to comprehend real truth could rule perfect society through peace and kind but firm attention to support justice and health for faithful citizens who cooperate for greater tribal good. Each living king and city teeming full of busy people could realize ideal if men were led by philosopher king trained to perceive well true nature of being." Dion offers new friend ripe tangerine. "Your words impress me with your intellect, so I want to invite you as my guest at generous hearth, to attend judgment court of Dionysios ruler over Sikelia, where this mad Herakles, grasping at power, plays twisting games of vindictive attack, suspicious that every person plots coup to cast him off pedestal he usurped, and strikes with cruel heartless rage at suspects who challenge his claim to authority. Since he started working as supplies clerk, and rose to power through achievements in war, defending security of our island against brutal pirates from Karkhedon, he fears liberty and enlightenment for men wiser than he outwit his strategy.


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Your thoughts about good ruler of Elysion, you discussed, awakes hope that you could help guide Dionysios from hatred and fear by teaching him knowledge about our world and mold him to play philosopher king. His mind is smitten with love for my sister, Aristomakhe who cares for welfare of our people, so her opinions sway his thoughts she brightens with subtle debate to more noble behavior, thus his mind is moist from love compliant to be molded by your expert hands to transform his rule from vindictive hate to magnanimous love. I believe all people in Syrakousai should be free and governed by laws of justice, for free men treated fair will unite strong to defend their city from all attacks and work together to increase their wealth. Your words awake eager love in my mind for justice and equal rights for all men, so I resolve to live for future health and prosperity, thus I will refrain from drinking, feasting, and carousing long in wasteful pursuit for banquets and dances to fulfill blind rage for hunger and lust. Accompany me to town ruled by fierce man and help me teach him how wisdom of truth provides vision to see our complex world and derive solutions for tangled problems through rational discourse in honest court." Aristokles rides ship with Dion south to port dock near sun-glamored citadel where cheering crowd hails humble statesman home. Dion escorts master of wisdom proud in court hall where his sister on small throne sits beside Dionysios on huge throne draped in robes from skins of fierce jungle beasts. Dionysios raises scepter that shines bright diamond, casting beams of sunlight far. "Welcome, sage of Athenai, to my island.


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Join rich feast to taste sweet food and kiss girls, while explaining path to better increase of good in pleasure fulfilling desires. What opportunities we waited for, greater than those offered by Providence, to learn wisdom for living well and right attending your guidance to increase wealth. I attacked Karkhedon to stop attack and preserve valuable treasure of our land, then expanded sway of my scepter more over every ripe valley on Sikelia, enforcing my rule over countless souls who must obey commands of my desire, subduing rebels under yoke of my law. Through strength of will I protect island clans uniting towns to fight foreign invaders by harnessing their fierce rage in one team, like four horses are harnessed by firm reigns to pull chariot of power while I guard lands of beaches, hills, and valleys of Sikelia. What wisdom do you bring to teach my men to better manage farmers and craftsmen channeling their work for our common good?" Aristokles places gold grail on table of polished marble, and looks around hall filled with men grown fat feasting on rich fruits produced by callused hands of working men who sweat in hot sun, plunging hands in soil, then retire to humble stone huts for meals of ripe berries, herbs, worts, and fried flat bread. "To know yourself with piercing honest eye, acknowledging your weaknesses and strengths, is to know universal god within you, and to know human soul in every person, able to see this world through their strange eyes, able to feel joy and sorrow through hope that motivates their actions to live well, and eager to see others benefit from work of their hands when they create things and tend produce of food from fertile land.


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Our primal urge each day we gather food or labor to build good things people need motivates us to perform whatever acts increase wealth of rewards in our hands, taking what we can in return for work, careless of how other people may feel. People unrestrained seeking their own good will steal food and land from all weaker tribes, kill all who resist cruel unjust attacks, and enslave helpless to work for their gain. Acts of violent attack to kill and steal are vile feats of injustice against rights and liberty of honest working folk who all deserve protection not oppression. People form communal tribes for more strength, working together for secure protection, then choose leaders who make act-guiding laws to manage rules for behavior in game of interaction, and ensure success of equal proportion for fair rewards, or share covenants in mutual accord of willing cooperation to build and create, working together as friends, and prevent injustice from theft and lies and suffering that results from blinding greed. Laws command people to perform good deeds that ensure equal justice for all men. Each city men build for mutual protection begins process of social life on plain of equal balance among citizens, but one strongest man will emerge from crowd, ruler who asserts dominion of will, grasping scepter of rulership to manage duties of each man, assigning their fates to perform actions that support whole team, assisted by council who establish laws arching rules that govern game of success so actions of men are constrained to serve common good, while each person who works hard, contributing to wealth of all, receives


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reward equal to effort of his will. Justice becomes high advantage of strength from greater numbers of people involved, ensuring success of established rule, so strong rulers will decree business laws that nourish prosperous results for himself and faithful followers loyal to his power. Common men who grasp power in ruthless game for control over merchants and warriors are tyrants who base authority on strength of force to steal land, property, and gold of other men who created their wealth, actions though decreed by rulers in power men call unjust, condemning brute attacks. Yet men who reproach injustice of theft cry for justice and demand recompense not because they value justice as right but they fear punishment, for they would steal without hesitation if they knew actions grasping for advantage they could perform helps escape strike of law enforced by strength. Though everywhere strong tyrants use bold strength of obedient armies, who march united in mutual fight, to steal rich land and wealth, expecting profit through cheating for gain, yet tribes, united to fight and enslave other cities through injustice, will need to maintain justice of equal reward between members to ensure their empire remains united for mutual success. Can any city, army, band of thieves, or other tribe with common unjust purpose achieve justice if members are unjust? For injustice causes hatred and fear that explodes in civil war, and dissolves empire of purpose so they self-destruct, scattering suspicious members in dark fear. Justice fosters friendship in common purpose rooting faith and trust in loyal respect so social systems will blossom in wealth,


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but injustice will prevent any group from acting unified as team for long, for each person will fight for his own greed, thus selfishness destroys cities that wilt and decay in violent cruel retribution, while justice unifies people in strength of common good for every man will act to help fellow citizens increase wealth, giving support, and creating as team united in respect for equal rights, thus growing strong by generous contribution. People who behave guided by just laws, acting in selfless love for benefit of every person sharing social game, based on wisdom gained from experience of suffering, express clever thoughts of love to savor fruits of compassion and grow rich in success through sharing without greed. We see with our eyes, we hear with our ears, we craft with our hands, we taste with our tongues, we speak visions and eat food with our mouths, we ride horses to pull wagons of goods, we carve wood with knives, we prune vines with shears, and we sail waves with boats to distant shores, for each object we use performs its function better than any other good tool could, but deprived of virtue defining purpose aiding our work, nothing would function well. Justice is virtue of our soul, through strength of purpose guiding our actions to give and create, constructing for all to share, which good provides reward for living well in happiness and peace, blessed with real wealth of love from family, and respect from friends. People practice justice to maintain peace, for acting unjust may provide success for oneself and suffering for other people, but evil of suffering far exceeds good so ruler and people establish laws based on covenant of mutual respect


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to prevent injustice, suffering, and death. Justice prevails as intermediate force between state where men commit injustice but escape penalty through punishment, and state where victims suffer cruel injustice but lack strength to arrest them for revenge. Justice punishes men who steal and kill, and provides equal recompense for victims to grow recovering from pain of attack. Remember legend of Gyges, poor shepherd tending sheep of rich king ruling in Lydia, who found gold ring in cavern after earthquake that cast sheen shrouding his body from eyes so none could see his form, so he advanced into palace where he seduced sweet queen and murdered old king, then crowned himself king. Gyges used magic ring to kill and steal, grasping power and wealth for his private gain, for even most noble men are corrupted by greed and lust when opportunity to gain for himself on suffering of others presents option to take rather than give, but though strong to begin, his dynasty collapsed and his entire clan was destroyed. Always treat other people with respect as you want them to treat you in return, then do what you will for pleasure and gain if you never cause other people harm. Wise philosopher king, trained to observe and comprehend mysteries of our vast world, actions of enlightened and selfless will performs, guided by respect for all men, judges cases based on objective law rendering fair sentence to resolve disputes, and acts just to preserve game of success." Face burning purple from embarrassed rage at implied criticism of his actions attacking and enslaving tribes for land, and killing opponents to his regime, Dionysios shrieks and hurls cup of wine


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clattering against cold hearth, then orders guards to escort insolent prophet through threat of torture and death to sea dock at dawn where Aristokles is sold and enslaved. Cold winds blow bitter, ripping through his robe, but he smiles at weakness tyrant displayed, pleased at power of his words to expose lies, then sighs dismayed while he stands on cold stone on Aigina island, trembling in chains, as men of Karkhedon sell him for gold. Aristokles stumbles over sharp rocks, chained with hundreds of men under hot sun, as slavers snap whips tearing tender skin, amused that words he spoke about respect for laws supporting justice for all men resulted in brutal suffering and pain, dragged in chains far from homeland and good friends. Heat shimmers in waves over high stone walls of Kyrene, perched on rock-sharp plateau, and crowd of spectators in stadium ring roar for blood as prisoners are shoved from cage to fight warriors who wield sharp spears and knives. Aristokles grips shoulders of brown man with piercing eyes, draped in leopard skin cloak, and wrestles him down wriggling in hot dust, but lets him rise without breaking his neck helping Nubian stand tall with outstretched hand. "We must unite to give each other strength, for alone we die, but united fight to live and secure freedom from hard chains." Grasping hands, they acknowledge new friendship, then team to fight and wrestle lone attackers, offering them friendship in turn, so they form united gang of prisoners who band efforts to defend each other with ring of hands, stronger together than alone, swinging chains till they disarm gladiators, then stand together before cheering crowd. Familiar voice shouts over roar of voices, so Aristokles scans faces on stands


