§3Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἐσθιομένων τε καὶ πινομένων εὑρῆσθαί μοι δοκῶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς τῶν ἐθῶν δυνάμεως, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἡμῖν προσπιπτόντων ἴδωμεν ἐφεξῆς.
Now, regarding the things eaten and drunk, I believe I have found the cause of the power of habits, but let us look next at the things that fall upon us from without.
ἔοικε γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα τὴν αὐτὴν κατὰ γένος ἔχειν αἰτίαν τοῖς προειρημένοις.
For these also seem to have the same cause in genus as the aforementioned.
ἀλλοίωσιν οὖν τιν’ ἐργάζεται κατὰ τὸ σῶμα μάλιστα μὲν τῶν ἐπιπολῆς μορίων, ἤδη δὲ καὶ τῶν διὰ βάθους.
Therefore, it works some alteration in the body, especially in the superficial parts, and already also in those deep down.
πιλεῖται μὲν γὰρ καὶ συνάγεται καὶ σφίγγεται καὶ πυκνοῦται τὸ δέρμα πρῶτον μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ψυχόντων, ἐφεξῆς δὲ καὶ τὰ τούτῳ συνεχῆ κἂν ἐν χρόνῳ πλείονι τὴν αὐτὴν ἀλλοίωσιν πάσχῃ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τοῖς διὰ βάθους ἡ κοινωνία τῆς μεταβολῆς γίνεται.
For the skin is first compressed, drawn together, tightened, and condensed by cooling things, and next also the parts continuous with it, and even if over a longer time the body suffers the same alteration, the sharing of the change occurs also to the parts deep down.
κατ’ ἀρχὰς δ’ εὐθέως κατὰ συμβεβηκός, οὐ πρώτως, ὑπὸ τοῦ δρῶντος αἰτίου μεταβολὴ καὶ ἀλλοίωσις οὐχ ἥκιστα τοῖς ἐν τῷ βάθει κειμένοις συμπίπτει· πυκνωθέντος γὰρ τοῦ δέρματος ἀθροίζεται κατὰ τὸ τοῦ σώματος ὅλου βάθος ἡ θερμασία.
But from the very beginning, immediately by accident and not primarily, change and alteration happen not least to the things lying in the depth by the active cause; for when the skin is condensed, the heat is concentrated in the depth of the whole body.
ὥσπερ δὲ τὸ ψῦχον αἴτιον τὰς εἰρημένας ἀλλοιώσεις ἐργάζεται, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον τὰς ἐναντίας αὐτῷ τὸ θερμαῖνον.
And just as the cooling cause works the aforementioned alterations, by the same principle the heating cause works those opposite to it.
καὶ γὰρ φύσιν ἔχει πρὸς τῶν ἐναντίων γίνεσθαι τὰ ἐναντία, τὰ μὲν πρώτως, τὰ δὲ κατὰ συμβεβηκός, ἐφ’ ὧν δὴ καὶ μάλιστα σφάλλονται πολλοὶ θεώμενοί τινα κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς ὡσαύτως ἐπιτελούμενα πρὸς τῶν ἐναντίων, ὥσπερ γε πάλιν καὶ ἐναντία πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν αἰτίων γινόμενα.
For it is natural for opposites to come from opposites, some primarily and others by accident, in which indeed many are especially deceived when they observe certain things likewise being accomplished by accident by opposites, just as again opposite things are often produced by the same causes.
ἀμέλει κἀπὶ τῶν θερμαινόντων ὁμοίως ἀπατᾶσθαι συμβαίνει.
Indeed, in the case of heating things, it happens that people are likewise deceived.
τὸ γοῦν θερμὸν αἴτιον, οἷον ὁ ἥλιος, ὁπόταν ὁμιλήσῃ τινὶ σώματι πολυχρονίως, ἐναντίαν διάθεσιν τῇ κατ’ ἀρχὰς ἐργάζεται περὶ αὐτό.
For instance, the hot cause, such as the sun, when it associates with some body for a long time, works an opposite disposition around it to that at the beginning.
ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν γὰρ ἀλεαίνων ἡμᾶς διαχεῖ μὲν τὰ ὑγρά, χαλᾷ δὲ τὸ δέρμα καὶ μαλακωτέρας ἐργάζεται τὰς σάρκας· εἰ δὲ πλέοσιν ἡμέραις ὥρᾳ θέρους ἐν αὐτῷ διατρίψειέ τις γυμνός, αὐχμηρὸν μὲν καὶ σκληρὸν τούτῳ γίνεται τὸ δέρμα, ξηραὶ δ’ αἱ σάρκες.
For in the beginning, warming us, it diffuses the fluids, relaxes the skin, and makes the flesh softer; but if one should spend time naked in it for many days in the summer season, his skin becomes dry and hard, and his flesh dry.
ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν τοιούτων οὐ μόνης τῆς πολυχρονίου θερμασίας τοὖργον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἐζευγμένης αὐτῇ ξηρότητος.
But in such cases, this is the work not of the long-standing warming alone, but also of the dryness joined with it.
