§6.6#2ἔστω γὰρ ἐν τῷ νῦν ἐκ τοῦ A εἰς τὸ B με· ταβεβληκός. οὐκοῦν ἐν μὲν τῷ αὐτῷ νῦν ἐν ἐστιν ἐν τῷ Α, οὐ μεταβέβληκεν (ἅμα γὰρ ἂν εἴη ἐν τῷ Α καὶ ἐν τῷ B)· τὸ γὰρ μεταβεβληκός, ὅτε μεταβέβληκεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τούτῳ, δέδεικται πρότερον·
For let it have changed from A to B in the "now." Therefore, in the same "now" in which it is in A, it has not changed (for it would be in A and in B at the same time); for it has been proved before that that which has changed, when it has changed, is not in that [from which it changed].
εἰ δʼ ἐν ἄλλῳ, μεταξὺ ἔσται χρόνος· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἐχόμενα τὰ νῦν.
But if it is in another [now], there will be time between; for "nows" are not consecutive.
ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐν χρόνῳ μεταβέβληκεν, χρόνος δʼ ἅπας διαιρετός, ἐν τῷ ἡμίσει ἄλλο ἔσται μεταβεβληκός, καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ ἐκείνου ἡμίσει ἄλλο, καὶ αἰεὶ οὕτως· ὥστε μεταβάλλοι ἂν πρότερον.
Since, then, it has changed in time, and all time is divisible, in the half [of the time] it will have changed [into] something else, and again in the half of that another thing, and always so; consequently, it would have been changing prior to this.
ἔτι δʼ ἐηὶ τοῦ μεγέθους φανερώτερον τὸ λεχθὲν διὰ τὸ συνεχὲς εἶναι τὸ μέγεθος ἐν ᾧ μεταβάλλει τὸ μεταβάλλον.
Furthermore, what has been said is more manifest in the case of magnitude, because the magnitude in which that which changes changes is continuous.
ἔστω γάρ τι μεταβεβληκὸς ἐκ τοῦ Γ εἰς τὸ Δ. οὐκοῦν εἰ μὲν ἀδιαίρετόν ἐστι τὸ ΓΔ, ἀμερὲς ἀμεροῦς ἔσται ἐχόμενον·
For let something have changed from Γ to Δ.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἀδύνατον, ἀνάγκη μέγεθος εἶναι τὸ μεταξὺ καὶ εἰς ἄπειρα διαιρετόν· ὥστʼ εἰς ἐκεῖνα μεταβάλλει πρότερον.
Therefore, if ΓΔ is indivisible, a partless thing will be consecutive to a partless thing; but since this is impossible, the interval must be a magnitude and divisible into infinities; so that it changes to those [parts] prior to this.
ἀνάγκη ἄρα πᾶν τὸ μεταβεβληκὸς μεταβάλλειν πρότερον.
It is necessary, therefore, that everything that has changed must have been changing prior to this.
ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ ἀπόδειξις καὶ ἐν τοῖς μὴ συνεχέσιν, οἶον ἔν τε τοῖς ἐναντίοις καὶ ἐν ἀντιφάσει· ληψόμεθα γὰρ τὸν χρόνον ἐν ᾧ μεταβέβληκεν, καὶ πάλιν ταὐτὰ ἐροῦμεν.
For the same proof holds also in the case of things that are not continuous, such as contraries and in contradiction; for we shall take the time in which it has changed, and we shall say the same things again.
ὥστε ἀνάγκη τὸ μεταβεβληπὸς μεταβάλλειν καὶ τὸ μεταβάλλον μεταβεβληκέναι, καὶ ἔσται τοῦ μὲν μεταβάλλειν τὸ μεταβεβληκέναι πρότερον, τοῦ δὲ μεταβεβληκέναι τὸ μεταβάλλειν, καὶ οὐδέποτε ληφθήσεται τὸ πρῶτον.
Consequently, that which has changed must be changing, and that which is changing must have changed, and having changed will be prior to changing, and changing to having changed, and the first will never be reached.
αἴτιον δὲ τούτου τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἀμερὲς ἀμεροῦς ἐχόμενον· ἄπειρος γὰρ ἡ διαίρεσις, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν αὐξανομένων καὶ καθαιρουμένων γραμμῶν.
And the cause of this is that a partless thing is not consecutive to a partless thing; for the division is infinite, just as in lines that are increased and decreased.
φανερὸν οὖν
ὅτι καὶ τὸ γεγονὸς ἀνάγκη γίγνεσθαι πρότερον καὶ τὸ γιγνόμενον γεγονέναι, ὅσα διαιρετὰ καὶ συνεχῆ, οὐ μέντοι αἰεὶ ὃ γίγνεται, ἀλλʼ ἄλλο ἐνίοτε, οἷον τῶν ἐκείνου τι, ὥσπερ τῆς οἰκίας τὸν θεμέλιον.
It is manifest, therefore, that both that which has come to be must have been coming to be prior to this, and that which is coming to be must have come to be, in the case of all things that are divisible and continuous; not indeed always that which is coming to be [itself], but sometimes something else, such as one of its parts, just as the foundation of a house.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ φθειρομένου καὶ ἐφθαρμένου· εὐθὺς γὰρ ἐνυπάρχει τῷ γιγνομένῳ καὶ τῷ φθειρομένῳ ἄπειρόν τι συνεχεῖ γε ὄντι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε γίγνεσθαι μὴ γεγονός τι οὔτε γεγονέναι μὴ γιγνόμενόν τι, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ φθείρεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐφθάρθαι· αἰεὶ γὰρ ἔσται τοῦ μὲν φθείρεσθαι τὸ ἐφθάρθαι πρότερον, τοῦ δʼ ἐφθάρθαι τὸ φθείρεσθαι.
And likewise also in the case of that which is being destroyed and has been destroyed; for there is immediately present in that which is coming to be and that which is being destroyed something infinite, since it is continuous, and it is possible neither to be coming to be without something having come to be, nor to have come to be without something coming to be, and likewise also in the case of being destroyed and having been destroyed; for having been destroyed will always be prior to being destroyed, and being destroyed to having been destroyed.
φανερὸν οὖν ὅτι καὶ τὸ γεγονὸς ἀνάγκη γίγνεσθαι πρότερον καὶ τὸ γιγνόμενον γεγονέναι· πᾶν γὰρ μέγεθος καὶ πᾶς χρόνος ἀεὶ διαιρετά.
It is manifest, therefore, that both that which has come to be must have been coming to be prior to this, and that which is coming to be must have come to be; for every magnitude and every time are always divisible.
ὥστʼ ἐν ᾧ ἂν ᾖ, οὐκ ἂν εἴη ὡς πρώτῳ.
So that in whatever it may be, it could not be as a first.