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till he sees face of clever Theodoros, gentle host who welcomed him long ago to quiet farm among hills of bird song, and taught him secrets of geometry. Theodoros hands bag of coins to guard who looks away while they slip fast through gate of iron bars during chaos confusion from wild riot, then drape their heads in cloaks, and together hurry through crowded streets escaping free to disappear in hills. Prisoners freed by united strength grasp hands of Aristokles, offering loyal faith in gratitude for leading them to freedom, but broad-shouldered Platon insists they go seek their own private paths on road of life, so at rich home of Theodoros they feast, then journey forth to seek fortune and fame. Theodoros escorts freed humble friend to clear sparkling Kyra, Spring of Apollon where Battos Aristaios founded grove to honor noble ancestor, god father of justice and reason, who guides their clan through sons who rule with firm moderate strength. Aristokles bathes in Spring of Apollon, dipping silver bowl in cool sparkling pool to pour refreshing water on his head, that washes dirt of oppression and fear to cleanse his soul and revive beaten mind with new-born strength that surges his blood hot. "Apollon, father of our fertile clans, master of music and teacher of wisdom, accept ripe gratitude, in offered fruit from tree of my hands and mind, for your help securing freedom of my body and soul from chains of iron and blind ignorance, by taking form of Theodoros, friend and teacher, whose love set me free to live. Guide my steps back home from wandering exile for long I searched dry deserts, river vales, and crowded towns, searching for deeper truth,


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learning mysteries of numbers that support structure of our universe, lush landscapes and ringing music, expressed measurement of finite forms that manifest in shapes from eternal ideas that define pattern of things we sense illuminated bright by dreaming eye of our Creator God. All my life I sat in reverent silence listening to Kratylos explaining thoughts about changing and changeless attributes, then Sokrates asking questions to find truth hidden behind assumptions of faith, and Arkhytas who taught geometry of numbers and music shaping our world, and many other teachers and wise men in every land, who search beyond illusions of what we see to comprehend real truth of what we dream and know right in our minds. Now my head brims with theories about facts, bubbling with concepts that brew in my head long years ripening from questions to truth, so my heart is eager to pour ripe wine of knowledge in open minds of young men who seek to understand secrets of numbers and calculations, and climb complex steps from dark vale of ignorance to plateau of wisdom, to guide eager minds with reason from superstition through doubt to bright shore where Tree of Truth blooms with nourishing fruit, and teach them to explore bountiful Gaia. I have learned much knowledge about our world, though much more truth remains for me to see, yet hope to teach young men and women truth, so they grow wise from life of mindless beast to walk straight and speak clear words seeking facts, urges me forward into dark unknown strengthened by faith that light of sun will shine revealing how I should pursue this goal." Theodoros places bag of gold coins in reluctant hands of his gentle friend.


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"Accept this gift of money from your friends, for once we learned you had been sold as slave, we gathered money to purchase your freedom, so take this offering from our generous hearts and purchase land to open your new school." Aristokles sails to Athenai home, leaning forward from bow of leaping ship like dolphin dancing on waves, hair in wind, heart thrilling with joy to see fertile hills of motherland emerging from bright sea where laughing friends welcome with open arms broad-minded poet and wise philosopher. Walking in Agora crowded with shoppers, Aristokles seeks garden of fruit trees to purchase, asking till he finds old brother of his grandfather, sun-wrinkled Athenos, who sells lush ancestral land to retire, so they ride wagon to quiet cool groves where river sparkles among olive trees. "Akademos, our ancestor, lived here, good priest of Athena Goddess of Wisdom, so my heart is pleased that you return home and plan to continue school of discussion begun by Sokrates, that crazy gadfly who spurred men to think beyond ancient doctrines. Accept this garden as gift from my heart, but afford me cottage where I may live last days of my life in calm peaceful rest." Aristokles invites friends to lush grove where they sit on benches among tall trees, surrounded by eager young men and women who arrive from distant towns around Hellas through rumor student of wise Sokrates is teaching knowledge he learned in old lands, geometry through measurement of land, astronomy in observation of stars, philosophy from exploration of life, and music with harmony of sweet sounds. Aristokles Platon, sage with broad mind, presides on marble seat by fruit tree grove


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in Garden of Akademos near stream of babbling waves where morning sunlight gleams, crownless king in Akademeia grove school, and relates conversation about good, between Sokrates and Athenokles, framed in metaphors of sunlight and cave of shadows, so eager students may learn to analyze aspects that consist things existing or persisting in two worlds, world of sense and world of intelligence. "My heart delights to talk with human souls for eager questions spark visions of thoughts inspiring me to see mysteries of life and explain in normal progress of logic confusing concepts revealed with clear words. Listening to Athenokles, my dear brother whose owl eyes guide my thoughts above this world to see ordered Kosmos with open eyes, inspired my tongue to heights of eloquence, so I articulate with light of reason thoughts that lurked in mist of honest desire to apprehend Ideas that shape real world. Through dialog between wise Sokrates and my brother owl-eyed Athenokles, who conversed years ago when I was young, I will relate youthful experience when we attended initiation rites of Eleusinia Mysteria, rebirth to transcendent wisdom after sad death, following Demeter through underworld to rescue Persephone from dark cave, where our eyes were opened in lightless gloom to perceive higher world of perfect forms when vision of light flashed before our eyes. Light of truth, that illustrates foggy way through maze of illusions, beams from my words so I can lead you all to paradise of wisdom, where we feast on fruit of love revealing essence of beauty and good. Athenokles asked our wise gentle teacher,


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Sokrates, to explain meaning of good, while we sat together in gloomy cave, attending visions from Persephone who taught us dream of sun and shadow cave, so Sokrates asked questions to find truth. Opinions divided from knowledge lack graceful beauty that attracts noble minds, rather blinding even best men to truth, since fools who hold opinion that is true are same as blind men who follow right way. Wise men who question to understand truth avoid things that are ugly, blind, and crooked, preferring discussions with other men who share thoughts about their investigations to contemplate things luminous and fair. Approaching goal to uncover real truth, I will never hesitate to explain nature of justice treating every man as equal with reward and punishment in opportunities to build and grow by avoiding wine that clouds open eyes and thus maintain sober intelligence, advancing up steep slope of virtues bold to build defensive wall of alert sight and preserve health of our bodies till death. I fear my mental power to explain good may fail when I leap over binding wall of truth that endures crushing wheel of time, and people laugh at my clumsy attempt, so rather than explain deep vine of good I would discuss ripe grapes that spring from good, providing nourishment to eager minds who thirst for knowledge of our universe, and what behavior may result in health and success, avoiding death till right time. Tending vines of truth with water-fresh words, I seek abundant growth of virtuous good in ripe grapes that result from quest for truth, so I may give you all fresh fruits of wisdom that you receive interest compound in wealth


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from seeds of hope I sow in fertile ears, but stay alert to progress of wise thoughts so you are not deceived by leaping logic. We describe state of many things to be beautiful to see and good to relate, and urge action to create not destroy, defining them with value through skilled speech. We speak of things with inner beauty blessed and good that fills subjects with natural force, so we position many similar things in one class that describes construct and function with single name, gathering all things that match, then merge them all to describe single type in aspect of one image, and combine features they all share that designs Idea, assuming unity of cognate things and label them with true eternal name. Assembled in one class these many things we say can be seen with eyes but not thought, while ideas can be thought but not seen. Through sight of these two globes inside our heads we see visible things that furnish space of mountains and valleys and river plains. Through hearing of shell-shaped ears on our heads we hear noises of water waves and wind and clear voices of animals and humans. Through taste of moist tongue we delight in food, knowing what matter will nourish our flesh by delicious taste of good, and what food will destroy us by foul disgusting taste. Through smell of beaked nose we inhale all scents of flowers, fruit, lakes, and food women cook. Through touch of fingers we caress and grasp, by seeking pleasure and avoiding pain to stimulate with passion or cure wounds. We perceive this world through senses of flesh and generate thoughts about solid things through clear images preserved in our minds that record memories in patterns of pictures. Highest over all other senses, lord,


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is vision that allows our minds to see shapes and colors defined by spoken words. How great in value from expense of wealth creator of senses lavished on process of ability to see and be seen, bestowing rich respect on watching eyes. Hearing and voice need no other medium for people to hear and be heard in speech, for neither requires some third element that absent will leave people mute and dumb, unless unseen vibrations convey sounds. Observation shows that vision of eyes and visible things need third element to transmit image from object to mind. Though vision operates machine of eyes and possessor endeavors to perceive, and though color tinctures objects and souls, yet without third element as medium adapted by nature for visual purpose, vision sees no colors or shapes in darkness. Beams of light flowing down from sphere of fire reflect shape and color of solid things, bestowing substance in light-shrouded forms. Light is third element and medium that helps our eyes to perceive complex world. Bond that yokes visibility and vision is far more precious and important force than media that unite senses and sensed, like hearing and heard, taste and tasted, smell and smelled, touch and touched, for sight is best sense that employs light to exercise its power. What bright divine power of heaven is author and cause of light that enables our vision to see things and inherent qualities that fulfill design features of first types, but huge sun that illuminates our world, so when our eyes perceive specific thing our minds analyze nature of its being to label it with name we all agree defines that class containing many types.


