reasons; in
the first place, because the living being had no need of eyes when there
was nothing remaining outside him to be seen; nor of ears when there
was nothing to be heard; and there was no surrounding atmosphere to be
breathed; nor would there have been any use of organs by the help
of which he might receive his food or get rid of what he had already
digested, since there was nothing which went from him or came into him:
for there was nothing beside him. Of design he was created thus, his
own waste providing his own food, and all that he did or suffered taking
place in and by himself. For the Creator conceived that a being which
was self-sufficient would be far more excellent than one which lacked
anything; and, as he had no need to take anything or defend himself
against any one, the Creator did not think it necessary to bestow upon
him hands: nor had he any need of feet, nor of the whole apparatus of
walking; but the movement suited to his spherical form was assigned to
him, being of all the seven that which is most appropriate to mind and
intelligence; and he was made to move in the same manner and on the same
spot, within his own limits revolving in a circle. All the other six
motions were taken away from him, and he was made not to partake of
their deviations. And as this circular movement required no feet, the
universe was created without legs and without feet.

Such was the whole plan of the eternal God about the god that was to
be, to whom for this reason he gave a body, smooth and even, having a
surface in every direction equidistant from the centre, a body entire
and perfect, and formed out of perfect bodies. And in the centre he put
the soul, which he diffused throughout the body, making it also to be
the exterior environment of it; and he made the universe a circle moving
in a circle, one and solitary, yet by reason of its excellence able to
converse with itself, and needing no other friendship or acquaintance.
Having these purposes in view he created the world a blessed god.

Now God did not make the soul after the body, although we are speaking
of them in this order; for having brought them together he would never
have allowed that the elder should be ruled by the younger; but this is
a random manner of speaking which we have, because somehow we ourselves
too are very much under the dominion of chance. Whereas he made the soul
in origin and excellence prior to and older than the body, to be the
rul