§12Πρότερον ἑτέρου ἕτερον λέγεται τετραχῶς, πρῶτον μὲν καὶ κυριώτατα κατὰ χρόνον, καθ᾿ ὃ πρεσβύτερον ἕτερον ἑτέρου καὶ παλαιότερον λέγεται· τῷ γὰρ τὸν χρόνον πλείω εἶναι καὶ πρεσβύτερον καὶ παλαιότερον λέγεται.
One thing is said to be prior to another in four ways. First and most properly, in respect of time, in virtue of which one thing is said to be older and more ancient than another; for it is because its time is more that it is said to be both older and more ancient.
Δεύτερον δὲ τὸ μὴ ἀντιστρέφον κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησιν, οἷον τὸ ἓν τῶν δύο πρότερον·
Second, that which does not reciprocate as to the implication of existence.
δυοῖν μὲν γὰρ ὄντων ἀκολουθεῖ εὐθὺς τὸ ἓν εἶναι, ἑνὸς δὲ ὄντος οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον δύο εἶναι, ὥστε οὐκ ἀντιστρέφει ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἡ ἀκολούθησις τοῦ εἶναι τὸ λοιπόν.
For example, one is prior to two; for if two exist, it follows immediately that one exists, but if one exists, it is not necessary that two exist, so that the implication of existence does not reciprocate from the one to the remaining.
Πρότερον δὲ δοκεῖ τὸ τοιοῦτον εἶναι, ἀφ᾿ οὖ μὴ ἀντιστρέφει ἡ τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησις.
And that from which the implication of existence does not reciprocate seems to be prior.
Τρίτον δὲ κατά τινα τάξιν τὸ πρότερον λέγεται, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπιστημῶν καὶ τῶν λόγων.
Third, that which is said to be prior in respect of some order, as in the case of sciences and speeches.
Ἔν τε γὰρ ταῖς ἀποδεικτικαῖς ἐπιστήμαις ὑπάρχει τὸ πρότερον καὶ τὸ ὕστερον τῇ τάξει (τὰ γὰρ στοιχεῖα πρότερα τῶν διαγραμμάτων τῇ τάξει, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γραμματικῆς τὰ στοιχεῖα πρότερα τῶν συλλαβῶν), ἐπί τε τῶν λόγων ὁμοίως· τὸ γὰρ προοίμιον τῆς διηγήσεως πρότερον τῇ τάξει ἐστίν.
For both in the demonstrative sciences there exists the prior and the posterior in order (for the elements are prior in order to the diagrams, and in grammar the elements are prior to the syllables), and likewise in the case of speeches; for the introduction is prior in order to the narrative.
Ἔτι παρὰ τὰ εἰρημένα τὸ βέλτιον καὶ τὸ τιμιώτερον πρότερον εἶναι τῇ φύσει δοκεῖ.
Moreover, besides what has been said, that which is better and more honorable seems to be prior by nature.
Εἰώθασι δὲ καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τοὺς ἐντιμοτέρους καὶ μᾶλλον ἀγαπωμένους ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν προτέρους φάσκειν παρ᾿ αὑτοῖς εἶναι.
And the many also are accustomed to say that those who are more honored and more beloved by them are prior in their estimation.
Ἔστι μὲν δὴ καὶ σχεδὸν ἀλλοτριώτατος τῶν τρόπων οὗτος.
This way, indeed, is perhaps the most foreign of all.
Οἱ μὲν οὖν λεγόμενοι τρόποι τοῦ προτέρου σχεδὸν τοσοῦτοί εἰσιν.
So then, the ways in which something is said to be prior are roughly these many.
Δόξειε δ᾿ ἂν παρὰ τοὺς εἰρημένους καὶ ἕτερος εἶναι προτέρου τρόπος· τῶν γὰρ ἀντιστρεφόντων κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησιν τὸ αἴτιον ὁπωσοῦν θατέρῳ τοῦ εἶναι πρότερον εἰκότως τῇ φύσει λέγοιτ᾿ ἄν.
But there would seem to be another way of being prior besides those mentioned; for of those things which reciprocate as to the implication of existence, that which is in any way the cause of existence for the other might reasonably be said to be prior by nature.
Ὅτι δ᾿ ἔστι τινὰ τοιαῦτα, δῆλον·
And that there are some such things is clear.
τὸ γὰρ εἶναι ἄνθρωπον ἀντιστρέφει κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησιν πρὸς τὸν ἀληθῆ περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον.
For a man's being reciprocates as to the implication of existence with the true statement about him.
Εἰ γὰρ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος, ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος ᾧ λέγομεν ὅτι ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος.
For if there is a man, the statement by which we say that there is a man is true.
Καὶ ἀντιστρέφει γε· εἰ γὰρ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος ᾧ λέγομεν ὅτι ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος, ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος.
And indeed it reciprocates; for if the statement by which we say that there is a man is true, there is a man.
