§7#2τὸ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο προσωτέρω κινεῖν αὐτὰς ἐνδεικτικόν ἐστι τῆς τότε γινομένης ἐνεργείας.
And the fact that [this] also moves them further is indicative of the activity then taking place.
ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐνεργοῦσα, φασὶν, ἡ ἀρτηρία θᾶττόν τε καὶ μέχρι πλέονος εἴσω προσέρχεται, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν χιτώνων μαλακότητα· πεφύκασι γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι τῆς διαστολῆς ἀφεθέντες ἐπὶ πλεῖόν τε καὶ θᾶττον τῶν σκληρῶν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς συνιζάνειν.
But, they say, the artery does not move inward faster and to a greater extent because it is active, but because of the softness of its coats; for such [coats], when released from the dilation, are of a nature to collapse into themselves to a greater extent and faster than the hard ones.
ἀλλὰ τοῦτο, φήσομεν, ὦ γενναῖοι, τῇ μὲν κατὰ τὰς ἡλικίας ἐξαλλαγῇ τῶν ῥυθμῶν ἴσως ὁμολογεῖ· καίτοι δείξομεν ὀλίγον ὕστερον, ὅπως διαφέρεται· παμπόλλαις δ’ ἄλλαις διαθέσεσιν ἐναργῶς διαφωνεῖ, καθ’ ἃς ἐξαιφνίδιος ἡ ἀλλοίωσις γίνεται τῶν ῥυθμῶν, οὐδὲν μέγα τῶν χιτώνων ἐν οὕτως ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ μεταβάλλειν εἰς μαλακότητά τε καὶ σκληρότητα δυναμένων.
But this, we shall say, O noble sirs, perhaps agrees with the change of rhythms according to age—although we shall show a little later how it differs—but it clearly conflicts with very many other conditions, under which a sudden alteration of the rhythms occurs, since the coats are in no way able to change significantly to softness or hardness in so short a time.
ἐξαπατᾷ δὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα ὑμᾶς καὶ τὸ καλῶς ὑπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν ἰατρῶν εἰρημένον, οὐ συνιέντας αὐτὸ προσηκόντως.
And that which was well said by the ancient physicians deceives you not least, since you do not understand it properly.
ἑτοιμότεροι γὰρ εἰσὶ πρὸς τὰς κινήσεις οἱ μαλακοὶ χιτῶνες, ὅταν ἐνεργῶσί τι δι’ αὐτῶν αἱ δυνάμεις· εὐπειθέστεροι γὰρ οὕτως αὐταῖς εἰσι καὶ, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, εὐαγωγότεροι πρὸς ὅ τι ἂν ἐθέλωσιν.
For soft coats are more ready for movements when the powers active through them effect something; for in this way they are more obedient to them and, as one might say, more easily led toward whatever they wish.
ὅταν δ’ ὑπ’ ἐκείνων κινηθέντες αὖθις ἐαθῶσιν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν κατάστασιν ἐπανιέναι, τόθ’ οἱ σκληροὶ θᾶττον ἐπανέρχονται τῶν μαλακωτέρων, ὥσπερ καὶ τῶν φυτῶν τὰ σκληρότερα τῶν μαλακωτέρων χαλεπώτερον μὲν ὑπείκει τοῖς βιαζομένοις καὶ μόλις ἕπεται τοῖς ἕλκουσιν, ἀφεθέντα δ’ αὖθις εὐκολώτερον εἰς τὴν ἔμπροσθεν ἐπανέρχεται κατάστασιν.
But when, having been moved by those [powers], they are allowed again to return to their own state, then the hard ones return faster than the softer ones, just as also among plants, the harder ones yield with greater difficulty than the softer ones to those that force them, and follow with difficulty those that pull them, but when released, they return more easily to their previous state.
ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγον ἔχον ἐστὶ τοῦτο πρὸ τοῦ φαίνεσθαι γινόμενον οὕτως.
But this is also reasonable, even before it is seen to happen thus.
ἑκάστῳ γὰρ τῶν σωμάτων ἐστί τις ἴδιος λόγος συστάσεως ἄλυπός τε καὶ, ὡς Ἱπποκράτης ἔλεγεν, ἀκάματος, ἐν τῷ μέσῳ δηλονότι τῶν ἀμέτρων αὐτοῦ κινήσεων καθεστηκυίας, καὶ ταύτης οὐκ ἄνευ καμάτου τινὸς ἐξίσταται.
For to each of the bodies there is a certain proper ratio of constitution, painless and, as Hippocrates used to say, tireless, established clearly in the middle of its immoderate movements, and from this it does not depart without some fatigue.