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Yet neither act of vision nor its wagon, this rolling optic wheel we call our eye that bears beams of light to our dreaming mind, are same objects equal to shining sun, for though that huge blazing ball of hot fire resembles this eye encased in our heads, that great eye beams light while this eye receives. Though our eye, of all instruments of sense, is most like bright sun that enables sight, fooling our fathers to think sphere of fire has observant conscience like our own minds, so they endowed sun with character style of mortal man who established empire of power, preserved in our tales about Zeus. How miraculous this instrument of sense, little globe swiveling in mask of our face, which possesses power to receive influx of shimmering light that pours from beaming sun, like silver grails that water pitchers fill. Great sun dispenses light on flowing rays while small eyes receive waterfall of light in pools of vision, helping us perceive substance in furniture of cosmic world. While truth reveals sun itself is not vision, yet sunlight causes vision in our eyes. Now follow trail of my logic to see and understand bright meaning of my words that rich offspring of good which good begot stand in proportion to reflect result, like good shines on vale of intelligence illuminating truth with light of reason, so sun shines on world of sensible things revealing substance of existing shapes. When we walk in realm of objects we sense our eyes perceive colors and shapes of things through medium of light, in clear beaming rays, that emanates from bright luminous Sun. When we think in realm of concepts we dream, our mind perceives reasons and right of truth through medium of Ideas, in pattern shapes,


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that emanates from gentle loving Good. Sun is source of light and organic life in our cluttered world of physical shapes, so Good is source of bright intelligence and perception of knowledge for our minds in dreaming world of ideas and thoughts. Remember in awareness of night dreams, when your eyes gaze at things no longer lit in gleaming day, or colored by bright sun, shaping edge of things are blunted and smeared by dim night luminaries, moon and stars, and we seem almost blind, squinting our eyes to better see shapes we expect to see, as if grail of eyes were empty of vision. But when we direct keen gaze of our eyes toward objects and creatures of ordered world that glow with colors defining shape edge in shining beams of rays from blazing sun, our eyes obtain vision with sharp detail. Apply this comparison in same way to our souls, when we fix gaze of our minds firm on domain where reality and truth shine resplendent from attention of light, our minds apprehend knowledge and see facts and appear to possess reason that guides action and speech to create good with love. But when our minds incline to region dimmed in darkness of fear, where creatures of flesh grope for sweet pleasure with grasping desire in world of becoming and passing away, our minds clutch blind at simple explanations, and opine dogmas about how things work that followers of sages teach as firm truth and threaten violent attack to harm those who refuse to believe and obey laws, for edge of wisdom is blunted by fear, and such minds shift opinion back and forth, lacking rudder of reason to guide boat of mind straight on river of rational light, so action and speech destroy good with hate.


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While bright sun beams solid things visible, it also sparks generation and growth, nurturing health and life of organic souls, but sun itself is not force of generation. Reflecting this process like sun on water pure good reveals formal objects of knowledge to discerning minds, so vital existence derives essence from vibrant force of good though good is not essence that emanates from things, but transcends essence in bright power. Conceive these two entities, good and sun, one ruling order and region of thought where intelligible concepts persist, and other ruling world of our eye ball, that reflects power of that glowing sky ball. Apprehend two types of worlds we perceive, intelligible of mind revealed by good, and visible of eyes revealed by sun. Represent two worlds divided by line in two unequal sections, marked by light, when rising sun slides rays over hill edge gliding over plain to beam edge of dawn, and cut each section again in same ratio from visible and intelligible orders, then compare expression of balanced ratio between their clarity and obscurity to perceive sections of visible world as images of forms, patterns of things in shadows cast by light of good and sun, reflections on water that project shapes of things with surfaces illuminated to promulgate texture dense, smooth, and bright, so all examples of one kind alike appear variants of universal type thus we apprehend its eternal form by noting aspects they in common share. First section is intelligible things formed from normal patterns we apprehend in dreaming thoughts revealed by light of good. Second section is visible things we see


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shaped by surface and limited in space reflecting light of sun our eyes perceive, solid image of concepts our minds dream, animals, plants, and objects made by man. Division of reality and truth opposing illusion, falsehood, and lies, expresses proportion of contrast clear between thoughts based on opinion of hope and knowledge of observation and sight, and between image reflected from one thing, and thing that beams image to sensing minds. Intelligent soul of our sensing minds drives compelled to investigate distinction between objects reflecting light we see and image of objects that form idea, so thinking process from assumption starts and proceeds to conclusion of opinion, yet rather we should transcend our assumptions and start at beginning on principle of true concept based on changeless idea then progress straight to develop system of knowledge, not on illusions, but facts. Students of geometry and reckoning first postulate odd and even for numbers in points, lines, planes, and shapes that form figures from three kinds of angles for polygons, then starting with fundamental principles they regard as right absolute assumptions known by all who participate in science, but never deign to delve deeper in truths, or render further account in detail, taking it for granted long-founded facts are obvious to every discerning mind, then pursue inquiry from basic point in consistent steps of logical thought to conclude facts they should investigate. They will draw and discuss visible forms, thinking about things rather than images, inquiring about diagonal and square, but things they mold and draw are mere shadows


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and reflections of things on water beamed, but shapes they draw are more than images of solid objects, for they reveal forms of existing things that persist in thought, so we should seek insight to apprehend real truths of things seen only in our minds. We need to extricate our minds from mire of solid objects that reflect sunlight, and rise above assumptions based on words, though our souls, bound by eye sight, are compelled to employ assumptions of defined words, so minds eager to investigate truth proceed from first principles of ideas to look beyond images of sensed objects and see universal class that defines timeless form so we understand its essence. Using power of dialog we conduct discourse through question and answer to seek truth behind concepts embedded in words to treat assumptions not as point to start, rather posit hypothesis to suppose solid stepping stone that guides our progress to stand on firm springboard of principle and leap forward beyond pale of our knowledge, explore new thoughts based on pattern ideas, then dive into conclusion of deep truth where we may swim in pool of pure ideas and stand on solid shore of sunlit truth. We must distinguish between solid things outside our bodies that we comprehend through sense perception to create ideas from images our intellect perceives, and those concepts of thought clear in our minds, like special tree that grows by river stream and image of tree that shines in our minds, our mind imagines from experience. We will understand clear concept of tree through power of dialog to discuss tree as perfect idea that persists more true than object that grows and decays in change,


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measured by right tools of science and art, by leaving assumptions as starting points to contemplate nature with mind not senses, so our vision of this world grows complete from opinion to reason over bridge of understanding straight to comprehension. Four affections occur in learning souls, reason to understand cause and effect, understanding why and how things occur, belief about what thoughts are true and false, and conjecture on what is good and bad, thinking ideas, concepts, rules, and pictures by arranging growth process in proportion so our minds use ideas as building tools. Compare nature of our ability to perceive reality through respect to how we educate young minds to learn. Picture men dwelling in long narrow cave, entire length open to glow of sunlight, since childhood, arms and necks fettered by chains, so they sit bound to same spot all their lives, looking ever forward, not side or back, prevented from turning their heads to see. Picture fire behind them beaming bright light, and between fire, and men chained by assumptions, arches bridge road lined by low waist-high wall, like puppet masters place partition walls to hide themselves so only puppets show. Picture men walking on bridge behind wall, bearing implements and tools of all kinds, and leading animals that pull wagon loads heaped high with wood, stone, and baskets of food, while some are talking and others are silent. Suppose these men bound by fetters of words never saw anything we know exists except themselves and shadows cast by fire on cave wall that glows before their eyes, since they could never move their heads to see beyond shadows, strange shapes that make no sense. If they could talk and discuss what they see,


