Today: a small discussion of some possible differences between kingship and other kinds of "herding" (why does the king need help in a way that, e.g., a shepherd doesn't?), followed by a myth (is 'myth' the right word? The visitor says there's an "element of play") about the structure and movements of the cosmos. A few quick notes:
(a) The cosmos is an intelligent living creature. (269d)
(b) It moves with the best possible motion for something embodied, which is not the same as the best motion simpliciter. (269d-e)
(c) Every now and then the universe has to change its motion such as to be a big shock to living creatures in it (including humans). (270c-e) The details of how this goes seem to be a matter of great controversy, down to how to translate various sentences in the text. (See n. 31, p. 313)
(d) There appear to be times when humans are generated not from humans but from the earth (271a-c)
Happy reading!
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