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Aristotle · Mechanics §11.1-11.2

Why Loads Are Moved More Easily on Rollers Than on Wagons

Passage 13 of 38 · Greek

Summary

In chapter 11, sections 1-2, the author explains why it is easier to carry loads on rollers than on wagons, attributing this to the presence or absence of resistance at the axle and the physical characteristics of rolling motion.

§11.1Διὰ τί ἐπὶ τῶν σκυτάλων ῥᾷον τὰ φορτία κομίζεται ἢ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαξῶν, ἐχουσῶν τῶν μὲν μεγάλους τροχούς, τῶν δὲ μικρούς;
Why are loads carried more easily on rollers than on wagons, although some of these have large wheels and others small ones?
Ἣ διότι ἐπὶ τῶν σκυτάλων οὐδεμίαν ἔχει πρόσκοψιν, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀμαξῶν τὸν ἄξονα, καὶ προσκόπτει αὐτῷ·
Or is it because on rollers there is no resistance, whereas on wagons there is the axle, and there is resistance against it?
ἔκ τε γὰρ τῶν ἄνωθεν πιέζει αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκ τῶν πλαγίων.
For it is pressed both from above and from the sides.
§11.2Τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν σκυτάλων ἐπὶ δύο τούτων κινεῖται, τῇ τε κάτω χήρᾳ ὑποκειμένῃ καὶ τῷ βάρει τῷ ἐπικειμένῳ·
On the other hand, a load on rollers moves on these two things: the ground lying beneath and the weight lying upon it.
ἐπ’ἀμφοτέρων γὰρ τούτων κυλίεται τῶν τόπων ὁ κύκλος καὶ φερόμενος ὠθεῖται.
For the circle of the roller rotates on both of these places and is pushed forward as it travels.

Notes

  1. 11.1ἐχουσῶν τῶν μὲν μεγάλους τροχούς, τῶν δὲ μικρούς — The construction τῶν μὲν ... τῶν δὲ ... acts as a partitive genitive absolute connected with the preceding ἁμαξῶν (wagons), indicating that regardless of whether the wagons have large or small wheels, rollers still carry loads more easily.
  2. 11.1τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀμαξῶν τὸν ἄξονα — In this clause, the verb ἔχει (and potentially the noun πρόσκοψιν) is omitted from the preceding οὐδεμίαν ἔχει πρόσκοψιν, yielding the meaning 'whereas that on wagons has the axle (as an obstacle)'.
  3. 11.1πιέζει αὐτὸν — The unexpressed subject of the verb πιέζει is the carried load (τὸ φορτίον / τὸ βάρος). The pronoun αὐτόν (masculine accusative singular) refers to the preceding τὸν ἄξονα (axle).
  4. 11.2χήρᾳ — According to the manuscript reading, this word means 'widow', which makes no sense in this context. It is widely regarded as a corruption of χώρα (ground, land, base), meaning 'the underlying base or ground'.

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Mechanics §11.1-11.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg023.humanitext-grc1:11.1-11.2

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