§3.11#1Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν ἐντόμων τῆς γενέσεως εἴρηται πάντων, περὶ δὲ τῶν ὀστρακοδέρμων λεκτέον.
And concerning the generation of all insects it has been spoken, and concerning the testaceans we must speak.
ἔχει δὲ καὶ τούτων τὰ περὶ τὴν γένεσιν τῇ μὲν ὁμοίως τῇ δ’ οὐχ ὁμοίως τοῖς ἄλλοις.
And the circumstances concerning their generation are in one way similar and in another way not similar to the others.
καὶ τοῦτ’ εὐλόγως συμβαίνει.
And this happens reasonably.
πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τὰ ζῷα φυτοῖς ἐοίκασι, πρὸς δὲ τὰ φυτὰ ζῴοις, ὥστε τρόπον μέν τινα ἀπὸ σπέρματος φαίνεσθαι γινόμενα, τρόπον δ’ ἄλλον οὐκ ἀπὸ σπέρματος, καὶ τῇ μὲν αὐτόματα τῇ δ’ ἀφ’ αὑτῶν, ἢ τὰ μὲν οὕτως τὰ δ’ ἐκείνως.
For towards animals they resemble plants, but towards plants they resemble animals, so that in a certain way they appear to be generated from seed, but in another way not from seed, and in one way spontaneously, and in another way from themselves, or some in this way and others in that way.
διὰ δὲ τὸ τοῖς φυτοῖς ἀντίστροφον ἔχειν τὴν φύσιν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐν μὲν τῇ γῇ τῶν ὀστρακοδέρμων οὐθὲν ἢ μικρόν τι γίγνεται γένος, οἷον τὸ τῶν κοχλιῶν κἂν ᾖ τι τοιοῦτον ἕτερον μὲν σπάνιον δέ, ἐν δὲ τῇ θαλάττῃ καὶ τοῖς ὁμοίοις ὑγροῖς πολλὰ καὶ παντοδαπὴν ἔχοντα μορφήν.
And because they have a nature opposite to plants, for this reason on land no class of testaceans is generated, or only some small class, such as that of snails, and if there is any other such it is rare, whereas in the sea and similar liquids they are many and have all kinds of forms.
τὸ δὲ τῶν φυτῶν γένος ἐν μὲν τῇ θαλάττῃ καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις μικρὸν καὶ πάμπαν ὡς εἰπεῖν οὐθέν, ἐν δὲ τῇ γῇ τὰ τοιαῦτα γίνεται πάντα.
But the class of plants in the sea and such places is small and, so to speak, absolutely nothing, whereas on land all such things are generated.
τὴν γὰρ φύσιν ἀνάλογον ἔχει καὶ διέστηκεν, ὅσῳ ζωτικώτερον τὸ ὑγρὸν τοῦ ξηροῦ καὶ γῆς ὕδωρ, τοσοῦτον ἡ τῶν ὀστρακοδέρμων φύσις τῆς τῶν φυτῶν, ἐπεὶ βούλεταί γε ὡς τὰ φυτὰ πρὸς τὴν γῆν, οὕτως ἔχειν τὰ ὀστρακόδερμα πρὸς τὸ ὑγρόν, ὡς ὄντα τὰ μὲν φυτὰ ὡσπερανεὶ ὄστρεα χερσαῖα, τὰ δὲ ὄστρεα ὡσπερανεὶ φυτὰ ἔνυδρα.
For Nature has their nature analogously and set them apart: by as much as the liquid is more vital than the dry, and water than earth, by so much does the nature of testaceans differ from that of plants, since Nature wills that as plants are to the earth, so testaceans should be to the liquid, as if plants were, as it were, terrestrial shellfish, and shellfish were, as it were, aquatic plants.
διὰ τοιαύτην δ’ αἰτίαν καὶ πολύμορφα τὰ ἐν τῷ ὑγρῷ μᾶλλόν ἐστι τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ.
And for such a cause also the things in the liquid are more multiform than those on land.
τό τε γὰρ ὑγρὸν εὐπλαστοτέραν ἔχει τὴν φύσιν τῆς γῆς καὶ σωματικὴν οὐ πολλῷ ἧττον, καὶ μάλιστα τὰ ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ τοιαῦτα.
For the liquid has a nature more easily fashioned than earth, and not much less material, and especially such things in the sea.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ πότιμον γλυκὺ μὲν καὶ τρόφιμον, ἧττον δὲ σωματῶδες καὶ ψυχρόν ἐστιν.
For fresh water is sweet and nourishing, but less material and cold.
