§4.8#1Ὅτι δʼ οὐκ ἔστιν κενὸν οὕτω κεχαωρισμένον, ὡς ἔνιοί φασι, λέγωμεν πάλιν.
Let us state again that there is no void separated in this way, as some say.
εἰ γὰρ ἔστιν ἑκάστου φορά τις τῶν ἁπλῶν σωμάτων φύσει, οἶον τῷ πυρὶ μὲν ἄνω τῇ δὲ γῇ κάτω καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέσον, δῆλον ὅτι οὐκ ἂν τὸ κενὸν αἴτιον εἴη τῆς φορᾶς.
For if there is by nature a certain motion of each of the simple bodies, as for fire upward and for earth downward and toward the center, it is clear that the void cannot be the cause of this motion.
τίνος οὖν αἴτιον ἔσται τὸ κενόν;
Of what, then, will the void be the cause?
δοκεῖ γὰρ σἴτιον εἶναι κινήσεως τῆς κατὰ τόπον, ταύτης δʼ οὐκ ἔστιν, ἔτι εἰ ἔστιν τι οἷον τόπος ἐστερημένος σώματος, ὅταν κενόν, ποῦ οἰσθήσεται τὸ εἰστεθὲν εἰς αὐτὸ σῶμα;
For it seems to be the cause of motion in respect of place, but of this it is not. Moreover, if there is something like a place deprived of body when there is a void, where will the body placed in it be moved?
οὐ γὰρ δὴ εἰς ἅπαν.
For surely not into the whole of it.
ὁ δʼ αὐτὸς λόγος καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τὸν τόπον οἰομένους εἶναί τι κεχωρισμένον, εἰς ὃν φέρεται· πῶς γὰρ οἰσθήσεται τὸ ἐντεθὲν ἢ μενεῖ;
And the same argument also applies against those who think that place is something separated, into which a body is carried; for how will that which is placed in it be moved or remain?
καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἄνω καὶ κάτω καὶ περὶ τοῦ κενοῦ ὁ αὐτὸς ἁρμόσει λόγος εἰκότως· τὸ γὰρ κενὸν τόπον ποιοῦσιν οἱ εἶναι φάσκοντες·
And the same argument will naturally fit both concerning upward and downward and concerning the void; for those who assert that it exists make the void a place.
καὶ πῶς δὴ ἐνέσται ἢ ἐν τόπῳ ἢ ἐν τῷ κενῷ;
And indeed, how will a body be in place or in the void?
οὐ γὰρ συμβαίνει, ὅταν ὅλον τεθῇ ὡς ἐν κεχωρισμένῳ τόπῳ καὶ ὑπομένοντι σῶμά τι· τὸ γὰρ μέρος, ἂν μὴ χωρὶς τιθῆται, οὐκ ἔσται ἐν τόπῳ ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ ὅλῳ.
For it does not turn out to be so, when a certain body is placed as a whole in a separated and remaining place; for the part, unless it is placed separately, will not be in a place but in the whole.
ἔτι εἰ μὴ τόπος, οὐδὲ κενὸν ἔσται.
Moreover, if there is no place, there will be no void either.
συμβαίνει δὲ τοῖς λέγουσιν
εἶναι κενὸν ὡς ἀναγκαῖον, εἴπερ ἔσται κίνησις, τοὐναντίον μᾶλλον, ἄν τις ἐπισκοπῇ, μὴ ἐνδέχεσθαι μηδὲ ἓν κινεῖσθαι, ἐὰν ᾖ κενόν·
But for those who say that the void is necessary if there is to be motion, rather the contrary happens if one examines it, namely, that not even a single thing can be moved if there is a void.
ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ διὰ τὸ ὅμοιον φάμενοι τὴν γῆν ἠρεμεῖν, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ κενῷ ἀνάγκη ἠρεμεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν οὖ μᾶλλον ἢ ἧττον κινηθήσεται· ᾗ γὰρ κενόν, οὐκ ἔχει διαφοράν.
For just as those who say that the earth is at rest because of similarity, so too it is necessary to be at rest in the void; for there is no place where a body will be moved more or less; for insofar as it is void, it has no difference.
ἔπειθʼ ὅτι πᾶσα κίνησις ἢ βίᾳ ἢ κατὰ φύσιν.
