§6.10#1Ἀποδεδειγμένων δὲ τούτων λέγομεν ὅτι τὸ ἀμερὲς οὐκ ἐνδέχεται κινεῖσθαι πλὴν κατὰ συμβεβηκός, οἷον κινουμένου τοῦ σώματος ἢ τοῦ μεγέθους τῷ ἐνυπάρχειν, καθάπερ ἂν εἰ τὸ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ κινοῖτο ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ πλοίου φορᾶς ἢ τὸ μέρος τῇ τοῦ ὅλου κινήσει. (ἀμερὲς δὲ λέγω τὸ κατὰ ποσὸν ἀδιαίρετον. ) καὶ γὰρ αἱ τῶν μερῶν κινήσεις ἕτεραί εἰσι κατʼ αὐτά τε τὰ μέρη καὶ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ὅλου κίνησιν.
These things having been demonstrated, we say that that which has no parts cannot be in motion except accidentally, as for instance by being in a body or a magnitude which is in motion, just as that which is in a boat might be moved by the carrying of the boat, or a part by the motion of the whole. (By 'having no parts' I mean that which is indivisible in respect of quantity.) For the motions of the parts are different both in respect of the parts themselves and in respect of the motion of the whole.
ἴδοι δʼ ἄν τις ἐπὶ τῆς σφαίρας μάλιστα τὴν διαφοράν· οὐ γὰρ ταὐτὸν τάχος ἐστὶ τῶν τε πρὸς τῷ κέντρῳ καὶ τῶν ἐκτὸς καὶ τῆς ὅλης, ὡς οὐ μιᾶς οὔσης κινήσεως.
One can see the difference most clearly in the case of a sphere; for the speed of the parts near the center, of those on the outside, and of the whole is not the same, since the motion is not single.
καθάπερ οὖν εἴπομεν, οὕτω μὲν ἐνδέχεται κινεῖσθαι τὸ ἀμερὲς ὡς ὁ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ καθήμενος τοῦ πλοίου θέοντος, καθʼ αὐτὸ δʼ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται.
As we have said, then, that which has no parts can be in motion in the way that a person sitting in a boat is when the boat is running, but in itself it cannot.
μεταβαλλέτω γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ AB εἰς τὸ ΒΓ, εἴτʼ ἐκ μεγέθους εἰς μέγεθος εἴτ᾿ ἐξ εἴδους εἰς εἶδος εἴτε κατʼ ἀντίφασιν·
For let it change from AB to BΓ, whether from magnitude to magnitude, or from form to form, or in contradiction; and let the time in which it first changes be D.
ὁ δὲ χρόνος ἔστω ἐν ᾧ πρώτῳ μεταβάλλει ἐφʼ οὗ Δ. οὐκοῦν ἀνάγκη αὐτὸ καθʼ ὃν μεταβάλλει χρόνον ἢ ἐν τῷ AB εἶναι ἢ ἐν τῷ ΒΓ, ἢ τὸ μέν τι αὐτοῦ ἐν τούτῳ τὸ δʼ ἐν θατέρῳ· πᾶν γὰρ τὸ μεταβάλλον οὕτως εἶχεν.
It is necessary then that during the time in which it is changing it should be either in AB or in BΓ, or part of it in the one and part in the other; for everything that changes was in this condition.
ἐν ἑκατέρῳ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔσται τι αὐτοῦ μεριστὸν γὰρ ἂν εἴη.
But it will not have part in each; for then it would be divisible.
ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐν τῷ ΒΓ· μεταβεβληκὸς γὰρ ἔσται, ὑπόκειται δὲ μεταβάλλειν.
Moreover, neither can it be in BΓ; for it will then have already changed, whereas it is assumed to be changing.
λείπεται δὴ αὐτὸ ἐν τῷ AB εἶναι, καθʼ ὃν μεταβάλλει χρόνον.
It remains, then, that it must be in AB during the time in which it is changing.
ἠρεμήσει ἄρα· τὸ γὰρ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ εἶναι χρόνον τινὰ ἡρεμεῖν ἦν.
Therefore it will be at rest; for to be in the same place for some time was what it is to be at rest.
ὥστʼ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τὸ ἀμερὲς κινεῖσθαι οὐδʼ ὅλως μεταβάλλειν· μοναχῶς γὰρ ἂν οὕτως ἦν αὐτοῦ κίνησις, εἰ ὁ χρόνος ἦν ἐκ τῶν νῦν· αἰεὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ νῦν κεκινημένον ἂν ἦν καὶ μεταβεβληκός, ὥστε κινεῖσθαι μὲν μηδέποτε, κεκινῆσθαι δʼ ἀεί.
So it is not possible for that which has no parts to be in motion or to change at all; for its motion would be possible in one way only, namely if time were composed of 'nows'; for then in the 'now' it would always have moved and have changed, so that it would never be in motion, but always have been in motion.
τοῦτο δʼ ὅτι ἀδύνατον, δέδεικται καὶ πρότερον· οὔτε γὰρ ὁ χρόνος ἐκ τῶν νῦν οὔθ᾿ ἡ γραμμὴ ἐκ στιγμῶν οὔθ᾿ ἡ κίνησις ἐκ κινημάτων· οὐθὲν γὰρ ἄλλο ποιεῖ ὁ τοῦτο λέγων ἢ τὴν κίνησιν ἐξ ἀμερῶν, καθάπερ ἂν εἰ τὸν χρόνον ἐκ τῶν νῦν ἢ τὸ μῆκος ἐκ στιγμῶν.
But that this is impossible has been shown before; for neither is time composed of 'nows', nor a line of points, nor motion of starts of motion; for he who says this does nothing else than make motion consist of partless parts, just as if he made time consist of 'nows' or length of points.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶνδε φανερὸν ὅτι
οὔτε στιγμὴν οὔτʼ ἄλλο ἀδιαίρετον οὐθὲν ἐνδέχεται κινεῖσθαι.
Moreover, it is also clear from the following that neither a point nor any other indivisible thing can be in motion.
ἅπαν γὰρ τὸ κινούμενον ἀδύνατον πρότερον μεῖζον κινηθῆναι αὑτοῦ, πρὶν ἢ ἴσον ἢ ἔλαττον.
For it is impossible for anything that is in motion to have moved a distance greater than itself before it has moved a distance equal to or less than itself.
εἰ δὴ τοῦτο, φανερὸν ὅτι καὶ ἡ στιγμὴ ἔλαττον ἢ ἴσον κινηθήσεται πρῶτον.
If this is so, it is clear that the point also will first move a distance less than or equal to itself.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀδιαίρετος, ἀδύνατον ἔλαττον κινηθῆναι πρότερον· ἴσην ἄρα αὑτῇ.
But since it is indivisible, it is impossible for it to move a distance less first; therefore it must move a distance equal to itself.
ὥστε ἔσται ἡ γραμμὴ ἐκ στιγμῶν· αἰεὶ γὰρ ἴσην κινουμένη τὴν πᾶσαν γραμμὴν στιγμὴ καταμετρήσει.
Consequently, the line will be composed of points; for by always moving a distance equal to itself, the point will measure out the entire line.
εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἀδύνατον, καὶ τὸ κινεῖσθαι τὸ ἀδιαίρετον ἀδύνατον.
But if this is impossible, it is also impossible for the indivisible to be in motion.