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they would think names for shadows they invent would also name real objects shades reflect. If their cave echoed from opposite wall when person passing by uttered clear sound, they would think shadows could speak voices heard. Such men bound in cave of shadows would deem real world nothing more than dim shadows they could see, unaware shadows are caused by things more real than they can comprehend. Consider now manner of quick release and healing from bonds which fettered their souls, that would reveal folly of shadow view, if in course of nature one man was freed from fetters, and compelled to stand and turn his head around and walk down tunnel cave and lift his eyes up to gleaming of light, but pain of glittering light would dazzle blind his eyes so he could not discern clear shapes of things that cast shadows he thought were real. How would he object by belligerent answer if someone told him what he saw before was grand illusion that cheated his sense, but that now he faces real world of forms, that passing people with things he perceives cast those shadows, that objects he sees now are more real than shadows on cavern wall. If he were compelled to look straight at light, at blazing sun that illuminates world far brighter than he ever saw in dim cave, would not light pierce his eyes with dazzling pain, and would he then not turn away and flee back to moving shadows he could discern, and regard their shapes and actions more clear and real that solid objects he was told cast those shadows, believing illusion more real than real things he thinks are illusion. If someone were to drag him back by force from cave of gloom up rough and steep ascent, and not release his arm from grip until shadow-blinded man was drawn into light


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of blazing sun, he would chafe haled at pain of glaring light rays that would pierce his eyes, blinding him so he could not even see things we call real, unable to discern clear shapes and movements of sensible things. His eyes, long adjusted to atmosphere of dim gloom, perceiving by feeble rays of light, would need time to adjust to glare, constricting circle of sight to constrain amount of rays that beam into eyeball. At first he could discern shadows of things, and images of men and other things reflected in water, while shading eyes with trembling hand to block out rays of light, yet shapes and colors of things would emerge from blinding glare, reflecting back more clear men and animals and plants and landscape, and from this cluttered world of solid things he would lift up his eyes to contemplate appearance of heaven, planets and stars, brilliant glowing sun, and shape-shifting moon. He would see things more clear in soft moonlight, more equal condition to gloomy glow in cave of shadows, subtle to his eyes, than radiant light from dazzling sun by day. Then after his eyes adjust to sunlight he could look straight at globe of glowing flame and see its true nature as burning sphere, like round iron stove stoked with writhing fire, not by reflection in water, or image painted on wood, or phantasm of ghost reflected from round brass shield of gate guards, comprehend sun and things in their own place to better relate process he perceives. Then shadow-blinded cave man would infer that sun manages heat and cold of seasons, cycling process of life and death in spin of changing years, and conclude radiant sun beams brightening light that causes eyes to see shapes and processes in visible region,


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and construe at last how sun causes flux of surging life to nourish fertile world. Recalling first habitation in dark cave, weird wisdom they devised to surmise truth, and people still fettered by ignorance, he would proclaim his happiness to find truth substantial supporting complex world in new wisdom based on discovering good, and pity men still bound in blinding gloom. Then if enlightened man went down again, returning to ignorance he escaped, his eyes would blink, blinded in lightless gloom, descending from sunlight in sudden plunge. Then standing before companions still bound by fetters of fear, required to contend with belief-blinded prisoners in cave of shadows, before his enlightened eyes could see shapes again, how shadows are false, illusions cast by light beaming past things, his words would provoke wild mocking laughter, harsh shouts that his eyes were ruined by light, that ascent from comforting cave was vain, until ignorant slaves of darkness would grab teacher of lies who tried to teach them truth and lead them from darkness, and bind his hands and kill him for blasphemy against faith that reflected shadows comprise real world. Extend this weird experience of blind man emerging from gloom to become enlightened for people emerging from superstition about supernatural gods that control programs of nature in spiteful revenge to learn how our universe operates when they apprehend universal forms. Region revealed by sunlight through eye sight consider same as prison of that cave, and sunlight illuminating sensed objects same as fire casting shadows of real things on wall of our minds, where we perceive shapes. Ascent from dim cavern of illusions


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and contemplation of higher concepts is same as ascension of growing soul to transcendent region of ideal thoughts where intelligence perceives perfect forms that provide patterns for existing things. When we walk this Kosmos cluttered with things, ordered by creator in natural woods and organized by men in civil towns, most elusive from eye and hand of man flies idea of good, yet when questing mind discovers good permeates our universe, in sparkling water, in refreshing air, in nurturing fruit, in helpful animals, through honest reason we conclude that good causes all that is beautiful and right, giving birth in visible world to light, and author of light in world of ideas springs authentic source of reason and truth which guides wise actions in private or public of every man who envisions this truth. When you feel urge to rise above your station, and seek deeper truths of our universe, follow yearning to quest beyond stone walls of knowledge, to leave dark cavern of fear, and climb high mountain of transcendent truth to gain wider view of our Kosmos home. Once you attain knowledge of higher truths, how strange if you return from mountain top of divine contemplations in pure light to slog muddy road of petty concerns where men burdened by weight of miseries stumble blind and grope for paradise lost in divine comedy of tragic love. How humorous if, still blinking through gloom, and before clear eyes adjust to dark sorrows, seeker for wisdom is compelled by threat of punishment to attend in courtrooms or markets to contend through arguments about shadows of justice, or images that cast shadows deceiving open eyes,


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and wrangle in debate about firm notions of justice with men who never see justice. Sensible man would remember our eyes are blinded by shift of darkness to light and light to darkness in progress for truth, and our souls will encounter same ordeal shifting from mundane affairs of plain life to celestial musing on higher truths, when he encounters souls perturbed and blind, unable to discern transcendent concepts, and would not snicker in mocking contempt, but observe current progress of their quest, whether vision is obscured in descent from brighter life of studious contemplation or dazzled in ascent from deeper dark of ignorance into luminous world growing to transcend animal desires by seeking to perform constructive deeds, thus feel compassion to aid their quest right. Power of our souls to apprehend deep truth beams luminous from instrument of sight, so we must rotate this organ of knowledge, converting desire from darkness to light, away from world of becoming and dying, shifting entire soul on wheels of thought, like scene-shifting triangle stage on wheels turns to reveal new scene in theater show, until frail soul is able to endure contemplation of essence that supports brightest valley of fresh fruit where we dwell after journey from cave to paradise. I descended into cavern of shadows naive youth eager to learn ancient truth how Demeter saved sweet Persephone, myself playing role of innocent soul, and when I ascended into bright light and blinked, blinded by glaring rays, I saw vision where Sokrates explained to me how sun reveals substance of transient world while good reveals persistence of true world.


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My eyes glow with light of eternal truth." Aristokles gathers students in grove and begins teaching young minds philosophy, but youth who fail to understand concepts of math or geometry he assigns to class of Aristoteles so they start learning base principles of measurement before advancing up to higher grades where clever students learn more complex theories and art of reasoning through logic games. Aristoteles asks before assembled crowd which is more important for men to learn, abstract arithmetic or solid geometry, so Aristokles explains while he draws diagrams in dust to illustrate thoughts. "How like Lykourgos, law-giver of Sparta, who obeyed Oracle of Apollon at Delphoi to found society based on martial action, did Sokrates teach reason to know truth by dismissing illusions from our senses, for Lykourgos banished study of math from Sparta since its popular effect provides common people arrogant pride and supports democracy against culture of cities and farms managed by oligarchs. Instead he introduced geometry that better supports sober oligarchy and applies constitutional monarchy to preserve social order of authority where wise landowners manage state affairs. Arithmetic, by its clear strict employment of number, distributes value of things in equal measure regardless of class, while geometry by its broad employment of proportion distributes value of things in various measure based on merit right. Theos who created our universe protects ideas and maintains natural order in distribution of things based on merit, defining value through geometry


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in accordance with proportion and law. Men who craft things using hands without thought are mindless fools who can best serve as slaves, for slaves are machines who produce our wealth, but man who uses instruments of thought to apprehend perfect forms inside things reigns superior as master of science." Aristokles Platon requests artisan to carve phrase on stone arch over entrance that says, let no man enter Akademeia who remains ignorant of geometry, for knowledge about how our world is shaped provides perception for men to act right. Aristoteles approaches wise teacher bearing scroll he found in library hall torn, and titled Atoms of Demokritos, clever sage who taught in fertile Abdera, asking his clear opinion about contents. "Verses in this book delineate concept of minute unseen particles that swirl and form our universe in random clash but not controlled or organized by agent of intelligent thought, collecting clusters of atoms that form creatures in strange shapes who fail to survive hazard of existence, while other creatures breed fertile descendants, so animals and men exist by chance. You teach first intelligent mind of will created worlds of ideas and forms and manages process of life and death, but Demokritos declares universe is formed from minute unseen particles assembling without purpose in random swirls." Platon, broad-minded philosopher, sighs and shakes his head, then turns to boys in class. "I would like to burn his deceptive books for he denies eternal willing Mind created ideas through patterns and matter to shape structure of this world where we live. This concept of atoms is childish play


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for we learn by observing solid things we can see, but atoms cannot be seen, therefore they cannot exist, so his book should be burned to rid world of clever lies. We seek knowledge about this complex world by observing things, and recording facts we see with these small instruments of sight, to study shapes and qualities of things that exist standing out in space and time. Crafting Mind who created our Kosmos, ordering each plant and animal on slopes of mountains, and shores of rivers and lakes, designed pattern that structures each real object, eternal form persistent in pure Mind, that appears from seed or egg to grow shape of each thing we perceive in matter shell. Each horse or tree we perceive with our eyes we define in class of objects with style that makes it unique in special details, different in scale, color, or shape, but same in basic structure of pattern from type. When we see some creature with knowing eyes, we recognize pattern defining style, so we declare name we assigned its shape, never confusing concepts horse for cat, for though they share some things in common shape, eyes, fur, four legs, tail, pointed ears, long face, yet they differ enough to warrant names unique to species that Creator formed in universal form our minds recognize. All existing horses are based on form of eternal idea, Horseness, shaped from standard math-based set of defined aspects, that must exist inside real enclosed shape and follow process of birth, growth, and death. If all horses that exist somewhere now vanish from time and space, and cease existence, eternal form of Horseness still persists in Mind of Creator who makes all things, so real horses could be fashioned again.


