- Source
- Aristotle. Aristotelis Ars Rhetorica. Ross, William David, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press,1959 (printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg038.humanitext-grc2:2.19.17-2.19.27
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The author presents general topics for inferring whether an event has happened in the past or will happen in the future. He also concludes the chapter by stating that the arguments for magnitude and amplification should be derived from the specific ends of deliberative speeches rather than abstract generalities, which are useless in practice.
πρῶτον μὲν γάρ, εἰ τὸ ἧττον γίγνεσθαι πεφυκὸς γέγονεν, γεγονὸς ἂν εἴη καὶ τὸ μᾶλλον.1 καὶ εἰ τὸ ὕστερον εἰωθὸς γίγνεσθαι γέγονεν, καὶ τὸ πρότερον γέγονεν, οἷον εἰ ἐπιλέλησται, καὶ ἔμαθέ ποτε τοῦτο.
For first, if that which is naturally less likely to happen has happened, that which is more [likely to happen] would also have happened. And if that which is accustomed to happen later has happened, the prior also has happened; for instance, if he has forgotten, he also once learned this.
καὶ εἰ ἐδύνατο καὶ ἐβούλετο, πέπραχε· πάντες γάρ, ὅταν δυνάμενοι βουληθῶσι, πράττουσιν· ἐμποδὼν γὰρ οὐδέν.
And if he was able and wished [to do it], he has done it; for all, when they are able and wish, do [it]; for nothing is in their way.
ἔτι εἰ ἐβούλετο καὶ μηδὲν τῶν ἔξω ἐκώλυεν, καὶ εἰ ἐδύνατο καὶ ὠργίζετο, καὶ εἰ ἐδύνατο καὶ ἐπεθύμει· ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ὧν ὀρέγονται, ἂν δύνωνται, ποιοῦσιν, οἱ μὲν φαῦλοι διʼ ἀκρασίαν, οἱ δʼ ἐπιεικεῖς ὅτι τῶν ἐπιεικῶν ἐπιθυμοῦσιν.
Furthermore, if he wished and nothing of external things prevented [him], and if he was able and was angry, and if he was able and desired [it]; for, for the most part, they do what they desire, if they are able, the base through lack of self-control, and the decent because they desire decent things.
καὶ εἰ ἔμελλε, καὶ ποιεῖν·2 εἰκὸς γὰρ τὸν μέλλοντα καὶ ποιῆσαι.
And if he was about [to do it], [it is likely] also that he did [it]; for it is likely that one who is about [to do it] also does [it].
καὶ εἰ γέγονεν ὅσα ἢ πέφυκε πρὸ ἐκείνου ἢ ἕνεκα ἐκείνου, οἷον εἰ ἤστραψε, καὶ ἐβρόντησεν, καὶ εἰ ἐπείρασε, καὶ ἔπραξεν. καὶ εἰ ὅσα ὕστερον πέφυκε γίγνεσθαι ἢ οὗ ἕνεκα γίγνεται γέγονε, καὶ τὸ πρότερον καὶ τὸ τούτου ἕνεκα γέγονεν, οἷον εἰ ἐβρόντησε, καὶ ἤστραψεν, καὶ εἰ ἔπραξεν, ἐπείρασεν.
And if all those things have happened which are naturally prior to that or for the sake of that, for instance, if it lightened, it also thundered, and if he attempted, he also did [it]. And if all those things have happened which naturally occur later or for the sake of which a thing occurs, the prior also and that which is for the sake of this has happened; for instance, if it thundered, it also lightened, and if he did [it], he attempted [it].
ἔστι δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων τὰ μὲν ἐξ ἀνάγκης τὰ δʼ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ οὕτως ἔχοντα. περὶ δὲ τοῦ μὴ γεγονέναι φανερὸν ὅτι ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων τοῖς εἰρημένοις.
And of all these things, some are of necessity so, and others for the most part. And concerning a thing not having happened, it is clear that [the arguments] are from the contraries of those mentioned.
καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἐσομένου ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν δῆλον· τό τε γὰρ ἐν δυνάμει καὶ ἐν βουλήσει ὂν ἔσται, καὶ τὰ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ καὶ ὀργῇ καὶ λογισμῷ μετὰ δυνάμεως ὄντα, ταῦτα καὶ ἐν ὁρμῇ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἢ μελλήσει ἔσται· ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ γίγνεται μᾶλλον τὰ μέλλοντα ἢ τὰ μὴ μέλλοντα.
