Anddoyourememberthattheolderbecomesolderthanthatwhichbecomesyounger？
　　Iremember。
　　Thensincetheonebecomesolderthanitself，itbecomesyoungeratthesametime？
　　Certainly。
　　Thus，then，theonebecomesolderaswellasyoungerthanitself？
　　Yes。
　　Anditisolder（isitnot？）wheninbecoming，itgetstothepointoftime。between"was"and"willbe，"whichis"now":forsurelyingoingfromthepasttothefuture，itcannotskipthepresent？
　　No。
　　Andwhenitarrivesatthepresentitstopsfrombecomingolder，andnolongerbecomes，butisolder，forifitwentonitwouldneverbereachedbythepresent，foritisthenatureofthatwhichgoeson，totouchboththepresentandthefuture，lettinggothepresentandseizingthefuture，whileinprocessofbecomingbetweenthem。
　　True。
　　Butthatwhichisbecomingcannotskipthepresent;whenitreachesthepresentitceasestobecome，andisthenwhateveritmayhappentobebecoming。
　　Clearly。
　　Andsotheone，wheninbecomingolderitreachesthepresent，ceasestobecome，andisthenolder。
　　Certainly。
　　Anditisolderthanthatthanwhichitwasbecomingolder，anditwasbecomingolderthanitself。
　　Yes。
　　Andthatwhichisolderisolderthanthatwhichisyounger？
　　True。
　　Thentheoneisyoungerthanitself，wheninbecomingolderitreachesthepresent？
　　Certainly。
　　Butthepresentisalwayspresentwiththeoneduringallitsbeing;
　　forwheneveritisitisalwaysnow。
　　Certainly。
　　Thentheonealwaysbothisandbecomesolderandyoungerthanitself？
　　Truly。
　　Andisitordoesitbecomealongertimethanitselforanequaltimewithitself？
　　Anequaltime。
　　Butifitbecomesorisforanequaltimewithitself，itisofthesameagewithitself？
　　Ofcourse。
　　Andthatwhichisofthesameage，isneitheroldernoryounger？
　　No。
　　Theone，then，becomingandbeingthesametimewithitself，neitherisnorbecomesolderoryoungerthanitself？
　　Ishouldsaynot。
　　Andwhatareitsrelationstootherthings？Isitordoesitbecomeolderoryoungerthanthey？
　　Icannottellyou。
　　Youcanatleasttellmethatothersthantheonearemorethantheone—otherwouldhavebeenone，buttheothershavemultitude，andaremorethanone？
　　Theywillhavemultitude。
　　Andamultitudeimpliesanumberlargerthanone？
　　Ofcourse。
　　Andshallwesaythatthelesserorthegreateristhefirsttocomeortohavecomeintoexistence？
　　Thelesser。
　　Thentheleastisthefirst？Andthatistheone？
　　Yes。
　　Thentheoneofallthingsthathavenumberisthefirsttocomeintobeing;butallotherthingshavealsonumber，beingpluralandnotsingular。
　　Theyhave。
　　Andsinceitcameintobeingfirstitmustbesupposedtohavecomeintobeingpriortotheothers，andtheotherslater;andthethingswhichcameintobeinglater，areyoungerthanthatwhichprecededthem？Andsotheotherthingswillbeyoungerthantheone，andtheoneolderthanotherthings？
　　True。
　　Whatwouldyousayofanotherquestion？Cantheonehavecomeintobeingcontrarytoitsownnature，oristhatimpossible？
　　Impossible。
　　Andyet，surely，theonewasshowntohaveparts;andifparts，thenabeginning，middleandend？
　　Yes。
　　Andabeginning，bothoftheoneitselfandofallotherthings，comesintobeingfirstofall;andafterthebeginning，theothersfollow，untilyoureachtheend？
　　Certainly。
　　Andalltheseothersweshallaffirmtobepartsofthewholeandoftheone，which，assoonastheendisreached，hasbecomewholeandone？
　　Yes;thatiswhatweshallsay。
　　Buttheendcomeslast，andtheoneisofsuchanatureastocomeintobeingwiththelast;and，sincetheonecannotcomeintobeingexceptinaccordancewithitsownnature，itsnaturewillrequirethatitshouldcomeintobeingaftertheothers，simultaneouslywiththeend。
　　Clearly。
　　Thentheoneisyoungerthantheothersandtheothersolderthantheone。
　　Thatalsoisclearinmyjudgment。
　　Well，andmustnotabeginningoranyotherpartoftheoneorofanything，ifitbeapartandnotparts，beingapart，bealsoofnecessityone？
　　Certainly。
　　Andwillnottheonecomeintobeingtogetherwitheachpart—togetherwiththefirstpartwhenthatcomesintobeing，andtogetherwiththesecondpartandwithalltherest，andwillnotbewantingtoanypart，whichisaddedtoanyotherpartuntilithasreachedthelastandbecomeonewhole;itwillbewantingneithertothemiddle，nortothefirst，nortothelast，nortoanyofthem，whiletheprocessofbecomingisgoingon？
　　True。
　　Thentheoneisofthesameagewithalltheothers，sothatiftheoneitselfdoesnotcontradictitsownnature，itwillbeneitherpriornorposteriortotheothers，butsimultaneous;andaccordingtothisargumenttheonewillbeneitheroldernoryoungerthantheothers，northeothersthantheone，butaccordingtothepreviousargumenttheonewillbeolderandyoungerthantheothersandtheothersthantheone。
