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and he arranged the slingers where it was necessary, 14.25.8 so that those with like equipment might fight together. But if they think this example a mockery because I am making a comparison of great bodies with the least significant, we shall pass on to the very smallest things.” 14.25.9 Then he adds to these things in order: “But if neither muster nor selection nor command of a ruler were laid upon them, but they, by themselves, guiding themselves out of the great confusion of their flux, and making their way through the great turmoil of their collisions, the like are led to the like not by God, as the poet says, but they run together and flock together recognizing their kindred—a marvelous democracy of atoms indeed, with friends greeting each other and embracing, and hastening to encamp in one settlement, and some of them being spontaneously rounded into the sun, a great luminary, so that they might make the day, and others being kindled into many pyramids of stars, perhaps, so that they might crown the whole heaven, and others being stretched around, so that they might at random make firm the sky and arch the aether as a platform for the luminaries, and so that the conspiracies of the vulgar atoms might choose for themselves dwellings and divide the heaven by lot into homes and stations for themselves.” 14.25.10 Then after other things he says: “But these improvident men do not even see the visible things, much less do they comprehend the invisible. For they seem not to observe the ordered risings and settings, neither of the other stars nor the most brilliant ones of the sun, nor to make use of the aids given through them to men, the day being kindled for work, and the night growing dark for rest. ‘For man,’ 14.25.11 he says, ‘shall go forth to his work and to his labor until the evening.’ But neither do they consider its other revolution, by which it accomplishes definite hours and fitting seasons and unswerving turnings, being guided by the atoms of which it consists. But even if the wretched do not wish it, yet the just believe: ‘Great is the Lord who made it, and by His words He has hastened 14.25.12 its course.’ For do atoms bring you winter, O blind ones, and rains, so that the earth may send up food for you and for all the animals upon it? And do they bring on summer, so that you may also receive for your enjoyment the fruits from the trees? And why do you not worship the atoms and sacrifice to those in charge of the fruits, ungrateful as you are, not even dedicating to them a few first-fruits from the many gifts you receive from them?” 14.25.13 And after a little he says: “But the people of the stars, of many nations and many kinds, whom the much-wandering and ever-scattered atoms formed, have distributed regions to themselves by agreement, as if establishing a colony or a settlement with no founder or master presiding, and they keep their neighborhoods with their neighbors under oath and in peace, not transgressing the boundaries which they have occupied from the beginning, as if laws were being made for them by the queen atoms. 14.25.14 But those do not rule; for how could things that do not even exist? But listen to the divine oracles: ‘By the Lord's judgment are His works; from the beginning and from their creation He has distinguished their portions; He has ordered His works forever and their principles for their generations.’” 14.25.15 And after a little he says: “Or what phalanx has ever traversed a level plain in such good order, with none running ahead, none turning aside, none standing in the way, none falling behind their comrades in the ranks, as the continuous and unbroken, untroubled and unhindered army of the stars always advances, in equal ranks and with shields locked? 14.25.16 But by inclinations and sideward declinations, some of their turnings become invisible. And yet those who have paid attention to these things always watch for the seasons and foresee the regions from which each will rise. Let the cutters of atoms and dividers of things indivisible therefore tell us

