§2.88.
8.
Ἅπαντα δὲ τὰ μικτὰ σώματα, ὅσα περὶ τὸν τοῦ μέσου τόπον ἐστίν, ἐξ ἁπάντων σύγκειται τῶν ἁπλῶν.
All mixed bodies, which are about the region of the center, are composed of all the simple ones.
γῆ μὲν γὰρ ἐνυπάρχει πᾶσι διὰ τὸ ἕκαστον εἶναι μάλιστα καὶ πλεῖστον ἐν τῷ οἰκείῳ τόπῳ, ὕδωρ δὲ διὰ τὸ δεῖν μὲν ὁρίζεσθαι τὸ σύνθετον, μόνον δ᾿ εἶναι τῶν ἁπλῶν εὐόριστον τὸ ὕδωρ, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν γῆν ἄνευ τοῦ ὑγροῦ μὴ δύνασθαι συμμένειν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτ᾿ εἶναι τὸ συνέχον· εἰ γὰρ ἐξαιρεθείη τελέως ἐξ αὐτῆς τὸ ὑγρόν, διαπίπτοι ἄν.
For earth is present in all, because each is especially and most abundantly in its own proper place, and water because the composite must be bounded, and water is the only one of the simple bodies that is easily bounded, and further because earth cannot hold together without the moist, but this is what holds it together; for if the moist were completely taken away from it, it would fall apart.
Γῆ μὲν οὖν καὶ ὕδωρ διὰ ταύτας ἐνυπάρχει τὰς αἰτίας, ἀὴρ δὲ καὶ πῦρ, ὅτι ἐναντία ἐστὶ γῇ καὶ ὕδατι· γῆ μὲν γὰρ ἀέρι, ὕδωρ δὲ πυρὶ ἐναντίον ἐστίν, ὡς ἐνδέχεται οὐσίαν οὐσίᾳ ἐναντίαν εἶναι.
So earth and water are present for these reasons, and air and fire, because they are contrary to earth and water; for earth is contrary to air, and water to fire, insofar as it is possible for substance to be contrary to substance.
ἐπεὶ οὖν αἱ γενέσεις ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων εἰσίν, ἐνυπάρχει δὲ θάτερα ἄκρα τῶν ἐναντίων, ἀνάγκη καὶ θάτερα ἐνυπάρχειν, ὥστ᾿ ἐν ἅπαντι τῷ συνθέτῳ πάντα τὰ ἁπλᾶ ἐνέσται.
Since, then, generations are from contraries, and one of the contrary extremes is present, it is necessary that the other also is present, so that in every composite all the simple bodies will be present.
μαρτυρεῖν δ᾿ ἔοικε καὶ ἡ τροφὴ ἑκάστων· ἅπαντα μὲν γὰρ τρέφεται τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὧνπερ ἐστίν, ἄπαντα δὲ πλείοσι τρέφεται.
And the nourishment of each seems to bear witness to this; for all are nourished by the same things of which they consist, and all are nourished by several things.
καὶ γὰρ ἅπερ ἄν δόξειεν ἑνὶ μόνῳ τρέφεσθαι, τῷ ὕδατι τὰ φυτά, πλείοσι τρέφεται· μέμικται γὰρ τῷ ὕδατι γῆ· διὸ καὶ οἱ γεωργοὶ πειρῶνται μίξαντες ἄρδειν.
For even those which might seem to be nourished by one thing alone, namely plants by water, are nourished by several; for earth has been mixed with water; which is why farmers also try to irrigate after mixing them.
ἐπεὶ δ᾿ ἐστὶν ἡ μὲν τροφὴ τῆς ὕλης, τὸ δὲ τρεφόμενον συνειλημένον τῇ ὕλῃ ἡ μορφὴ καὶ τὸ εἶδος, εὔλογον ἤδη τὸ μόνον τῶν ἁπλῶν σωμάτων τρέφεσθαι τὸ πῦρ ἁπάντων ἐξ ἀλλήλων γινομένων, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ πρότεροι λέγουσιν·
And since nourishment belongs to matter, while that which is nourished is the shape and form grasped together with the matter, it is reasonable now that fire alone of the simple bodies is nourished, while all are generated from one another, just as the predecessors also say.
μόνον γάρ ἐστι καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ εἴδους τὸ πῦρ διὰ τὸ πεφυκέναι φέρεσθαι πρὸς τὸν ὅρον.
For fire alone, and most of all, belongs to form because it is its nature to be carried towards the limit.
ἕκαστον δὲ πέφυκεν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χώραν φέρεσθαι· ἡ δὲ μορφὴ καὶ τὸ εἶδος ἀπάντων ἐν τοῖς ὅροις.
And each is naturally carried to its own place; but the shape and form of all things is in the limits.
ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἄπαντα τὰ σώματα ἐξ ἁπάντων συνέστηκε τῶν ἁπλῶν, εἴρηται.
That all bodies, then, are composed of all the simple ones, has been said.