Humanitext Reader

Aristotle · Mechanics §32.1

Why Thrown Objects Cease to Move

Passage 35 of 38 · Greek

Summary

The author questions why thrown objects stop moving, suggesting factors such as the expiration of the moving force, opposing pull, or downward tendency, and questions whether these inquiries are valid without establishing the starting-point.

§32.1Διὰ τί παύεται φερόμενα τὰ ῥιφέντα;
Why do things that have been thrown stop moving?
Πότερον ὅταν λήγῃ ἡ ἰσχὺς ἡ ἀφεῖσα, ἢ διὰ τὸ ἀντισπάσθαι, ἢ διὰ τὴν ῥοπήν, ἐὰνκρείττων ᾖ τῆς ἰσχύος τῆς ῥιψάσης;
Is it when the force that discharged them fails, or because of being pulled in the opposite direction, or because of their downward tendency, if this is stronger than the force that threw them?
Ἤ ἄτοπον τὸ ταῦτ’ ἀπορεῖν, ἀφέντα τὴν ἀρχήν.
Or is it absurd to raise these questions while neglecting the starting-point?

Notes

  1. §32.1παύεται φερόμενα — The verb `παύομαι` (to cease) takes the supplementary participle `φερόμενα` (being carried/moving) to mean "stops moving."
  2. §32.1ἀφέντα τὴν ἀρχήν — The participle `ἀφέντα` is the aorist active participle (masculine accusative singular) of `ἀφίημι`. It agrees with the implied accusative subject of the infinitive `ἀπορεῖν`, which represents an unspecified inquirer ("one who leaves aside the starting-point").

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Mechanics §32.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg023.humanitext-grc1:32.1

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