§2#2ὅτι καὶ τὸ ποσὸν τῆς δρώσης αἰτίας ἄνισόν ἐστι, καὶ ἡ συστᾶσα διάθεσις ἀπ’ αὐτῆς ἐν τῷ σώματι παμπόλλην ἐν τῷ μᾶλλόν τε καὶ ἧττον ἔχει τὴν διαφορὰν, αὐτό τε τὸ σύμπαν τοῦ ζώου σῶμα πάμπολυ διενήνοχεν ἕτερον ἑτέρου πρὸς τὸ ῥᾳδίως ἢ μόγις ἐξίστασθαι τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν.
the quantity of the active cause is also unequal, and the disposition constituted from it in the body has a very great difference in the more and the less, and the entire body of the animal itself differs greatly one from another with respect to departing easily or with difficulty from what is according to nature.
ὡς οὖν οὐκ ἀπορεῖς δια τί πᾶσα κίνησις οὐκ ἐργάζεται κόπον, ἀλλ’ ἐναργές ἐστί σοι τό γε τοσοῦτον, ὡς εἰ μὴ πλείων εἴη καὶ ἰσχυροτέρα τῆς τῶν ἄρθρων τε καὶ μυῶν φύσεως, οὐκ ἄν ποτε κοπώσειεν αὐτὰ, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐχρῆν σε τρόπον ἐννοεῖν, ὡς οὐδ’ ἡ κοπώδης αὕτη διάθεσις, εἰ μὴ μέγεθός τε καὶ χρόνον ἀξιόλογον σχοίη, οὐκ ἂν τὸ πᾶν ἑαυτῇ σῶμα συγκακῶσαι δυνήσεται.
Therefore, just as you do not wonder why all movement does not produce fatigue, but this much at least is clear to you, that if it were not greater and stronger than the nature of the joints and muscles, it would never fatigue them, in the same way you ought to have understood that neither will this fatiguing disposition be able to ruin the whole body along with itself, unless it should have a notable magnitude and time.
ἢ κίνησις μὲν ὀλίγη· κόπον οὐχ οἵα τέ ἐστιν ἐργάζεσθαι, μικρὸς δὲ κόπος ἀνάψει πάντως πυρετόν;
Or is it that a little movement is unable to produce fatigue, but a small fatigue will in any case kindle a fever?
ἢ κίνησις μὲν ἐν τῷ πρός τι τὸ δρᾷν ἕξει, κόπος δ’ οὐχ ἕξει;
Or will movement have its active effect in relation to something, but fatigue will not?
καὶ μὲν ὅτι γε τὰ μὲν τῶν ἀθλητῶν σώματα πολυχρονίων τε ἅμα καὶ σφοδροτάτων ἀνέχεται κινήσεων ἄνευ τοῦ κοπωθῆναι, τὰ δ’ ἡμῶν τῶν ἰδιωτῶν, εἰ πλείω βραχὺ παρὰ τὰ καθεστῶτα πονήσαιμεν, εὐθὺς ἀγανακτεῖ, πάντες ἤδη τοῦτό γε καὶ οἱ σκαιότατοι γινώσκουσιν.
And indeed, that the bodies of athletes endure both long-lasting and most violent movements without becoming fatigued, whereas those of us laymen, if we should labor even a little beyond what is established, immediately suffer, everyone, even the most foolish, already knows this.
οὔκουν θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν, εἰ κοπωθείς τις οὐδ’ ὅλως ἐπύρεξεν.
Therefore, it is not at all wonderful if someone, having become fatigued, did not fever at all.
ἢ γὰρ μικρὸς ὁ κόπος, ἢ ὀλιγοχρόνιος, ἢ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἰσχύος ἥττων ἐγένετο, ἢ τὸ μὲν γυμνάσιον, εἰ βραχυχρόνιον εἴη καὶ μὴ σφοδρὸν καὶ τῆς τοῦ γυμναζομένου φύσεως ἀσθενέστερον, οὐκ ἄν ποτε κόπον ἐργάσεται, κόπος δ’ ἀνάψει πυρετὸν, κᾂν βραχὺς, κᾂν ὀλιγοχρόνιος ᾖ, κᾂν τῆς τοῦ πάσχοντος σώματος ἰσχύος ἀσθενέστερος.
