§3.16Σὰρξ δὲ καὶ τὸ παραπλησίαν ἔχον τὴν φύσιν τῇ σαρκὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐναίμοις πᾶσίν ἐστι μεταξὺ τοῦ δέρματος καὶ τοῦ ὀστοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀνάλογον τοῖς ὀστοῖς· ὡς γὰρ ἡ ἄκανθα ἔχει πρὸς τὸ ὀστοῦν, οὕτω καὶ τὸ σαρκῶδες πρὸς τὰς σάρκας ἔχει τῶν ἐχόντων ὀστᾶ καὶ ἄκανθαν.
Flesh, and that which has a nature similar to flesh, is in all red-blooded animals between the skin and the bone, and the analogues of the bones; for as the fish-spine is to the bone, so also is the fleshy part to the flesh of those animals that have bones and fish-spines.
Ἔστι δὲ διαιρετὴ ἡ σὰρξ πάντῃ, καὶ οὐχ ὥσπερ τὰ νεῦρα καὶ αἱ φλέβες ἐπὶ μῆκος μόνον.
And flesh is divisible in every direction, and not like tendons and veins in length only.
Λεπτυνομένων μὲν οὖν τῶν ζῴων ἀφανίζονται, καὶ γίγνονται φλέβια καὶ ἶνες· εὐβοσίᾳ δὲ πλείονι χρωμένων πιμελὴ ἀντὶ σαρκῶν.
Now, when animals waste away, they disappear and become small veins and fibers; but when they enjoy better feeding, soft fat arises instead of flesh.
Εἰσὶ δὲ τοῖς μὲν ἔχουσι τὰς σάρκας πολλὰς αἱ φλέβες ἐλάττους καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἐρυθρότερον καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα καὶ κοιλία μικρά· τοῖς δὲ τὰς φλέβας ἔχουσι μεγάλας καὶ τὸ αἷμα μελάντερον καὶ σπλάγχνα μεγάλα καὶ κοιλία μεγάλη, αἱ δὲ σάρκες ἐλάττους.
And in those that have much flesh, the veins are smaller, the blood redder, and the viscera and stomach small; but in those that have large veins, the blood is darker, the viscera large, and the stomach large, while the flesh is less.
Γίνονται δὲ κατὰ σάρκα πίονα τὰ τὰς κοιλίας ἔχοντα μικράς.
And those that have small stomachs become fat in their flesh.
§3.17Πιμελὴ δὲ καὶ στέαρ διαφέρουσιν ἀλλήλων.
Soft fat and hard fat differ from each other.
Τὸ μὲν γὰρ στέαρ ἐστὶ θραυστὸν πάντῃ καὶ πήγνυται ψυχόμενον, ἡ δὲ πιμελὴ χυτὸν καὶ ἄπηκτον· καὶ οἱ μὲν ζωμοὶ οἱ τῶν πιόνων οὐ πήγνυνται, οἷον ἵππου καὶ ὑός, οἱ δὲ τῶν στέαρ ἐχόντων πήγνυνται, οἷον προβάτου καὶ αἰγός.
For hard fat is brittle in every direction and coagulates when cooled, but soft fat is fluid and does not coagulate; and the broths of those that are fat, such as the horse and the pig, do not coagulate, but those of animals that have hard fat, such as the sheep and the goat, do coagulate.
Διαφέρουσι δὲ καὶ τοῖς τόποις· ἡ μὲν γὰρ πιμελὴ γίνεται μεταξὺ δέρματος καὶ σαρκός, στέαρ δ’ οὐ γίνεται ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν σαρκῶν.
They differ also in their localities; for soft fat arises between the skin and the flesh, but hard fat does not arise except at the extremities of the flesh.
Γίγνεται δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐπίπλοον τοῖς μὲν πιμελώδεσι πιμελῶδες, τοῖς δὲ στεατώδεσι στεατῶδες.
And the omentum also becomes fatty in those that have soft fat, and suety in those that have hard fat.
Ἔχει δὲ τὰ μὲν ἀμφώδοντα πιμελήν, τὰ δὲ μὴ ἀμφώδοντα στέαρ.
And those with teeth in both jaws have soft fat, while those without teeth in both jaws have hard fat.
