§2.4#3οὐ συμβαινούσης μέντοι τῆς εἰωθυίας γίγνεσθαι τοῖς θήλεσιν ἡδονῆς περὶ τὴν ὁμιλίαν τὴν τοιαύτην συλλαμβάνουσιν, ἂν τύχῃ ὁ τόπος ὀργῶν καὶ καταβεβηκυῖαι αἱ ὑστέραι ἐγγύς.
However, even if the pleasure that usually occurs in females does not happen in such intercourse, they conceive, if the part happens to be eager and the uterus has descended close.
ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ συμβαίνει ἐκείνως διὰ τὸ μὴ συμμεμυκέναι τὸ στόμα γινομένης τῆς ἐκκρίσεως, μεθ’ ἧς εἴωθε γίγνεσθαι καὶ τοῖς ἄρρεσιν ἡ ἡδονὴ καὶ ταῖς γυναιξίν· οὕτω δ’ ἔχοντος εὐοδεῖται μᾶλλον καὶ τῷ τοῦ ἄρρενος σπέρματι.
But for the most part it happens in that way because the mouth of the uterus is not closed when the secretion takes place, with which pleasure is accustomed to occur both to males and to women; and when it is in this state, the way is more easily opened for the semen of the male.
ἡ δ’ ἄφεσις οὐκ ἐντὸς γίγνεται, καθάπερ οἴονταί τινες (στενὸν γὰρ τὸ στόμα τῶν ὑστερῶν), ἀλλ’ εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν, οὗπερ τὸ θῆλυ προΐεται τὴν ἐν ἐνίαις αὐτῶν ἰκμάδα γινομένην, ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὸ ἄρρεν προΐεται, ἐάν τις ἐξικμάσῃ.
And the emission does not take place inside, as some think (for the mouth of the uterus is narrow), but in front, where the female emits the moisture that is formed in some of them; it is there that the male also emits, if any emission takes place.
ὁτὲ μὲν οὖν μένει τοῦτον ἔχοντα τὸν τρόπον, ὁτὲ δέ, ἂν τύχῃ συμμέτρως ἔχουσα καὶ θερμὴ διὰ τὴν κάθαρσιν ἡ ὑστέρα, εἴσω σπᾷ.
Sometimes, then, it remains in this state, but sometimes, if the uterus happens to be in a well-proportioned state and warm because of the purgation, it draws it inside.
σημεῖον δέ· καὶ γὰρ τὰ πρόσθεν ὑγρὰ προστεθέντα ἀφαιρεῖται ξηρά.
A proof of this: even things applied wet in front are taken away dry.
ἔτι δὲ ὅσα τῶν ζῴων πρὸς τῷ ὑποζώματι ἔχει τὰς ὑστέρας, καθάπερ ὄρνις καὶ τῶν ἰχθύων οἱ ζῳοτοκοῦντες, ἀδύνατον ἐκεῖ μὴ σπᾶσθαι τὸ σπέρμα, ἀλλ’ ἀφεθὲν ἐλθεῖν.
Furthermore, in those animals which have their uteri near the diaphragm, like birds and viviparous fish, it is impossible that the semen should not be drawn up there, but should reach it merely by being emitted.
ἕλκει δὲ τὴν γονὴν ὁ τόπος διὰ τὴν θερμότητα τὴν ὐπάρχουσαν.
And the region draws the semen because of the heat present in it.
καὶ ἡ τῶν καταμηνίων δὲ ἔκκρισις καὶ συνάθροισις ἐμπυρεύει θερμότητα ἐν τῷ μορίῳ τούτῳ, ὥστε καθάπερ τὰ ἀκόνιτα τῶν ἀγγείων, ὅταν θερμῷ διακλυσθῇ, σπᾷ τὸ ὕδωρ εἰς αὑτὰ καταστρεφομένου τοῦ στόματος.
Also, the secretion and accumulation of the catamenia kindle heat in this part, so that just as cups, when they are rinsed with hot liquid, draw water into themselves when their mouth is turned downward, so the uterus draws it in.
καὶ τοῦτον μὲν τὸν τρόπον γίγνεται σπάσις, ὡς δέ τινες λέγουσι, τοῖς ὀργανικοῖς πρὸς τὴν συνουσίαν μορίοις οὐ γίνεται κατ’ οὐθένα τρόπον.
And the drawing in takes place in this way, and not, as some say, by means of the instrumental parts used for copulation in any manner.
ἀνάπαλιν δὲ συμβαίνει καὶ τοῖς λέγουσι προϊεσθαι καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα σπέρμα.
And the opposite happens also for those who say that the woman too emits semen.
προϊεμέναις γὰρ ἔξω συμβαίνει ταῖς ὑστέραις πάλιν εἴσω σπᾶν, εἴπερ μιχθήσεται τῇ γονῇ τῇ τοῦ ἄρρενος.
For when they emit it outwardly, the uterus must draw it back inside again, if it is to be mixed with the semen of the male.
τὸ δ᾽ οὕτω γίγνεσθαι περίεργον, ἡ δὲ φύσις οὐδὲν ποιεῖ περίεργον.
But for it to happen in this way is superfluous, and nature does nothing superfluous.
ὅταν δὲ συστῇ ἡ ἐν ταῖς ὑστέραις ἀπόκρισις τοῦ θήλεος ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ ἄρρενος γονῆς, παραπλήσιον ποιούσης ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ γάλακτος τῆς πυετίας·
And when the secretion of the female in the uterus is constituted by the semen of the male, it acts in a very similar way to rennet upon milk.
καὶ γὰρ ἡ πυετία γάλα ἐστὶ θερμότητα ζωτικὴν ἔχον, ἣ τὸ ὅμοιον εἰς ἓν ἄγει καὶ συνίστησι, καὶ ἡ γονὴ πρὸς τὴν τῶν καταμηνίων φύσιν τοῦτο πέπονθεν· ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ φύσις ἐστὶ γάλακτος καὶ καταμηνίων.