διόπερ ὅσα ἄναιμα καὶ μὴ θερμὰ τὴν φύσιν, οὐ γίνεται ἐν ταῖς λίμναις οὐδὲ τῶν ἁλμυρῶν ἐν τοῖς ποτιμωτέροις, ἀλλ’ ἧττον, οἷον τὰ ὀστρακόδερμα καὶ τὰ μαλάκια καὶ τὰ μαλακόστρακα (πάντα γὰρ ἄναιμα καὶ ψυχρὰ ταῦτα τὴν φύσιν ἐστίν), ἐν δὲ ταῖς λιμνοθαλάτταις καὶ πρὸς ταῖς ἐκβολαῖς τῶν ποταμῶν γίνονται.
Wherefore such things as are bloodless and not warm by nature are not generated in lakes, nor in the fresher parts of salt waters, or rather less so, such as testaceans, cephalopods, and crustaceans (for all these are bloodless and cold by nature), but they are generated in lagoons and near the mouths of rivers.
ζητοῦσι γὰρ ἅμα τήν τ’ ἀλέαν καὶ τὴν τροφήν, ἡ δὲ θάλαττα ὑγρά τε καὶ σωματώδης πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦ ποτίμου καὶ θερμὴ τὴν φύσιν ἐστί, καὶ κεκοινώνηκε πάντων τῶν μορίων, ὑγροῦ καὶ πνεύματος καὶ γῆς, ὥστε καὶ πάντων μετέχειν τῶν καθ’ ἕκαστον γινομένων ἐν τοῖς τόποις ζῴων.
For they seek at once warmth and food; and the sea is much more liquid and material than fresh water, and warm by nature, and has a share in all the parts, namely liquid, breath, and earth, so that it also participates in all the animals generated in each of the places.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ φυτὰ θείη τις ἂν γῆς, ὕδατος δὲ τὰ ἔνυδρα, τὰ δὲ πεζὰ ἀέρος· τὸ δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον καὶ ἐγγύτερον καὶ πορρώτερον πολλὴν ποιεῖ καὶ θαυμαστὴν διαφοράν.
For one might place plants to earth, aquatic things to water, and terrestrial things to air; but the more and less, and the nearer and further, produce a great and wonderful difference.
τὸ δὲ τέταρτον γένος οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτων τῶν τόπων δεῖ ζητεῖν· καίτοι βούλεταί γέ τι κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς εἶναι τάξιν· τοῦτο γὰρ τέταρτον ἀριθμεῖται τῶν σωμάτων.
But the fourth class must not be sought in these places; and yet Nature wills that there should be something according to the order of fire, for this is numbered as the fourth of the bodies.
ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν πῦρ ἀεὶ φαίνεται τὴν μορφὴν οὐκ ἰδίαν ἔχον, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἑτέρῳ τῶν σωμάτων· ἢ γὰρ ἀὴρ ἢ καπνὸς ἢ γῆ φαίνεται τὸ πεπυρωμένον.
But fire always appears not having its own form, but in another of the bodies; for what is ignited appears as air, smoke, or earth.
ἀλλὰ δεῖ τὸ τοιοῦτον γένος ζητεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς σελήνης· αὕτη γὰρ φαίνεται κοινωνοῦσα τῆς τετάρτης ἀποστάσεως.
But we must seek such a class on the moon; for she appears to participate in the fourth distance.
ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἄλλος ἂν εἴν λόγος· ἡ δὲ τῶν ὀστρακοδέρμων συνίσταται φύσις τῶν μὲν αὐτομάτως, ἐνίων δὲ προϊεμένων τινὰ δύναμιν ἀφ’ αὑτῶν, πολλάκις δὲ γινομένων καὶ τούτων ἀπὸ συστάσεως αὐτομάτης.
But concerning these things there would be another discussion; but the nature of testaceans is constituted, some spontaneously, and some emitting a certain power from themselves, and often these also being generated from a spontaneous composition.
δεῖ δὲ λαβεῖν τὰς γενέσεις τὰς τῶν φυτῶν. τούτων γὰρ γίνεται τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ σπέρματος, τὰ δ’ ἀπὸ σπαραγμάτων ἀποφυτευομένων, ἔνια δὲ τῷ παραβλαστάνειν, οἷον τὸ τῶν κρομμύων γένος.
And we must grasp the generations of plants; for of these some are generated from seed, some from torn-off parts planted, and some by budding alongside, such as the class of onions.
τοῦτον μὲν οὖν οἱ μύες γίνονται τὸν τρόπον· παραφύονται γὰρ ἐλάττους ἀεὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχήν· κήρυκες δὲ καὶ πορφύραι καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα κηριάζειν οἷον ἀπὸ σπερματικῆς φύσεως προΐενται μυξώδεις ὑγρότητας.
Therefore, mussels are generated in this manner; for they always grow alongside, smaller, near the origin; but whelks, purple-fish, and those said to make combs emit slimy liquids from a seed-like nature.
σπέρμα δ’ οὐθὲν τούτων δεῖ νομίζειν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον μετέχειν τῆς ὁμοιότητος τοῖς φυτοῖς.
But we must not think any of these to be seed, but that they participate in the similarity to plants in the said manner.