§2#2Ὥσ περ δὲ τῶν ἱματίων τὰ μάλιστα καθαρὰ τάχιστα κηλιδοῦται· τὸ γὰρ καθαρὸν ἀκριβῶς δηλοῖ ὅ τι ἂν δέξηται, καὶ μάλιστα τὰς ἐλαχίστας κινήσεις.
Just as the cleanest clothes are stained most quickly—for the clean accurately reveals whatever it receives, and especially the smallest movements.
Ὁ δὲ χαλκὸς διὰ μὲν τὸ λεῖος εἶναι ὁποιασοῦν ἁφῆς μάλιστα αἰσθάνεται (δεῖ δὲ νοῆσαι οἷον τρίψιν οὖσαν τὴν τοῦ ἀέρος ἁφὴν καὶ ὥσπερ ἔκμαξιν καὶ ἀνάπλυσιν), διὰ δὲ τὸ καθαρὸν ἔκδηλος γίνεται ὁπηλικηοῦν οὖσα.
And bronze, because of being smooth, is especially sensitive to any touch whatsoever (and we must understand the touch of the air as a kind of friction, and like a wiping off and soaking in), and because of being clean, the stain, of whatever size it may be, becomes conspicuous.
Τοῦ δὲ μὴ ἐξιέναι ταχέως ἐκ τῶν καινῶν κατόπτρων αἴτιον τὸ καθαρὸν εἶναι καὶ λεῖον· διαδύεται γὰρ διὰ τῶν τοιούτων καὶ εἰς βάθος καὶ πάντῃ, διὰ μὲν τὸ καθαρὸν εἰς βάθος, διὰ δὲ τὸ λεῖον πάντῃ.
And the cause of its not departing quickly from new mirrors is that they are clean and smooth; for the stain penetrates through such mirrors both into the depth and in all directions, into the depth because of the cleanliness, and in all directions because of the smoothness.
Ἐν δὲ τοῖς παλαιοῖς οὐκ ἐμμένει, ὅτι οὐχ ὁμοίως εἰσδύεται ἡ κηλὶς ἀλλ’ ἐπιπολαιότερον.
But in old mirrors it does not remain, because the stain does not penetrate in the same way, but more on the surface.
Ὅτι μὲν οὖν καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν μικρῶν διαφορῶν γίνεται κίνησις, καὶ ὅτι ταχεῖα ἡ αἴσθησις, ἔτι δὲ ὅτι οὐ μόνον πάσχει ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντιποιεῖ τὸ τῶν χρωμάτων αἰσθητήριον, φανερὸν ἐκ τούτων.
Therefore, that motion is produced even by small differences, and that sensation is rapid, and further, that the sense organ of colors not only experiences something but also acts in return, is clear from these things.
Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τὰ περὶ τοὺς οἴνους καὶ τὴν μυρεψίαν συμβαίνοντα.
And what occurs with respect to wines and perfume-making also bears witness to what has been said.
Τό τε γὰρ παρασκευασθὲν ἔλαιον ταχέως λαμβάνει τὰς τῶν πλησίον ὀσμάς, καὶ οἱ οἶνοι τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάσχουσιν· οὐ γὰρ μόνον τῶν ἐμβαλλομένων ἢ ὑποκιρναμένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πλησίον τοῖς ἀγγείοις τιθεμένων ἢ πεφυκότων ἀναλαμβάνουσι τὰς ὀσμάς.
For the prepared oil quickly takes on the odors of neighboring things, and wines experience this same thing; for they absorb the odors not only of things thrown into them or mixed with them, but also of things placed near or growing near the vessels.
Πρὸς δὲ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς σκέψιν ὑποκείσθω ἓν μέν, ὅπερ ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων φανερόν, ὅτι καὶ ἀπελθόντος τοῦ θύραθεν αἰσθητοῦ ἐμμένει τὰ αἰσθήματα αἰσθητὰ ὄντα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ὅτι ῥᾳδίως ἀπατώμεθα περὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἐν τοῖς πάθεσιν ὄντες, ἄλλοι δ’ ἐν ἄλλοις, οἷον ὁ δειλὸς ἐν φόβῳ, ὁ δ’ ἐρωτικὸς ἐν ἔρωτι, ὥστε δοκεῖν ἀπὸ μικρᾶς ὁμοιότητος τὸν μὲν τοὺς πολεμίους ὁρᾶν, τὸν δὲ τὸν ἐρώμενον· καὶ ταῦτα ὅσῳ ἂν ἐμπαθέστερος ᾖ, τοσούτῳ ἀπ’ ἐλάσσονος ὁμοιότητος φαίνεται.
