§10.5Τοῦ μὲν οὖν εἶναι τὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αἴτια ἔστι μὲν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα λαβεῖν·
Now, as for the cause being on the part of the man, it is possible to grasp other signs as well; but what would appear most easily is his associating with other women and procreating.
ἃ δὲ ῥᾴω μάλιστ’ ἂν φαίνοιτο, πρὸς ἄλλας πλησιάζων καὶ γεννῶν. Τὸ δὲ πρὸς ἀλλήλους μὴ συνδρόμως ἔχειν, πάντων τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπαρξάντων οὐ γεννῶσιν.
As for their not being in synchrony with each other, even when all the aforementioned conditions are present, they do not procreate.
Δηλοῖ γὰρ ὅτι τοῦτο αἴτιον μόνον.
For this shows that this alone is the cause.
Εἴπερ γὰρ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ συμβάλλεται εἰς τὸ σπέρμα καὶ τὴν γένεσιν, δῆλον ὅτι δεῖ ἰσοδρομῆσαι παρ’ ἀμφοῖν.
For if indeed the woman also contributes to the semen and to generation, it is clear that there must be a simultaneous emission from both.
Ἐὰν οὖν ὁ μὲν ταχὺ ἐκποιήσῃ ἡ δὲ μόλις (τὰ γὰρ πολλὰ αἱ γυναῖκες βραδύτεραι), τοῦτο κωλύει· διὸ καὶ συζευγνύμενοι γεννῶσι μετ’ ἀλλήλων· οὐ γεννῶντες δέ, ὅταν ἐντύχωσιν ἰσοδρομοῦσι πρὸς τὴν συνουσίαν.
If, therefore, the one emits quickly and the other with difficulty (for for the most part women are slower), this prevents it; wherefore also when paired they procreate with one another; and those who were not procreating do so when they meet with those who emit simultaneously in intercourse.
Εἰ γὰρ ἡ μὲν ὀργῶσα καὶ παρεσκευασμένη εἴη καὶ ἐννοίας ἔχουσα ἐπιτηδείας, ὁ δὲ προλελυπημένος καὶ κατεψυγμένος, ἀνάγκη τότε ἰσοδρομῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀλλήλοις.
For if the woman should be eager and prepared and having suitable thoughts, while the man is previously exhausted and chilled, it is necessary then for them to harmonize with each other.
Ἔτι δ’ ἐνίοτε γυναιξὶ καὶ ἐξονειρωξάσαις καὶ ἀνδράσιν ἀφροδισιάσασι συμβαίνει εὐρωστοτέροις εἶναι, μὴ ἰσχύϊ ἀλλ’ ὑγιείᾳ.
Furthermore, it sometimes happens that women who have had wet dreams and men who have engaged in sexual intercourse are more robust, not in strength but in health.
Γίνεται δὲ τοῦτο, ὅταν πολὺ τὸ σπέρμα ᾖ ἠθροισμένον ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον ὅθεν προΐενται.
This occurs when a large amount of semen has accumulated in the place from which they emit it.
Ἐὰν οὖν τότε ἀπέλθῃ, οὐδὲν ἀσθενέστεραι γίνονται· οὐ γὰρ ἀεὶ ἐκλύονται ἀπελθόντων, ὅταν ἱκανὰ ᾖ τὰ λειπόμενα· οὐδ’ ἂν εἰ ἐκεῖνα ἄχρηστα ᾖ ἅμα καὶ ῥᾴω, οἷον πλησμονῆς ἀπαλλαγέντα· διὸ οὐκ ἰσχύϊ εὐρωστότεραι ἀλλὰ κουφότητι γίνονται.
If, therefore, it departs at that time, they become no weaker; for they are not always exhausted when things depart, when what is left is sufficient; nor even if those things are useless and at the same time they are easier, as if freed from a fullness; wherefore they become more robust not in strength but in lightness.
Ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἀπὸ τοσούτων ἐπίῃ ὧν τὸ σῶμα δεῖται, τότε ἀσθενεστέρας ποιεῖ.
But when the emission comes from as much as the body needs, then it makes them weaker.
Παύεται δὲ ταχύ, ἂν ἄλλως τις ὑγιάνῃ τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἐν ἡλικίᾳ ᾖ, ἣ ταχὺ σπερμοποιεῖ· τῶν γὰρ αὐξανομένων τοῦτ’ ἐστὶ ταχὺ καὶ τῶν αὐξητῶν.
