- Source
- Aristotle. Aristotelis Physica. Ross, W.D., editor. Oxford: Clarendon, 1960.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
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- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg054.humanitext-grc1:2#1
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The author argues that the first mover (as the source of motion) and the moved are "together" with nothing between them. Locomotion is classified into four types (pushing, pulling, carrying, and turning), and other various spatial motions are reduced to these, showing that in all cases the mover and the moved are in direct contact.
Τὸ δὲ πρῶτον κινοῦν, μὴ ὡς τὸ οὗ ἕνεκεν, ἀλλʼ ὅθεν ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κινήσεως,1 ἐστὶν ἅμα τῷ κινουμένῳ. ἅμα δὲ λέγω, διότι οὐθὲν αὐτῶν μεταξύ ἐστιν·2 τοῦτο γὰρ κοινὸν ἐπὶ παντὸς κινουμένου καὶ κινοῦντός ἐστιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τρεῖς εἰσὶν κινήσεις, ἥ τε κατὰ τόπον καὶ κατὰ τὸ ποιὸν καὶ κατὰ τὸ ποσόν, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὰ κινούμενα τρία· ἡ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τόπον φορά, ἡ δὲ κατὰ τὸ ποιὸν ἀλλοίωσις, ἡ δὲ κατὰ τὸ ποσὸν αὔξησις καὶ φθίσις. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὑπὲρ τῆς φορᾶς εἴπωμεν· αὕτη γὰρ πρώτη τῶν κινήσεών ἐστιν. Ἅπαν δὴ τὸ φερόμενον ἤτοι αὐτὸ ὑφʼ αὐτοῦ κινεῖται ἢ ὑφʼ ἑτέρου. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὑφʼ αὐτοῦ, φανερὸν ὡς ἐν αὐτῷ τοῦ κινοῦντος ὑπάρχοντος ἅμα τὸ κινοῦν καὶ τὸ κινούμενον ἔσται, καὶ οὐθὲν αὐτῶν μεταξύ· τὸ δʼ ὐπ᾿ ἄλλου κινούμενον τετραχῶς κινεῖται· αἱ γὰρ ὑφʼ ἑτέρου κινήσεις τέτταρές εἰσιν, ὦσις | ἕλξις ὄχησις δίνησις. καὶ γὰρ τὰς ἄλλας πάσας εἰς ταύτας ἀνάγεσθαι συμβαίνει. τῆς μὲν οὖν ὤσεως τὸ μὲν ἔπωσις τὸ δὲ ἄπωσίς ἐστιν, ἔπωσις μὲν οὖν ἐστιν ὅταν τὸ κινοῦν τοῦ κινουμένου μὴ ἀπολείπηται, ἄπωσις δὲ ὅταν τὸ ἀπωθοῦν ἀπολείπηται. ἡ δὲ ὄχησις ἐν ταῖς τρισὶν ἔσται κινήσεσιν. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὀχούμενον οὐ καθʼ αὐτὸ κινεῖται ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμβεβηκός (τῷ γὰρ | ἐν κινουμένῳ εἶναι ἢ ἐπὶ κινουμένου κινεῖται. τὸ δὲ ὀχοῦν κινεῖται ἢ ὠθού|μενον ἢ ἑλκόμενον ἢ δινούμενον. φανερὸν οὖν ὅτι ἡ ὄχησις ἐν ταῖς τρισὶν ἔσται κινήσεσιν. ἡ δʼ ἕλξις ὅταν ἤτοι πρὸς αὐτὸ ἢ πρὸς ἕτερον θάττων ᾖ | ἡ κίνησις ἡ τοῦ ἕλκοντος μὴ χωριζομένη τῆς τοῦ ἑλκομένου.3 καὶ γὰρ πρὸς αὐτό ἐστιν ἡ ἕλξις καὶ πρὸς ἕτερον. καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ δὲ αὐ|ταὶ τῷ εἴδει εἰς ταῦτα ἀναχθήσονται, οἷον ἡ εἴσπνευσις καὶ ἡ ἔκπνευσις καὶ ἡ πτύσις καὶ ὅσαι τῶν σωμάτων ἢ ἐκκριτικαὶ ἢ ληπτικαίεἰσι, καὶ | ἡ σπάθησις δὴ καὶ ἡ κέρκισις· τὸ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν σύγκρισις τὸ δὲ διάκρι|σις. καὶ πᾶσα δὴ κίνησις ἡ κατὰ τόπον σύγκρισις καὶ διάκρισίς ἐστιν. ἡ | δὲ δίνησις σύγκειται ἐξ ἕλξεως καὶ ὤσεως. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὠθεῖ τὸ κινοῦν, τὸ | δʼ ἕλκει. φανερὸν οὖν ὡς ἐπεὶ ἅμα τὸ ὠθοῦν καὶ τὸ ἕλκον τῷ ἑλκομένῳ | καὶ ὠθουμένῳ ἐστίν, οὐθὲν μεταξὺ τοῦ κινουμένου καὶ τοῦ κινοῦντός ἐστιν. | τοῦτο δὲ δῆλον καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὡρισμένων· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ὦσις ἢ ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ ἢ ἀπʼ ἄλλου πρὸς ἄλλο κίνησις, ἡ δʼ ἕλξις ἀπʼ ἄλλου πρὸς αὐτὸ ἢ πρὸς ἄλλο. ἔτι ἡ σύνωσις καὶ ἡ δίωσις. ἡ δὲ ῥῖψις ὅταν θάττων ἡ κίνησις γένηται τῆς κατὰ φύσιν τοῦ φερομένου4 σφοδροτέρας γενομένης τῆς ὤσεως, | καὶ μέχρι τούτου συμβαίνει φέρεσθαι μέχρι ἂν οὗ σφοδροτέρα ᾖ ἡ κίνησις τοῦ φερομένου· φανερὸν δὴ ὅτι τὸ κινούμενον καὶ τὸ κινοῦν ἅμα, καὶ οὐθὲν | αὐτῶν ἐστιν μεταξύ.
