Prokopton42
Symbolic illustration of Timaeus in the Prokopton42.com Library

Work

Timaeus

Plato

Timaeus offers a likely account of the formation of cosmos, world soul, elements, and human body. The demiurge orders receptive material according to intelligible models before Critias resumes the announced political narrative.

Composition
c. 360-350 BCE
Sources and precision

The internal chronology remains disputed. This range is a qualified reference point, not a certain year.

Confidence B · strong consensus

Period
Antiquity
Languages
Ancient Greek · English · French
Extent
76 passages · 35,159 words

Before reading

What you will learn

Understand demiurge, receptacle, and necessity, follow correspondences between cosmos and body, and interpret the status of a likely story.

Short summary

Timaeus offers a likely account of the formation of cosmos, world soul, elements, and human body. The demiurge orders receptive material according to intelligible models before Critias resumes the announced political narrative.

Long summary

The speech distinguishes becoming from what remains and seeks a rational cause for visible order. Mathematical proportions, celestial movements, and elemental triangles connect cosmology, sensation, disease, and human composition. Necessity nevertheless resists the persuasion of intelligence.

Timaeus calls his account a likely story, defining its status without making it arbitrary. The principal voice belongs to a learned character within Plato’s composition. Literary device, explanatory model, and doctrinal commitment therefore require distinction.

Inside this work

The table of contents follows the divisions actually carried by the corpus.

Work › Stephanus page

  1. Passage 17
  2. Passage 18
  3. Passage 19
  4. Passage 20
  5. Passage 21
  6. Passage 22
  7. Passage 23
  8. Passage 24
  9. Passage 25
  10. Passage 26
  11. Passage 27
  12. Passage 28
  13. Passage 29
  14. Passage 30
  15. Passage 31
  16. Passage 32
  17. Passage 33
  18. Passage 34
  19. Passage 35
  20. Passage 36
  21. Passage 37
  22. Passage 38
  23. Passage 39
  24. Passage 40
  25. Passage 41
  26. Passage 42
  27. Passage 43
  28. Passage 44
  29. Passage 45
  30. Passage 46
  31. Passage 47
  32. Passage 48
  33. Passage 49
  34. Passage 50
  35. Passage 51
  36. Passage 52
  37. Passage 53
  38. Passage 54
  39. Passage 55
  40. Passage 56
  41. Passage 57
  42. Passage 58
  43. Passage 59
  44. Passage 60
  45. Passage 61
  46. Passage 62
  47. Passage 63
  48. Passage 64
  49. Passage 65
  50. Passage 66
  51. Passage 67
  52. Passage 68
  53. Passage 69
  54. Passage 70
  55. Passage 71
  56. Passage 72
  57. Passage 73
  58. Passage 74
  59. Passage 75
  60. Passage 76
  61. Passage 77
  62. Passage 78
  63. Passage 79
  64. Passage 80
  65. Passage 81
  66. Passage 82
  67. Passage 83
  68. Passage 84
  69. Passage 85
  70. Passage 86
  71. Passage 87
  72. Passage 88
  73. Passage 89
  74. Passage 90
  75. Passage 91
  76. Passage 92

Concepts covered

Historical context

The world around the text

The corpus manifests do not yet establish the precise place and circumstances of composition. The images below document the author’s world or the text’s transmission. They do not claim to show the exact scene of writing.

These are modern reconstructions. They situate a documented place, practice, or transmission and are not period documents.

Modern reconstruction of Syracuse for Timaeus on Prokopton42.com
SyracuseThree Sicilian journeys are traditional; details depend partly on disputed letters. The generated scene uses Syracuse and c. 387, 367 and 361 BCE as its documented anchors.Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Plato
Modern reconstruction of Nearby historical landmark, 334–323 BCE for Timaeus on Prokopton42.com
Nearby historical landmark, 334–323 BCEAlexander’s conquests open the Hellenistic age, where Greek schools spread far beyond Athens. The image situates Timaeus without claiming to show its scene of composition.
Modern reconstruction of Material world: transport and communication, 334–323 BCE for Timaeus on Prokopton42.com
Material world: transport and communication, 334–323 BCEAlexander’s conquests open the Hellenistic age, where Greek schools spread far beyond Athens. The image situates Timaeus without claiming to show its scene of composition.

What the world looked like

Classical Greek world, 5th century BCE

Modern reconstruction of the material world around Timaeus: Technology, science, and care
Technology, science, and careBronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water. Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments. Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Timaeus: Travel and communication
Travel and communicationWalking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies. Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Timaeus: Farming and food
Farming and foodSmall farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Timaeus: Clothing, women and men
Clothing, women and menWomen and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes.
State of technology
Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water.
Science and knowledge
Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments.
Medicine and care
Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common.
Transport
Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies.
Agriculture and food
Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war.
Communication
Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media.
Clothing and fashion
Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes.

Editions, translations, and provenance

The following carriers represent the text. They do not create new passage identities.

  • Ancient Greekoriginal
  • Englishhistorical_translation
  • French AI-generated translation, non-officialCodex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11
  • Frenchhistorical_translation
  • English AI-generated translation, non-officialCodex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

Source manifests: plato.timaeus, plato.timaeus_fr_carrier

Reader

Read page by page

TimaeusPlato

Before reading

What you will learn

Open the full record