καὶ πολλάκις γ’ ἡμᾶς ἐν τοῖς περὶ τῶν αἰτίων λογισμοῖς σφάλλει τοῦτο παρορωμένης τῆς ἐπιπλεκομένης αἰτίας.
And often indeed, this deceives us in our reasonings about causes, because the intertwined cause is overlooked.
ἐχρῆν γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐννοεῖν ἕτερον μέν τι δρᾶν τὴν ὑγρὰν θερμασίαν, ἕτερον δὲ τὴν ξηράν, ὅπερ οὐ ποιοῦμεν ἐνίοτε καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σφαλλόμεθα τὴν οἰκείαν ἐνέργειαν ἑκατέρων τῶν αἰτίων παρορῶντες· εἰ δὲ τις προσέχοι τὸν νοῦν, εἴσεται φυλαττομένην ἑκατέραν.
For we ought to have understood that wet warmth does one thing, and dry warmth another, which we sometimes do not do, and for this reason we are deceived, overlooking the proper activity of each of the causes; but if anyone should pay attention, he will know that each is preserved.
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ μὲν ὑγρότης μόνη χωρὶς θερμότητος ἢ ψύξεως ἐπιφανοῦς ὑγραίνει τὸ σῶμα, τῆς θερμότητος θερμαινούσης, οὕτως ἡ σύνοδος ἀμφοτέρων ἀμφότερα φαίνεται δρῶσα.
For just as wetness alone, without conspicuous warmth or cooling, moistens the body, while warmth warms, so the meeting of both appears to do both.
κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὰ τῶν γλυκέων ὑδάτων λουτρὰ συμβαίνει τοῦτο, κατὰ δὲ τὰ εἱληθερῆ τὸ ξηραῖνον αἴτιον ἐπιπλέκεται τῷ θερμαίνοντι.
In the baths of sweet waters, therefore, this happens, but in sun-baths, the drying cause is intertwined with the heating.
τοιοῦτος γὰρ ὁ θηρινὸς ἥλιος, ὥστ’ εἰκός, ὅσοι γυμνοὶ τὸ πλεῖστον ἐν αὐτῷ διατρίβουσιν, ὥσπερ οἵ τε θερισταὶ καὶ οἱ ναῦται, σκληρὸν καὶ ξηρὸν αὐτῶν γίνεσθαι τὸ δέρμα παραπλησίως τῷ τῶν φολιδωτῶν ζῴων.
For such is the summer sun, so that it is likely that those who spend most of their time naked in it, like reapers and sailors, have their skin become hard and dry, similarly to that of scaly animals.
ὥσπερ οὖν αἱ φυσικαὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἰδιότητές τε καὶ τῆς ὅλης οὐσίας διαφοραί τε τοῦ δέρματος κατὰ σκληρότητα καὶ μαλακότητα πυκνότητά τε καὶ μανότητα διαφόρων μὲν ἐδεσμάτων τε καὶ πομάτων χρῄζουσιν, οὐχ ὁμοίως δ’ ἀλλήλαις ἅπασαι διατίθενται θερμαινόμεναί τε καὶ ψυχόμεναι, οὕτως αἱ δι’ ἔθος γινόμεναι ταῖς φυσικαῖς παραπλήσιαι τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείναις ἴσχουσιν ὠφέλειάν τε καὶ βλάβην ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἐσθιομένων τε καὶ πινομένων ψυχόντων τε καὶ θερμαινόντων ἀλλοιώσεως.
Just as, therefore, the natural properties of bodies and the differences of the whole substance of the skin in hardness and softness, density and rarity, stand in need of different foods and drinks, and are not all affected similarly to one another when warmed and cooled, so those properties arising through habit, being similar to the natural ones, hold the same benefit and harm as those from the alteration of things eaten and drunk, and of things cooling and warming.
ἀραιὸν μὲν γὰρ καὶ μαλακὸν σῶμα ῥᾳδίως πάσχει θερμαινόμενόν τε καὶ ψυχόμενον· πυκνὸν δὲ καὶ σκληρὸν ἀνέχεταί τε καὶ καταφρονεῖ τῶν ἔξωθεν αὐτῷ προσπιπτόντων ἁπάντων, οὐ μόνον εἰ θερμαίνοιεν ἢ ψύχοιεν, ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ σκληρὸν εἴη τι καὶ τραχύ.
For a rare and soft body easily suffers when warmed and cooled; but a dense and hard one tolerates and despises all things falling upon it from without, not only if they should warm or cool, but even if something should be hard and rough.
διὸ καὶ χαμευνίας ἀνέχεται ταῦτα, τῶν ἐναντίως διακειμένων οὐ φερόντων αὐτάς· καὶ γὰρ θλᾶται ῥᾳδίως καὶ ψύχεται καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἑτοίμως πάσχει.
Therefore, these tolerate sleeping on the ground, whereas those in the opposite disposition do not bear them; for they are easily bruised, cooled, and readily suffer anything whatsoever.