§1.18#5ἔτι τόπος συντήγματι μὲν οὐθεὶς ἀποδέδοται κατὰ φύσιν, ἀλλὰ ῥεῖ ὅπου ἂν εὐοδήσῃ τοῦ σώματος, τοῖς δὲ κατὰ φύσιν περιττώμασι πᾶσιν, οἷον τῆς τροφῆς τῆς ξηρᾶς ἡ κάτω κοιλία καὶ τῆς ὑγρᾶς ἡ κύστις καὶ τῆς χρησίμης ἡ ἄνω κοιλία καὶ τῆς σπερματικῆς ὑστέραι καὶ αἰδοῖα καὶ μαστοί·
Furthermore, no place is assigned by nature to a colliquement, but it flows wherever it finds a passage in the body, but to all the residues according to nature [places are assigned], for example, the lower belly for dry nourishment, the bladder for liquid nourishment, the upper belly for useful nourishment, and the uterus, pudenda, and breasts for the seminal residue; for it is into these that it is collected and flows together.
εἰς τούτους γὰρ ἀθροίζεται καὶ συρρεί. καὶ μαρτύρια τὰ συμβαίνοντα, ὅτι τὸ εἰρημένον σπέρμα ἐστίν· ταῦτα, δὲ συμβαίνει διὰ τὸ τὴν φύσιν εἶναι τοῦ περιττώματος τοιαύτην.
And actual occurrences are evidence that semen is what has been said; and these things happen because the nature of the residue is of this kind.
ἥ τε γὰρ ἔκλυσις ἐλαχίστου ἀπελθόντος τούτου γίνεται ἐπίδηλος, ὡς στεροσκόμενα τὰ σώματα τοῦ ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς γινομένου τέλους.
For exhaustion becomes manifest even when a very small amount of this is discharged, as the body is deprived of the ultimate goal that comes from nourishment.
ὀλόγοις δέ τισιν ἐν μικρῷ χρόνῳ κατὰ τὰς ἡλικίας κουφίζει τοῦτ’ ἀπιόν, ὅταν πλεονάσῃ, καθάπερ ἡ πρώτη τροφή, ἂν ὑπερβάλλῃ τῷ πλήθει· καὶ γὰρ ταύτης ἀπιούσης τὰ σώματ’ εὐημερεῖ μᾶλλον, ἔτι ὅταν συναπίῃ ἄλλα περιττώματα·
But in some few cases, for a short time at certain ages, the discharge of this relieves them when it is in excess, just as the first nourishment does if it exceeds in quantity; for when this is discharged, the body is in a better condition, and still more so when other residues are discharged along with it.
οὐ γὰρ μόνον σπέρμα τὸ ἀπιόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτεραι μεμιγμέναι δυνάμεις τούτοις συναπέρχονται, αὗται δὲ νοσώδεις, διὸ ἐνίων γε καὶ ἄγονόν ποτε γίνεται τὸ ἀποχωροῦν διὰ τὸ ὀλίγον ἔχειν τὸ σπερματικόν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πλείστοις καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ εἰπεῖν συμβαίνει ἐκ τῶν ἀφροδισιασμῶν ἔκλυσις καὶ ἀδυναμία μᾶλλον διὰ τὴν εἰρημένην αἰτίαν.
For it is not only semen that is discharged, but other mixed powers also go out together with it, and these are diseased; wherefore in some cases what is discharged is even infertile because it contains little of the seminal element. However, in most people and, so to speak, generally, exhaustion and weakness rather result from sexual intercourse because of the aforementioned cause.
ἔτι οὐκ ἐνυπάρχει σπέρμα οὔτ’ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ἡλικίᾳ οὔτ’ ἐν τῷ γήρᾳ οὔτ’ ἐν ταῖς ἀρρωστίαις, ἐν μὲν τῷ κάμνειν διὰ τὴν ἀδυναμίαν, ἐν δὲ τῷ γήρᾳ διὰ τὸ μὴ πέττειν τὸ ἱκανὸν τὴν φύσιν, νέοις δ’ οὖσι διὰ τὴν αὔξησιν· φθάνει γὰρ ἀναλισκόμενον πᾶν·
Furthermore, semen is not present either in the first period of life, or in old age, or in illnesses; in illness because of weakness, in old age because the nature cannot digest sufficiently, and in youth because of growth; for it is all used up beforehand.
ἐν ἔτεσι γὰρ πέντε σχεδὸν ἐπί γε τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἥμισυ λαμβάνειν δοκεῖ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ μεγέθους τοῦ ἐν τῷ ἄλλῳ χρόνῳ γιγνομένου ἅπαντος.
Indeed, in about five years, at least in humans, the body seems to acquire half of the total size that comes to be in the rest of time.
πολλοῖς δὲ συμβαίνει καὶ ζῴοις καὶ φυτοῖς καὶ γένεσι πρὸς γένη διαφορὰ περὶ ταῦτα κἀν τῷ γένει τῷ αὐτῷ τοῖς ὁμοειδέσι πρὸς ἄλληλα, οἷον ἀνθρώπῳ πρὸς ἄνθρωπον καὶ ἀμπέλῳ πρὸς ἄμπελον.
And many differences in these matters occur in both animals and plants, both between one genus and another, and within the same genus between those of the same species, for instance between man and man, and between vine and vine.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ πολύσπερμα τὰ δ᾽ ὀλιγόσπερμά ἐστι, τὰ δ᾽ ἄσπερμα πάμπαν, οὐ δι᾽ ἀσθένειαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνίοις γε τοὐναντίον· καταναλίσκεται γὰρ εἰς τὸ σῶμα, οἷον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐνίοις· εὐεκτικοὶ γὰρ ὄντες καὶ γινόμενοι πολύσαρκοι.
