Now let us examine what Plato's words do attest:--[Greek: gê=n de\ tropho\n me\n ê(mete/ran, ei(llome/nên] (al. [Greek: ei(lome/nên, i)llome/nên]) [Greek: de\ peri\ to\n dia\ panto\s po/lon tetame/non phu/laka kai\ dêmiourgo\n nukto/s te kai\ ê(me/ras e)mêchanê/sato, prô/tên kai\ presbuta/tên theô=n, o(/soi e)nto\s ou)ra/nou gego/nasi.] I explain these words as follows:-- In the passage immediately preceding, Plato had described the uniform and unchanging rotation of the outer sidereal sphere, or Circle of The Same, and the erratic movements of the sun, moon, and planets, in the interior Circles of the Diverse. He now explains the situation and functions of the earth. Being the first and most venerable of the intra-kosmic deities, the earth has the most important place in the interior of the kosmos--the centre. It is packed, fastened, or rolled, close round the axis which traverses the entire kosmos; and its function is to watch over and bring about the succession of night and day. _Plato conceives the kosmic axis itself as a solid cylinder revolving or turning round, and causing thereby the revolution of the circumference or the sidereal sphere._ The outer circumference of the kosmos not only revolves round its axis, but obeys a rotatory impulse emanating from its axis, like the spinning of a teetotum or the turning of a spindle. Plato in the Republic illustrates the cosmical axis by comparison with a spindle turned by Necessity, and describes it as causing by its own rotation the rotation of all the heavenly bodies (Republ. x. p. 616, c. 617 A). [Greek: e)k de\ tô=n a)/krôn tetame/non A)na/gkês a)/trakton, di' ou(= pa/sas e)pistre/phesthai ta\s peri/phoras . . . , kuklei=sthai de\ dê\ strepho/menon to\n a)/trakton o(/lon me\n tê\n au)tê\n phoran . . . . stre/phesthai de\ au)to\n e)n toi=s A)na/gkês go/nasin.][1] [Footnote 1: Proklus in his Commentary on the Platonic Timæus (p. 682, Schn.) notes this passage of the Republic as the proper comparison from which to interpret how Plato conceived the cosmical axis. In many points he explains this correctly; but he omits to remark that the axis is expressly described as revolving, and as causing the revolution of the peripheral substance:-- ----[Greek: to\n de\ a)/xona mi/an theo/têta sunagôgo\n me\n tô=n ke/ntrôn tou= panto\s sunektikê\n de\ tou= o(/lou ko/smou, _kinêtikê\n de\ tô=n thei/ôn periphorô=n_, peri\ ê(\n ê( chorei/a** tô=n o(/lôn, peri\ ê(\n ai( a)nakuklê/seis, a)ne/chousan to\n o(/lon ou)rano\n,** ê(\n kai\ A)/tlanta dia\ tou=to proseirê/kasin, ô(s a)/trepton kai\ a)/truton e)ne/rgeian e)/chousan. kai\ me/ntoi kai\ to\ tetame/non** e)ndei/knutai** titê/nion ei)=nai tê\n mi/an _tau/tên du/namin, tê\n phrourêtikê\n tê=s a)nakuklê/seôs tô=n o(/lôn_.]