This passage has given rise to the idea that Plato believed the apparent diurnal revolution of the heavens to be caused by earth’s rotation on her axis; but the word here translated “encircling”[33] may mean—as that does—either motion or situation round about something, and the whole context ascribes the diurnal movement so clearly and emphatically to the heavens, that it seems evident Plato could only have meant that earth was guardian and artificer of day and night by virtue of her position. The only strong argument in favour of the other meaning is that Aristotle, when speaking of Earth as supposed by some to be central in the Universe but moving, quotes Plato and the _Timaeus_. It might easily happen, however, that Aristotle knew from other sources, perhaps from conversation with Plato, that at some time the latter had inclined towards belief in Earth’s motion, and remembering the ambiguous expression in the _Timaeus_ he quoted it from memory as a statement of Plato’s belief. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [33] ειλλομενη. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There is some evidence that late in life Plato accepted the doctrine of Philolaus that Earth was not only in motion, but in motion round a Central Fire. There is a legend that he bought the books of Philolaus at a great price, and Theophrastus, a disciple of Aristotle, is reported by Plutarch to have said that “Plato when old assigned to Earth another place, the central and nobler place being reserved for something else more worthy of it.” However this may be, he does not teach either theory in his writings. His views seem to be quite the same as those of Pythagoreans of the old school, whom he sometimes quotes. After describing the creation of the Universe, Timaeus relates that the Creator deputed the gods whom he had made (including the stars) to create living beings on the earth, he himself creating directly only their immortal part, which he made of the same essence as the World-Soul, but diluted. Then follows the passage which came to the mind of Dante when he met the first spirits of Paradise in the moon.