And it ceases quickly, if a woman is otherwise healthy in body and of an age that quickly produces semen; for this is rapid in those who are growing and in those who have grown.
Καὶ λανθάνουσι τότε μάλιστα κυϊσκόμεναι.
And they are most of all unaware of conceiving at that time.
Οὐ γὰρ οἴονται συνειληφέναι, ἐὰν μὴ αἴσθωνται.
For they do not think they have conceived unless they perceive it.
Προϊέμεναι δὲ τυγχάνουσιν ὑπολαμβάνουσαι ὡς δεῖ ἀπ’ ἀμφοῖν συμπεσεῖν ἅμα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνδρός.
But they happen to emit while assuming that it must fall together from both at the same time, both from the woman and from the man.
Μάλιστα δὲ λανθάνει, ὅσαι οἴονται ἀδύνατον εἶναι συλλαβεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ ξηρανθῶσι καὶ ἐπιδήλως ἀφανισθῇ τὸ δοθέν.
And this is especially unnoticed by those who think it is impossible to conceive unless they are dried and what was given is visibly made to disappear.
Συμβαίνει δ’ ἐνίοτε πλέον προΐεσθαι καὶ αὐτὴν καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα οὗ ἂν δύνηται ἀφανίσαι καὶ τοῦ ἱκανοῦ.
But it sometimes happens that both she herself and the man emit more than what can be made to disappear and more than what is sufficient.
Ὅταν οὖν σπάσῃ μὲν ἱκανόν, λειφθῇ δὲ πολύ, τότε λανθάνουσι κυϊσκόμεναι.
Therefore, when a sufficient amount is drawn in, but a lot is left over, then they are unaware of conceiving.
Ὅτι δὲ τοιοῦτον ἐνδέχεται γίνεσθαι καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἅπαντος γίνεται τὸ πάθος, δηλοῖ ὅσα τῶν ζῴων ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὀχείας πολλὰ τίκτει, καὶ ἡ τῶν διδύμων γένεσις, ὅταν ἀπὸ μιᾶς γένηται· δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ οὐχ ἅπαντος ἐγένετο, ἀλλὰ μέρος τι αὐτοῦ ἔλαβε τόπος, τὸ δὲ περιελείπετο πολλαπλάσιον.
That such a thing is possible to happen, and that the effect does not come from the whole, is shown by those animals that bear many young from a single copulation, and by the birth of twins when it occurs from a single one; for it is clear that it did not come from the whole, but some place took a part of it, and the remainder was left over many times larger.
Ἔτι εἰ πολλὰ ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὀχείας γίνεται, ὅπερ φαίνεται ἐπὶ τῶν ὑῶν καὶ τῶν διδύμων ἐνίοτε γιγνόμενον, δῆλον ὅτι οὐκ ἀπὸ παντὸς ἔρχεται τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ σώματος, ἀλλ’ ἐφ’ ἑκάστου εἴδους ἐμερίζετο.
Furthermore, if many are produced from a single copulation, which is seen to happen in pigs and sometimes in twins, it is clear that the semen does not come from the whole body, but was divided for each form.
Ἀπὸ παντὸς μὲν γὰρ ἐνδέχεται ἀποχωρισθῆναι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν εἰς πολλά.
For it is possible for it to be separated from the whole, and the whole into many parts.
Ὥστε ἅμα καὶ κατὰ μέρος ἀδύνατον.
So that it should be at the same time and in parts is impossible.
Ἔτι ἡ γυνὴ προΐεται εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν τοῦ στόματος τῶν ὑστερῶν, οὗ καὶ ὁ ἀνήρ, ὅταν πλησιάσῃ.
Furthermore, the woman emits into the front of the mouth of the uterus, where the man also emits when he associates.
Ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ σπᾷ τῷ πνεύματι, ὥσπερ τοῖς στόμασιν ἢ τοῖς μυκτῆρσιν.
For from there it draws in by means of the breath, just as mouths or nostrils do.
Πάντα γὰρ ὅσα μὴ ὀργάνοις προσάγεται, ἢ εἴσφυσιν ἔχει ἄνωθεν κοῖλα ὄντα, ἢ πνεύματι ἕλκονται ἐκ τούτου τοῦ τόπου.
For all things that are not brought in by organs either have an inward suction from above, being hollow, or are drawn from this place by the breath.
Διὸ ἐπιμελοῦνται ὅπως γένηται ξηρὸς οὕτως, ὥσπερ πρὶν τοῦτο συμβαίνειν.