Τῶν δὲ σπλάγχνων τὸ ἧπαρ ἐν ἐνίοις τῶν ζῴων γίνεται πιμελῶδες, οἷον τῶν ἰχθύων ἐν τοῖς σελάχεσιν· ποιοῦσι γὰρ ἔλαιον ἀπ’ αὐτῶν, ὃ γίνεται τηκομένων· αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ σελάχη ἐστὶν ἀπιμελώτατα καὶ κατὰ σάρκα καὶ κατὰ κοιλίαν κεχωρισμένῃ πιμελῇ.
And among the viscera, the liver in some animals becomes fatty, as in cartilaginous fishes among the fish; for they make oil from them, which arises when they are melted down; but these cartilaginous fishes themselves are most free from soft fat, both in their flesh and in their stomach, with respect to separated fat.
Ἔστι δὲ καὶ τὸ τῶν ἰχθύων στέαρ πιμελῶδες, καὶ οὐ πήγνυται.
And the "hard fat" of fish is also fatty, and does not coagulate.
Πάντα δὲ τὰ ζῷα τὰ μὲν κατὰ σάρκα ἐστὶ πίονα τὰ δὲ ἀφωρισμένως.
And in all animals, some are fat in their flesh, and others in a distinct part.
Ὅσα δὲ μὴ ἔχει κεχωρισμένην τὴν πιότητα, ἧττόν ἐστι πίονα κατὰ κοιλίαν καὶ ἐπίπλοον, οἷον ἐγχέλυς· ὀλίγον γὰρ στέαρ ἔχουσι περὶ τὸ ἐπίπλοον.
And those that do not have separated fat are less fat in their stomach and omentum, such as the eel; for they have little hard fat around the omentum.
Τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα γίνεται πίονα κατὰ τὴν γαστέρα, καὶ μάλιστα τὰ μὴ ἐν κινήσει ὄντα τῶν ζῴων.
But most animals become fat about the belly, and especially those animals that are not in motion.
Οἱ δ’ ἐγκέφαλοι τῶν μὲν πιμελωδῶν λιπαροί, οἷον ὑός, τῶν δὲ στεατωδῶν αὐχμηροί.
And the brains of those with soft fat are oily, as of the pig, but of those with hard fat they are dry.
Τῶν δὲ σπλάγχνων περὶ τοὺς νεφροὺς μάλιστα πίονα γίνεται τὰ ζῷα· ἔστι δ’ ἀεὶ ὁ δεξιὸς ἀπιμελώτερος, κἂν σφόδρα πίονες ὦσιν, ἐλλείπει τι ἀεὶ κατὰ τὸ μέσον.
And among the viscera, animals become especially fat around the kidneys; but the right one is always less fatty, and even if they are extremely fat, something is always lacking about the middle.
Περίνεφρα δὲ γίνεται τὰ στεατώδη μᾶλλον, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ζῴων πρόβατον· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀποθνήσκει τῶν νεφρῶν πάντῃ καλυφθέντων.
And those with hard fat become more fat around the kidneys, and of animals especially the sheep; for this dies when its kidneys are completely covered.
Γίνεται δὲ περίνεφρα δι’ εὐβοσίαν, οἷον τῆς Σικελίας περὶ Λεοντίνους· διὸ καὶ ἐξελαύνουσιν ὀψὲ τὰ πρόβατα τῆς ἡμέρας, ὅπως ἐλάττω λάβωσι τὴν τροφήν.
And they become fat around the kidneys because of good pasture, as in Sicily around Leontini; wherefore also they drive out the sheep late in the day, so that they may take less food.
§3.18Πάντων δὲ τῶν ζῴων κοινόν ἐστι τὸ περὶ τὴν κόρην ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς· ἔχουσι γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ μόριον στεατῶδες πάντα ὅσα ἔχουσι τὸ τοιοῦτον μόριον ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ μή εἰσι σκληρόφθαλμα.
And common to all animals is that which concerns the pupil in the eyes; for all that have such a part in the eyes and are not hard-eyed have this part suety.
Ἔστι δ’ ἀγονώτερα τὰ πιμελώδη καὶ ἄρρενα καὶ θήλεα.
And those that are fat are less fertile, both males and females.
Πιαίνεται δὲ πάντα πρεσβύτερα μᾶλλον ἢ νεώτερα ὄντα, μάλιστα δ’ ὅταν καὶ τὸ πλάτος καὶ τὸ μῆκος ἔχῃ τοῦ μεγέθους καὶ εἰς βάθος αὐξάνηται.
And all become fat when they are older rather than when they are younger, and especially when they have both the breadth and length of their size and are growing in depth.