§6.2#2ὃ γὰρ ἂν ᾖ μήτʼ ἀεὶ μήθʼ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, τοῦτό φαμεν συμβεβηκὸς εἶναι.
For whatever is neither always nor for the most part, this we say is accidental.
οἷον ἐπὶ κυνὶ ἂν χειμὼν γένηται καὶ ψῦχος, τοῦτο συμβῆναί φαμεν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν πνῖγος καὶ ἀλέα, ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἀεὶ ἢ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τὸ δʼ οὔ.
For example, if a storm and cold should occur during the dog-days, we say this happened accidentally, but not if stifling heat and warmth occur, because the latter is always or for the most part, but the former is not.
καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον λευκὸν εἶναι συμβέβηκεν (οὔτε γὰρ ἀεὶ οὔθʼ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὔ, ζῷον δʼ οὐ κατὰ συμβεβηκός.
And it is accidental for a man to be white (for it is neither always nor for the most part), but to be an animal is not by accident.
καὶ τὸ ὑγιάζειν δὲ τὸν οἰκοδόμον συμβεβηκός, ὅτι οὐ πέφυκε τοῦτο ποιεῖν οἰκοδόμος ἀλλὰ ἰατρός, ἀλλὰ συνέβη ἰατρὸν εἶναι τὸν οἰκοδόμον.
And it is also accidental for the builder to cure, because a builder is not suited by nature to do this, but a doctor is, and it accidentally happened that the builder was a doctor.
καὶ ὀψοποιὸς ἡδονῆς στοχαζόμενος ποιήσειεν ἄν τι ὑγιεινόν, ἀλλʼ οὐ κατὰ τὴν ὀψοποιητικήν· διὸ συνέβη, φαμέν, καὶ ἔστιν ὡς ποιεῖ, ἁπλῶς δʼ οὔ.
And a cook, aiming at pleasure, might make something healthy, but not by the art of cookery; therefore "it accidentally happened," we say, and there is a way in which he makes it, but not simply.
τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων δυνάμεις εἰσὶν αἱ ποιητικαί, τῶν δʼ οὐδεμία τέχνη οὐδὲ δύναμις ὡρισμένη· τῶν γὰρ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς ὄντων ἢ γιγνομένων καὶ τὸ αἴτιόν ἐστι κατὰ συμβεβηκός.
For of other things there are productive capacities, but of these there is no definite art or capacity; for of things that exist or come to be by accident, the cause is also by accident.
ὥστʼ ἐπεὶ οὐ πάντα ἐστὶν ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ ἀεὶ ἢ ὄντα ἢ γιγνόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ πλεῖστα ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, ἀνάγκη εἶναι τὸ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς ὄν·
So, since not all things are or come to be of necessity and always, but most things are for the most part, it is necessary that being by accident exists.
οἷον οὔτʼ ἀεὶ οὔθʼ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ὁ λευκὸς μουσικός ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ δὲ γίγνεταί ποτε, κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς ἔσται (εἰ δὲ μή, πάντʼ ἔσται ἐξ ἀνάγκης)·
For example, a white man is neither always nor for the most part musical, but since he sometimes becomes so, it will be by accident (otherwise, all things will be of necessity).
ὥστε ἡ ὕλη ἔσται αἰτία ἡ ἐνδεχομένη παρὰ τὸ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἄλλως τοῦ συμβεβηκότος.
Therefore, the matter which is capable of being otherwise than for the most part will be the cause of the accidental.
ἀρχὴν δὲ τηνδὶ ληπτέον, πότερον οὐδέν ἐστιν οὔτʼ αἰεὶ οὔθʼ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ.
But we must take this as a starting point: is there nothing that is neither always nor for the most part?
ἢ τοῦτο ἀδύνατον;
Or is this impossible?
ἔστιν ἄρα τι παρὰ ταῦτα τὸ ὁπότερʼ ἔτυχε καὶ κατὰ συμβεβηκός.
There is, then, something besides these, namely, the 'as it chances' and the accidental.
ἀλλὰ πότερον τὸ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, τὸ δʼ ἀεὶ οὐθενὶ ὑπάρχει, ἢ ἔστιν ἄττα ἀΐδια;
But is there only that which is for the most part, while that which is always belongs to nothing, or are there some eternal things?
περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων ὕστερον σκεπτέον, ὅτι δʼ ἐπιστήμη οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ συμβεβηκότος φανερόν· ἐπιστήμη μὲν γὰρ πᾶσα ἢ τοῦ ἀεὶ ἢ τοῦ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ—πῶς γὰρ ἢ μαθήσεται ἢ διδάξει ἄλλον;
About these, then, we must inquire later, but that there is no science of the accidental is clear; for all science is either of that which is always or of that which is for the most part—for how else will one learn or teach another?
δεῖ γὰρ ὡρίσθαι ἢ τῷ ἀεὶ ἢ τῷ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, οἷον ὅτι ὠφέλιμον τὸ μελίκρατον τῷ πυρέττοντι ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ—τὸ δὲ παρὰ τοῦτο οὐχ ἕξει λέγειν, πότε οὔ, οἷον νουμηνίᾳ· ἢ γὰρ ἀεὶ ἢ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ καὶ τὸ τῇ νουμηνίᾳ· τὸ δὲ συμβεβηκός ἐστι παρὰ ταῦτα.
For it must be defined either by the 'always' or by the 'for the most part', for example, that honey-water is beneficial to a feverish patient for the most part—but what is besides this one will not be able to say, when it is not, for instance, on the new moon; for 'on the new moon' also is either always or for the most part; but the accidental is besides these.
τί μὲν οὖν ἐστὶ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς καὶ διὰ τίνʼ αἰτίαν καὶ ὅτι ἐπιστήμη οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ, εἴρηται.
What, then, the accidental is, and through what cause, and that there is no science of it, has been said.