CLEOMEDES

ON THE CIRCULAR THEORY OF THE HEAVENS

BOOK I

Chapter I.

[Regarding the world and the void outside of it, and how the center of the world is simultaneously the lowest point.]

p. 1 Blf.

Since the term "world" is used in many ways, our current discussion concerns the world as an ordered system, which is defined as follows: The world is a system composed of the heavens, the earth, and the natures existing within them. This system encompasses all
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bodies, with nothing existing absolutely outside of it, as is demonstrated in other works. It is not infinite, however, but finite, which is evident from the fact that it is governed by nature. For it is impossible for anything infinite to have a governing nature; the governing nature must have mastery
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over that which it governs. That it possesses a nature which governs it is known, first from the order of the parts within it, and second from the order of things that come into being.