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This word horse, we speak loud as puff of air, is oral sound that signifies real horse, and statue sculptor carves of running horse, forming elegant shape that seems to rear or run as if alive, shaking long mane, reveals idea of horse in deathless stone, and smudges of paint on panel of wood arranged by thick bush to resemble horse, is shadow reflecting real breathing horse, but none of these things are real horse itself, for they are mere signs that point to real shape rather than live flesh and blood horse itself. Our universe is based on measured shapes that form patterns through ideas of things, that define structures of existing things, that cast shadows of things through images. Four levels expand our reality from shadows that reflect pictures of things through real things that stand out in space and time past forms that define patterns structuring things, to geometric shapes measured by numbers. We cannot state right that Theos exists, for existing things stand out in clear shapes born from seed or egg to grow, change, and die, and flow to come and go in stream of time, while force of animating life from Theos subsists to stand under existing things, while eternal ideas that provide patterns persist to stand for all existing things, therefore matter is substance of all things, and ideas are persistence of thoughts. Things that exist, bound by process of matter in cycle of birth and death, are transient, appearing and dissolving as world turns, but ideas of things, patterns we perceive in thought, though real object exists or not, persist far more real in eternal world. Thus Zeus is idea for leader of men, Olympos is idea for perfect polis, Herakles is idea for noble guardian,


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and Apollon is idea for right prophet, while each Theos is idea for The Thing, deathless symbols of live transforming things. Our goal as observing philosophers we vow to order language of clear thought and classify every existing object, action, quality, and concept, in types to manage encyclopedia of ideas. We will walk circles on feet to enclose whole empire of knowledge while we explore beyond walls of town that nurtured our souls so we may return to our thriving clans bearing books that record mysteries and facts and teach new generation of young minds to explore, research, and express science." Aristokles watches sun glitter gold over far hills, and feels stars gleaming white fill his eyes with peaceful joy and delight, rich reward from quest for knowledge and truth that brought him on long winding road of life to peaceful garden in Akademeia walls. Aristokles attends wedding by lake where girls in white gowns glide in graceful dance like swans glide on clear waveless shining lake, and eats nothing more than melons and grapes. Crowd of children gather around his feet leaping and laughing with young energy, and ancient man sits solid as cliff rock while ocean waves swirl around his foundation. "I was born on seventh day of Thargelion, same day Delians claim Apollon was born, descended from Solon, lawmaker poet, who traced bloodline to Neleus and Poseidon. Solid and ancient as this teeming world, I feel light and frail as wind from high mountains, since I walked this world almost eighty years. Light of my spirit fades like evening star. Diasukis, gentle red-haired girl from Thrake, play sweet flute tunes while I lie down to rest." Aristokles stretches on soft thick grass


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in twilight as stars gleam in purple sky, and closes his eyes while young girl plays flute, enchanting tune that carries him on waves of shimmering light in starless void of death.


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Causes Of Aristoteles Categories and Motions Each morning as rose-fingers of Eos paint soft golden glow on buildings and people, Aristoteles walks in cool morning light in peripatetic colonnade past baths in grand Temple of Apollon Lykeos where boys train bodies and minds in Lykeion, howling like wolves, then following footsteps of wise philosopher, and listen close to principles of logic through deduction so they know how to reason arguments and discover truth, then analyze aspects of events to consider ethics of actions. Students from distant cities follow sage, Aristoxenos who teaches music harmony, Dikaiarkhos who writes rich Life of Hellas and first uses geographic coordinates, Demetrios Phalereus who establishes comprehensive Library of Alexandria, Eudemos Rhodios historian of science who founds science school on sweet Rhodos Isle, Nikomakhos, his son, who compiles notes of his lectures on ethics in long books, and divine-voiced Tyrtamos Theophrastos who inherits position of Skholarkh. "When I began to investigate nature I saw this world as teeming mass of substance formed from four elements mingled to balance force of desire encased in changing forms, then close examination with open eyes revealed scale of being, simple to complex, that all functioning creatures ascend high, subconscious to ration of consciousness, climbing ladder of perception toward light as more complex bodies develop skills based on wisdom to perform actions of will. Look with your open eyes, and you will find universal forms defining all objects


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in structures that shape particular things, arranged by degree through potential purpose that motivates progress since spark of birth, from minerals, plants, animals, up to humans, and place each object and creature in grade of category that defines intent and shape. Lowest animals bear children in eggs, while highest humans bear children alive from warm womb and teach them how to perform standard actions to sustain civil life, encasing concepts in memes we transfer each generation, so our children take seed of thoughts to plant in rich soil of their minds and grow new trees of wisdom thick with fruit of truth that nourishes curious minds. Force of life, each living creature contains, breathing spirit of wind that animates thick corpse to pursue potential desire, defines level of conscious self-awareness as we ascend pneumatic scale of hope pushed by passion to become our best selves. Minerals possess sleeping soul of rest, plants possess reproductive soul of growth, animals possess sensitive soul of movement, and humans possess rational soul of thought, thus each grade of organism expands attributes toward energy and perception attaining higher level of expression, as if we strive to become higher creatures. Wild animal nature of anger rules minds of men raised strong in primitive tribes, so we gather boys from beaches and farms in marble hall to teach them self-control, so they understand raw animal nature of their bodies, and exercise discipline to reign muscle strength with mental wisdom, and transform actions from hunting and war to craft and investigation of our world so they can create instead of destroy. Organisms formed from four elements,


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balanced mix of fire, water, earth, and air, provide vibrant substance composing shape of minerals, plants, animals, and man, while all objects that exist in this world are moved by original unmoved mover, prime effector who activates creation and molds existence from substance of love. I organize living creatures in rooms, categories that illustrate their forms, so our minds may perceive through dreaming eyes state of matter that composes each thing. Substance is essence that defines each thing, being real and solid our senses perceive, then primary substance is each real thing such as this man, this horse, or this fruit tree, while secondary substance is whole species, such as Man, Horse, Tree, universal form that joins all individuals in one group which share general attributes of their class. Quantity is amount each thing extends, whether discrete units of measurement marked by round cycles of recurring time, such as foot, cubit, mile, hour, day, or year, or continuous length that occupies space informed by sizes and containing shapes, such as cube, sphere, triangle, fat, or tall. Quality is description of each kind, details of color, shape, temperature, substance, that define shared attributes of whole species or details of each individual creature, such as mammals bear live young and feed milk, horses run swift on four legs as men ride, and prancing horse that Alexandros rides is named Boukephalos, has dark black coat, and sports blazing white star on noble face. Relation is approach toward something else, defining things relative to other things, such as husband to wife, master to worker, teacher to knowledge, cavalier to horse, river to valley, mountain to sea, sun


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to earth, mother to child, builder to home, general to warrior, or half to whole, and other relationships between things that describe geographic distribution. Place is where something exists in ruled space, fixed in permanent form, such as features across landscapes, high mountains and deep valleys, streams, lakes, and seas, or plants rooted in soil, and creatures who move through water and air, and progress over land in daily routine performing duties that sustain their lives, such as in home, market, meadow, lake shore, sea beach, mountain cave, wheat field, or temple, places we attend for food or discussion. Time is when something occurs in events, potential process of living and death, such as yesterday, today, and tomorrow, since organisms are born from their parents, progress through transformations of each age, produce more offspring with their loving mates, perform duties that create or destroy, then decay and crumble apart from death. Position is posture of living bodies bearing attitude through surrounding world, such as standing, sitting, kneeling, or lying, while working, talking, eating, making love, in many ways we interact with towns, valleys, meadows, rivers, mountains, or trees, weaving our souls in fabric of this Kosmos through urgent motions of our will through space. State is condition of having or being, hands holding tools we use to create things, implements to farm fields and herd animals, or weapons to fight and defend our homes, and bodies wearing clothes that present class for membership and duties we perform, shod with boots or sandals, armed in breastplate, crowned with laurel, cloaked in councilor robes, so many things our hands manipulate. Action is power of performing exploits,


