§4.1#4διὸ ἕκαστοι οἱ τόποι ἅμα ταῖς ἐκκρίσεσι γίνονται καὶ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν, ὥσπερ οὔθ’ ἡ ὄψις ἄνευ ὀφθαλμῶν οὔτ’ ὀφθαλμὸς τελειοῦται ἄνευ ὄψεως, καὶ κοιλία καὶ κύστις ἅμα τῷ δύνασθαι τὰ περιττώματα γίνεσθαι.
Therefore, each of the places is formed at the same time as the secretions and the capacities, just as neither sight is perfected without eyes, nor an eye without sight, and stomach and bladder are formed at the same time as the capacity for the residues to be produced.
ὄντος δὲ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐξ οὗ τε γίνεται καὶ αὔξεται, τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶν ἡ τροφή, ἕκαστον ἂν γίνοιτο τῶν μορίων ἐκ τοιαύτης ὕλης ἧς δεκτικόν ἐστι, καὶ τοιούτου περιττώματος.
And since that from which it is formed and grows is the same, and this is the food, each of the parts would be formed from such matter as it is receptive of, and from such a residue.
ἔτι δὲ γίνεται πάλιν, ὡς φαμέν, ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου πως.
And further, it is formed, as we say, in a way from its opposite.
τρίτον δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ληπτέον ὅτι εἴπερ ἡ φθορὰ εἰς τοὐναντίον, καὶ τὸ μὴ κρατούμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦντος ἀνάγκη μεταβάλλειν εἰς τοὐναντίον.
Thirdly, in addition to these, it must be assumed that if destruction is into the opposite, then that which is not mastered by the fashioning agent must of necessity change into the opposite.
τούτων δ’ ὑποκειμένων ἴσως ἂν ἤδη μᾶλλον εἴη φανερὸν δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν γίνεται τὸ μὲν θῆλυ τὸ δ’ ἄρρεν.
These being assumed as premises, it would perhaps now be clearer for what cause the one becomes female and the other male.
ὅταν γὰρ μὴ κρατῇ ἡ ἀρχὴ μηδὲ δύνηται πέψαι δι’ ἔνδειαν θερμότητος μηδ’ ἀγάγῃ εἰς τὸ ἴδιον εἶδος τὸ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ταύτῃ ἡττηθῇ, ἀνάγκη εἰς τοὐναντίον μεταβάλλειν.
For when the principle does not master, nor is able to concoct on account of a deficiency of heat, nor brings it to its own proper form, but is defeated in this, it must of necessity change into the opposite.
ἐναντίον δὲ τῷ ἄρρενι τὸ θῆλυ, καὶ ταύτῃ ᾗ τὸ μὲν ἄρρεν τὸ δὲ θῆλυ.
And the female is opposite to the male, and indeed in that respect in which the one is male and the other female.
ἐπεὶ δ’ ἔχει διαφορὰν ἐν τῇ δυνάμει, ἔχει καὶ τὸ ὄργανον διαφέρον· ὥστ’ εἰς τοιοῦτον μεταβάλλει.
And since it has a difference in capacity, it also has a different organ; so that it changes into such.
ἑνὸς δὲ μορίου ἐπικαίρου μεταβάλλοντος ὅλη ἡ σύστασις τοῦ ζῴου πολὺ τῷ εἴδει διαφέρει.
And when one vital part changes, the whole constitution of the animal differs greatly in form.
ὁρᾶν δ’ ἔξεστιν ἐπὶ τῶν εὐνούχων, οἳ ἑνὸς μορίου πηρωθέντος τοσοῦτον ἐξαλλάττουσι τῆς ἀρχαίας μορφῆς καὶ μικρὸν λείπουσι τοῦ θήλεος τὴν ἰδεαν.
And we may see this in the case of eunuchs, who, when one part is mutilated, depart so much from their ancient form and fall only a little short of the appearance of the female.
τούτου δ’ αἴτιον ὅτι ἔνια τῶν μορίων ἀρχαί εἰσιν· ἀρχῆς δὲ κινηθείσης πολλὰ ἀνάγκη μεθίστασθαι τῶν ἀκολουθούντων.
And the cause of this is that some of the parts are principles; and when a principle is moved, many of the things that follow it must of necessity change.
εἰ οὖν τὸ μὲν ἄρρεν ἀρχή τις καὶ αἴτιον, ἔστι δ’ ἄρρεν ῃ δύναταί τι, θῆλυ δὲ ᾗ ἀδυνατεῖ, τῆς δὲ δυνάμεως ὅρος καὶ τῆς ἀδυναμίας τὸ πεπτικὸν εἶναι ἢ μὴ πεπτικὸν τῆς ὑστάτης τροφῆς, ὃ ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἐναίμοις αἷμα καλεῖται ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις τὸ ἀνάλογον, τούτου δὲ τὸ αἴτιον ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ τῷ μορίω τῷ ἔχοντι τὴν τῆς φυσικῆς θερμότητος ἀρχήν, ἀναγκαῖον ἄρα ἐν τοῖς ἐναίμοις συνίστασθαι καρδίαν, καὶ ἢ ἄρρεν ἔσεσθαι ἢ θῆλυ τὸ γινόμενον.