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καὶ τοὺς σφενδονήτας ἔνθα ἐχρῆν 14.25.8 διετάξατο, ἵνα ἀλλήλοις οἱ ὁμόσκευοι συμμαχοῖεν. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο χλεύην οἴονται τὸ παράδειγμα διὰ τὸ μεγάλων σωμάτων με πρὸς τὰ ἐλάχιστα ποιεῖσθαι σύγκρισιν, ἐπὶ τὰ σμικρότατα μεταβησόμεθα.» 14.25.9 Εἶτα τούτοις ἑξῆς ἐπιλέγει· «Εἰ δὲ μήτε λέξις μήτε ἐκλογὴ μήτε τάξις αὐταῖς ἄρχοντος ἐπικέοιτο, αὐταὶ δὲ ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν ἑαυτὰς ἐκ τῆς πολλῆς κατὰ τὴν ῥύσιν τύρβης διευθύνουσαι καὶ τὸν πολὺν τῶν συμπτώσεων διεκπερῶσαι κυδοιμὸν αἱ ὅμοιαι πρὸς τὰς ὁμοίας οὐχ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸν ποιητήν, ἄγοιντο, συντρέχοιεν δὲ καὶ συναγελάζοιντο γνωρίζουσαι τὰς συγγενεῖς, θαυμαστή γε τῶν ἀτόμων ἡ δημοκρατία, δεξιουμένων τε ἀλλήλας τῶν φίλων καὶ περιπλεκομένων εἰς μίαν τε κατασκη νοῦν συνοικίαν ἐπειγομένων καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀποτετορνευμένων αὐτομάτων εἰς ἥλιον φωστῆρα μέγαν, ἵνα ποιήσωσι τὴν ἡμέραν, τῶν δὲ εἰς πολλὰς ἴσως πυραμίδας ἀστέρων ἀναπεφλεγμένων, ἵνα καὶ ὅλον στεφανώσωσι τὸν οὐρανόν, τῶν δὲ περιτεταγμένων, ἵνα αὐτὸν εἰκῇ στερεώσωσι καὶ καμαρώσωσι τὸν αἰθέρα εἰς τὴν τῶν φωστήρων ἐπιβάθραν ἐπιλέξωνταί τε ἑαυταῖς αἱ συνωμοσίαι τῶν χυδαίων ἀτόμων μονὰς καὶ διακληρώσωνται τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰς οἴκους ἑαυταῖς καὶ σταθμούς.» 14.25.10 Εἶτα μεθ' ἕτερά φησιν· «Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὰ φανερὰ ὁρῶσιν οὗτοι οἱ ἀπρονόητοι, πολλοῦ γε δέουσι συνορᾶν καὶ τὰ ἀφανῆ. ἐοίκασι γὰρ μηδὲ ἀνατολὰς ἐποπτεύειν τεταγμένας καὶ δύσεις μήτε τῶν ἄλλων μήτε τὰς ἐκπρεπεστάτας ἡλίου μηδὲ χρῆσθαι ταῖς δι' αὐτῶν δεδωρημέναις ἀνθρώποις ἐπικουρίαις, ἀναπτομένῃ μὲν εἰς ἐργασίαν ἡμέρᾳ, ἐπηλυγαζούσῃ δὲ νυκτὶ πρὸς ἀνάπαυλαν. «Ἐξελεύσεται γὰρ ἄνθρωπος 14.25.11 φησίν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν αὐτοῦ ἕως ἑσπέρας.» ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν ἑτέραν ἐπισκοποῦσιν ἀνακύκλησιν αὐτοῦ, καθ' ἣν ὡρισμένας ὥρας καὶ καιροὺς εὐκαίρους καὶ τροπὰς ἀπαρατρέπτους ἀποτελεῖ, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐξ ὧν ἐστιν ἀτόμων ὁδηγούμενος. ἀλλὰ κἂν μὴ θέλωσιν οἱ δείλαιοι, ὡς δ' οὖν πιστεύουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι· «Μέγας κύριος ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν λόγοις αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσε 14.25.12 πορείαν.» ἄτομοι γὰρ ὑμῖν χειμῶνα φέρουσιν, ὦ τυφλοί, καὶ ὑετούς, ἵνα ἡ γῆ τροφὰς ὑμῖν τε καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπ' αὐτῆς ζῴοις ἀνῇ; θέρος τε ἐπάγουσιν, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ δένδρων εἰς τρυφὴν καρποὺς λάβητε; καὶ διὰ τί μὴ ταῖς ἀτόμοις προσκυνεῖτε καὶ θύετε ταῖς ἐπὶ καρποῖς, ἀχάριστοί γε μηδὲ ἀπαρχὰς αὐταῖς ὀλίγας τῶν πολλῶν δωρεῶν ἃς παρ' αὐτῶν ἔχουσιν ἀφιεροῦντες;» 14.25.13 Καὶ μετὰ βραχέα φησίν· «Ὁ δὲ πολυεθνὴς καὶ πολυμιγὴς δῆμος τῶν ἀστέρων, οὓς αἱ πολυπλανεῖς καὶ ἀεὶ διαρριπτούμεναι συνέστησαν ἄτομοι, χώρας ἑαυτοῖς κατὰ συνθήκας ἀπεδάσαντο, ὥσπερ ἀποικίαν ἢ συνοικίαν ἀνελόμενοι μηδενὸς οἰκιστοῦ μηδὲ οἰκοδεσπότου προεστηκότος, καὶ τὰς πρὸς τοὺς πλησιοχώρους γειτνιάσεις ἐνωμότως καὶ μετ' εἰρήνης φυλάσσουσιν, οὐχ ὑπερβαίνοντες οὓς κατειλήφασιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὅρους, ὥσπερ ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλίδων ἀτόμων νομοθετούμενοι. 14.25.14 ἀλλ' οὐκ ἄρχουσιν ἐκεῖναι· πῶς γὰρ αἱ μηδὲ οὖσαι; ἀλλὰ θείων λογίων ἐπακούσατε· «Ἐν κρίσει κυρίου τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ ἀπὸ ποιήσεως αὐτῶν διέστειλε μερίδας αὐτῶν· ἐκόσμησεν εἰς αἰῶνα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς αὐτῶν εἰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν.»« 14.25.15 Καὶ μετὰ βραχέα φησίν· «Ἢ τίς οὕτως εὐτάκτως πεδιάδα γῆν διώδευσε φάλαγξ, οὐ προθέοντος οὐδενός, οὐκ ἐκτρεπομένου, οὐκ ἐμποδοστατοῦντος, οὐκ ἀπολειπομένου τῶν συμπαρατεταγμένων, ὡς ἰσόστοιχοι καὶ συνασπιδοῦντες ἀεὶ προΐασιν ὁ συνεχής τε καὶ ἀδιάστατος ἀόχλητός τε καὶ ἀνεμπόδιστος τῶν ἄστρων στρατός; 14.25.16 ἀλλ' ἐγκλίσεσι καὶ ταῖς εἰς πλάγιον ἐκνεύσεσι γίνονταί τινες αὐτῶν ἄδηλοι τροπαί. καὶ μὴν ἀεὶ καιροφυλακοῦσι καὶ προορῶνται τὰς χώρας, ὅθεν ἕκαστος ἄνεισιν, οἱ τούτοις προσεσχηκότες. εἰπάτωσαν οὖν ἡμῖν οἱ τῶν ἀτόμων τομεῖς καὶ τῶν ἀμερῶν μερισταὶ