§5.2Τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον ἔχει καὶ περὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν καὶ τὴν ὄσφρησιν· ἓν μὲν γάρ ἐστι τοῦ ἀκριβῶς ἀκούειν καὶ ὀσφραίνεσθαι τὸ τὰς διαφορὰς τῶν ὑποκειμένων αἰσθητῶν ὅτι μάλιστα αἰσθάνεσθαι πάσας, ἓν δὲ τὸ πόρρωθεν καὶ ἀκούειν καὶ ὀσφραίνεσθαι.
And the same is the case also concerning hearing and smelling; for one thing in accurate hearing and smelling is to perceive as much as possible all the differences of the underlying objects of sense, and another is to both hear and smell from afar.
τοῦ μὲν οὖν τὰς διαφορὰς κρίνειν καλῶς τὸ αἰσθητήριον αἴτιον, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ὄψεως, ἂν ᾖ καθαρὸν αὐτό τε καὶ ἡ περὶ αὐτὸ μῆνιγξ.
Now of judging the differences well, the sense-organ is the cause, just as in the case of sight, if it itself and the membrane around it are pure.
οἱ γὰρ πόροι τῶν αἰσθητηρίων πάντων, ὥσπερ εἴρηται ἐν τοῖς περὶ αἰσθήσεως, τείνουσι πρὸς τὴν καρδίαν, τοῖς δὲ μὴ ἔχουσι καρδίαν πρὸς τὸ ἀνάλογον.
For the passages of all the sense-organs, as has been said in the treatise "On Sense", extend to the heart, or to the analogue in those that do not have a heart.
ὁ μὲν οὖν τῆς ἀκοῆς, ἐπεί ἐστι τὸ αἰσθητήριον ἀέρος, ᾗ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ σύμφυτον ποιεῖται ἐνίοις μὲν τὴν σφύξιν τοῖς δὲ τὴν ἀναπνοὴν καὶ εἰσπνοήν, ταύτῃ περαίνει· διὸ καὶ ἡ μάθησις γίνεται τῶν λεγομένων ὥστ᾽ ἀντιφθέγγεσθαι τὸ ἀκουσθέν· οἵα γὰρ ἡ κίνησις εἰσῆλθε διὰ τοῦ αἰσθητηρίου, τοιαύτη πάλιν, οἷον ἀπὸ χαρακτῆρος τοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἑνός, διὰ τῆς φωνῆς γίνεται ἡ κίνησις, ὥσθ᾽ ὃ ἤκουσε, τοῦτ᾽ εἰπεῖν.
Now that of hearing, since the sense-organ is of air, terminates where the innate spirit produces pulsation in some, and respiration and inhalation in others; wherefore also the learning of spoken words occurs so that the thing heard is echoed back; for of what sort the movement entered through the sense-organ, of such a sort again, as if from the same and single stamp, the movement occurs through the voice, so that what one heard, this one says.
καὶ χασμώμενοι καὶ ἐκπνέοντες ἧττον ἀκούουσιν ἢ εἰσπνέοντες διὰ τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ πνευματικῷ μορίῳ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ αἰσθητηρίου εἶναι τοῦ τῆς ἀκοῆς, καὶ σείεσθαι καὶ κινεῖσθαι αμα κινοῦντος τοῦ ὀργάνου τὸ πνεῦμα· κινεῖται γὰρ κινοῦν τὸ ὄργανον.
And when yawning and exhaling they hear less than when inhaling, because the starting-point of the sense-organ of hearing is on the respiratory part, and it is shaken and moved at the same time as the organ moves the spirit; for it is moved as it moves the organ.
καὶ ἐν ταῖς ὑγραῖς ὥραις καὶ κράσεσι συμβαίνει τὸ αὐτὸ πάθος, καὶ τὰ ὦτα πληροῦσθαι δοκεῖ πνεύματος διὰ τὸ γειτνιᾶν τῇ ἀρχῇ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ τόπου.
And in damp seasons and constitutions the same affection occurs, and the ears seem to be filled with spirit because of neighboring on the starting-point of the respiratory region.
ἡ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὰς διαφορὰς ἀκρίβεια τῆς κρίσεως καὶ τῶν ψόφων καὶ τῶν ὀσμῶν ἐν τῷ τὸ αἰσθητήριον καθαρὸν εἶναι καὶ τὸν ὑμένα τὸν ἐπιπολῆς ἐστίν· πᾶσαι γὰρ αἱ κινήσεις διάδηλοι, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ὄψεως, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων συμβαίνουσιν.