For rennet is milk containing vital heat, which brings what is similar together into one and constitutes it, and the semen stands in this same relation to the nature of the catamenia; for the nature of milk and of the catamenia is the same.
συνιόντος δὲ τοῦ σωματώδους ἐκκρίνεται τὸ ὑγρόν, καὶ περιίστανται κύκλῳ ξηραινομένων τῶν γεηρῶν, ὑμένες, καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ ἕνεκά τινος·
As the solid part coalesces, the fluid is secreted, and as the earthy parts dry, membranes form around it, both out of necessity and for a certain purpose.
καὶ γὰρ θερμαινομένων ξηραίνεσθαι ἀναγκαῖον τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ ψυχομένων, καὶ δεῖ μὴ ἐν ὑγρῷ τὸ ζῷον εἶναι ἀλλὰ κεχωρισμένον.
For as they are heated and cooled, it is necessary for the outermost parts to dry, and it is necessary that the animal should not be in fluid but separated from it.
καλοῦνται δὲ τούτων οἱ μὲν ὑμένες τὰ δὲ χόρια, διαφέροντα τῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον· ὁμίως δ᾽ ἐνυπάρχουσιν ἔν τε τοῖς ᾠοτόκοις ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς ζῳοτόκοις.
Some of these are called membranes and others chorions, differing by degree (more or less); and these exist likewise in both oviparous and viviparous animals.
ὅταν δὲ συστῇ τὸ κύημα ἤδη, παραπλήσιον ποιεῖ τοῖς σπειρομένοις.
When the embryo is already constituted, it behaves in a similar way to sown seeds.
ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀρχὴ καὶ ἐν τοῖς σπέρμασιν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐστὶν ἡ πρώτη· ὅταν δ᾽ αὕτη ἀποκριθῇ ἐνοῦσα δυινάμει πρότερον, ἀπὸ ταύτης ἀφίεται ὅ τε βλαστὸς καὶ ἡ ῥίζα.
For the first principle is present within the seeds themselves; and when this, which was previously present potentially, is secreted, from it are sent forth both the shoot and the root.
αὕτη δ᾽ ἐστὶν ᾗ τὴν τροφὴν λαμβάνει· δεῖται γὰρ αὐξήσεως τὸ φυτόν.
And this latter is that by which it takes its nourishment; for the plant needs growth.
οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ κυήματι τρόπον τινὰ πάντων ἐνόντων τῶν μορίων δυνάμει ἡ ἀρχὴ πρὸ ὁδοῦ μάλιστα ἐνυπάρχει.
In the same way, in the embryo too, while in a way all the parts are present potentially, the principle is present pre-eminently in advance.
διὸ ἀποκρίνεται πρῶτον ἡ καρδία ἐνεργείᾳ.
Therefore, the heart is first secreted in actuality.
καὶ τοῦτο οὐ μόνον ἐπὶ τῆς αἰσθήσεως δῆλον (συμβαίνει γὰρ οὕτως), ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λόγου.
And this is plain not only to sensation (for so it actually happens), but also to reason.
ὅταν γὰρ ἀπ᾽ ἀμφοῖν ἀποκριθῇ, δεῖ αὐτὸ αὑτὸ διοικεῖν τὸ γενόμενον, καθάπερ ἀποικισθὲν τέκνον ἀπὸ πατρός.
For when it is secreted from both, the product must govern itself, like a child sent out from its father to set up a home.
ὥστε δεῖ ἀρχὴν ἔχειν, ἀφ᾽ ἧς καὶ ὕστερον ἡ διακόσμησις τοῦ σώματος γίνεται τοῖς ζῴοις.
So it must have a principle from which also the subsequent ordering of the body takes place in animals.
εἰ γὰρ ἔξωθέν ποτ᾽ ἔσται καὶ ὕστερον ἐνεσομένη, οὐ μόνον διαπορήσειεν ἄν τις τὸ πότε, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἀνάγκη, ὅταν ἕκαστον χωρίζηται τῶν μορίων, ταύτην ὑπάρχειν πρῶτον, ἐξ ἧς καὶ ἡ αὔξησις ὑπάρχει καὶ ἡ χίνησις τοῖς ἄλλοις μορίοις.
For if it is to be introduced from outside at some time and to exist in it later, one would not only be puzzled as to when, but also because it is necessary, when each of the parts is differentiated, that this principle should exist first, from which also growth and movement belong to the other parts.
διόπερ ὅσοι λέγουσιν, ὥσπερ Δημόκριτος, τὰ ἔξω πρῶτον διακρίνεσθαι τῶν ζῴων, ὕστερον δὲ τὰ ἐντός, οὐκ ὁρθῶς λέγουσιν, ὥσπερ ξυλίνων ἢ λιθίνων ζῴων.
Therefore, those who say, like Democritus, that the external parts of animals are differentiated first, and the internal parts later, speak incorrectly, as if they were speaking of wooden or stone animals.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ τοιαῦτ᾽ οὐκ ἔχει ἀρχὴν ὅλως, τὰ δὲ ζῷα πάντ᾽ ἔχει καὶ ἐντὸς ἔχει.
For such things have no principle at all, but animals all have one and have it inside.
διὸ πρῶτον ἡ καρδία φαίνεται διωρισμένη πᾶσι τοῖς ἐναίμοις· ἀρχὴ γὰρ αὕτη καὶ τῶν ὁμοιομερῶν καὶ τῶν ἀνομοιομερῶν.
Therefore, the heart appears first differentiated in all blooded animals; for this is the principle of both the homoeomerous and the anhomoeomerous parts.