The first mover—not as that for the sake of which, but as that from which the source of motion comes—is together with that which is moved. And I say “together” because there is nothing between them; for this is common to every moved thing and mover. Since there are three motions—that in respect of place, that in respect of quality, and that in respect of quantity—it is necessary that the things moved are also three: that in respect of place is locomotion, that in respect of quality is alteration, and that in respect of quantity is increase and decrease. First, then, let us speak about locomotion; for this is the first of motions. Now, everything that is in locomotion is moved either by itself or by another. If, then, by itself, it is clear that since the mover is present in it, the mover and the moved will be together, and there is nothing between them. But that which is moved by another is moved in four ways; for the motions caused by another are four: pushing, pulling, carrying, and turning. For indeed it happens that all other motions are reduced to these. Now, of pushing, one is pushing-on, and the other is pushing-away. Pushing-on is when the mover does not lag behind the thing moved; pushing-away is when that which pushes away lags behind. And carrying will be in the three motions. For that which is carried is not moved in virtue of itself but accidentally, for it is moved by being in something that is moved or upon something that is moved. And that which carries is moved either by being pushed, or pulled, or turned. It is clear, then, that carrying will be in the three motions. And pulling is when the motion of that which pulls—not being separated from that of that which is pulled—is faster, either towards itself or towards another. For indeed pulling is both towards itself and towards another. And the remaining motions, being the same in species, will be reduced to these, such as inhalation and exhalation, spitting, and whatever bodily movements are excretory or receptive, and indeed packing and combing; for some of them are combination, and others separation. And indeed every motion in respect of place is combination and separation. And turning is composed of pulling and pushing; for the mover pushes on one side and pulls on the other. It is clear, then, that since that which pushes and that which pulls are together with that which is pulled and that which is pushed, there is nothing between that which is moved and that which moves. And this is also clear from the definitions: for pushing is motion either from oneself or from another to another, and pulling is from another to oneself or to another. Furthermore, there are crowding-together and pushing-apart. And throwing is when the motion becomes faster than the natural motion of that which is carried, because the pushing has become more violent, and it happens to be carried up to the point where the motion of that which is carried remains more violent. It is clear, then, that the moved and the mover are together, and there is nothing between them.
- 243a2Τὸ δὲ πρῶτον κινοῦν, μὴ ὡς τὸ οὗ ἕνεκεν, ἀλλʼ ὅθεν ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κινήσεως
Clarifies that "the first mover" refers to the efficient cause (ἀλλʼ ὅθεν ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κινήσεως) rather than the final cause (μὴ ὡς τὸ οὗ ἕνεκεν). This definition serves as a premise for demonstrating the spatial contact between the mover and the moved.
- 243a5ἅμα δὲ λέγω... διότι οὐθὲν αὐτῶν μεταξύ ἐστιν
Defines the adverb "together" (ἅμα) not in terms of temporal simultaneity, but as spatial contiguity (contact), meaning "there is nothing between them." This definition is pivotal for the physical and contact-based arguments in this chapter.
- 243a25ἡ δʼ ἕλξις ὅταν ἤτοι πρὸς αὐτὸ ἢ πρὸς ἕτερον θάττων ᾖ ἡ κίνησις ἡ τοῦ ἕλκοντος μὴ χωριζομένη τῆς τοῦ ἑλκομένου
The definition of "pulling" (ἕλξις). The participle phrase μὴ χωριζομένη (not being separated) modifies the motion of that which pulls (ἡ κίνησις ἡ τοῦ ἕλκοντος). It explains the continuity of contact where the pulling force is active because the mover is "faster" (θάττων) than the moved, yet they remain unseparated.
- 244a16ἡ δὲ ῥῖψις ὅταν θάττων ἡ κίνησις γένηται τῆς κατὰ φύσιν τοῦ φερομένου
Analysis of "throwing" (ῥῖψις). The genitive of comparison τῆς κατὰ φύσιν [κινήσεως] refers to the "natural motion" of the projectile. The syntax explains that the projectile motion continues as long as the imparted push makes its motion faster than its natural motion.