§21.10Διὰ τί δὲ πυρούμενον τὸ σταῖς μεῖζον γίνεται ἢ ἡ μᾶζα;
Why is it that dough, when baked, becomes larger than a barley- cake?
ἢ ὅτι ἔχει ὑγρὸν οὐ κεχωρισμένον, ὥστε ἐξιέναι θερμαινόμενον διὰ τὴν τρῖψιν· ἐξ οὗ θερμαινομένου πνεῦμα γίνεται, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ πλείονος ὑγροῦ ἀνάγκη γίνεσθαι πλεῖον πνεῦμα.
Is it because it contains moisture that is not separated, so that when it is warmed by the kneading, it tries to escape; and from this warmed moisture, gas is produced, and from a greater quantity of moisture, a greater quantity of gas must necessarily be produced?
§21.11Διὰ τί τοῦ μέλιτος κολλητικωτέρου ὄντος ἢ τοῦ ὕδατος, τὸ τῷ μελικράτῳ φυραθὲν ἄλευρον ψαθυρώτερον γίνεται, ὅταν ἑψηθῇ ἢ ὀπτηθῇ, ἢ τὸ τῷ ὕδατι;
Why is it that, although honey is stickier than water, flour kneaded with honey-water becomes, when boiled or baked, more crumbly than that kneaded with water?
ἢ διότι τὸ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς πήγνυται καὶ συνίσταται, [τὸ ὕδωρ], τὸ δὲ μέλι συνιστᾷ μέν, ἀλλ’ ἐπιξηραίνει διὸ μᾶλλον ψαθυρὸν ποιεῖ ἡ γὰρ ψαθυρότης ὑπὸ ξηρασίας γίνεται.
Is it because the one (water) is solidified and condensed by the fire, whereas honey, while it condenses, also dries things thoroughly, and so makes them more crumbly? For crumbliness is caused by dryness.
§21.12Διὰ τί οἱ δίπυροι ἄρτοι ψυχθέντες οὐ γίνονται σκληροί;
Why is it that twice-baked loaves of bread do not become hard when they are cooled?
ἢ ὅτι ἔχει τινὰ ἐν αὑτῷ ὁ πυρὸς γλυκὺν καὶ γλίσχρον χυμόν, ὅς ἐστιν αὐτοῦ καθάπερ ψυχή;
Is it because wheat contains in itself a certain sweet and sticky juice, which is, as it were, its soul?
σημεῖον δέ· ξηραινόμενος μὲν γὰρ ὅλως κενοῦται, νοτιῶν δὲ ἐκφύεται.
And this is proof: for when it is dried up, it is completely emptied of it, but when it is moistened, it sprouts.
τοῦ οὖν χυμοῦ τούτου ἐνυπάρχοντος καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀλεύρῳ καὶ μάλιστα τῷ καθαρωτάτῳ, σταιτὸς γενομένου τοῦ ἀλεύρου καὶ τριβομένου συμβαίνει αὐτό.
Therefore, since this juice is present in the flour, and especially in the purest part of it, this happens when the flour is made into dough and kneaded.
σημεῖον δέ· ἑψόμενον γὰρ διαχωρητικώτερον γίνεται.
And this is proof: for when boiled, it becomes more laxative.
ὀπτωμένου μὲν οὖν τὸ πρῶτον τοῦ ἄρτου, τὸ ψαθυρὸν καὶ ἐλαφρὸν τοῦ δὲ ὑγροῦ τοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου ἀπατμίζει, καὶ τοῦ ἀλεύρου τὸ ἀχυρωδέστατον ἀποκαίεται.
Now, when the bread is first baked, the crumbly and light part of the moisture from the bread evaporates, and the most chaff-like part of the flour is burnt away.
ἐξαιρεθέντος δὲ καὶ τριβομένου πάλιν τοῦ σταιτός, τό τε τοῦ ἀλεύρου λειότατον καὶ τοῦ ὑγροῦ γλισχρότατον λειπόμενα μίγνυται μᾶλλον ἑαυτοῖς, διά τε τὸ τοιαῦτα καὶ μᾶλλον γεγονέναι, καὶ διὰ τὴν πύρωσιν·
But when the dough is taken out and kneaded again, the smoothest part of the flour and the stickiest part of the moisture, which are left behind, mix more with each other, both because they have become more of that nature and because of the heating.
βαφῇ γὰρ ἡ μῖξις αὐτῶν ὁμοία γίνεται, ὥστε γίνεσθαι τὸ ὕστερον τριφθὲν σταῖς ὅμοιον τῷ ἑψομένῳ ἀλεύρῳ.
