§6Ἐν δὲ τοῖς φυτοῖς ἐστὶ τὰ μακροβιώτατα, καὶ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν τοῖς ζῴοις, πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ἧττον ὑδατώδη, ὥστ’ οὐκ εὔπηκτα· εἶτ’ ἔχει λιπαρότητα καὶ γλισχρότητα, καὶ ξηρὰ καὶ γεώδη ὄντα ὅμως οὐκ εὐξήραντον ἔχει τὸ ὑγρόν.
But among plants are the longest-lived things, even more so than among animals, first because they are less watery, so that they are not easily congealed; secondly, they have a fatty and viscous character, and though they are dry and earthy, they nevertheless have moisture that is not easily dried up.
Περὶ δὲ τοῦ πολυχρόνιον εἶναι τὴν τῶν δένδρων φύσιν δεῖ λαβεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν· ἔχει γὰρ ἰδίαν πρὸς τὰ ζῷα, πλὴν πρὸς τὰ ἔντομα.
And concerning the long-lived nature of trees, we must grasp the cause; for it has a cause peculiar to itself in comparison with animals, except with insects.
Νέα γὰρ ἀεὶ τὰ φυτὰ γίνεται· διὸ πολυχρόνια.
For plants are always becoming new; wherefore they are long-lived.
Ἀεὶ γὰρ ἕτεροι οἱ πτόρθοι, οἱ δὲ γηράσκουσιν.
For other shoots are always coming into being, while others grow old.
Καὶ αἱ ῥίζαι ὁμοίως.
And the roots likewise.
Ἀλλ’ οὐχ ἅμα, ἀλλ’ ὁτὲ μὲν μόνον τὸ στέλεχος καὶ οἱ κλάδοι ἀπώλοντο, ἕτεροι δὲ παρεφύησαν· ὅταν δ’ οὕτως ὦσιν, αἱ ῥίζαι ἄλλαι ἐκ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος γίνονται, καὶ οὕτως ἀεὶ διατελεῖ τὸ μὲν φθειρόμενον τὸ δὲ γινόμενον· διὸ καὶ μακρόβια.
But not at the same time; rather, sometimes only the trunk and the branches perish, and others grow alongside them; and when they are in this state, other roots are produced from the existing one, and thus it always continues that one part is destroyed and another is generated; wherefore they are also long-lived.
Ἔοικε δὲ τὰ φυτὰ τοῖς ἐντόμοις, ὥσπερ εἴρηται πρότερον· διαιρούμενα γὰρ ζῇ, καὶ δύο καὶ πολλὰ γίνεται ἐξ ἑνός.
And plants resemble insects, as was said before; for when divided they live, and two or many come into being from one.
Τὰ δ’ ἔντομα μέχρι μὲν τοῦ ζῆν ἦλθεν, πολὺν δ’ οὐ δύναται χρόνον· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει ὄργανα, οὐδὲ δύναται ποιεῖν αὐτὰ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἡ ἐν ἑκάστῳ.
But insects reach the point of living, yet cannot do so for a long time; for they do not possess organs, nor is the principle within each of them able to produce them.
Ἡ δ’ ἐν τῷ φυτῷ δύναται· πανταχῇ γὰρ ἔχει καὶ ῥίζαν καὶ καυλὸν δυνάμει.
But the principle in the plant is able to do so; for it possesses both root and stem potentially everywhere.
Διὸ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἀεὶ προέρχεται τὸ μὲν νέον τὸ δὲ γηράσκον, μικρόν τι διαφέροντα τῷ εἶναι μακρόβια, οὕτως ὥσπερ τὰ ἀποφυτευόμενα.
Wherefore from this principle there always proceeds, on the one hand, that which is new, and on the other, that which grows old, differing only slightly in being long-lived, just like things that are propagated by cuttings.
Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἀποφυτείᾳ τρόπον τινὰ φαίη ἄν τις ταῦτα συμβαίνειν· μόριον γάρ τι τὸ ἀποφυτευθέν.
For in propagation by cuttings, one might say that these things happen in a certain way; for the part cut off and planted is a certain portion.
Ἐν μὲν οὖν τῇ ἀποφυτείᾳ χωριζομένων συμβαίνει τοῦτο, ἐκεῖ δὲ διὰ τοῦ συνεχοῦς.
Now, in propagation by cuttings, this happens when they are separated, whereas in the other case it happens through continuity.
Αἴτιον δ’ ὅτι ἐνυπάρχει πάντῃ ἡ ἀρχὴ δυνάμει ἐνοῦσα.
And the cause is that the principle is present in them, being potentially in every part.
Συμβαίνει δὲ ταὐτὸ ἐπί τε τῶν ζῴων καὶ φυτῶν. Ἔν τε γὰρ τοῖς ζῴοις τὰ ἄρρενα μακροβιώτερα ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ·
And the same thing happens in the case of both animals and plants.
τούτων δὲ τὰ ἄνω μείζω ἢ τὰ κάτω (νανωδέστερον γὰρ τοῦ θήλεος τὸ ἄρρεν), ἐν δὲ τῷ ἄνω τὸ θερμόν, καὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν ἐν τῷ κάτω· καὶ τῶν φυτῶν τὰ κεφαλοβαρῆ μακροβιώτερα.
For among animals, the males are longer-lived for the most part; and of these, the upper parts are larger than the lower (for the male is more dwarf-like than the female), and the hot is in the upper part, and the cold in the lower; and among plants, those that are heavy-headed are longer-lived.
Τοιαῦτα δὲ τὰ μὴ ἐπέτεια ἀλλὰ δενδρώδη· τὸ γὰρ ἄνω τοῦ φυτοῦ καὶ κεφαλὴ ἡ ῥίζα ἐστί, τὰ δ’ ἐπέτεια ἐπὶ τὸ κάτω καὶ τὸν καρπὸν λαμβάνει τὴν αὔξησιν.
And such are those that are not annual but arborescent; for the root is the upper part and head of the plant, while annuals receive their growth towards the lower part and the fruit.
Ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτου καὶ καθ’ αὑτὰ ἐν τοῖς περὶ φυτῶν διορισθήσεται· νῦν δὲ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων εἴρηται τὸ αἴτιον περί τε μεγέθους ζωῆς καὶ βραχυβιότητος.
But concerning this point, a definition will also be given by itself in the treatise On Plants; for now, the cause of both length of life and shortness of life has been stated concerning the other animals.
Λοιπὸν δ’ ἡμῖν θεωρῆσαι περί τε νεότητος καὶ γήρως καὶ ζωῆς καὶ θανάτου· τούτων γὰρ διορισθέντων τέλος ἂν ἡ περὶ τῶν ζῴων ἔχοι μέθοδος.
It remains for us to contemplate youth and old age, and life and death; for when these have been defined, our inquiry concerning animals would reach its completion.