§3.11#2διὸ καὶ γίνεται πλῆθος τῶν τοιούτων, ὅταν ἅπαξ γένηταί τι.
Therefore also a multitude of such things is generated, when once something has been generated.
πάντα μὲν γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτόματα συμβαίνει γίνεσθαι, κατὰ λόγον δὲ καὶ ὑπαρξάντων συνίστασθαι μᾶλλον.
For all these happen to be generated also spontaneously, but it is more reasonable that they are constituted when there are already existing ones.
περιγίγνεσθαι γάρ τι περίττωμα πρὸς ἑκάστῳ τῆς ἀρχῆς εὔλογον, ἀφ’ ἧς παραβλαστάνει τῶν παραφυομένων ἕκαστον.
For it is reasonable that a certain residue remains near each origin, from which each of the things growing alongside buds off.
ἐπεὶ δὲ παραπλησίαν ἔχει τὴν δύναμιν ἡ τροφὴ καὶ τὸ ταύτης περίττωμα, τῶν κηριαζόντων ὁμοίαν εἰκός ἐστιν εἶναι τῇ ἐξ ἀρχῆς συστάσει οὐσίαν.
And since the food and its residue have a similar power, it is likely that the substance of those that make combs is similar to the constitution from the beginning.
διόπερ εὔλογον γίνεσθαι καὶ ἐκ ταύτης.
Wherefore it is reasonable that it is generated also from this.
ὅσα δὲ μήτε παραβλαστάνει μήτε κηριάζει, τούτων δὲ πάντων ἡ γένεσις αὐτόματός ἐστιν.
But of all those that neither bud alongside nor make combs, the generation is spontaneous.
πάντα δὲ τὰ συνιστάμενα τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον καὶ ἐν γῇ καὶ ἐν ὕδατι φαίνεται. γινόμενα μετὰ σήψεως καὶ μιγνυμένου τοῦ ὀμβρίου ὕδατος.
And all things constituted in this manner both on land and in water appear to be generated with decay and with the mingling of rain water.
ἀποκρινομένου γὰρ τοῦ γλυκέος εἰς τὴν συνισταμένην ἀρχὴν τὸ περιττεῦον τοιαύτην λαμβάνει μορφήν.
For when the sweet part is separated into the constituted origin, the residue takes on such a form.
γίνεται δ’ οὐθὲν σηπόμενον ἀλλὰ πεττόμενον.
But nothing is generated by decaying, but by being concocted.
ἡ δὲ σῆψις καὶ τὸ σηπτὸν περίττωμα τοῦ πεφθέντος ἐστίν.
And decay and the decayed thing are the residue of what has been concocted.
οὐθὲν γὰρ ἐκ παντὸς γίνεται, καθάπερ οὐδ’ ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ τῆς τέχνης δημιουργουμένοις.
For nothing is generated from just anything, just as it is not in the things crafted by art.
οὐθὲν γὰρ ἂν ἔδει ποιεῖν· νῦν δὲ τὸ μὲν ἡ τέχνη τῶν ἀχρήστων ἀφαιρεῖ, τὸ δ’ ἡ φύσις.
For then there would be no need to make anything; but as it is, art removes the useless parts, and nature does the same.
γίνεται δ’ ἐν γῇ καὶ ἐν ὑγρῷ τὰ ζῷα καὶ τὰ φυτὰ διὰ τὸ ἐν γῇ μὲν ὕδωρ ὑπάρχειν, ἐν δ’ ὕδατι πνεῦμα, ἐν δὲ τούτῳ παντὶ θερμότητα ψυχικήν, ὥστε τρόπον τινὰ πάντα ψυχῆς εἶναι πλήρη.
And animals and plants are generated in the earth and in the liquid because water is present in the earth, and breath in water, and in all of this psychic warmth, so that in a certain way all things are full of soul.
διὸ συνίσταται ταχέως, ὁπόταν ἐμπεριληφθῇ.
Wherefore they are constituted quickly, whenever it is enclosed.
ἐμπεριλαμβάνεται δὲ καὶ γίνεται θερμαινομένων τῶν σωματικῶν ὑγρῶν οἷον ἀφρώδης πομφόλυξ.
And it is enclosed and generated when the bodily liquids are warmed, like a frothy bubble.
αἱ μὲν οὖν διαφοραὶ τοῦ τιμιώτερον εἶναι τὸ γένος καὶ ἀτιμότερον τὸ συνιστάμενον ἐν τῇ περιλήψει τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς ψυχικῆς ἐστίν.
Therefore, the differences of the class being more honorable or less honorable among those constituted lie in the enclosing of the psychic origin.
τούτου δὲ καὶ οἱ τόποι αἴτιοι καὶ τὸ σῶμα τὸ περιλαμβανόμενον.
And of this both the places and the enclosed body are the causes.
ἐν δὲ τῇ θαλάττῃ πολὺ τὸ γεῶδες ἔνεστιν· διόπερ ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης συστάσεως ἡ τῶν ὀστρακοδέρμων γίνεται φύσις, κύκλῳ μὲν τοῦ γεώδους σκληρυνομένου καὶ πηγνυμένου τὴν αὐτὴν πῆξιν τοῖς ὀστοῖς καὶ τοῖς κέρασι (πυρὶ γὰρ ἄτηκτα ταῦτ’ ἐστίν), ἐντὸς δὲ περιλαμωδιςτ. βανομένου τοῦ τὴν ζωὴν ἔχοντος σώματος.
