The treatise On the Nature of the World and the Soul, written in Doric Greek, is a summary of the cosmological theories famously defended in Plato’s dialogue Timaeus. Attributed to the elusive Pythagorean philosopher Timaeus of Locri, the text appears in over fifty manuscripts, serving as a primary vessel for understanding how ancient readers interpreted Platonic natural philosophy.
Literary Origins and Historicity
Timaeus of Locri occupies a peculiar space in the philosophical record, appearing primarily as a character in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias. Within these texts, he is depicted as a wealthy aristocrat from the Greek colony of Lokroi Epizephyrioi in Magna Graecia, who served in high local office. While historical accounts in antiquity treated his existence as a certainty—with Cicero even claiming Plato traveled to Italy to study under him—modern scholarship views Timaeus as a literary construction. Philologists suggest Plato synthesized the character from various Pythagorean influences, possibly including Philolaus or Archytas, to provide a sophisticated voice for natural philosophy and astronomy.
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Take the IQ test →The Pseudo-Timaean Treatise
The work entitled On the Nature of the World and the Soul represents a pseudepigraphon composed between the early first century BC and the early first century AD. Rather than providing the original dialogue format of Plato, the text offers a simplified summary intended for classroom use. It notably avoids the Platonic Theory of Forms and reflects middle Platonist terminology, likely originating from an author in Alexandria familiar with the work of Eudorus of Alexandria. While some historians argue the text evolved through several editorial stages, others maintain it was composed as a singular work before being rendered into Doric Greek.
Historical Reception and Confusion
During the Renaissance, the text saw a resurgence in intellectual circles. Giorgio Valla produced a Latin translation in 1498, which was printed in Venice, while Aldo Manuzio included the Greek version in his 1513 collection of Plato’s works. Because scholars at the time often viewed the document as a source text for Plato, it was frequently published alongside his dialogues. Further confusion surrounds his supposed corpus, as ancient sources like the Suda attribute a work titled Mathēmatiká to him, and others credit him with a biography of Pythagoras. These are generally regarded as misattributions involving other historical figures such as Timaeus of Tauromenium.
Fast facts
- Origin: Epizephyrian Locris, Italy
- Occupations: Astronomer, writer, mathematician, philosopher
- Language: Ancient Greek
- Primary Work: On the Nature of the World and the Soul
- Historical Era: Fifth century BC (purported)
Questions readers ask
Was Timaeus of Locri a real person?
Modern scholarship generally classifies him as a literary figure constructed by Plato rather than a historical individual.
Did Plato plagiarize his Timaeus dialogue from this author?
No. The treatise attributed to Timaeus of Locri is a later summary based on Plato's dialogue, not the other way around.
