To see God, look at the ordered heavens — who set each star's course?
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Hermes — εἰ δὲ θέλεις αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν, νόησον τὸν ἥλιον, νόησον τὸν σελήνης δρόμον, νόησον τῶν ἀστέρων τὴν τάξιν. τίς ὁ τὴν τάξιν τηρῶν; (τάξις γὰρ πᾶσα περιώρισται ἀριθμῷ καὶ τόπῳ). ὁ ἥλιος, θεὸς μέγιστος τῶν κατ' οὐρανὸν θεῶν, ᾧ πάντες εἴκουσιν οἱ οὐράνιοι θεοὶ ὡσανεὶ βασιλεῖ καὶ δυνάστῃ, καὶ οὗτος ὁ τηλικοῦτος, ὁ μείζων γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης, ἀνέχεται ὑπὲρ ἑαυτὸν ἔχων ἑαυτοῦ μικροτέρους πολεύοντας ἀστέρας, τίν' αἰδούμενος ἢ τίνα φοβούμενος, ὦ τέκνον; ἕκαστος τούτων τῶν ἀστέρων οὐ τὸν ὅμοιον ἢ ἴσον δρόμον ποιοῦνται ἐν οὐρανῷ ὄντες; τίς ὁ ἑκάστῳ τὸν τρόπον καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ δρόμου ὁρίσας;
If you wish to see him, consider the sun, consider the moon's course, consider the order of the stars. Who is it that keeps that order? — for all order is bounded by number and place. The sun, greatest of the gods in heaven, to whom all the heavenly gods yield as if to a king and potentate; and this one, so great, greater than earth and sea, bears having above himself stars smaller than himself, revolving — revering whom, or fearing whom, O child? Does not each of these stars run a course not the same or equal, being in heaven? Who is it that defined for each the manner and the magnitude of its course?
If you wish to see God, Hermes tells Tat, consider the sun, consider the moon's course, consider the order of the stars. Who is it that keeps that order? — for all order is bounded by number and place. The sun, greatest of the gods in heaven, to whom all the heavenly gods yield as if to a king and potentate; and this one, so great, greater than earth and sea, bears having above himself stars smaller than himself, revolving — revering whom, or fearing whom, O child? Does not each of these stars run a course not the same or equal, being in heaven? Who is it that defined for each the manner and the magnitude of its course?
CH V now argues from design, and it is one of the oldest and most natural of proofs: the invisible God is read off the visible order of the sky. 'If you wish to see him, consider the sun (νόησον τὸν ἥλιον)' — the verb is νοέω, to think/perceive with the mind, so even here the seeing is mental, an inference from order to Orderer. The parenthesis states the principle the whole argument turns on: 'all order is bounded by number and place (τάξις… περιώρισται ἀριθμῷ καὶ τόπῳ)' — order just is measure and position, and measure implies a measurer.
The sun is drawn as the monarch of the visible gods, 'to whom all the heavenly gods yield as to a king (ὡσανεὶ βασιλεῖ).' But then Hermes springs a subtler wonder, and the interlinear keeps the paradox visible: this greatest of bodies 'bears having above itself stars smaller than itself (ἑαυτοῦ μικροτέρους… ἀστέρας)' — the mighty sun tolerates lesser lights ranked over it, deferring to none out of reverence or fear (αἰδούμενος… φοβούμενος). Why does the great yield its place to the small? Not from awe of them, but by appointment. Each star keeps a course 'not the same or equal' to the others, and the closing question drives the inference home: 'who defined for each the manner and magnitude of its course (τίς… ὁρίσας)?' The regularity of unequal orbits is not self-explaining; it points past itself to the One who 'defined' it. This is the Timaeus and the Psalms at once — the heavens declaring the glory of a Maker who is himself unseen.
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