And in the sea there is much earthy matter; wherefore from such a constitution the nature of testaceans is generated, the earthy matter being hardened and solidified around in the same solidification as bones and horns (for these are insoluble by fire), and the body containing life being enclosed within.
μόνον δὲ τῶν δ’ ἐκ τοῦ συνδυασμοῦ ἡ γένεσις αὐτῶν ἐστὶν ἢ μή, οὕπω συνῶπται ἱκανῶς.
But whether their generation is only from copulation or not has not yet been sufficiently observed.
ζητήσειε δ’ ἄν τις βουλόμενος ὀρθῶς ζητεῖν, τί τὸ κατὰ τὴν ὑλικὴν ἀρχὴν συνιστάμενόν ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις.
And anyone wishing to inquire correctly would inquire what it is that is constituted according to the material origin in such things.
ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς θήλεσι περίττωμά τι τοῦ ζῴου τοῦτ’ ἐστίν, ὃ ἡ παρὰ τοῦ ἄρρενος ἀρχὴ κινοῦσα, δυνάμει τοιοῦτον ὂν οἷον ἀφ’ οὑπερ ἦλθεν, ἀποτελεῖ τὸ ζῷον.
For in females this is a certain residue of the animal, which the origin from the male, by moving it, completes the animal, being potentially such as that from which it came.
ἐνταῦθα δὲ τί δεῖ λέγειν τὸ τοιοῦτον, καὶ πόθεν καὶ τίς ἡ κινοῦσα ἀρχὴ ἡ κατὰ τὸ ἄρρεν;
But here, what must we call such a thing, and from where and what is the moving origin corresponding to the male?
δεῖ δὴ λαβεῖν ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς ζῴοις τοῖς γεννῶσιν ἐκ τῆς εἰσούσης τροφῆς ἡ ἐν τῷ ζῴῳ θερμότης ἀποκρίνουσα καὶ συμπέττουσα ποιεῖ τὸ περίττωμα, τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ κυήματος.
We must indeed grasp that even in animals that generate, the warmth in the animal, separating and concocting from the incoming food, makes the residue, the origin of the embryo.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐν φυτοῖς· πλὴν ἐν μὲν τούτοις καὶ ἔν τισι τῶν ζῴων οὐθὲν προσδεῖται τῆς τοῦ ἄρρενος ἀρχῆς (ἔχει γὰρ ἐν αὑτοῖς μεμιγμένην), τὸ δὲ τῶν πλείστων ζῴων περίττωμα προσδεῖται.
And likewise also in plants; except that in these and in some of the animals there is no need of the origin of the male (for they have it mixed in themselves), but the residue of most animals needs it.
τροφὴ δ’ ἐστὶ τοῖς μὲν ὕδωρ καὶ γῆ, τοῖς δὲ τὰ ἐκ τούτων, ὥσθ’ ὅπερ ἡ ἐν τοῖς ζῴοις θερμότης ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς ἀπεργάζεται, τοῦθ’ ἡ τῆς ὥρας ἐν τῷ περιέχοντι θερμότης ἐκ θαλάττης καὶ γῆς συγκρίνει πέττουσα καὶ συνίστησιν.
And food is water and earth for some, and for others the things from these, so that just what the warmth in animals works out from the food, this the warmth of the season in the surrounding environment concocts, combines, and constitutes from the sea and earth.
τὸ δ’ ἐναπολαμβανόμενον ἢ ἀποκρινόμενον ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ψυχικῆς ἀρχῆς κύημα ποιεῖ καὶ κίνησιν ἐντίθησιν.
And that which is enclosed or separated in the breath of the psychic origin makes the embryo and implants movement.
ἡ μὲν οὖν τῶν φυτῶν τῶν ἀπὸ ταὐτομάτου γινομένων σύστασις ὁμοειδής ἐστιν· ἔκ τινος γὰρ μορίου γίνεται, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀρχὴ τὸ δὲ τροφὴ γίνεται ἡ πρώτη τοῖς ἐκφυομένοις.
Therefore, the constitution of plants generated spontaneously is of the same kind; for it is generated from some part, and one part becomes the origin and another the first food for the budding parts.
τὰ δὲ τῶν ζῴων σκωληκοτοκεῖται καὶ τῶν ἀναίμων ὅσα μὴ ἀπὸ ζῴων γίνεται καὶ τῶν ἐναίμων, οἷον γένος τι κεστρέων καὶ ἄλλων ποταμίων ἰχθύων, ἔτι δὲ τὸ τῶν ἐγχέλεων γένος.
But those of animals are produced as worms, both of the bloodless ones as many as are not generated from animals, and of the blooded ones, such as a certain class of mullets and other river fish, and furthermore the class of eels.
ἅπαντα γὰρ ταῦτα, καίπερ ὀλίγαιμον ἔχοντα τὴν φύσιν, ὅμως ἔναιμά ἐστι, καὶ καρδίαν ἔχουσι τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν τῶν μορίων αἱματικήν.
For all these, although having a nature with little blood, are nevertheless blooded, and have the heart as the blood-containing origin of their parts.