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attaining achievement through operation, such as clashing flint stones to spark warm flames, hunting, lancing, and roasting animals, sowing seeds, pulling weeds, harvesting crops, gathering eggs, cooking stew, brewing juice, taming horses, baking bricks, building temples, cutting trees, carving stones, burning old shacks, sawing wood, constructing wagons or ships, fighting invaders, worshipping dead gods, dancing, singing hymns, observing our world, and writing words on paper to express visions about truth in preserving words. Affection is state of receiving action, lovers feeling passion of pleasure shared, children being conceived through spark of desire, flesh suffering pain from being cut or burned, water being heated by flickering flames, bodies being cooled by blustering wind, seeds being nourished by sunlight and rain, mountains heaped high by surging Vulcan lava, mountains worn to sand by relentless rain, slaves forced to labor hard against their will, horses harnessed to pull wagons on wheels, and students listening to words of wise teachers. Each existing thing we categorize defined by ten states that describe their being, details we use to assign things in classes to express universal forms Platon taught. Six distinct types of movement I define that display pageant of physical change and produce transfigurations of substance in relation to past versions of ourselves through shifting nature of shape, time, and space. Motivated by urge of our desires, we revise position in space through time and grow each day in mutation of purpose, ever moving from moment of perfection toward goal that guides our actions of adaption, pausing at pinnacle of rest, to plunge swimming through waves of restless fluctuations,


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aching toward potential of greatest goal to live another day beyond mute death and of sublime beauty taste vibrant fruit. Generation defines first spark of life when spirits of man and woman combine to create reincarnation of soul in flesh so father sires new life mother gestates, and stamp features of their substantial shapes on face of organic creature, reborn from sensuous desire of sweet urgent dreams, which reproduces conscious life from life. Destruction defines final snuff of life when body of organic creature breaks and bright spirit of consciousness dissolves, spilling lost like wine from shattered clay jar, so clear conscious sense of self dissipates and mind perceives nothing in silent gloom, and broken body crumbles back to soil leaving nothing but ghost of memory. Increase defines expansion through each stage of growth, from child or shoot or cub, in steps of transformation, maturing through forms of potential achievement, as we climb mountain of life in progress of mutation to become adults, Telean goal of life, following purpose for which we are designed by First Mover who crafted living forms. Decrease defines diminution of form, abatement of energy as we grow old, depletion of substance from highest strength as river soaks into soil after flood, or rich food is consumed by hungry mouths, or wood is carved to construct cart and wheel, or mountain is worn away by hard rain, or wind ceases puffing sails of sea ships, when shapes shrink as pulsing matter declines. Alteration defines changing of shape in transfiguration through various forms, growing mature from younger stage of life, child becoming man, seed sprouting in plant,


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ice melting to water that steams to mist, wood converted to wheel, cart, home, or boat, stone melted to metal for pot or sword, plant fibers woven into cloth we wear, clouds falling in rain that soak into soil, when matter mutates into other things. Relocation defines each change of place, migration across space through span of time, herds of sheep or cows grazing over meadows, tribes of people founding new colonies, clouds scuttling high over mountains and lakes, leaves swirling in wind, rain falling on soil, waves rolling on surface of shimmering sea, when anything moves through expanse of space. Rest is contrary of motion, but forms of motion share their own contrast of actions, thus destruction contrasts with generation, and diminution contrasts with increase, while resting in place in period of time contrasts with incremental change of place, fast or slow, or reverse of straight direction, up or down, right or left, and back or forth, when mobile creatures search for food or fun. Know forward motion of objects is caused by initial impetus through strong thrust, then continuous movement is perpetuated by thick air rushing in to fill vacuum exposed when objects move through waves of air, which pushes objects forward based on mass for nature abhors empty vacuum space. I predict two effects of motion vented, first that speed at which solid objects fall is equal in proportion to their mass, proved when stone and feather fall different speeds when dropped at same moment from equal height, and second that in absence of influence from dense external force, all solid objects propelled in motion will retard to rest, impeded by restraint of atmosphere. When objects are moved by external force,


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wind will rush in to fill vacuum of void, pushing object farther in wide expanse thus causing straight movement through empty space. Question assumptions encased in our words and reinvent language to explain how complex process of life unfolds in blossoms, explaining objects, qualities, and actions in simple terms so we can visualize with vision more clear facts that operate life. People deceived by legends of dead gods act contrary to natural truth when belief presents false rules, that misguide from intention of illusion, and actions could destroy and kill, rather than create and sustain. I begin with you, students of my thoughts, teaching you principles at core of life and methods to express logical truth, and each new generation you will teach till educated minds brighten our world and every man lives well in harmony with sacred music of our universe." Aristoteles leads students from stone hall of crowded market, past busy workshops clanking with hammers, into countryside, where they forage in meadows and forests gathering specimens of animals and plants they bring back to Lykeion nearing sunset where they draw pictures and compose descriptions to organize living creatures in classes.


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Garden Of Epikouros Finite Mass of Matter Epikouros holds cracked tablet of clay in both hands, pressing fragments to read words Anaxagoras engraved years before. "I admire and respect philosophers who tear down rotting temples of foul lies, but they build in place new temples of lies, attractive to all men searching for truth, but in place of superstition that Zeus, giant bearded cloud man strutting on peaks, created and manipulates this world for purposes of amusement and greed, they establish new superstitious creed that four elements, mixed in various globs of matter, constitute fabric of things, and claim perfect world of ideal forms is more real than solid world I can sense. I understand and visualize more clear mechanic explanations how things work Anaxagoras reveals when he writes that Graikians are mistaken when they use false words like generation and destruction to describe functions of organic life. He continues that proper word to replace term generation would be composition, and term destruction would be separation, because generation implies that things swell into existence of solid shapes from nothing, as if substance could produce matter from puffing whiffs to vibrant flesh, and destruction implies substantial matter could be demolished and dissolve to puffs. Neither process explains how things exist, appearing and disappearing in cycles of apparent birth and death we can see, for if things could emerge from puffs of air, then strange objects and creatures would appear from nothing in spontaneous generation,


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popping up from soil at splashing of rain, and magicians chanting words could conjure gold and jewels from puffs of swirling dust, and anything that exists we can sense would vanish into puffs with each eye wink. Because all objects and creatures we sense assume standard form that we recognize, described by Platon as eternal forms, and name in categories that define special structured forms Aristoteles listed, because all things we can name spring from seeds, emerge from eggs, or issue from wet wombs, we see them grow larger through swelling stages, and mutate substance in maturing shapes. Creatures consume rich material of things, whether vibrant fiber of blooming plants, or blood-soaked flesh of conscious animals, as if they grow by dissolving old matter bodies reconstruct into their own shapes in new composition of dreaming life, then at death all bodies disintegrate, crumbling to material of rotten mud that plants suck with thirsty devouring roots, and other small creatures consume to live. Our universe is formed from finite quantum of matter, molded from small particles that compose every animal and plant, which consume and are consumed, solid mass of rich substance that flows in constant stream of glowing matter transforming shape in ceaseless metamorphosis of life, for composition of matter in shape of organic life conceives birth and growth, and separation of matter is death. I see this process bloom clear in my mind, yet words I choose to encapsulate sense slip from my grasp as they drip off my tongue, and my vision flops into half-formed thoughts mangled when I stuff them in rigid words. Each time I think some philosopher knows


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how to explain complex process of life, I find crumbling clay tablet of their thoughts dissolving in my hands when I read words that molded vibrant vision of their minds long ago in warm sun, hardened to stone of orthodox truth that mindless men teach conveying thoughts they fail to understand. If I smash all ancient tablets of rules to release flame of thought, will knowledge burn bright again from hot tinder of my mind, so my vision consumes ancient stale doctrines when I heap all failed dry philosophies on fire of truth Prometheus first stole from arrogant god of power to teach men secrets of power that operates our Kosmos? I reveal new complete vision of truth to replace failed doctrines of orthodoxy when I integrate concepts in one faith based on confidence of real facts observed. Finite mass of material constitutes complete structure of all things that exist, small atoms that transform in solid shapes of plants and animals through birth and growth, then disintegrate to base particles through final process of decay and death. This model represents our universe, that all things are composed of minute atoms, while other models are deceptive lies."


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Garden Of Epikouros Principle Doctrines of Atomism Epikouros lounges under pear tree near sparkling stream that flows over white stones, and watches sunlight dance on waves of time that surge pulsing through his old aching heart and smooth sorrow of memories to soothe bitter loss and anger to fond nostalgia. "My aching sorrows, once jagged and sharp, now shine smooth as clean water-polished stones. My cosmic knowledge, once supple and small, now grows thick and gnarled as tall olive tree. My moral wisdom, once tangled and thin, now winds strong and heavy with sun-ripe grapes. Before I die, and my body dissolves releasing my soul to blow with blind wind, I should compose document that presents principle doctrines of wisdom I gleaned from hunting for truth in meadows of hope." Calling for small desk, scrolls, quills, and black ink, Epikouros gazes at gentle Gardeners performing appointed tasks in Kepidion, who savor and share pleasure of their Garden, then composes treatise to capture thoughts and principles of life that summarize wisdom he learned on quest for basic truth. "That person blessed with bliss of happiness who attains eternal calm about life receives no trouble and causes no trouble for other people, so he never feels surging waves of anger and gratitude erupting from his heart, for he contains emotions with gentle hands, like strong man holds reins tight to control galloping horse, for allowing anger or joy to swell uncontrolled reveals lack of discipline. Death is nothing to us, for this flesh shell, animated alive by spark of senses, when dissolved to elements of its flesh


