§1.8#2ὥστʼ ἀναγκαῖον ἢ κινεῖν ταύτας τὰς ὑποθέσεις, ἢ τὸ μέσον ἓν εἶναι καὶ τὸ ἔσχατον.
Therefore, we must either change these assumptions, or make the center one and the extremity one.
τούτου δʼ ὄντος ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἕναμόνον εἶναι καὶ μὴ πλείους, τοῖς αὐτοῖς τεκμηρίοις τούτοις καὶ ταῖς αὐταῖς ἀνάγκαις.
And this being so, it is necessary that the heaven also should be one only and not more, by these same proofs and by these same necessities.
ὅτι δʼ ἔστι τι οὖ πέφυκεν ἡ γῆ φέρεσθαι καὶ τὸ πῦρ, δῇλον καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων.
But that there is some place to which earth and fire are by nature carried is clear from other considerations as well.
ὅλως γὰρ τὸ κινούμενον ἔκ τινος εἴς τι μεταβάλλει, καὶ ταῦτα ἐξ οὗ καὶ εἰς ὃ εἴδει διαφέρει.
For in general, that which moves changes from something to something, and these, namely that from which and that to which, differ in species.
πᾶσα δὲ πεπερασμένη μεταβολή, οἷον τὸ ὑγιαζόμενον ἐκ νόσου εἰς ὑγίειαν καὶ τὸ αὐξανόμενον ἐκ μικρότητος εἰς μέγεθος.
And every finite change is of this sort, as for instance that which is being cured changes from disease to health, and that which is growing from smallness to greatness.
καὶ τὸ φερόμενον ἄρα· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο γίνεταί ποθεν ποῖ.
And so too, therefore, with that which is carried; for this also goes from somewhere to somewhere.
δεῖ ἄρα εἴδει διαφέρειν ἐξ οὗ καὶ εἰς ὁ πέφυκε φέρεσθαι, ὥσπερ τὸ ὑγιαζόμενον, οὐχ οὗ ἔτυχεν, οὐδʼ οὗ βούλεται ὁ κινῶν.
It must therefore differ in species, that from which and that to which it is by nature carried, just like that which is being cured, not to whatever happens to be there, nor where the mover wishes.
καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἄρα καὶ ἡ γῆ οὐκ εἰς ἄπειρον φέρονται, ἀλλʼ εἰς ἀντικείμενα.
And fire, therefore, and earth are not carried to infinity, but to opposites.
ἀντίκειται δὲ κατὰ τόπον τό ἄνω τῷ κάτω, ὥστε ταῦτα ἔσται πέρατα τῆς φορὰς, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ κύκλῳ ἔχει πως ἀντικείμενα τὰ κατὰ διάμετρον· τῇ δʼ ὅλη οὐκ ἔστιν ἐναντίον οὐδέν.
And upward is opposite in place to downward, so that these will be the limits of their carriage, since even circular motion has in a way its opposites in those on the diameter (though for the whole motion there is nothing contrary).
ὥστε καὶ τούτοις τρόπον τινὰ ἡ κίνησις εἰς τὰ ἀντικείμενα καὶ πεπερασμένα.
So that for these also their motion is in a way toward opposites and finite.
ἀνάγκη ἄρα εἶναί τι τέλος καὶ μὴ εἰς ἄπειρον φέρεσθαι.
There must therefore be some end and they are not carried to infinity.
τεκμήριον δὲ τοῦ μὴ εἰς ἄπειρον· φέρεσθαι καὶ τὸ τὴν γῆν μέν, ὅσῳ ἂν ἐγγυτέρω ᾖ τοῦ μέσου, θᾶττον φέρεσθαι, τὸ δὲ πῦρ, ὅσῳ ἂν τοῦ ἄνω.
And a proof of their not being carried to infinity is also that earth, the nearer it is to the center, is carried faster, and fire, the nearer it is to the upward place.
εἰ δʼ ἄπειρον ἦν, ἄπειρος ἂν ἦν καὶ ἡ ταχυτὴς, εἰ δʼ ἡ ταχυτής, καὶ τὸ βάρος καὶ ἡ κουφότης· ὡς γὰρ τὸ κατωτέρω ταχυτῆτι ἑτέρου τῷ βαρεῖ ἂν ἦν ταχύ, οὕτως εἰ ἄπειρος ἦν ἡ τούτου ἐπίδοσις, καὶ ἡ τῆς ταχυτῆτος ἐπίδοσις ἄπειρος ἂν ἦν.
But if the distance were infinite, the speed would also be infinite, and if the speed, then also the weight and lightness; for just as that which is lower would be fast in speed because of the weight of the other, so if the increase of this was infinite, the increase of speed would also have been infinite.
ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδʼ ὑπ᾿ ἄλλου φέρεται αὐτῶν τὸ μὲν ἄνω τὸ δὲ κάτω· οὐδὲ βίᾳ, 277 b ὥσπερ τινές φασι τῇ ἐκθλίψει.
But indeed, neither is one of them carried, the one upward and the other downward, by another; nor by force, as some say by 'extrusion'.
βραδύτερον γὰρ ἂν ἐκινεῖτο τὸ πλεῖον πῦρ ἄνω καὶ ἡ πλείων γῆ κάτω· νῦν δὲ τοὐναντίον ἀεὶ τὸ πλεῖον πῦρ θᾶττον φέρεται καὶ πλείων γῆ εἰς τὸν αὑτῆς τόπον.
For then the greater amount of fire would move upward more slowly, and the greater amount of earth downward; but now, on the contrary, the greater amount of fire is always carried faster, and the greater amount of earth to its own place.
οὐδὲ θᾶττον ἂν πρὸς τῷ τέλει ἐφέρετο, εἰ τῇ βίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἐκθλίψει· πάντα γὰρ τοῦ βιαζομένου πορρωτέρω γιγνόμενα βραδύτερον φέρεται, καὶ ὅθεν βίᾳ, ἐκεῖ φέρεται οὐ βίᾳ.
Nor would they be carried faster near the end, if it were by force and extrusion; for all things getting further from that which exerts force are carried more slowly, and where they are carried by force, from there they are carried not by force.
ὥστʼ ἐκ τούτωνθεωροῦσιν ἔστι λαβεῖν τὴν πίστιν περὶ τῶν λεγομένων ἱκανῶς.
So that from these considerations, to those who observe, it is possible to obtain sufficient conviction concerning what is said.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐκ τῆς πρώτης φιλοσοφίας λόγων δειχθείη ἄν, καὶ ἐκ τῆς κύκλῳ κινήσεως ἣν ἀναγκαῖον ἀΐδιον ὁμοίως ἐνταῦθά τʼ εἶναι· καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις κόσμοις.
And furthermore, it could also be shown through the arguments of first philosophy, and from the circular motion which must likewise be eternal both here and in the other worlds.
δῆλον δὲ κἂν ὧδε γένοιτο σκοπουμένοις ὅτι ἀνάγκη ἕνα εἶναι τὸν οὐρανόν.
And it would also become clear to those who look at it in this way that the heaven must be one.
τριῶν γὰρ ὄντων τῶν σωματικῶν στοιχείων, τρεῖς ἔσονται καὶ οἱ τόποι εἰ δʼ ἡ ταχυτής om. Bekker errore typogr. 276 b 6. βιαζομένου] βιασαμένου al. 9. τῶν λεγομένων] ὧν λέγομεν al. τῶν στοιχείων, εἷς μὲν ὁ τοῦ ὑφισταμένου σώματος ὁ περὶ τὸ μέσον, ἄλλος δὲ ὁ τοῦ κύκλῳ φερομένου, ὅσπερ ἐστὶν ἔσχατος, τρίτος δʼ ὁ μεταξὺ τούτων ὁ τοῦ μέσου σώματος.
For since there are three physical elements, there will also be three places for the elements: one, that of the body which sinks, namely around the center; another, that of the body which is carried circularly, which is the extremity; and a third, that between these, which is that of the intermediate body.
ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ εἶναι τὸ ἐπιπολάζον· εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐν τούτῳ, ἔξω ἔσται.
For that which floats on the surface must be in this intermediate place; for if it is not in this, it will be outside.
ἀλλʼ ἀδύνατον ἔξω· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀβαρὲς τὸ δʼ ἔχον βάρος, κατωτέρω δὲ ὁ τοῦ βάρος ἔχοντος σώματος τόπος, εἴπερ ὁ πρὸς τῷ μέσῳ τοῦ βαρέος.
But it is impossible for it to be outside; for the one is weightless and the other has weight, and the place of the body having weight is lower, if indeed that which is near the center is the place of the heavy body.
ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ παρὰ φύσιν· ἄλλῳ γὰρ ἔσται κατὰ φύσιν, ἄλλο δʼ οὐκ ἦν.
But indeed, neither is it contrary to nature; for it would then be according to nature for another body, and there was no other.
ἀνάγκη ἄρα ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ εἶναι.
It must therefore be in the intermediate place.
τούτου δʼ αὐτοῦ τίνες εἰσὶ διαφοραί, ὕστερον ἐροῦμεν.
What the differences of this very body are, we shall say later.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν σωματικῶν στοιχείων, ποῖά τʼ ἐστὶ καὶ πόσα, καὶ τίς ἑκάστου τόπος, ἔτι δʼ ὅλως πόσοι τὸ πλῆθος οἱ τόποι, δῆλον ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων.
Concerning the physical elements, therefore, what kind and how many they are, and what the place of each is, and furthermore how many in number the places are in general, is clear to us from what has been said.