§1.20#2αἴτιον δ’ ἡ τοῦ σώματος σύστασις ὑγρὰ καὶ θερμὴ οὖσα· ἀναγκαῖον γὰρ ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ γίνεσθαι πλείστην περίττωσιν.
The cause is that the constitution of the body is moist and warm; for in such a constitution, it is necessary that the greatest amount of residue is produced.
ἔτι δὲ οὐδὲ τὰ τοιαῦτ᾽ ἔχει ἐν τῷ σώματι μέρη, εἰς ἅ τρέπεται ἡ περίττωσις, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει οὔτε τριχῶν πλῆθος κατὰ τὸ σῶμα, οὔτε ὀστῶν καὶ κεράτων καὶ ὀδόντων ἐκκρίσεις.
Moreover, they do not even have such parts in the body into which the residue is diverted, as in the others; for they have neither a large quantity of hair on the body, nor secretions of bones, horns, and teeth.
σημεῖον δ’ ὅτι ἐν τοῖς καταμηνίοις τὸ σπέρμα ἐστίν· ἅμα γάρ, ὥσπερ εἴρηται πρότερον, τοῖς ἄρρεσι γίνεται τὸ περίττωμα τοῦτο, καὶ τοῖς θήλεσι τὰ καταμήνια ἐπισημαίνει ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ ἡλικίᾳ, ὡς καὶ ἅμα διισταμένων, τῶν τόπων τῶν δεκτικῶν ἑκατέρου τοῦ περιττώματος· καὶ ἀραιουμένων ἑκατέρων τῶν πλησίον τόπων ἐξανθεῖ ἡ τῆς ἥβης τρίχωσις.
And it is a sign that the semen is in the menstrual discharge: for at the same time, as was said before, this residue is produced in males, and in females the menstrual discharge appears at the same age, as though the parts receptive of each residue open at the same time; and as each of the neighboring parts becomes porous, the hair of puberty sprouts.
μελλόντων δὲ διίστασθαι οἱ τόποι ἀνοιδοῦσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος, τοῖς μὲν ἄρεσιν ἐπιδηλότερον περὶ τοὺς ὄρχεις, ἐπισημαίνει δὲ καὶ περὶ τοὺς μαστούς, τοῖς δὲ θήλεσι περὶ τοὺς μαστοὺς μᾶλλον· ὅταν γὰρ δύο δακτύλους ἀρθῶσι, τότε γίνεται τὰ καταμήνια ταῖς πλείσταις.
And when the parts are about to open, they swell up under the influence of the breath, in males more conspicuously around the testes, though it also shows around the breasts, but in females more around the breasts; for when their breasts have risen to the height of two fingers, then the menstrual discharge occurs in most of them.
ἐν ὅσοις μὲν οὖν τῶν ζωὴν ἐχόντων μὴ κεχώρισται τὸ θῆλυ καὶ τὸ ἄρρεν, τούτοις μὲν τὸ σπέρμα οἷον κύημά ἐστιν, λέγω δὲ κύημα τὸ πρῶτον μῖγμα θήλεος καὶ ἄρρενος.
In those of living things, then, in which the female and the male are not separated, in these the semen is as it were a fetation—by 'fetation' I mean the first mixture of female and male.
διὸ καὶ ἐξ ἑνὸς σπέρματος ἓν σῶμα γίνεται, οἷον ἑνὸς πυροῦ εἷς πυθμήν, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς ᾠοῦ ἓν ζῷον· τὰ γὰρ δίδυμα τῶν ᾠῶν δύο ᾠά ἐστιν.
Therefore also from one semen one body is produced, just as from one grain of wheat one stalk is produced, and as from one egg one animal; for twin eggs are actually two eggs.
ἐν ὅσοις δὲ τῶν γενῶν διώρισται τὸ θῆλυ καὶ τὸ ἄρρεν, ἐν δὲ τούτοις ἀφ’ ἑνὸς σπέρματος ἐνδέχεται πολλὰ γίνεσθαι ζῷα, ὡς διαφέροντος τῇ φύσει τοῦ σπέρματος ἐν τοῖς φυτοῖς τε καὶ ζῴοις.
But in those genera in which the female and the male are distinct, in these it is possible for many animals to be produced from one semen, as the nature of semen differs in plants and in animals.
σημεῖον δέ, ἀπὸ μιᾶς γὰρ ὀχείας πλείω γίνεται ἐν τοῖς πλείω δυναμένοις γεννᾶν ἑνός.
And it is a sign: for from a single copulation many are produced in those animals that are capable of generating more than one.
