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。