For either the fatigue was small, or short-lived, or inferior to the strength of the body; or is it that exercise, if it should be short-lived and not violent and weaker than the nature of the person exercising, would never produce fatigue, but fatigue will kindle a fever, even if it is small, even if it is short-lived, and even if it is weaker than the strength of the suffering body?
ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε κᾀπὶ τοῦ πάντων δραστικωτάτου πυρὸς ἰδεῖν ἔστιν, ὡς οὔτε τοὺς κατεψυγμένους ἐκθερμαίνει χωρὶς χρόνου καὶ ῥώμης· ἥκοντες γὰρ ἐκ κρύους ἐνίοτε διὰ μεγίστης φλογὸς τὰς χεῖρας διαφέρομεν ἀλύπως·
But this at least can be seen also in the case of fire, the most active of all things, how it neither heats those who are chilled without time and strength—for coming from the cold, we sometimes pass our hands through the greatest flame without pain—nor indeed does it readily kindle all matter.
οὔτε μὴν πᾶσαν ὕλην ἑτοίμως ἐξάπτει. κάλαμοι μὲν γὰρ οἱ ξηροὶ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην εὐθὺς ὁμιλίαν ἀνάπτονται, ξύλα δ’ ὑγρὰ καὶ χλωρὰ χρόνου τε δεῖται μακροῦ καὶ φλογὸς ἰσχυρᾶς, ἵν’ ἐξαφθῇ.
For dry reeds are kindled immediately upon their very first association, but wet and green wood needs both a long time and a strong flame in order to be kindled.
πῶς οὖν ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρὸς οὐδὲν τούτων θαυμάζων ἐπὶ τοῦ κόπου θαυμάζεις, εἰ καὶ μεγέθους δεῖται καὶ χρόνου καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἐπιτηδείως ἔχοντος ἐξάπτεσθαι;
How then, while wondering at none of these things in the case of fire, do you wonder in the case of fatigue, if it also needs magnitude, time, and the body being suitably disposed to be kindled?
ἄμεινον δ’ ἦν σε μὴ τοῦτο θαυμάζειν, ἀλλ’ ἐπισκέψασθαι ποῖον ζώου σῶμα ῥᾳδίως ἐκθερμαίνεσθαι πέφυκε καὶ ποῖον δυσχερῶς.
And it would have been better for you not to wonder at this, but to examine what kind of animal body is naturally disposed to be easily heated, and what kind with difficulty.
ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἐφεξῆς ἀκούσῃ.
But this you shall hear next.
ἐν δέ γε τῷ παρόντι μηδὲν εἶναί σοι φαινέσθω θαυμαστὸν, εἰ καὶ χρόνου δεῖται καὶ μεγέθους τὸ μέλλον ποιήσειν ὁπωσοῦν, καὶ προσέτι τοῦ πλησιάζοντος ἐπιτηδείου παθεῖν.
But for the present, let nothing seem wonderful to you, if that which is going to act in any way needs both time and magnitude, and furthermore, that which is adjacent being suitable to suffer.
οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ πῦρ οἷόν τ’ ἐστὶ χωρὶς τούτων καίειν, οὐδὲ τὸ ξίφος τέμνειν, οὐδ’ ἄλλο τι τῶν δραστικωτάτων οὐδὲν οὔτ’ εἰς ἰσχυρότερον ἑαυτοῦ δρᾷν πέφυκεν οὔτ’ ἄνευ χρόνου τινὸς ἀξιολόγου.
For neither is fire able to burn without these, nor a sword to cut, nor is any other of the most active things naturally disposed either to act upon what is stronger than itself, or without some considerable time.
