23. ‘The impostor!’ says Lamprias; ‘that view is purely Greek, and was put into a book by one Petron of Himera long ago.’ Heracleon and Demetrius exchange remarks about Plato’s views on a plurality of worlds, and agree to refer the matter to Lamprias, who offers to give a cursory account, the discussion then to revert to the original question.
[24-end. Lamprias is the speaker, with an interposition by Ammonius in c. 33 and again in c. 46, and by Demetrius, who answers a question in c. 45, and some shorter ones.]
24. Lamprias loq.: It is a priori likely that this world is not a sole creation.
25. There need be no fear of interference from outside, of world with world. Aristotle’s view of the arrangement of matter stated,
26. And considered.
27. The idea of a middle point is applicable to each world severally, not to the confederation of worlds.
28. The case of the ‘stone outside the world’ (the moon?), which some regard as no part of our earth, and therefore not bound to move towards it. The paradoxical views of Chrysippus.
29. The Stoic difficulty as to Zeus or Providence in the plural met. Why not a choir of such powers, free to range from part to part of the universe?
30. Such a view of deities sociable and free to communicate with each other is the grander one.
31. (Philippus asks to have the bearing of the number five and the five solid figures on Plato’s scheme explained.)