Therefore, the accuracy of judgment concerning the differences of sounds and smells is in the sense-organ being pure and the membrane on the surface; for all the movements become distinct, just as in the case of sight, and they occur so in these cases too.
καὶ τὸ πόρρωθεν δὲ αἰσθάνεσθαι, τὰ δὲ μὴ αἰσθάνεσθαι, ὁμοίως συμβαίνει ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ὄψεως.
And perceiving from afar, or not perceiving, happens in the same way as in the case of sight.
τὰ γὰρ ἔχοντα πρὸ τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἐπὶ πολὺ οἷον ὀχετοὺς διὰ τῶν μορίων, ταῦτα πόρρωθεν αἰσθητικά ἐστιν.
For those which have, in front of their sense-organs, long channel-like structures through their parts, these are capable of perceiving from afar.
διὸ ὅσων οἱ μυκτῆρες μακροί, οἷον τῶν Λακωνικῶν κυνιδίων, ὀσφραντικά· ἄνω γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ αἰσθητηρίου πόρρωθεν αἱ κινήσεις οὐ διασπῶνται ἀλλ᾽ εὐθυποροῦσιν, ὥσπερ τοῖς ἐπηλυγιζομένοις πρὸ τῶν ὀμμάτων.
Wherefore those whose nostrils are long, such as Laconian hounds, are keen of smell; for since the sense-organ is situated high up, the movements from afar do not scatter but go straight, just as for those who shade their eyes.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὅσοις τὰ ὦτα μακρὰ καὶ ἀπογεγεισσωμένα πόρρωθεν, οἷα ἔχουσιν ἔνια τῶν τετραπόδων, καὶ ἔσω τὴν ἑλίκην μακράν· καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα ἐκ πολλοῦ λαμβάνοντα τὴν κίνησιν ἀποδίδωσι πρὸς τὸ αἰσθητήριον.
And likewise also for those whose ears are long and project far outwards, such as some of the quadrupeds have, and have the inner spiral passage long; for these too, receiving the movement from a great distance, pass it on to the sense-organ.
τὴν μὲν οὖν πόρρωθεν ἀκρίβειαν τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἥκιστα ὡς εἰπεῖν ἄνθρωπος ἔχει ὡς κατὰ μέγεθος τῶν ζῴων, τὴν δὲ περὶ τὰς διαφορὰς μάλιστα πάντων εὐαίσθητον.
Now, human beings have, so to say, the least accuracy of senses from afar, in proportion to the size of animals, but they are the most sensitive of all concerning differences.
αἴτιον δ᾽ ὅτι τὸ αἰσθητήριον καθαρὸν καὶ ἥκιστα γεῶδες καὶ σωματῶδες, καὶ φύσει λεπτοδερμότατον τῶν ζῴων ὡς κατὰ μέγεθος ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν.
The cause is that the sense-organ is pure and least earthy and bodily, and man is by nature the thinnest-skinned of animals in proportion to his size.
εὐλόγως δ᾽ ἀπείργασται ἡ φύσις καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν φώκην· τετράπουν γὰρ ὂν καὶ ζῳοτόκον οὐκ ἔχει ὦτα ἀλλὰ πόρους μόνον.
And nature has reasonably fashioned the matters concerning the seal; for though it is a quadruped and viviparous, it does not have ears but only passages.
αἴτιον δ᾽ ὅτι ἐν ὑγρῷ αὐτῇ ὁ βίος· τὸ δὲ τῶν ὤτων μόριον πρόσκειται τοῖς πόροις πρὸς τὸ σώζειν τὴν τοῦ πόρρωθεν ἀέρος κίνησιν· οὐθὲν οὖν χρήσιμόν ἐστιν αὐτῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἀπεργάζοιτ᾽ ἄν, δεχόμενα εἰς αὑτὰ ὑγροῦ πλῆθος.
The cause is that its life is in the wet; and the part of the ears is added to the passages to preserve the movement of the air from afar; therefore it is of no use to it, but would even do the opposite, by receiving a large amount of fluid into itself.
καὶ περὶ μὲν ὄψεως καὶ ἀκοῆς καὶ ὀσφρήσεως εἴρηται.
And concerning sight, hearing, and smelling, it has been spoken.