Next, because every motion is either by force or according to nature.
ἀνάγκη δὲ ἄν περ ᾖ ἡ βίαιος, εἶναι καὶ τὴν κατὰ φύσιν (ἡ μὲν γὰρ βίαιος παρὰ φύσιν, ἡ δὲ παρὰ φύσιν ὑστέρα τῆς κατὰ φύσιν)· ὥστʼ εἰ μὴ κατὰ φύσιν ἔστιν ἑκάστῳ τῶν φυσικῶν σωμάτων κίνησις, οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἔσται κινήσεων οὐδεμία.
And if there is forced motion, there must also be motion according to nature (for forced motion is contrary to nature, and that which is contrary to nature is posterior to that which is according to nature); so that if there is no motion according to nature for each of the natural bodies, there will be no other motion at all.
ἀλλὰ μὴν φύσει γε πῶς ἔσται μηδεμιᾶς οὔσης διαφορᾶς κατὰ τὸ κενὸν καὶ τὸ ἄπειρον;
But indeed, how will there be motion by nature if there is no difference in the void and the infinite?
ᾗ μὲν γὰρ ἄπειρον, οὐδὲν ἔσται ἄνω οὐδὲ κάτω οὐδὲ μέσον, ᾗ δὲ κενόν, οὐδὲν διάφορον τὸ ἄνω τοῦ κάτω (ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῦ μηδενὸς οὐδεμία ἔστι διαφορά, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ κενοῦ· τὸ γὰρ κενὸν μὴ ὄν τι καὶ στέρησις δοκεῖ εἶναι).
For insofar as it is infinite, there will be no upward, downward, or center, and insofar as it is void, the upward is in no way different from the downward (for just as there is no difference in what is nothing, so too in the void; for the void seems to be a non-being and a privation).
ἡ δὲ φύσει φορὰ διάφορος, ὥστε ἔσται φύσει διάφορα.
But motion by nature is differentiated, so there will be naturally differentiated directions.
ἢ οὖν οὐκ ἔστι φύσει οὐδαμοῦ οὐδενὶ φορά, ἢ εἰ τοῦτʼ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι κενόν.
Therefore, either there is no motion by nature anywhere for anything, or if there is, there is no void.
ἔτι νῦν μὲν κινεῖται τὰ ῥιπτούμενα τοῦ ὤσαντος οὐχ ἁπτομένου, ἢ διʼ ἀντιπερίστασιν, ὥσπερ ἔνιοί φασιν, ἢ διὰ τὸ ὠθεῖν τὸν ὠσθέντα ἀέρα θάττω κίνησιν τῆς τοῦ ὠσθέντος φορᾶς ἣν φέρεται εἰς τὸν οἰκεῖον τόπον· ἐν δὲ τῷ κενῷ οὐδὲν τούτων ὑπάρχει, οὐδʼ ἔσται φέρεσθαι ἀλλʼ ἢ ὡς τὸ ὀχούμενον.
Moreover, now projectiles are moved even when that which pushed them is not touching them, either through mutual replacement, as some say, or because the pushed air pushes them with a motion faster than the movement of the pushed body by which it is carried to its proper place; but in the void none of these things is present, nor will it be possible to be carried except as that which is carried on a vehicle.
ἔτι οὐδεὶς ἂν ἔχοι εἰπεῖν διὰ τί κινηθὲν στήσεταί που· τί γὰρ μᾶλλον ἐνταῦθα ἢ ἐνταῦθα;
Moreover, no one could say why a body, once set in motion, will stop anywhere; for why here rather than there?
ὥστε ἢ ἠρεμήσει ἢ εἰς ἄπειρον ἀνάγκη φέρεσθαι, ἐὰν μή τι ἐμποδίσῃ κρεῖττον.
So that it will either be at rest or must be carried to infinity, unless something more powerful prevents it.
ἔτι νῦν μὲν εἰς τὸ κενὸν διὰ τὸ ὑπείκειν φέρεσθαι δοκεῖ· ἐν δὲ τῷ κενῷ πάντῃ ὁμοίως τὸ τοιοῦτον, ὥστε πάντῃ οἰσθήσεται.
Moreover, now a body seems to be carried into the void because the medium yields; but in the void such a thing is equal in every direction, so that it will be carried in every direction.