ᾗ καὶ δῆλον ὅτι οὐκ ἀπὸ παντὸς ἔρχεται ἡ γονή· οὔτε γὰρ ἂν κεχωρισμένα ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μέρους εὐθὺς ἀπεκρίνετο, οὔτε ἅμα ἐλθόντα εἰς τὰς ὑστέρας ἐκεῖ διεχωρίζετο· ἀλλὰ συμβαίνει ὥσπερ εὔλογον, ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν ἄρρεν παρέχεται τό τε εἶδος καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς κινήσεως, τὸ δὲ θῆλυ τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὴν ὕλην, οἷον ἐν τῇ τοῦ γάλακτος πήξει τὸ μὲν σῶμα τὸ γάλα ἐστίν, ὁ δὲ ὀπός, ἡ πυτία, τὸ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχον τὴν συνιστᾶσαν, οὕτω τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄρρενος ἐν τῷ θήλει μεριζόμενον.
By which it is also clear that the semen does not come from the whole body; for they would neither be secreted already separated from the same part immediately, nor, having arrived at the uterus together, would they be separated there; but it happens as is reasonable, since the male provides the form and the principle of movement, and the female provides the body and the matter, just as in the coagulation of milk, the milk is the body, while the fig-juice or rennet is that which contains the principle that coagulates it, so is that which comes from the male when it is divided in the female.
δι’ ἣν δ’ αἰτίαν μερίζεται ἔνθα μὲν εἰς πλείω ἔνθα δ’ εἰς ἐλάττω ἔνθα δὲ μοναχῶς, ἕτερος ἔσται λόγος.
But as to the cause why it is divided into many in some cases, into fewer in others, and into only one in still others, that will be another discussion.
ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μηθέν γε διαφέρειν τῷ εἴδει, ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν μόνον σύμμετρον ᾖ τὸ διαιρούμενον πρὸς τὴν ὕλην, καὶ μήτε ἔλαττον ὥστε μὴ πέττειν μηδὲ συνιστάναι, μήτε πλεῖον ὥστε ξηρᾶναι, πλείω οὕτω γεννᾶται.
But because it does not differ at all in form, if only that which is divided is in proportion to the matter, and is neither too small so as not to concoct or coagulate it, nor too much so as to dry it up, in this way many are generated.
ἐκ δὲ τοῦ συνιστάντος πρώτου, ἐξ ἑνὸς ἤδη ἓν γίνεται μόνον.
But from the first coagulating agent, one only is now produced from one.
ὅτι μὲν οὖν τὸ θῆλυ εἰς τὴν γένεσιν γονὴν μὲν οὑ συμβάλλεται, συμβάλλεται δέ τι, καὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν καταμηνίων σύστασις καὶ τὸ ἀνάλογον ἐν τοῖς ἀναίμοις, ἔκ τε τῶν εἰρημένων δῆλον καὶ κατὰ τὸν λόγον καθόλου σκοπουμένοις.
That, then, the female does not contribute semen to generation, but does contribute something, and that this is the constitution of the menstrual discharge and its analogue in bloodless animals, is clear both from what has been said and to those who consider the matter from a general argument.
ἀνάγκη γὰρ εἶναι τὸ γεννῶν καὶ ἐξ οὗ, καὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἂν καὶ ἓν ᾖ, τῷ γε εἴδει διαφέρειν καὶ τῷ τὸν λόγον αὐτῶν εἶναι ἕτερον, ἐν δὲ τοῖς κεχωρισμένας ἔχουσι τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ τὰ σώματα καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἑτέραν εἶναι τοῦ τε ποιοῦντος καὶ τοῦ πάσχοντος.
For there must be that which generates and that from which it generates, and even if these are one, they must at least differ in form and their definition must be different; and in those which have these powers separated, the body and nature of the active and the passive must be different.
εἰ οὖν τὸ ἄρρεν ἐστὶν ὡς κινοῦν καὶ ποιοῦν, τὸ δὲ θῆλυ, ᾗ θῦλυ, ὡς παθητικόν, εἰς τὴν τοῦ ἄρρενος γονὴν τὸ θῆλυ ἂν συμβάλλοιτο οὐ γονὴν ἀλλ᾽ ὕλην.
If, then, the male is as that which moves and acts, and the female, as female, is as passive, the female would contribute to the semen of the male not semen but matter.
ὅπερ καὶ φαίνεται συμβαῖνον· κατὰ γὰρ τὴν πρώτην ὕλην ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν καταμηνίων φύσις.
Which indeed is what appears to happen; for the nature of the menstrual discharge is in the class of primary matter.