§8.7#1Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλην ποιησαμένοις ἀρχὴν μᾶλλον ἔσται περὶ τούτων φανερόν.
Nevertheless, if we make another start, these matters will become more clear.
σκεπτέον γὰρ πότερον ἐνδέχεταί τινα κίνησιν εἶναι συνεχῆ ἢ οὔ, καὶ εἰ ἐνδέχεται, τίς αὕτη, καὶ τίς πρώτη τῶν κινήσεων· δῆλον γὰρ ὡς εἴπερ ἀναγκαῖον μὲν ἀεὶ κίνησιν εἶναι, πρώτη δὲ ὕδε καὶ συνεχής, ὅτι τὸ πρῶτον κινοῦν κινεῖ ταύτην τὴν κίνησιν, ἣν ἀναγκαῖον μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι καὶ συνεχῆ καὶ πρώτην.
For we must consider whether it is possible for any motion to be continuous or not, and if it is possible, what this motion is, and which is the first of motions; for it is clear that if indeed it is necessary that motion should always exist, and this is the first and continuous motion, the first mover causes this motion, which must necessarily be one and the same, continuous, and first.
τριῶν δʼ οὐσῶν κινήσεων, τῆς τε κατὰ μέγεθος καὶ τῆς κατὰ πάθος καὶ τῆς κατὰ τόπον, ἣν καλοῦμεν φοράν, ταύτην ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι πρώτην.
Now, there being three kinds of motion—that in respect of magnitude, that in respect of affection, and that in respect of place, which we call locomotion—this last must necessarily be first.
ἀδύνατον γὰρ αὔξησιν εἶναι ἀλλοιώσεως μὴ προϋπαρχούσης· τὸ γὰρ αὐξανόμενον ἔστιν μὲν ὡς ὁμοίῳ αὐξάνεται, ἔστιν δʼ ὡς ἀνομοίῳ· τροφὴ γὰρ λέγεται τῷ ἐναντίῳ τὸ ἐναντίον.
For it is impossible for growth to exist unless alteration is already present; for that which grows grows in one way by what is like, and in another way by what is unlike (for the contrary is said to be food for the contrary).
προσγίγνεται δὲ πᾶν γιγνόμενον ὅμοιον ὁμοίῳ.
And everything that comes to be is added as like to like.
ἀνάγκη οὖν ἀλλοίωσιν εἶναι τὴν εἰς τἀναντία μεταβολήν.
It is necessary, then, that alteration, which is change into contraries, should exist.
ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴ γε ἀλλοιοῦται, δεῖ τι εἶναι τὸ ἀλλοιοῦν καὶ ποιοῦν ἐκ τοῦ δυνάμει θερμοῦ ἐνεργείᾳ θερμόν.
But indeed, if something is altered, there must be something that alters and makes that which is potentially hot into actually hot.
δῆλον οὖν ὅτι τὸ κινοῦν οὐχ ὁμοίως ἔχει, ἀλλʼ ὁτὲ μὲν ἐγγύτερον ὁτὲ δὲ πορρώτερον τοῦ ἀλλοιουμένου ἐστίν.
It is clear, then, that the mover is not in the same state, but is sometimes nearer to and sometimes further from that which is being altered.
ταῦτα δʼ ἄνευ φορᾶς οὐκ ἐνδέχεται ὑπάρχειν.
But these things cannot occur without locomotion.
εἰ ἄρα ἀνάγκη ἀεὶ κίνησιν εἶναι, ἀνάγκη καὶ φορὰν ἀεὶ εἶναι πρώτην τῶν κινήσεων, καὶ φορᾶς, εἰ ἔστιν ἡ μὲν πρώτη ἡ δʼ ὑστέρα, τὴν πρώτην.
If, therefore, it is necessary that motion should always exist, it is necessary also that locomotion should always be the first of motions, and of locomotion, if there is one that is first and another subsequent, the first.