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feels nothing, for it has no eyes to see, no stomach to hunger, no ears to hear, no fingers to grasp fruit or caress skin, no organs to reproduce incarnations, so disintegrated body of flesh ceases to be aware of anything, therefore what lacks feeling or awareness means nothing to us, not sorrow or joy. Term of magnitude for pleasure we feel is limited when sharp pain is removed. Wherever pleasure endures without end, bodies feel no pain and minds no distress. Endless pain does not long inflict our flesh, and extreme sharp pain ceases before long, so pain that exceeds pleasure of our bodies fades and dissolves with advance of new days, while diseases that wrack our frail flesh shells over long periods permit tastes of pleasure. We cannot maintain life of pleasure long without living wisdom, justice, and health, nor can we live wisdom, justice, and health without maintaining life of simple pleasure, so whenever wisdom, justice, or health is lost or missing from actions performed, no man can live in simple pleasant joy. Kings who lead well and protect other men receive support of courage from those men, natural good that grows strong from mutual need. Some men pursue admiration and fame, believing this secures them from attacks of all other men who compete for power, and if their love is genuine they will gain natural good, but if they are vulnerable, failing to attain strength through honest work, they may lose everything they thought was won. No true pleasure is evil in itself, but methods that produce pleasure may charge disturbing annoyance many times greater than pleasures provided, outweighed by pain. If all pleasures we savor were condensed


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flushing flesh full at flash of ecstasy to permeate with ripe organic delight principal parts of complete human nature, our mind would sense no rousing difference between pleasures sparked by various causes. If objects that produce pleasant delights freed decadent minds from fears about death and pain, shocked by terrifying thunder storms, and taught them to know limits of desire, we should not censure blossoming of wisdom, since their souls would overflow with sweet joys exempting their minds from evil of pain. If suspicious minds were never alarmed by thunder storms, falling stars, blasting winds, or torrents of rain, terrified by pain of violent death, and never comprehended limits of pains and desires that wrack flesh, then we would never need to contemplate mysteries of life and study natural science. People who cling to dark suspicious dread of old myths about brutal angry gods, and fail to study complex ways of nature, learning how our universe operates, stumble groping lost in mind-numbing fear, and find it impossible to banish terror of death, therefore without study of nature they will never taste undiluted joy of pleasure, and savor delight in life. We find no safe security of trust in haven of truth against violent men while we tremble in suspicious alarm, terrified of thunder storms and earthquakes and unseen terrors from infinite void erupting to threaten our fragile world. When we attain security of strength from power to fight and defend garden walls, and abundant wealth by work of our hands, genuine peace of living in private faith we find in solitude of garden groves hidden from multitude of grasping men.


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Wealth of nature flourishes within bounds of fertile soil along fresh sparkling streams granting easy procurement of resource, but riches of vain fantastic opinion, lacking roots in lush soil of earth, recede blown by wild blustering wind far beyond grasp. Fortune sneaks by rare chance across life path of wise people, yet their greatest interests and most important matters of their lives are directed by clever power of reason while they journey secure on path of life. Each person who acts by justice and truth enjoys peace of mind while striding serene and creates splendid things with gentle craft, but those who act by injustice and lies suffer distress and stumble in confusion smashing good things with their violent greed. When sharp pain of desire, produced by lack of things our bodies need, is satisfied by consumption, pleasure within our flesh will not increase beyond fulfilling taste, but tingles embellished by range of flavors. Limit of pleasure our mind may enjoy we reach through reason when we calculate balance of value from pleasures and pains which provoke alarming fears in our minds. Infinite time and finite time contain equal amount of pleasure we can relish, if we measure bounding limits of pleasure through contemplation of reason in truth. Our flesh assumes limits of pleasant joy stretch infinite, and only infinite time would satisfy hungry cravings of flesh. But our mind, that reasons limiting goal of consuming flesh to banish stark fears of infinite future unsatisfied, produces complete way of perfect life that savors each moment of satisfaction, and needs no excess of infinite time. Yet our mind never shuns pleasure and joy,


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and even when drama of doom attacks dragging us down into darkness of death, forced from existence by bleak circumstances, our mind never fails to savor rich fullness life offers in abundance of sweet pleasure. Whoever perceives clear limits of life knows how easy it is to expel pain of desire by fulfilling aching needs, to make our whole life perfect and complete, and thus relinquish need to fight for things achieved through struggle and conflict from greed. We must reason ultimate goal of life is to comprehend real world we perceive and reconcile opinions we conceive with evidence of senses, then construct system of belief on verified facts, otherwise we will stumble confused, lost in mist of fantasy, blinded by desire, and fall off cliff of fear to struggle stuck in muck of despair, and never feel peace. If you fight against sensations you feel and never trust perceptions of your mind you will have no standard by which to measure and judge clear sensations as true or false. If you reject sense perceptions as false because they frazzle your preconceived view, and fail to discern between your opinion, that waits confirmation from observation, and solid facts verified by perception, whether from sensation, deep intuition, or mental apprehension based on reason, you will disturb your existing sensations by groundless belief and reject all truth. If you affirm sense perceptions as true and form new beliefs based on your opinions, without observation and test for facts, you will stumble blind in fantastic error, unable to avoid deceiving yourself, and doubt every sensation you perceive by judging everything as true and false.


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If every time you face important choice you fail to guide actions to goal of life or reconcile behavior with natural law, but reject choice and avoidance to swerve charging toward foolish purpose you invent, then your actions will conflict with your words. Desires that cause no pain when unfulfilled, thus not essential to productive growth, can be dispelled when object of desire proves difficult to obtain without toil or threatens to effect destructive harm. Among all good things that wisdom provides to insure complete happiness in life, greatest treasures we gain are loving friends. Sure conviction which inspires confidence that terrible events or things we fear never last forever and soon disperse, also reveals amid evil we suffer nothing enhances safe security as heart-connecting bonds of close friendship. Among all our desires we entertain some are natural and necessary, some are natural but not necessary, others are neither natural nor necessary, yet those last are by empty belief invented. We regard as natural and necessary those desires that relieve pain of our flesh like drink of water relieves aching thirst, fruit and bread relieve hunger of our body, and intimate love relieves sweet desire to procreate in children of our blood. Natural desires, which cause no aching pain when not gratified, though goals are pursued with intense effort, are beliefs contrived by feigned fantasy of groundless opinion, but when they are not dispelled by clear light of truth, they linger clouding minds of men with blinding fear, not because of their nature, but because human vanity clings with lust gripping bright fantasies their minds invent.


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Justice of nature is mutual consent of common interest, contracted by men in covenant of agreements, not to cause nor allow people to harm or be harmed. Wild forest animals who are unable to form covenants for mutual protection, to neither inflict nor suffer cruel harm, live without either justice or injustice, and human tribes without power or desire to form mutual covenants of shared peace to harm none and suffer none to be harmed, are same as uncivilized animals. Justice cannot exist alone, but men enforce justice based on mutual contracts they institute, when and where they assemble, to never inflict pain or allow suffering. Injustice is not by its nature evil, but only evil to men who cause harm because they fear consequence of enforcement when strong honest men, appointed to punish unjust actions, discover their offense. Whoever breaks laws of social compact, not to inflict harm or allow suffering, will never feel confident to escape detection and punishment for his crime, though he escaped numerous times before, for until death he will never be sure he will escape, and lives ever in fear. Justice provides same benefits of peace and protection for all people who share mutual contract with laws of safe conduct, but how men apply justice in local lands to each special case varies in details based on circumstance of crime and result, so justice is not same for every person. Actions confirmed by honest testimony to benefit common needs of companions and by agreement are considered just, whether it is just for all men or not, but if some man legislates special law


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that does not benefit association of social welfare for people involved, yet provides advantage for their own good, then true justice is betrayed by blind greed. If something that provided mutual justice changes benefit against common good, yet continues to conform to our concept of justice, then it remains just in truth to each person who is never confused by blustering shouts demanding empty terms, but remains focused on verified facts and prefers to examine every angle and judge merits of each specific case based on circumstances of its events. When circumstances themselves never change and conventional laws thought to be just conflict with essential notions of justice, those laws are exposed never just at all. When circumstances change, and common laws, considered just for mutual benefit of social interaction, soon prove useless, they cease to be measured just when results fail to provide advantage for companions and results no longer benefit all. He who desires to live in tranquil peace and no longer fears threats from other men should extend hand of friendship to each person and unite in mutual compact of laws, and avoid harm that makes men enemies, but men who refuse to participate forming social contract that prevents harm, he excludes from rich garden of his soul and avoids interaction to remain uninvolved when this suits his private interest. Men who exert power of bold confidence to build among their neighbors mutual trust, and guarantee safe passage and assembly, savor happiness in secure society and enjoy rewards of strong fellowship, yet never mourn death of intimate friends


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who die before fulfillment of their life, discarding pity for loyal admiration." Epikouros gives long scroll that details principle doctrines of his philosophy to Mys, who manages Grammatopion, where scribes copy scrolls of insightful thoughts for distribution to large garden schools opened by followers in market towns of every land that thrive on fertile shores of Mesogeios Sea to spread Atomism so people live well in productive pleasure based on principles of life he presents.


