§1.40.1τῶν δʼ ἐν Μέμφει τινὲς φιλοσόφων ἐπεχείρησαν αἰτίαν φέρειν τῆς πληρώσεως ἀνεξέλεγκτον μᾶλλον ἢ πιθανήν, §1.40.2ᾗ πολλοὶ συγκατατέθεινται.
Some of the philosophers in Memphis attempted to offer a cause for the filling of the river that is unrefutable rather than plausible, to which many have agreed.
διαιρούμενοι γὰρ τὴν γῆν εἰς τρία μέρη φασὶν ὑπάρχειν ἓν μὲν τὸ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν οἰκουμένην, ἕτερον δὲ τὸ τούτοις τοῖς τόποις ἀντιπεπονθὸς ταῖς ὥραις, τὸ δὲ τρίτον μεταξὺ μὲν κεῖσθαι τούτων, ὑπάρχειν δὲ διὰ καῦμα ἀοίκητον.
For, dividing the earth into three parts, they say that one is the part containing our inhabited world, another is the one opposite to these regions in its seasons, and the third lies between these and is uninhabitable because of the heat.
§1.40.3εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁ Νεῖλος ἀνέβαινε κατὰ τὸν τοῦ χειμῶνος καιρόν, δῆλον ἂν ὑπῆρχεν ὡς ἐκ τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς ζώνης λαμβάνει τὴν ἐπίρρυσιν διὰ τὸ περὶ τούτους τοὺς καιροὺς μάλιστα γίνεσθαι παρʼ ἡμῖν τὰς ἐπομβρίας· ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὐναντίον περὶ τὸ θέρος πληροῦται, πιθανὸν εἶναι κατὰ τοὺς ἀντικειμένους τόπους γεννᾶσθαι τοὺς χειμῶνας, καὶ τὸ πλεονάζον τῶν κατʼ ἐκείνους τοὺς τόπους ὑδάτων εἰς τὴν καθʼ ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένην φέρεσθαι.
If, then, the Nile rose during the winter season, it would be manifest that it receives its flow from our zone, because during these seasons we have the greatest rains; but since, on the contrary, it is filled in summer, it is plausible that winter occurs in the opposite regions, and that the excess of water in those regions is carried into our inhabited world.
§1.40.4διὸ καὶ πρὸς τὰς πηγὰς τοῦ Νείλου μηδένα δύνασθαι παρελθεῖν, ὡς ἂν ἐκ τῆς ἐναντίας ζώνης διὰ τῆς ἀοικήτου φερομένου τοῦ ποταμοῦ.
Therefore also, no one is able to reach the sources of the Nile, inasmuch as the river flows from the opposite zone through the uninhabitable region.
μαρτυρεῖν δὲ τούτοις καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς γλυκύτητος τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Νεῖλον ὕδατος· διὰ γὰρ τῆς κατακεκαυμένης αὐτὸν ῥέοντα καθέψεσθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο γλυκύτατον εἶναι πάντων τῶν ποταμῶν, ἅτε φύσει τοῦ πυρώδους πᾶν τὸ ὑγρὸν ἀπογλυκαίνοντος.
And they say that the exceeding sweetness of the water of the Nile also bears witness to this; for as it flows through the scorched region, it is boiled, and for this reason it is the sweetest of all rivers, since by nature heat sweetens every liquid.
§1.40.5οὗτος δʼ ὁ λόγος ἔχει μέν τινα πρόχειρον ἀντίρρησιν, ὅτι παντελῶς ἀδύνατον εἶναι δοκεῖ ποταμὸν ἐκ τῆς ἀντικειμένης οἰκουμένης εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀναφέρεσθαι, καὶ μάλιστʼ εἴ τις ὑπόθοιτο σφαιροειδῆ τὴν γῆν ὑπάρχειν.
But this theory has an obvious refutation, namely that it seems utterly impossible for a river to flow up from the opposite inhabited world into ours, especially if one supposes that the earth is spherical.
καὶ γὰρ ἐάν τις τοῖς λόγοις κατατολμήσας βιάζηται τὴν ἐνάργειαν, ἥ γε φύσις τῶν πραγμάτων οὐδαμῶς συγχωρήσει.
For even if one, growing bold in words, does violence to what is manifest, the nature of things will in no way allow it.
καθόλου μὲν γὰρ ἀνεξέλεγκτον ἀπόφασιν εἰσηγούμενοι, καὶ τὴν ἀοίκητον χώραν μεταξὺ τιθέμενοι, ταύτῃ διαφεύξεσθαι τοὺς ἀκριβεῖς ἐλέγχους νομίζουσι· §1.40.6δίκαιον δὲ τοὺς περί τινων διαβεβαιουμένους ἢ τὴν ἐνάργειαν παρέχεσθαι μαρτυροῦσαν ἢ τὰς ἀποδείξεις λαμβάνειν ἐξ ἀρχῆς συγκεχωρημένας.
For, introducing in general an unrefutable assertion, and placing the uninhabitable region in between, they think that in this way they will escape rigorous refutation; but it is just that those who make strong assertions about certain things should either provide manifest evidence that witnesses to them, or draw their proofs from premises accepted from the beginning.
πῶς δὲ μόνος ὁ Νεῖλος ἐξ ἐκείνης τῆς οἰκουμένης φέρεται πρὸς τοὺς καθʼ ἡμᾶς τόπους;
And how is it that the Nile alone flows from that inhabited world to our regions?
εἰκὸς γὰρ εἶναι καὶ ἑτέρους ποταμούς, καθάπερ καὶ παρʼ ἡμῖν.
For it is reasonable that there would be other rivers as well, just as there are among us.
§1.40.7ἥ τε τῆς περὶ τὸ ὕδωρ γλυκύτητος αἰτία παντελῶς ἄλογος.
And the cause given for the sweetness of the water is utterly unreasonable.
εἰ γὰρ καθεψόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν καυμάτων ὁ ποταμὸς ἐγλυκαίνετο, πολύγονος οὐκ ἂν ἦν οὐδὲ ποικίλας ἰχθύων καὶ θηρίων ἰδέας εἶχε· πᾶν γὰρ ὕδωρ ὑπὸ τῆς πυρώδους φύσεως ἀλλοιωθὲν ἀλλοτριώτατόν ἐστι ζωογονίας.
For if the river were sweetened by being boiled by the heat, it would not be highly generative, nor would it contain various kinds of fish and beasts; for all water altered by the nature of fire is most alien to the generation of life.
§1.40.8διόπερ τῇ παρεισαγομένῃ καθεψήσει τῆς φύσεως τοῦ Νείλου παντάπασιν ἐναντιουμένης ψευδεῖς τὰς εἰρημένας αἰτίας τῆς πληρώσεως ἡγητέον.
Therefore, since the nature of the Nile is entirely opposed to this introduced boiling, we must consider the aforementioned causes of the filling to be false.