If, then, the male is a certain principle and cause, and it is male in that it is capable of something, and female in that it is incapable, and the limit of the capacity and incapacity is being concoctive or not concoctive of the ultimate food, which in blooded animals is called blood and in others the analogue, and the cause of this is in the principle and in the part which has the principle of natural heat, it is necessary then that in blooded animals a heart is constituted, and that that which is being formed will be either male or female.
ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις γένεσιν ὑπάρχει τὸ θῆλυ καὶ τὸ ἄρρεν τὸ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἀνάλογον.
And in the other classes, there exists that which is analogue to the heart, determining the female and the male.
ἡ μὲν οὖν ἀρχὴ τοῦ θήλεος καὶ ἄρρενος καὶ ἡ αἰτία αὕτη καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἐστίν.
The principle, then, and the cause of the female and the male is this, and is in this.
θῆλυ δ’ ἤδη καὶ ἄρρεν ἐστίν, ὅταν ἔχῃ καὶ τὰ μόρια οἷς διαφέρει τὸ θῆλυ τοῦ ἄρρενος.
But it is already female and male when it also has the parts by which the female differs from the male.
οὐ γὰρ καθ’ ὁτιοῦν μέρος ἄρρεν οὐδὲ θῆλυ, ὥσπερ οὐδ’ ὁρῶν καὶ ἀκοῦον.
For it is not male or female in virtue of just any part, just as it is not seeing or hearing.
ἀναλαβόντες δὲ πάλιν λέγομεν ὅτι τὸ μὲν σπέρμα ὑπόκειται περίττωμα τροφῆς ὂν τὸ ἔσχατον.
Resuming again, we say that the semen is assumed to be the ultimate residue of food.
ἔσχατον δὲ λέγω τὸ πρὸς ἕκαστον φερόμενον.
And by "ultimate" I mean that which is carried to each part.
διὸ καὶ ἔοικε τὸ γεννώμενον τῷ γεννήσαντι.
Wherefore also that which is begotten resembles that which begot it.
οὐθὲν γὰρ διαφέρει ἀφ’ ἑκάστου τῶν μορίων ἀπελθεῖν ἢ πρὸς ἕκαστον προσελθεῖν, ὀρθότερον δ’ οὕτως.
For it makes no difference whether it comes away from each of the parts or goes to each; but the latter is more correct.
διαφέρει δὲ τὸ τοῦ ἄρρενος σπέρμα, ὅτι ἔχει ἀρχὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τοιαύτην οἵαν κινεῖν καὶ ἐν τῷ ζῴῳ καὶ διαπέττειν τὴν ἐσχάτην τροφήν, τὸ δὲ τοῦ θήλεος ὕλην μόνον.
But the semen of the male differs in that it has in itself such a principle as to move and thoroughly concoct the ultimate food in the animal, while that of the female has matter only.
κρατῆσαν μὲν οὖν εἰς αὐτὸ ἄγει, κρατηθὲν δ’ εἰς τοὐναντίον μεταβάλλει ἢ εἰς φθοράν.
Now, when it masters, it brings it to itself; but when it is mastered, it changes into the opposite or into destruction.
ἐναντίον δὲ τῷ ἄρρενι τὸ θῆλυ.
And the female is opposite to the male.
θῆλυ δὲ τῇ ἀπεψίᾳ καὶ τῇ ψυχρότητι τῆς αἱματικῆς τροφῆς.
And it is female by the lack of concoction and the coldness of the blood-nourished food.
ἡ δὲ φύσις ἑκάστῳ τῶν περιττωμάτων ἀποδίδωσι τὸ δεκτικὸν μόριον.
And nature attributes to each of the residues the receptive part.
τὸ δὲ σπέρμα περίττωμα.
And semen is a residue.
τοῦτο δὲ τοῖς μὲν θερμοτέροις καὶ ἄρρεσι τῶν ἐναίμων εὔογκον τῷ πλήθει, διὸ τὰ δεκτικὰ μόρια πόροι ταύτης τῆς περιττώσεώς εἰσι τοῖς ἄρρεσιν.
And this, for the warmer and male ones of blooded animals, is moderate in bulk, wherefore the receptive parts for the males are passages for this residue.
τοῖς δὲ θήλεσι δι’ ἀπεψίαν πλῆθος αἱματικόν (ἀκατέργαστον γάρ), ὥστε καὶ μόριον δεκτικὸν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναί τι, καὶ εἶναι τοῦτο ἀνόμοιον καὶ μέγεθος ἔχειν.
But for the females, on account of the lack of concoction, there is a bloody quantity (for it is unconcocted), so that it is necessary that there is also some receptive part, and that this is unlike and has magnitude.
διὸ τῆς ὑστέρας τοιαύτη ἡ φύσις ἐστίν.
Wherefore such is the nature of the uterus.
τούτῳ δὲ τὸ θῆλυ διαφέρει τῷ μορίῳ τοῦ ἄρρενος.
And by this part the female differs from the male.