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Elements Of Empedokles Four Elements of Nature Empedokles explains process of nature to group of boys and girls sitting on grass who attend his lectures with eager ears on lush marge of grass by clear sparkling stream as breeze flutters leaves on tall shimmering trees. "My teacher Telauges, son of Pythagoras, man of rare wisdom possessing rich knowledge, taught me how to measure expanse of space, points forming lines forming planes forming shapes, for flush nature speaks in language of numbers, then summarized thoughts of philosophers who reasoned how complex Kosmos operates. Plants transform from these four rich elements, seeds in soil watered thick and warmed by sun and puffed full of spirit by blessing wind, then animals eat plants that provide life force driving all our actions through love and strife, then, when animals and plants die, their bodies dissolve back to base element of Earth. Material of four elements remains constant amount providing source for growth of new plants eaten by new animals who grow, live, and die in cycle of life, so nothing ever springs alive from nothing since we grow from Earth and to Earth return. Four elements that constitute our world merge together and blend through agency of love forming all structures by construction, then shatter apart torn through agency of strife breaking all structures by destruction in continuous alteration of substance. Hesiodos saw creatures rise from waves of roaring sea, and walk on gleaming sand, and thought we rose to life from swirling chaos. Thales saw torrents of rain soaking earth nourishing life of plants and animals, and thought water was element of life.


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Anaximandros saw shapes grow and decay, bodies emerging from seeds and wet wombs, then crumbling to small particles of dust, and thought all substance of life flowed from stars beyond bounds encasing our world in flames. Anaximenes saw wind blowing fresh between earth and stars, swirling leaves of trees, and thought everything that exists transforms condensed in natural shapes of land and creatures from rich air in cycle of cold and heat. Parmenides saw individual shapes follow pattern of one eternal type, and thought all things exist in changeless form. Herakleitos saw rivers flow with time, substance transforming within constant shape, and thought everything flows in ceaseless change. Anaxagoras saw creatures express will from desire to obtain what they want, and thought one mass of substance swirled to life from force of mind that activated change. I see four elements working together to form plants animals and people eat, seeds transforming from soil, light, rain, and air, to grow into worts, herbs, berries, and fruit, so rich substance of four elements merged sustain life of our bodies when consumed."


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Laughter Of Demokritos Atoms and Ethics Demokritos teaches basics of ethics on foundation of concept that our Kosmos swirls in vortex of atoms to form life. "Everything is structure of shooting atoms that swirl in tight vortex of energy forming texture of all things that exist. Construction is to build structure in shapes. Destruction is to break structure in parts. Whether any action is good or bad depends on value in process result of construction and destruction of things. When humans intervene in natural process we choose by free will to participate supporting life against chaos of death and work to create order by our actions producing material assets of wealth by growing and creating things from Earth. We assess aspects of each situation, analyzing character for true value to understand well cause and consequence if actions set in motion sequence flow of events that produce desired result, fostering growth to nourish bodies and souls. Actions that destroy we want to avoid. Actions that create we want to pursue. Sometimes actions that destroy we call good and actions that create may warrant bad. Some situations are stacked with deep levels of consequence, so destroying one thing may preserve good life of another thing. We consider it bad to kill a man, yet if that man is oppressing good men or abusing women for his own gain, striking to kill that man will be called good, for destroying him preserves common health. We fight brutal struggle for life in storm of hunger, rage, chaos, darkness, and fear,


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so actions of our hands, fueled by vision of our minds constructed from information gathered by our senses, we gear toward progress of common good for survival and growth of our whole group, thus decisions we make are based on health of everyone involved. Our whole universe is composed of atoms, that form our bodies in random production, so good and bad results from social actions are analyzed on worth of chosen values to create or destroy structures of things. To understand how actions we select cause construction or destruction of things or people, wanting to preserve our souls in health and happiness to thrive in joy, we study how our Kosmos is designed by random swirl of atoms to congeal in structure of flesh that supports our soul, and thus we may act right for common good on base of ethic values we create. Our universe is constructed of atoms, and we participate in process of life, performing through our actions good and bad, born to struggle for small moments of peace and pleasure when we share succulent love, then we die and disappear without trace, for our consciousness glows, a fragile flame, one short flash in dream of infinite nothing. We are born, laugh, love, sing, then sleep forever."


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Spheres Of Arkhimedes Zodiak Pheidias places hand on shoulder of his son and points to group of stars that glitter bright. "We call ring of stars Zodiakos Kyklos, circle of little animals who glide around Earth in large sphere of crystal light that Atlas high on his shoulders supports. Constellations revolve around center point we call Pole Star, axis for wheel of heaven, and those closest circle around that star while others circle around our wide world. Most stars appear to rise from east horizon, travel arching across broad sky all night, and set beyond west horizon at dawn, yet even they revolve around Pole Star. That constellation closest to Pole Star by wise philosopher Thales was named Amaza for wagon, wheeled vehicle we use to travel, because by those stars travelers guide their way over land and sea. Bootes was named for stout wagon-driver Arkas whose mother dressed in thick bear cloak. Helike was named for sweet nymph of Krete who nursed infant Zeus on snow-white Mount Ida. Drakon was named for serpent of Athena who guarded ripe gold apples of Hesperos. Orpheus was named for wise bard of Thrake who kneeled to chant sacred spells on gold lyre. Lyre was named for lyre Hermes invented wrapping tendons on horns in turtle shell. Ophiokhos was named for bold serpent-grasper Asklepios who brought people back from death. Skorpios was named for scorpion of Gaia sent to kill Orion for hunting animals. Toxeutes was named for swift Artemis archer shooting sharp arrows by moonlight. Hydrokhoos was named for Ganymedes who poured water in cups of worshippers.


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Aietos was named for swift broad-winged eagle that bore Ganymedes to hall of Olympos. Delphin was named for clever bard Arion who rode dolphin safe over abyss waves. Pegasos was named for swift-flying horse Bellerophon rode to defeat Khimera. Kassiopeia was named for haughty queen who taunted Nereus, proud of her beauty. Kepheus was named for weak cowardly king willing to sacrifice his daughter to live. Andromede was named for beautiful girl chained by Poseidon for beast to devour. Ketos was named for great sharp-toothed sea beast who ravaged Aithiopia for arrogance. Perseus was named for Hero of Argos who slew sea beast to marry Andromede. Tauros was named for brawny sharp-horned bull that bore seven Pleiades safe from Orion. Orion was named for shepherd mountain man who pursued beautiful nymphs on strong bull. Didymoi was named for twin sons of Zeus who wrestled to win tripod of Demeter. Eridanos was named for sparkling stream that flows from mountains and waters broad plains. Heniokhos was named for skilled charioteer Erikhthonios who designed four-wheeled cart. Oinoi was named for two vigorous donkeys Silenos and Dionysos rode through swamp. Seirios was named for hunting dog of Orion who chased hare and fox across flower fields. Alopekos was named for fox of Teumesia that darted swift in rugged hills of Boiotia. Largos was named for brown high-bounding hare Hermes bred to make parchment from soft skin. Kentauros was named for wise Titan Khiron who taught Asklepios how to heal sick souls. Koronis was named for pretty crow girl mother of Asklepios slain by Apollon. Krater was named for cup forged from star stone Koronis used to stir mushrooms and wine.


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Argo was named for strong wave-leaping ship Iason sailed to discover gold-fleeced ram. Kygnos was named for white snow-feathered swan Zeus gave Nemesis as seduction gift. Ikhthyes was named for stream-darting fish Aphrodite and Eros hooked to eat. Oistos was named for arrow of Apollon he fired to avenge death of Asklepios. Deltoton was named for loyal triangle that unites Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Parthenos was named for sapient Astraia who bears scales of justice and sword of truth. Zygos was named for scales that balance weight Astraia counts to judge acts right or wrong. Stephanos was named for gem-crusted crown Ariadne wore when she married Dionysos. Leon was named for regal gold-maned lion defeated by Herakles in lush Nemea. Hydra was named for serpent of dark swamp defeated by Herakles in Lerna Springs. Thyterios was named for altar of stone where Zeus sacrificed bull to feed all men. Krios was named for leaping thick-wooled ram that lead Dionysos to springs of Ammon. Aigokeros was named for sharp-horned goat that aided Zeus when he battled Titanos. Gala was named for pure river of milk that flows nourishing all from breasts of Hera. These constellations encase tales of heroes to preserve memory of their noble deeds." Arkhimedes gazes at shining stars. "I see no creatures or objects in stars, for I see nothing more than points of light. Why do astronomers see images where nothing exists, since I see no bear or wagon or hunter or fox or girl? Those things exist on Earth, not among stars. Why are astronomers lying to deceive farmers and fishermen with fairy tales?" Pheidias gasps then chuckles, amused with pride.


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"Your deep question catches me by surprise for I never pondered their reasons why. I speculate that temple priests believe spirits of noble heroes after death ascend to dwell among stars in grand fame. Since men first gazed at stars and wondered what nature of matter composes star light, some wise magician, perhaps Zoroaster, taught that stars are gods, or spirits of men, guessing where souls go after bodies die. Or priests preserve tales of great social heroes by inventing images among stars to present heroes for men to emulate behaving right to attain highest good. Picturing star groups as humans and creatures helps astronomers draw accurate charts."

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