Ἔστι δὲ ὁ μὲν ἀληθὴς λόγος οὐδαμῶς αἴτιος τοῦ εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, τὸ μέντοι πρᾶγμα φαίνεταί πως αἴτιον τοῦ εἶναι ἀληθῆ τὸν λόγον· τῷ γὰρ εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ μὴ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος ἢ ψευδὴς λέγεται.
Yet the true statement is in no way the cause of the thing's being, whereas the thing seems in some way the cause of the statement's being true; for it is because the thing exists or does not that the statement is said to be true or false.
Ὥστε κατὰ πέντε τρόπους πρότερον ἕτερον ἑτέρου λέγεται.
Consequently, one thing is said to be prior to another in five ways.
§13Ἄμα δὲ λέγεται ἁπλῶς μὲν καὶ κυριώτατα, ὧν ἡ γένεσίς ἐστιν ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ· οὐδέτερον γὰρ πρότερον οὐδὲ ὕστερόν ἐστιν αὐτῶν.
Things are said to be 'simultaneous' simply and most properly when their generation is in the same time; for neither of them is prior or posterior to the other.
Ἅμα δὲ κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ταῦτα λέγεται.
These are said to be simultaneous in respect of time.
Φύσει δὲ ἅμα, ὅσα ἀντιστρέφει μὲν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησιν, μηδαμῶς δὲ αἴτιον θάτερον θατέρῳ τοῦ εἶναί ἐστιν, οἷον ἐπὶ τοῦ διπλασίου καὶ τοῦ ἡμίσεος· ἀντιστρέφει μὲν γὰρ ταῦτα (διπλασίου γὰρ ὄντος ἐστὶν ἥμισυ καὶ ἡμίσεος ὄντος διπλάσιόν ἐστιν), οὐδέτερον δὲ οὐδετέρῳ αἴτιον τοῦ εἶναί ἐστιν.
But 'simultaneous by nature' are those things which reciprocate as to the implication of existence, but where neither is in any way the cause of existence for the other, as in the case of the double and the half; for these reciprocate (for if there is a double, there is a half, and if there is a half, there is a double), but neither is the cause of existence for the other.
Καὶ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ δὲ γένους ἀντιδιῃρημένα ἀλλήλοις ἅμα τῇ φύσει λέγεται.
And those coordinate species which are distinguished from one another under the same genus are also said to be simultaneous by nature.
Ἀντιδιῃρῆσθαι δὲ λέγεται ἀλλήλοις τὰ κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν διαίρεσιν, οἷον τὸ πτηνὸν τῷ πεζῷ καὶ τῷ ἐνύδρῳ· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀλλήλοις ἀντιδιῄρηται ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ γένους·
And those are said to be distinguished from one another which are under the same division, for example, the winged, the terrestrial, and the aquatic; for these are distinguished from one another under the same genus.
τὸ γὰρ ζῷον διαιρεῖται εἰς ταῦτα, εἴς τε τὸ πτηνὸν καὶ τὸ πεζὸν καὶ τὸ ἔνυδρον, καὶ οὐδέν γε τούτων πρότερον ἢ ὕστερόν ἐστιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἅμα τῇ φύσει τὰ τοιαῦτα δοκεῖ εἶναι.
For animal is divided into these, namely, into the winged, the terrestrial, and the aquatic, and none of these is prior or posterior, but such things seem to be simultaneous by nature.
Διαιρεθείη δ᾿ ἂν καὶ ἕκαστον τῶν τοιούτων εἰς εἴδη πάλιν, οἷον τὸ πεζὸν καὶ τὸ πτηνὸν καὶ τὸ ἔνυδρον.
And each of these in turn might be divided into species, for example, the terrestrial, the winged, and the aquatic.
Ἔσται οὖν κἀκεῖνα ἅμα τῇ φύσει, ὅσα ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ γένους κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν διαίρεσίν ἐστιν.
So then, those also will be simultaneous by nature which are from the same genus under the same division.
Τὰ δὲ γένη τῶν εἰδῶν ἀεὶ πρότερα· οὐ γὰρ ἀντιστρέφει κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησιν, οἷον ἐνύδρου μὲν ὄντος ἔστι ζῷον, ζῴου δὲ ὄντος οὐκ ἀνάγκη ἔνυδρον εἶναι.
But genera are always prior to species; for they do not reciprocate as to the implication of existence, for example, if there is an aquatic animal, there is an animal, but if there is an animal, it is not necessary that there be an aquatic animal.
Ἄμα οὖν τῇ φύσει λέγεται, ὅσα ἀντιστρέφει μὲν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησιν, μηδαμῶς δὲ αἴτιον τὸ ἕτερον τῷ ἑτέρῳ τοῦ εἶναί ἐστι, καὶ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ γένους ἀντιδιῃρημένα ἀλλήλοις· ἁπλῶς δὲ ἅμα, ὧν ἡ γένεσις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ.
Therefore, those things are said to be 'simultaneous by nature' which reciprocate as to the implication of existence, but where neither is in any way the cause of existence for the other, and also those coordinate species which are distinguished from one another under the same genus; while 'simultaneous simply' are those whose generation is in the same time.