ἔτι δὲ
πάντων τῶν παθημάτων ἀρχὴ πύκνωσις καὶ μάνωσις· καὶ γὰρ βαρὺ καὶ κοῦφον καὶ μαλακὸν καὶ σκληρὸν καὶ θερμὸν καὶ ψυχρὸν πυκνότητες δοκοῦσιν καὶ ἀραιότητες εἶναί τινες.
And further, the principle of all affections is condensation and rarefaction; for heavy and light, soft and hard, hot and cold, seem to be certain densities and rarities.
πύκνωσις δὲ καὶ μάνωσις σύγκρισις καὶ διάκρισις, καθʼ ἃς γένεσις καὶ φθορὰ λέγεται τῶν οὐσιῶν.
And condensation and rarefaction are combination and separation, in accordance with which generation and destruction of substances are spoken of.
συγκρινόμενα δὲ καὶ διακρινόμενα ἀνάγκη κατὰ τόπον μεταβάλλειν.
But things that are combined and separated must necessarily change in respect of place.
ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τοῦ αὐξανομένου καὶ φθίνοντος μεταβάλλει κατὰ τόπον τὸ μέγεθος.
Moreover, the magnitude of that which grows and decays also changes in respect of place.
ἔτι καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐπισκοποῦσιν ἔσται φανερὸν ὅτι
ἡ φορὰ πρώτη.
And further, from this point of view also, it will be clear to those who examine it that locomotion is first.
τὸ γὰρ πρῶτον, ὥσπερ ἐφʼ ἑτέρων, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ κινήσεως ἂν λέγοιτο πλεοναχῶς.
For "first", as in other cases, so also in the case of motion, may be said in several ways.
λέγεται δὲ πρότερον οὗ τε μὴ ὄντος οὐκ ἔσται τἆλλα, ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἄνευ τῶν ἄλλων, καὶ τὸ τῷ χρόνῳ, καὶ τὸ κατʼ οὐσίαν.
That is said to be prior without whose existence the others will not be, while it can exist without the others; and also that which is prior in time, and that which is prior in substance.
ὥστʼ ἐπεὶ κίνησιν μὲν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι συνεχῶς, εἴη δʼ ἂν συνεχῶς ἢ συνεχὴς οὖσα ἢ ἐφεξῆς, μᾶλλον δʼ ἡ συνεχής, καὶ βέλτιον συνεχῆ ἢ ἐφεξῆς εἶναι, τὸ δὲ βέλτιον ἀεὶ ὑπολαμβάνομεν ἐν τῇ φύσει ὑπάρχειν, ἂν ᾖ δυνατόν, δυνατὸν δὲ συνεχῇ εἶναι (δειχθήσεται δʼ ὕστερον· νῦν δὲ τοῦτο ὑποκείσθω, καὶ ταύτην οὐδεμίαν ἄλλην οἷόν τε εἶναι ἀλλʼ ἢ φοράν, ἀνάγκη τὴν φορὰν εἶναι πρώτην.
So that, since it is necessary that motion should exist continuously, and it would exist continuously either by being continuous or successive—and preferably continuous, and it is better for it to be continuous rather than successive, and we always assume that what is better exists in nature, if it is possible, and it is possible for motion to be continuous (this will be shown later; for now let this be assumed)—and since it is impossible for this continuous motion to be any other than locomotion, locomotion must necessarily be first.
οὐδεμία γὰρ ἀνάγκη οὔτε αὔξεσθαι οὔτε ἀλλοιοῦσθαι τὸ φερόμενον, οὐδὲ δὴ γίγνεσθαι ἢ φθείρεσθαι· τούτων δὲ οὐδεμίαν ἐνδέχεται τῆς συνεχοῦς μὴ οὔσης, ἣν κινεῖ τὸ πρῶτον κινοῦν.
For there is no necessity for that which is carried along either to grow or to be altered, nor indeed to be generated or destroyed; but none of these is possible unless that continuous motion is present, which the first mover causes.