　　Certainly。
　　Afterthismannerthentheoneisandhasbecome。Butastoitsbecomingolderandyoungerthantheothers，andtheothersthantheone，andneitherolder。noryounger，whatshallwesay？Shallwesayasofbeingsoalsoofbecoming，orotherwise？
　　Icannotanswer。
　　ButIcanventuretosay，thatevenifonethingwereolderoryoungerthananother，itcouldnotbecomeolderoryoungerinagreaterdegreethanitwasatfirst;forequalsaddedtounequals，whethertoperiodsoftimeortoanythingelse，leavethedifferencebetweenthemthesameasatfirst。
　　Ofcourse。Thenthatwhichis，cannotbecomeolderoryoungerthanthatwhichis，sincethedifferenceofageisalwaysthesame;theoneisandhasbecomeolderandtheotheryounger;buttheyarenolongerbecomingso。
　　True。
　　AndtheonewhichisdoesnotthereforebecomeeitherolderoryoungerthantheotherswhichareNo。
　　Butconsiderwhethertheymaynotbecomeolderandyoungerinanotherway。
　　Inwhatway？
　　Justastheonewasproventobeolderthantheothersandtheothersthantheone。
　　Andwhatofthat？
　　Iftheoneisolderthantheothers，hascomeintobeingalongertimethantheothers。
　　Yes。
　　Butconsideragain;ifweaddequaltimetoagreaterandalesstime，willthegreaterdifferfromthelesstimebyanequalorbyasmallerportionthanbefore？
　　Byasmallerportion。
　　Thenthedifferencebetweentheageoftheoneandtheageoftheotherswillnotbeafterwardssogreatasatfirst，butifanequaltimebeaddedtobothofthemtheywilldifferlessandlessinage？
　　Yes。
　　Andthatwhichdiffersinagefromsomeotherlessthanformerly，frombeingolderwillbecomeyoungerinrelationtothatotherthanwhichitwasolder？
　　Yes，younger。
　　Andiftheonebecomesyoungertheothersaforesaidwillbecomeolderthantheywerebefore，inrelationtotheone。
　　Certainly。
　　Thenthatwhichhadbecomeyoungerbecomesolderrelativelytothatwhichpreviouslyhadbecomeandwasolder;itneverreallyisolder，butisalwaysbecoming，fortheoneisalwaysgrowingonthesideofyouthandtheotheronthesideofage。Andinlikemannertheolderisalwaysinprocessofbecomingyoungerthantheyounger;forastheyarealwaysgoinginoppositedirectionstheybecomeinwaystheoppositetooneanother，theyoungerolderthantheolderandtheolderyoungerthantheyounger。Theycannot，howeverhavebecome;foriftheyhadalreadybecometheywouldbeandnotmerelybecome。Butthatisimpossible;fortheyarealwaysbecomingbotholderandyoungerthanoneanother:theonebecomesyoungerthantheothersbecauseitwasseentobeolderandprior，andtheothersbecomeolderthantheonebecausetheycameintobeinglater;andinthesamewaytheothersareinthesamerelationtotheone，becausetheywereseentobeolder，andpriortotheone。
　　Thatisclear。
　　Inasmuchthen，onethingdoesnotbecomeolderoryoungerthananother，inthattheyalwaysdifferfromeachotherbyanequalnumber，theonecannotbecomeolderoryoungerthantheothers，northeotherthantheone;butinasmuchasthatwhichcameintobeingearlierandthatwhichcameintobeinglatermustcontinuallydifferfromeachotherbyadifferentportion—inthispointofviewtheothersmustbecomeolderandyoungerthantheone，andtheonethantheothers。
　　Certainly。
　　Forallthesereasons，then，theoneisandbecomesolderandyoungerthanitselfandtheothers，andneitherisnorbecomesolderoryoungerthanitselfortheothers。
　　Certainly。
　　Butsincetheonepartakesoftime，andpartakesofbecomingolderandyounger，mustitnotalsopartakeofthepast，thepresent，andthefuture？
　　Ofcourseitmust。
　　Thentheonewasandisandwillbe，andwasbecomingandisbecomingandwillbecome？
　　Certainly。
　　Andthereisandwasandwillbesomethingwhichisinrelationtoitandbelongstoit？
　　True。
　　Andsincewehaveatthismomentopinionandknowledgeandperceptionoftheone，thereisopinionandknowledgeandperceptionofit？
　　Quiteright。
　　Thenthereisnameandexpressionforit，anditisnamedandexpressed，andeverythingofthiskindwhichappertainstoother:
　　thingsappertainstotheone。
　　Certainly，thatistrue。
　　Yetoncemoreandforthethirdtime，letusconsider:Iftheoneisbothoneandmany，aswehavedescribed，andis，neitheronenormany，andparticipatesintime，mustitnot，inasfarasitisone，attimespartakeofbeing，andinasfarasitisnotone，attimesnotpartakeofbeing？
　　Certainly。
　　Butcanitpartakeofbeingwhennotpartakingofbeing，ornotpartakeofbeingwhenpartakingofbeing？
　　Impossible。
　　Thentheonepartakesanddoesnotpartakeofbeingatdifferenttimes，forthatistheonlywayinwhichitcanpartakeandnotpartakeofthesame。