Wherefore they take care that it becomes dry in this way, just as before this happens.
Πέφυκε δ’ οὕτως ἡ ὁδός, δι’ ἧς ἔρχεται, ταῖς γυναιξίν.
And the passage through which it goes is naturally constituted in this way for women.
Ἔχουσι καυλόν, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες τὸ αἰδοῖον.
They have a shaft, just as men have the penis.
Ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ στόματι ἀποπνέουσι διὰ τοῦτο μικρῷ τε πόρῳ ἀνωτέρω, ᾗ οὐροῦσιν αἱ γυναῖκες.
But at the mouth they breathe out through this by a small passage a little higher up, where women urinate.
Διὸ καὶ ὅταν ὀργῶσιν ἀφροδισιασθῆναι, οὗτος ὁ τόπος οὐκ ἔχει ὁμοίως καὶ πρὶν ὀργᾶν.
Wherefore also when they are eager for sexual intercourse, this place is not in the same state as before they were eager.
Ἀπὸ δὴ τούτου τοῦ καυλοῦ γίνεται ἔκπτωσις, καὶ τὸ ἔμπροσθεν τῆς ὑστέρας πολλῷ μεῖζον ἢ καθ’ ἣν εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν τόπον ἐκπίπτει.
And from this shaft an emission occurs, and the front of the uterus is much larger than the passage through which it falls out into that place.
Ὅμοιον δ’ ἐστὶ τοῦτο κατὰ τοῦτο ταῖς ῥισίν· καὶ γὰρ αἱ ῥῖνες ἔχουσιν εἴσω εἰς τὸν φάρυγγα πόρον τινὰ καὶ εἰς τὸν ἔξω ἀέρα· οὕτω κἀκεῖνος καὶ ἔξω ἔχει πόρον μικρόν τε πάνυ καὶ στενόν, ὅσον πνεύματι ἔξοδον, τὸν δ’ εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν τῆς ὑστέρας εὐρύχωρον, εὔρουν, ὥσπερ αἱ ῥῖνες τὸν εἰς τὸν ἀέρα μείζω τοῦ εἰς τὸ στόμα καὶ φάρυγγα.
And in this respect it is similar to the nose; for the nose also has a certain passage inward into the pharynx and another into the outer air; thus that one also has a very small and narrow passage outward, just enough for an exit of the breath, but the one into the front of the uterus is spacious and easy-flowing, just as the nose has the passage to the air larger than the one to the mouth and pharynx.
Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες μείζω τὸν εἰς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ὑστερῶν πόρον ἔχουσι, καὶ εὐρυχωρότερον τὸ ἔξω.
Likewise, women also have the passage into the front of the uterus larger, and the outer part more spacious.
Ὅ τι συμβάλλεται, εἰς τοῦτο ποιεῖ τῶν αὐτῶν παθημάτων, ὅτι καὶ ἡ γυνὴ γόνιμον προΐεται.
Whatever contributes, it produces this effect under the same conditions, because the woman also emits something fertile.
Τὰ δ’ αὐτὰ αἴτια ταῦτα συμβαίνει.
And these same causes occur.
Καὶ γὰρ οἷς ἢ νόσου ἢ θανάτου δοκεῖ ἑτέρου τὸ αἴτιον, θεωροῦσι τὸ τελευταῖον ἐπὶ τὰς ἀρχάς, ὃ δεῖ ὁρᾶν.
For also in those for whom the cause of disease or death seems to be something else, they observe from the last effect back to the principles, which is what one must look at.
Ταῖς μὲν γὰρ ταῦτα αἴτια τὰ πρῶτα, τοῖς δ’ οὐδέν, τῶν δὲ τὰ μὲν τὰ δ’ οὔ.
For to some women these are the primary causes, to others nothing, and of others some are and some are not.
Ἀποδίδωσιν οὖν κατὰ λόγον καὶ τὰ ἀποβαίνοντα· καὶ τοῖς μὲν διὰ πάντων συμβαίνει διελθεῖν τῶν αὐτῶν παθημάτων, τοῖς δὲ διὰ πολλῶν, οἷς πολλά, τοῖς δὲ δι’ ὀλίγων, τοῖς δὲ δι’ οὐθενός, ὅσοις μηδέν.
Therefore, the outcomes also correspond in accordance with reason; and for some it happens that they go through all of these same conditions, for others through many (for whom they are many), for others through few, and for others through none (for as many as have none).