For some produce much semen, others little, and some none at all, not because of weakness, but in some cases for the opposite reason; for it is used up on the body, as in some humans; for they are in good condition and become very fleshy.
ἢ πιότεροι μᾶλλον ἧττον προΐενται σπέρμα καὶ ἧττον. ἐπιθυμοῦσι τοῦ ἀφροδισιάζειν.
Or those who are fatter discharge less semen and desire sexual intercourse less.
ὅμοιον δὲ καὶ τὸ περὶ τὰς τραγώσας ἀμπέλους πάθος, αἳ διὰ τὴν τροφὴν ἐξυβρίζουσιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ τράγοι πίονες ὄντες ἧττον ὀχεύουσιν· διὸ καὶ προλεπτύνουσιν αὐτούς, καὶ τὰς ἀμπέλους τραγᾶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πάθους τῶν τράγων καλοῦσιν.
The condition in the so-called 'goatish' vines is similar, which run riot because of their nourishment, since male goats too, when they are fat, mate less; wherefore people make them thin beforehand, and they call the vines 'goatish' after the condition of the goats.
καὶ οἱ πίονες δὲ ἀγονώτεροι φαίνονται εἶναι τῶν μὴ πιόνων, καὶ γυναῖκες καὶ ἄνδρες, διὰ τὸ τοῖς εὐτραφέσι πεττόμενον τὸ περίττωμα γίνεσθαι πιμελήν· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἡ πιμελὴ περίττωμα δι’ εὐβοσίαν ὑγιεινόν.
Also, fat people, both women and men, seem to be less fertile than those who are not fat, because in those who are well-nourished the digested residue becomes fat; for fat too is a healthy residue due to good nutrition.
ἔνια δ᾽ ὅλως οὐδὲ φέρει σπέρμα, οἷον ἰτέα καὶ αἴγειρος.
And some do not bear seed at all, such as the willow and the poplar.
εἰσὶ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἕτεραι αἰτίαι τούτου τοῦ πάθους.
Now there are other causes of this condition as well.
καὶ γὰρ δι᾽ ἀδυναμίαν οὐ πέττουσι καὶ διὰ δύναμιν ἀναλίσκουσιν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται.
For they do not digest because of weakness, and they consume it because of strength, as has been said.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ πολύχοά ἐστι καὶ πολύσπερμα τὰ μὲν διὰ δύναμιν τὰ δὲ δι᾽ ἀδυναμίαν, πολὺ γὰρ καὶ ἄχρηστον περίττωμα συμμίγνυται, ὥστ᾽ ἐνίοις γίγνεσθαι καὶ ἀρρώστημα, ὅταν αὐτῶν μὴ εὐοδήσῃ ἡ ἀποκάθαρσις.
Similarly, some are very fluid and produce much semen because of strength, and others because of weakness; for much useless residue is mixed in, so that in some cases it even becomes a disease when their evacuation does not find a favorable passage.
καὶ ἔνιοι· μὲν ὑγιάζονται, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἀναιροῦνται.
And some are cured, while others are even destroyed.
συντήκονται γὰρ ταύτῃ ὥσπερ καὶ εἰς τὸ οὖρον· ἤδη γὰρ καὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἀσθένημα συνέβη τισίν.
For they colliquate by this way just as into the urine; for indeed this disease has already happened to some.
ἔτι ὁ πόρος ὁ αὐτὸς τῷ περιττώματι καὶ τῷ σπέρματι· καὶ ὅσοις μὲν ἀμφοῖν γίγνεται περίττωμα, καὶ τῆς ὑγρᾶς καὶ τῆς ξηρᾶς τροφῆς, ᾗπερ ἡ τοῦ ὑγροῦ, ταύτῃ καὶ ἡ τῆς γονῆς γίγνεται ἀπόκρισις (ὑγροῦ γὰρ περίττωμά ἐστιν· ἡ γὰρ τροφὴ πάντων ὑγρὰ μᾶλλον), οἷς δὲ μή ἐστιν αὕτη; κατὰ τὴν τῆς ξηρᾶς ὑποστάσεως ἀποχώρησιν.
Furthermore, the passage is the same for the residue and for the semen; and in all those in which a residue comes from both—from the liquid and from the dry nourishment—the secretion of the discharge takes place by the very same way as that of the liquid residue (for it is a residue of liquid, since the nourishment of all things is rather liquid); while in those which do not have this liquid residue, it takes place along with the passage of the dry excrement.
ἔτι ἡ μὲν σύντηξις ἀεὶ νοσώδης, ἡ δὲ τοῦ περιττώματος ἀφαίρεσις ὠφέλιμος· ἡ δὲ τοῦ σπέρματος ἀποχώρησις ἀμφοτέρων διὰ τὸ προσλαμβάνειν τῆς μὴ χρησίμου τροφῆς.
Furthermore, colliquation is always diseased, whereas the removal of residue is beneficial; but the discharge of semen partakes of both because it takes along with it some of the useless nourishment.
εἰ δέ γ᾽ ἦν σύντηξις, ἀεὶ ἔβλαπτεν ἄν· νῦν δ᾽ οὐ ποιεῖ τοῦτο.
If, however, it were a colliquation, it would always do harm; but as it is, it does not do this.
Ὅτι μὲν οὖν περίττωμά ἐστι τὸ σπέρμα χρησίμου τροφῆς καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης, εἴτε πάντα προΐεται σπέρμα εἴτε μή, ἐν τοῖς προειρημένοις φανερόν.
That semen, then, is a residue of useful and ultimate nourishment—whether all things discharge semen or not—is clear from what has been said before.