And concerning what will be, it is clear from the same arguments; for that which is in capacity and in wish will be, and those things which are in desire, anger, and calculation, when accompanied by capacity, will be; these are in the impulse to do [something] or in intention. For, for the most part, those things which are about to be happen rather than those which are not about to be.
καὶ εἰ προγέγονε ὅσα πρότερον πέφυκε γίγνεσθαι, οἷον εἰ συννεφεῖ, εἰκὸς ὗσαι.
And if all those things have happened prior which naturally occur first, for instance, if it is cloudy, it is likely to rain.
καὶ εἰ τὸ ἕνεκα τούτου γέγονε, καὶ τοῦτο εἰκὸς γενέσθαι, οἷον εἰ θεμέλιος, καὶ οἰκία.
And if that for the sake of which this occurs has happened, this also is likely to happen; for instance, if there is a foundation, there is also a house.
περὶ δὲ μεγέθους καὶ μικρότητος τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ μείζονός τε καὶ ἐλάττονος καὶ ὅλως μεγάλων καὶ μικρῶν ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων ἡμῖν ἐστιν φανερόν. εἴρηται γὰρ ἐν τοῖς συμβουλευτικοῖς περί τε μεγέθους ἀγαθῶν καὶ περὶ τοῦ μείζονος ἁπλῶς καὶ ἐλάττονος, ὥστε ἐπεὶ καθʼ ἕκαστον τῶν λόγων τὸ προκείμενον τέλος ἀγαθόν ἐστιν, οἷον τὸ συμφέρον καὶ τὸ καλὸν καὶ τὸ δίκαιον, φανερὸν ὅτι διʼ ἐκείνων ληπτέον τὰς αὐξήσεις πᾶσιν.3
And concerning the greatness and smallness of things, and the greater and the smaller, and in general great and small things, it is clear to us from what has been said before. For in the deliberative speeches, it has been discussed about the greatness of goods and about the greater and smaller absolutely; so that, since in each of the speeches the proposed end is a good (for instance, the expedient, the beautiful, and the just), it is clear that all must obtain their exaggerations through those.
τὸ δὲ παρὰ ταῦτα ἔτι ζητεῖν περὶ μεγέθους ἁπλῶς καὶ ὑπεροχῆς κενολογεῖν ἐστιν· κυριώτερα γάρ ἐστιν πρὸς τὴν χρείαν τῶν καθόλου τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστα τῶν πραγμάτων. περὶ μὲν οὖν δυνατοῦ καὶ ἀδυνάτου, καὶ πότερον γέγονεν ἢ οὐ γέγονεν καὶ ἔσται ἢ οὐκ ἔσται, ἔτι δὲ περὶ μεγέθους καὶ μικρότητος τῶν πραγμάτων, εἰρήσθω ταῦτα.
To seek further besides these concerning greatness absolutely and superiority is to speak in vain; for particular things are more sovereign for practical use than the universal. Concerning then the possible and impossible, and whether it has happened or has not happened, and whether it will be or will not be, and further concerning the greatness and smallness of things, let this much be said.
- 1392bγεγονὸς ἂν εἴη καὶ τὸ μᾶλλον
The combination of the perfect participle γεγονός with the potential optative εἴη and the particle ἄν expresses a potential inference about a past event: if the less likely event has occurred, the more likely one must have occurred as well.
- 1392bκαὶ εἰ ἔμελλε, καὶ ποιεῖν
The infinitive ποιεῖν is dependent on an implied predicate of likelihood or expectation (such as εἰκὸς γέγονεν) drawn from the context, which is supported by the explanatory clause εἰκὸς γὰρ... that follows.
- 1393a15διʼ ἐκείνων ληπτέον τὰς αὐξήσεις πᾶσιν
The verbal adjective ληπτέον expresses necessity, forming an impersonal construction with the dative of agent πᾶσιν (by all). The pronoun ἐκείνων (those) refers back to the specific ends of each speech (such as the expedient, the beautiful, and the just) mentioned in the preceding clause.