Timaeus by Plato, Essay Example

Timaeus was originally written by the Greek philosopher Plato in ancient Greek in 360 B.C.E. This particular version of the play was acquired from MIT’s online database entitled “The Internet Classics Archive” and was translated to modern English by a man named Benjamin Jowett. Benjamin Jowett was a Master of Balliol College in Oxford, where he spent his time as a theologian and translator of Plato. Due to his expertise in languages, we can assume that his interpretation of Timaeus is somewhat reliable. However, we should also consider that his unique interests and position of power may have contributed to a translation of Timaeus that reflected either his own ideals or his want to spread the message of monotheism. Since it is clear that Timaeus may vary based upon differing testimonies of the same myth based upon the beliefs of the original author and subsequent translators, it is essential to compare Plato’s myth of creation to that of Hesiod’s.

Plato’s philosophical myth of creation states “Do all those things which we call self-existent exist?” and attempts to answer this question through his work, Timaeus. Like the values that are held by modern Christians and many monotheists, Plato proposes the concept that the production of the universe was purposeful, rational, and done so by a benevolent being. This contrasts significantly when considering Hesiod’s creation myth, which includes stories of the many Greek gods and goddesses. It was believed that their interactions ultimately led to changes in the environment and other events, and the job of regular humans were to remain out of their notice. While it is unlikely that Timaeus introduced a unique concept of monotheism because in 360 BC many individuals were beginning to shift away from their polytheistic beliefs, this dialogue gave these individuals important information to consider that questioned their religious beliefs and encouraged them to define them more clearly.

A major similarity between the creation myth in Plato’s Timaeus and modern Christianity is the creation of mortals. Interestingly, this also stems from Hesiod’s creation myth as well. All three of these creation myths state that humans were made due to the will of the gods. According to Greek mythology, Prometheus and Athena made the first man out of clay. Plato’s creation myth states that the creation of humans was also the will of gods and they were made specifically to have souls. The Christian account of creation is similar to these two beliefs because the bible states that man was made from dust, but also emphasizes the value of the soul and how this distinguishes humans from animals.

Ultimately, it is important to understand the similarities between Hesoid’s creation myth and Plato’s because Plato’s seemingly modern concept of religion actually builds upon the creation myth honors by the Greeks and Romans for hundreds of years. In both creation myths, humanity was created similarly, although the major difference between the two is the explanation for how the universe was created. Plato’s account is more simplistic, and therefore more believable, which likely convinced many polytheistic individuals to reconsider their beliefs. As a consequence, these same values are reflected in modern Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Plato’s creation myth has evolved and become the basis of many modern religions in the world today.

Works Cited

Plato. “Timaeus”. 360 BCE. Web. 4 January 2014. <http://classics.mit.edu//Plato/timaeus.html>