Once more, then, as would appear, the one will Yes.
be in number both equal to and more and less Then the one is always becoming older than than both itself and all other things.
itself, since it moves forward in time?
It will.
Certainly.
Does the one also partake of time? And is it And do you remember that the older becomes and does it become older and younger than it-older than that which becomes younger?
self and others, and again, neither younger nor I remember.
older than itself and others, by virtue of partici-Then since the one becomes older than itself, pation in time?
it becomes younger at the same time?
How do you mean?
Certainly.
If one is, being must be predicated of it?
Thus, then, the one becomes older as well as Yes.
younger than itself?
But to be (einai) is only participation of being Yes.
in present time, and to have been is the partici-And it is older (is it not?) when in becoming, it pation of being at a past time, and to be about to gets to the point of time between ‘was’ and ‘will be is the participation of being at a future time?
be,’ which is ‘now’: for surely in going from Very true.
the past to the future, it cannot skip the present?
Then the one, since it partakes of being, par-No.
takes of time?
And when it arrives at the present it stops from Certainly.
becoming older, and no longer becomes, but is And is not time always moving forward?
older, for if it went on it would never be reached 93
Parmenides
by the present, for it is the nature of that which Then the one is younger than itself, when in goes on, to touch both the present and the fu-becoming older it reaches the present?
ture, letting go the present and seizing the fu-Certainly.
ture, while in process of becoming between them.
But the present is always present with the one True.
during all its being; for whenever it is it is al-But that which is becoming cannot skip the ways now.
present; when it reaches the present it ceases to Certainly.
become, and is then whatever it may happen to Then the one always both is and becomes older be becoming.
and younger than itself?
Clearly.
Truly.
And so the one, when in becoming older it And is it or does it become a longer time than reaches the present, ceases to become, and is itself or an equal time with itself?
then older.
An equal time.
Certainly.
But if it becomes or is for an equal time with And it is older than that than which it was be-itself, it is of the same age with itself?
coming older, and it was becoming older than Of course.
itself.
And that which is of the same age, is neither Yes.
older nor younger?
And that which is older is older than that which No.
is younger?
The one, then, becoming and being the same True.
time with itself, neither is nor becomes older or younger than itself?