§67ΤΙ. δηλοῦνται δὲ ὁπόταν τινὸς ἀντιφραχθέντος περὶ τὴν ἀναπνοὴν ἄγῃ τις βίᾳ τὸ πνεῦμα εἰς αὑτόν· τότε γὰρ ὀσμὴ μὲν οὐδεμία συνδιηθεῖται, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τῶν ὀσμῶν ἐρημωθὲν αὐτὸ μόνον ἕπεται.
TI. And they are made clear whenever, the breath being blocked, someone draws the breath with force into himself; for then no smell is filtered through with it, but the breath, being emptied of smells, follows itself alone.
δύʼ οὖν ταῦτα ἀνώνυμα τὰ τούτων ποικίλματα γέγονεν, οὐκ ἐκ πολλῶν οὐδὲ ἁπλῶν εἰδῶν ὄντα, ἀλλὰ διχῇ τό θʼ ἡδὺ καὶ τὸ λυπηρὸν αὐτόθι μόνω διαφανῆ λέγεσθον, τὸ μὲν τραχῦνόν τε καὶ βιαζόμενον τὸ κύτος ἅπαν, ὅσον ἡμῶν μεταξὺ κορυφῆς τοῦ τε ὀμφαλοῦ κεῖται, τὸ δὲ ταὐτὸν τοῦτο καταπραῧνον καὶ πάλιν ᾗ πέφυκεν ἀγαπητῶς ἀποδιδόν.
Therefore, these varied manifestations of them have become nameless, not being from many or simple forms, but they are spoken of here as two alone, clearly distinguished, namely the pleasant and the painful: the one roughening and forcing the entire vessel of us, as much as lies between the crown of the head and the navel, and the other soothing this very same thing and restoring it with welcome back to how it is by nature.
τρίτον δὲ αἰσθητικὸν ἐν ἡμῖν μέρος ἐπισκοποῦσιν τὸ περὶ τὴν ἀκοήν, διʼ ἃς αἰτίας τὰ περὶ αὐτὸ συμβαίνει παθήματα, λεκτέον.
And the third sensing part in us, namely that concerning hearing, we must speak of, examining for what causes the affections concerning it happen.
ὅλως μὲν οὖν φωνὴν θῶμεν τὴν διʼ ὤτων ὑπʼ ἀέρος ἐγκεφάλου τε καὶ αἵματος μέχρι ψυχῆς πληγὴν διαδιδομένην, τὴν δὲ ὑπʼ αὐτῆς κίνησιν, ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς μὲν ἀρχομένην, τελευτῶσαν δὲ περὶ τὴν τοῦ ἥπατος ἕδραν, ἀκοήν·
Generally, then, let us lay down that "voice" is the impact transmitted by air, through the ears, of the brain and blood up to the soul, and that "hearing" is the movement caused by it, beginning from the head and ending around the seat of the liver.
ὅση δʼ αὐτῆς ταχεῖα, ὀξεῖαν, ὅση δὲ βραδυτέρα, βαρυτέραν· τὴν δὲ ὁμοίαν ὁμαλήν τε καὶ λείαν, τὴν δὲ ἐναντίαν τραχεῖαν· μεγάλην δὲ τὴν πολλήν, ὅση δὲ ἐναντία, σμικράν.
And as much of it as is swift is "high-pitched", and as much as is slower is "low-pitched"; and that which is uniform is "smooth" and even, but the opposite is "rough"; and that which is much is "great", and the opposite is "small".
τὰ δὲ περὶ συμφωνίας αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕστερον λεχθησομένοις ἀνάγκη ῥηθῆναι.
But concerning their concord, it must of necessity be spoken of in what will be said hereafter.
τέταρτον δὴ λοιπὸν ἔτι γένος ἡμῖν αἰσθητικόν, ὃ διελέσθαι δεῖ συχνὰ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ποικίλματα κεκτημένον, ἃ σύμπαντα μὲν χρόας ἐκαλέσαμεν, φλόγα τῶν σωμάτων ἑκάστων ἀπορρέουσαν, ὄψει σύμμετρα μόρια ἔχουσαν πρὸς αἴσθησιν· ὄψεως δʼ ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν αὐτὸ περὶ τῶν αἰτίων τῆς γενέσεως ἐρρήθη.