καὶ μείζων δὲ κάματος καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ κινουμένῳ σώματι καὶ τῇ κινούσῃ δυνάμει τότε μᾶλλόν ἐστιν, ὅταν σκληρόν τε καὶ ξηρὸν ὑπάρχῃ.
And a greater fatigue both for the moved body itself and for the moving power is then more present, whenever it is hard and dry.
τὸ γὰρ οὕτω συνεστηκὸς ἰσχυροτέραν ἔχει τὴν ἕξιν τοῦ μαλακωτέρου τε καὶ ὑγροτέρου· ὅσῳ δ’ ἂν ἕκαστον τῶν ὁτιοῦν πάσχειν μελλόντων ἰσχυρότερον ᾖ, τοσοῦτον τῷ διατιθέντι δυσκινητότερον γίνεται.
For that which is thus constituted has a stronger state than that which is softer and wetter; and by as much as each of those that are to undergo anything is stronger, by so much does it become more difficult to move for that which affects it.
εἴπερ οὖν πάσχει μὲν τὸ κινούμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ κινοῦντος, ἐνεργεῖ δὲ καὶ δρᾷ περὶ αὐτὸ τὸ κινοῦν, εὔλογον ἦν, ὅσον δυσπαθέστερόν ἐστι τὸ σκληρότερον, εἰς τοσοῦτον καὶ δυσκινητότερον αὐτὸ γενέσθαι.
If, therefore, the moved is affected by the mover, and the mover is active and acts upon it, it was reasonable that, to the degree that the harder is more difficult to affect, to that degree it should also become more difficult to move.
καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, εἴτε φυτὸν ὁτιοῦν, εἴτε τῶν ὀργανικῶν τι τοῦ ζώου μορίων ὑπὸ δυνάμεώς τινος κινοῖτο, τὸ μὲν σκληρὸν, ὡς ἂν δυσπαθέστερόν τε καὶ δυσκινητότερον, ἧττον ἀκολουθεῖ, ῥᾷον δὲ τὸ μαλακώτερον.
And for this reason, whether any plant or any of the organic parts of the animal is moved by some power, the hard, as being more difficult to affect and to move, follows less, while the softer follows more easily.
τοῦ μαλακωτέρου δὲ τὸ σκληρὸν θᾶττον εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κατάστασιν ἐπανέρχεται, ὡς ἂν ἰσχυροτέρᾳ συνεχόμενον ἕξει.
And the hard returns to its own state faster than the softer, as being held together by a stronger state.
φαίνεται γὰρ ἐν τοῖς φυτοῖς, ὅσα μὲν ἁπαλὰ καὶ νέα, λυγιζόμενά τε καὶ βραδύνοντα κατὰ τὰς εἰς τὴν φύσιν ἐπανόδους, ὅσα δ’ ἤδη τέλεα καὶ σκληρὰ, μετὰ πλείονος τοῦ τόνου καὶ θάττονος τῆς κινήσεως ἐπανερχόμενα.
For it appears in plants that those which are tender and young bend and delay in their returns to their natural state, whereas those which are already mature and hard return with greater tension and faster movement.
πρὸς τῷ τοίνυν, ὡς ἔφην, καταβάλλειν αὐτῶν τὸν λόγον τὰς ἐξαίφνης γιγνομένας μεταβολὰς τῶν ῥυθμῶν οὐδ’ ἄλλως ἔοικεν ὁμολογεῖν τοῖς φαινομένοις ἡ ὑπόθεσις, δειχθέντος τοῦ μὲν μαλακωτέρου σώματος καὶ ἀσθενεστέρου ῥᾷον μὲν ἑπομένου τῷ κινοῦντι, βραδύτερον δ’ εἰς τὴν φύσιν ἐπανερχομένου, τοῦ δὲ σκληροτέρου διὰ συντονίαν μόγις μὲν νικωμένου, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο βραδύτερον ἑπομένου, θᾶττον δὲ, ὅταν ἀφεθῇ, πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπειγομένου φύσιν.
Therefore, in addition to the fact that, as I said, the suddenly occurring changes of the rhythms overthrow their argument, the hypothesis does not seem to agree with the phenomena in other respects either, since it has been shown that the softer and weaker body indeed follows the mover more easily, but returns to its natural state more slowly, whereas the harder, because of its tension, is overcome with difficulty, and for this reason follows more slowly, but, when released, hastens faster toward its own proper nature.
συνελόντι δὲ φάναι, καὶ ταῖς μαλακαῖς ἀρτηρίαις ἄμφω συμβέβηκε πάσχειν ἐν μέρει καὶ ταῖς σκληραῖς.
To speak briefly, it has happened that both affect both the soft and the hard arteries in turn.