For our initial inquiry, let one thing be assumed, which is clear from what has been said: that even when the external object of sensation has departed, the sensory impressions remain, being still sensible; and in addition to these, that we are easily deceived about our sensations when we are in emotional states, different people in different states—for example, the coward in fear, and the lover in love—so that from a small resemblance, the one seems to see his enemies, and the other his beloved; and these things appear from a smaller resemblance in proportion to how much more passionate he is.
Τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον καὶ ἐν ὀργαῖς καὶ ἐν πάσαις ἐπιθυμίαις εὐαπάτητοι γίνονται πάντες, καὶ μᾶλλον ὅσῳ ἂν μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς πάθεσιν ὦσιν.
In the same way, in anger and in all desires, everyone becomes easily deceived, and the more so, the more they are in these states.
Διὸ καὶ τοῖς πυρέττουσιν ἐνίοτε φαίνεται ζῷα ἐν τοῖς τοίχοις ἀπὸ μικρᾶς ὁμοιότητος τῶν γραμμῶν συντιθεμένων.
Therefore, to those with fever, animals sometimes appear on the walls from a small resemblance of lines put together.
Καὶ ταῦτ’ ἐνίοτε συνεπιτείνει τοῖς πάθεσιν οὕτως ὥστ’ ἐὰν μὲν μὴ σφόδρα κάμνωσι, μὴ λανθάνειν ὅτι ψεῦδος, ἐὰν δὲ μεῖζον ᾖ τὸ πάθος, καὶ κινεῖσθαι πρὸς αὐτά.
And these appearances sometimes intensify along with the states in such a way that, if they are not very ill, it is not unnoticed that it is a falsehood, but if the state is greater, they even move toward them.
Αἴτιον δὲ τοῦ συμβαίνειν ταῦτα τὸ μὴ κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν δύναμιν κρίνειν τό τε κύριον καὶ ᾧ τὰ φαντάσματα γίνεται.
And the cause of these things happening is that the ruling part and that in which the phantasms occur do not judge according to the same power.
Τούτου δὲ σημεῖον ὅτι φαίνεται μὲν ὁ ἥλιος ποδιαῖος, ἀντίφησι δὲ πολλάκις ἕτερόν τι πρὸς τὴν φαντασίαν.
A sign of this is that the sun appears a foot wide, but something else often contradicts the appearance.
Καὶ τῇ ἐπαλλάξει τῶν δακτύλων τὸ ἓν δύο φαίνεται, ἀλλ’ ὅμως οὔ φαμεν δύο· κυριωτέρα γὰρ τῆς ἁφῆς ἡ ὄψις.
And by the crossing of the fingers, one thing appears two, but nevertheless we do not say they are two; for sight is more authoritative than touch.
Εἰ δ’ ἦν ἡ ἁφὴ μόνη, κἂν ἐκρίνομεν τὸ ἓν δύο.
But if touch were alone, we would have judged the one to be two.
Τοῦ δὲ διεψεῦσθαι αἴτιον ὅτι οὐ μόνον τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ κινουμένου φαίνεται ἁδήποτε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς αἰσθήσεως κινουμένης αὐτῆς, ἐὰν ὡσαύτως κινῆται ὥσπερ καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ· λέγω δ’ οἷον ἡ γῆ δοκεῖ τοῖς πλέουσι κινεῖσθαι κινουμένης τῆς ὄψεως ὑπ’ ἄλλου.
And the cause of being deceived is that an appearance of whatever kind occurs not only when the sensory object is moved, but also when the sensation itself is moved, if indeed it is moved in the same way as by the sensory object; I mean, for example, that the earth seems to be moving to those who are sailing, because their sight is moved by something else.