τῆς μὲν οὖν λυχνιαίας φλογὸς οὐκ ἂν ἀθρόως οὐδὲ τοὔλαιον κατα χέαις, μή τοί γε δὴ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ τῷ ξίφει τέμνειν οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ τοὺς λίθους ἐπιχειρίσειας, μὴ ὅτι γε ἀδάμαντα, κόπον δὲ καὶ θάλψιν καὶ ψύξιν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ τοιαῦτα πυρετὸν ἀξιώσεις ἀνάπτειν ἀεὶ, κᾂν μικρὸν, κᾂν ὀλιγοχρόνιον, κᾂν ἀνεπιτήδειον ἔχῃ τὸ σύμπαν σῶμα πρὸς τὸ θερμαίνεσθαι, ἢ οὔ;
Therefore, you would not pour even oil all at once upon the flame of a lamp, let alone indeed water, nor would you attempt to cut even stones with a sword, let alone adamant; but will you demand that fatigue, heating, chilling, and other such things always kindle a fever, even if it is small, even if it is short-lived, and even if the entire body is unsuitably disposed toward being heated, or not?
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἤδη θερμὸν ἑτοιμότερον ὑπερθερμανθῆναι, καθάπερ οὖν τὸ ψυχρὸν ὑπερψυχθῆναι, τὸ δ’ ἐναντίως ἔχον ἀνεπιτήδειον.
For that which is already hot is more ready to be overheated, just as that which is cold is more ready to be overchilled, but that which is in the opposite state is unsuitable.
οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἀναίσθητός τε καὶ ἀμαθὴς ἡ τῶν τοιαῦτα ζητούντων ἀπορία· τοὺς δὲ μηδὲν ἀποφαινομένους ἑτοίμως τε καὶ προπετῶς ὑπὸ μηδενὸς τῶν εἰρημένων μηδέποτε γίγνεσθαι πυρετὸν, ἢ τῆς ἀναισθησίας ἐλεεῖσθαι προσῆκεν, ἢ τῆς φιλονεικίας μισεῖσθαι.
Thus, then, the perplexity of those who search into such things is both unfeeling and ignorant; while those who declare, readily and rashly, that a fever is never generated by any of the mentioned causes, ought either to be pitied for their lack of perception or hated for their contentiousness.
λέλυται γοῦν καὶ τὰ τούτων σοφίσματα δι’ ἑτέρου γράμματος ὑπὲρ τῶν προκαταρκτικῶν αἰτίων ἰδίᾳ γεγραμμένου.
At any rate, their sophisms also have been resolved through another treatise written specially concerning initiating causes.
καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἀντιλέγειν τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις καιρὸς, ἀλλὰ τἀληθῆ διδάσκειν πρόκειται.
And now is not the time to contradict those who have erred, but our purpose is to teach the truth.
πάλιν οὖν ἐπανελθόντες ἐχώμεθα τῶν προκειμένων.
Returning then again, let us hold to the matters before us.
ἦν δὲ, οἶμαι, προκείμενον ἑκάστου τῶν ἁπλῶν νοσημάτων εἰπεῖν τὰς προηγουμένας αἰτίας ἄχρι καὶ τῶν προκαταρκτικῶν.
And the matter before us was, I think, to state the antecedent causes of each of the simple diseases, even up to the initiating ones.
οὐδὲν γὰρ χεῖρον τοῖς οὕτω διαστειλαμένοις τὰς προσηγορίας τοῖ σαφοῦς ἕνεκα ἀκολουθῆσαι.
For it is no worse, for the sake of clarity, to follow those who have thus distinguished the terms.
τὰς μὲν δὴ κατ’ αὐτὸ τὸ ζῶον εἴτ’ οὖν διαθέσεις, εἴτε καὶ κινήσεις παρὰ φύσιν, αἰτίας ὀνομάζουσι προηγουμένας νοσημάτων, τὰ δ’ ἔξωθεν προσπίπτοντα καὶ ἀλλοιοῦντα καὶ μεταβάλλοντα μεγάλως τὸ σῶμα προκατάρχοντά τε καὶ προκαταρκτικὰ καλοῦσιν αἴτια.
Indeed, the dispositions or even movements contrary to nature in the animal itself they call antecedent causes of diseases, while those which fall upon the body from without and greatly alter and change it, they call initiating and procatarctic causes.