And indeed, there remains still a fourth class of sensation for us, which we must distinguish, possessing as it does many varied manifestations within itself, all of which we have called "colors", a flame flowing off from each of the bodies, having particles proportioned to the sight for sensation; and concerning the causes of the generation of sight itself, it was spoken of in the prior parts.
τῇδʼ οὖν τῶν χρωμάτων πέρι μάλιστα εἰκὸς πρέποι τʼ ἂν ἐπιεικεῖ λόγῳ διεξελθεῖν· τὰ φερόμενα ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων μόρια ἐμπίπτοντά τε εἰς τὴν ὄψιν τὰ μὲν ἐλάττω, τὰ δὲ μείζω, τὰ δʼ ἴσα τοῖς αὐτῆς τῆς ὄψεως μέρεσιν εἶναι·
Here, then, it would be most fitting and proper to go through the matter of colors with a reasonable account: that the particles carried from other things and falling into the sight are some smaller, some larger, and some equal to the parts of the sight itself.
τὰ μὲν οὖν ἴσα ἀναίσθητα, ἃ δὴ καὶ διαφανῆ λέγομεν, τὰ δὲ μείζω καὶ ἐλάττω, τὰ μὲν συγκρίνοντα, τὰ δὲ διακρίνοντα αὐτήν, τοῖς περὶ τὴν σάρκα θερμοῖς καὶ ψυχροῖς καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὴν γλῶτταν στρυφνοῖς, καὶ ὅσα θερμαντικὰ ὄντα δριμέα ἐκαλέσαμεν, ἀδελφὰ εἶναι, τά τε λευκὰ καὶ τὰ μέλανα, ἐκείνων παθήματα γεγονότα ἐν ἄλλῳ γένει τὰ αὐτά, φανταζόμενα δὲ ἄλλα διὰ ταύτας τὰς αἰτίας.
Those which are equal are insensible, which indeed we also call "transparent", but those which are larger and smaller, the one contracting and the other dilating it, are sister to the hot and cold things around the flesh, and to the astringent things around the tongue, and to as many as being warming we called "pungent", namely white and black, being the very same affections occurring in another class, but appearing different for these causes.
§68ΤΙ. οὕτως οὖν αὐτὰ προσρητέον·
TI.
τὸ μὲν διακριτικὸν τῆς ὄψεως λευκόν, τὸ δʼ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ μέλαν, τὴν δὲ ὀξυτέραν φορὰν καὶ γένους πυρὸς ἑτέρου προσπίπτουσαν καὶ διακρίνουσαν τὴν ὄψιν μέχρι τῶν ὀμμάτων, αὐτάς τε τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰς διεξόδους βίᾳ διωθοῦσαν καὶ τήκουσαν, πῦρ μὲν ἁθρόον καὶ ὕδωρ, ὃ δάκρυον καλοῦμεν, ἐκεῖθεν ἐκχέουσαν, αὐτὴν δὲ οὖσαν πῦρ ἐξ ἐναντίας ἀπαντῶσαν, καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἐκπηδῶντος πυρὸς οἷον ἀπʼ ἀστραπῆς, τοῦ δʼ εἰσιόντος καὶ περὶ τὸ νοτερὸν κατασβεννυμένου, παντοδαπῶν ἐν τῇ κυκήσει ταύτῃ γιγνομένων χρωμάτων, μαρμαρυγὰς μὲν τὸ πάθος προσείπομεν, τὸ δὲ τοῦτο ἀπεργαζόμενον λαμπρόν τε καὶ στίλβον ἐπωνομάσαμεν.
In this way, then, they must be addressed: that which dilates the sight is "white", and the opposite of it is "black", and the swifter movement belonging to another class of fire falling upon and dilating the sight as far as the eyes, and forcing apart the very passages of the eyes by violence and melting them, pouring out from there a mass of fire and water, which we call "tear", and being itself fire meeting it from the opposite direction, and as one fire leaps out as if from lightning, and the other enters and is quenched around the moisture, with all kinds of colors arising in this stirring, we have called the affection "glitter", and that which produces this we have named "bright" and "sparkling".
τὸ δὲ τούτων αὖ μεταξὺ πυρὸς γένος, πρὸς μὲν τὸ τῶν ὀμμάτων ὑγρὸν ἀφικνούμενον καὶ κεραννύμενον αὐτῷ, στίλβον δὲ οὔ· τῇ δὲ διὰ τῆς νοτίδος αὐγῇ τοῦ πυρὸς μειγνυμένου χρῶμα ἔναιμον παρασχομένῃ, τοὔνομα ἐρυθρὸν λέγομεν.
