Time is born with the heavens, and to divide and preserve its quantity, the sun, moon, and five planets are created. The celestial bodies are placed in their respective orbits, and due to differences in speed and direction, they appear to chase each other and be chased by others.

The sun's light creates day and night, while the moon and year are determined by celestial bodies completing their respective orbits. When all movements return to order, a complete year is fulfilled as a perfect measure of time.

Dialogue Text

Timaios (Continued). Therefore, time came into being with the cosmos. If these two things are ever to be dissolved, they will dissolve together, just as they were brought into being together. Furthermore, this is so that they may resemble as closely as possible the eternal and unchanging archetype. The archetype is everything that is eternal, while the cosmos exists throughout all of time, having been, existing now, and about to exist, and continues in such a way.

Timaios (Continued) Thus, time arises from the divine intellect and contemplation. In order for time to exist, the sun, moon, and five planets, so-called wandering stars, came into being to divide and govern the measure of time. God created the bodies of each celestial object and placed them in seven courses that move in alternating directions. The moon was placed in the first course around the Earth, and the sun was placed in the second course above the Earth.

Timaios (Continued) The morning star, and the star called Hermes, were placed on a circle that moves along the same path as the sun at the same speed, but receives forces in the opposite direction from the sun. Therefore, the sun, the star of Hermes, and the morning star appear to chase each other and be chased by each other. If I were to explain where and why I placed all the remaining celestial bodies, it would become a much larger task than the original purpose of this discussion. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to explain these things in more detail later.

Timaios (Continued) Thus, when things that should be created together reach their appropriate courses of movement, living beings are born, joined by a soul and bound to the body. The course of opposite natures moves diagonally, while the course of like natures advances, and because it is dominant, one progresses in a large circle, and the other in a small circle. That which proceeds in the smaller circle moves quickly, while that which proceeds in the larger circle moves slowly.

Timaios (Continued) The movement of identity appeared to be such that the fastest-moving thing catches up with and is caught up by the slowest, as if they were moving together. The movement of identity rotates all circles in a spiral fashion, and because two movements proceed simultaneously in opposite directions, it makes the slowest-moving object appear closest to the fastest movement itself.

Timaios (Continued) In order to make the slowness and speed of the eight revolutions clear in relation to each other, God illuminated a second revolution that is close to the Earth. We now call this the Sun. The Sun radiates light as much as possible throughout the heavens, so that living beings can count them and learn from the rhythms of identity and similarity. Thus, night and day came into being. A month is when the Moon completes its orbit and catches up with the Sun. A year is when the Sun completes its orbit.

Timaios (Continued) However, humans do not understand the movements of these other celestial bodies. In the vast majority, with only a few exceptions, they do not even give names to the movements, nor do they measure them against each other using numbers. Therefore, in a sense, they are unaware that these movements constitute time itself. The movements are countless and remarkably diverse.

Timaios (Continued). It is possible to understand when the complete number of times will fill a complete year. This occurs when all eight movements are completed with respect to each other, and they are measured by a circle that advances at the same speed and in the same way as their identity. In this way, and for this reason, stars were born that move forward while having turning points. Thus, this world becomes as similar as possible to a living being that is complete and can be grasped by intelligence, so that it may imitate its eternal nature.