And in turn, the class of fire between these, reaching the moisture of the eyes and being mixed with it, is not sparkling; but the light of the fire mixing through the moisture, presenting a blood-like color, we call by the name "red".
λαμπρόν τε ἐρυθρῷ λευκῷ τε μειγνύμενον ξανθὸν γέγονεν· τὸ δὲ ὅσον μέτρον ὅσοις, οὐδʼ εἴ τις εἰδείη, νοῦν ἔχει τὸ λέγειν, ὧν μήτε τινὰ ἀνάγκην μήτε τὸν εἰκότα λόγον καὶ μετρίως ἄν τις εἰπεῖν εἴη δυνατός.
And the bright mixing with red and white has become "yellow"; but as to what measure is mixed with what, even if someone knew, it would have no sense to speak of it, since of these things no one would be able to state either any necessity or a reasonable account even in a moderate degree.
ἐρυθρὸν δὲ δὴ μέλανι λευκῷ τε κραθὲν ἁλουργόν· ὄρφνινον δέ, ὅταν τούτοις μεμειγμένοις καυθεῖσίν τε μᾶλλον συγκραθῇ μέλαν.
And red blended with black and white is "purple"; but "dark brown" when black is further blended with these mixed and burned things.
πυρρὸν δὲ ξανθοῦ τε καὶ φαιοῦ κράσει γίγνεται, φαιὸν δὲ λευκοῦ τε καὶ μέλανος, τὸ δὲ ὠχρὸν λευκοῦ ξανθῷ μειγνυμένου.
And "reddish-brown" arises from the blending of yellow and grey, and "grey" of white and black, and "ochre" of white mixing with yellow.
λαμπρῷ δὲ λευκὸν συνελθὸν καὶ εἰς μέλαν κατακορὲς ἐμπεσὸν κυανοῦν χρῶμα ἀποτελεῖται, κυανοῦ δὲ λευκῷ κεραννυμένου γλαυκόν, πυρροῦ δὲ μέλανι πράσιον.
And white coming together with the bright and falling into saturated black, the color "blue" is completed; and of blue blended with white, "pale blue" arises, and of reddish-brown with black, "leek-green".
τὰ δὲ ἄλλα ἀπὸ τούτων σχεδὸν δῆλα αἷς ἂν ἀφομοιούμενα μείξεσιν διασῴζοι τὸν εἰκότα μῦθον.
And the other colors are nearly clear from these, as to which mixings they would preserve the reasonable myth by being assimilated to.
εἰ δέ τις τούτων ἔργῳ σκοπούμενος βάσανον λαμβάνοι, τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης καὶ θείας φύσεως ἠγνοηκὼς ἂν εἴη διάφορον, ὅτι θεὸς μὲν τὰ πολλὰ εἰς ἓν συγκεραννύναι καὶ πάλιν ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς πολλὰ διαλύειν ἱκανῶς ἐπιστάμενος ἅμα καὶ δυνατός, ἀνθρώπων δὲ οὐδεὶς οὐδέτερα τούτων ἱκανὸς οὔτε ἔστι νῦν οὔτε εἰς αὖθίς ποτε ἔσται.
But if someone, examining these in fact, should take them to the test, he would be ignorant of the difference between human and divine nature, namely that God indeed is sufficiently knowing and able to mix many things into one and in turn to dissolve them from one into many, but no one of men is capable of either of these, neither now nor ever in the future.
ταῦτα δὴ πάντα τότε ταύτῃ πεφυκότα ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὁ τοῦ καλλίστου τε καὶ ἀρίστου δημιουργὸς ἐν τοῖς γιγνομένοις παρελάμβανεν, ἡνίκα τὸν αὐτάρκη τε καὶ τὸν τελεώτατον θεὸν ἐγέννα, χρώμενος μὲν ταῖς περὶ ταῦτα αἰτίαις ὑπηρετούσαις, τὸ δὲ εὖ τεκταινόμενος ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς γιγνομένοις αὐτός.
All these things, then, being by nature thus out of necessity at that time, the craftsman of the most beautiful and best took them over among things that come to be, when he was generating the self-sufficient and most perfect god, using indeed the causes concerning these as subservient, but himself fashioning the good in all things that come to be.