For their mixture becomes like a dye, so that the dough kneaded later becomes like boiled flour.
καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο, τριφθέντος τοῦ σταιτὸς καὶ λειφθέντος τοῦ λεπτοτάτου ἀλεύρου καὶ τοῦ γλισχροτάτου ὑγροῦ, πυρωθὲν κολλῶδες γίνεται καὶ ἀνεξίκμαστον·
For that too, when the dough is kneaded and the finest flour and the stickiest moisture are left behind, becomes sticky and impervious to moisture when heated.
τό τε γὰρ γλίσχρον δυσδιαίρετον, καὶ τὸ πυκνὸν οὐθὲν δι’ αὑτοῦ προΐεται.
For the sticky is hard to divide, and the dense lets nothing pass through itself.
ὑγρότατον οὖν τοῦτο, καὶ διὰ πυρὸς πάσχει ἄρτος διὰ τὰ εἰρημένα· ἔχων δὲ ἀεὶ ὑγρότητα οὐ γίνεται σκληρός.
Therefore, this is extremely moist, and the bread is acted upon by the fire for the reasons mentioned; and because it always retains moisture, it does not become hard.
§21.13Διὰ τί τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τῆς ξηρᾶς καὶ τῆς ὑγρᾶς ἐνίοις δυνάμεθα πολὺν χρόνον χρῆσθαι, οἷον τῇ γινομένῃ τροφῇ ἐξ ἀλφίτων καὶ ἀλεύρων καὶ τοῖς οἴνοις τοῖς αὐστηροῖς καὶ ὕδατι, τοῖς δὲ οὐ δυνάμεθα, καὶ ταῦτα ἡδίοσιν οὖσιν;
Why is it that we can for a long time make use of certain kinds of food, both dry and moist—such as food made from barley-meal and wheat flour, and tart wines, and water—while we cannot do so with others, even though they are more pleasant?
ἢ ὅτι τὰ μέν ἐστι τῶν προσφερομένων ἐπιπολαστικὰ καὶ τρόφιμα, ὥστε καὶ ὅταν κενωθῶσιν, τῆς πρώτης τροφῆς ἀναλωθείσης ἔτι ἔνεστιν ἐν τῷ σώματι πολλὴ δύναμις, ὡς μὲν πρὸς τὴν πρώτην ἐργασίαν τοῦ σώματος πεφθεῖσα, ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὸ τέλος καὶ τὴν ἐκ διαδοχῆς γινομένην ἄπεπτος;
Is it because some of the things consumed tend to remain on the surface and are nourishing, so that even when they are evacuated, after the first food has been consumed, there is still much power left in the body, which, in relation to the first operation of the body, has been digested, but in relation to the end and the subsequent stage, remains undigested?
τοιαῦτα δέ ἐστιν καὶ τῶν ἡδέων τὰ πλεῖστα.
And most pleasant things are of this nature.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ λιπαρὰ καὶ γλυκέα καὶ πίονα ἥδιστα δοκεῖ εἶναι γευομένοις ἡμῖν, ταῦτα δέ ἐστι πάντα [τὰ] τρόφιμα καὶ οὐκ ἄπεπτα καὶ ἐπιπολαστικά, ἐν ᾗ ἂν ᾖ διαφορᾷ· ὥστε ἔναυλον εἶναι τὴν δύναμιν, ἐάν τις αὐτῶν πληρωθῇ καὶ μὴ ταχὺ ἐκλίπῃ τὴν αἴσθησιν.
For fatty, sweet, and rich things seem to be most pleasant to our taste, and all these, in whatever variety they may exist, are nourishing, do not remain undigested, and tend to remain on the surface; so that their power remains vivid if one is filled with them, and does not quickly depart from the sensation.
οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ ἐνόντων γίνεται ἡ πλήρωσις, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαδοθείσης τῆς τροφῆς ἐν ἄλλοις μέρεσιν.
For fullness does not occur only when food is in the stomach, but also when the nourishment has been distributed to other parts of the body.
ἢ οὐ μόνον τοῦτο αἴτιον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῇ φύσει ἔνια σύμμετρα εἶναι καὶ οἰκεῖα ἡμῖν;
Or is this not the only cause, but also the fact that some things are naturally proportionate and akin to us?
πάντα γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα διὰ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν εἶναι μᾶλλον προσίεται τὰ σώματα, τὰ δὲ παρὰ φύσιν ἧττον.
For our bodies welcome all such things more because they are in accordance with nature, but welcome less those that are contrary to nature.
ἄλλα τε ἄλλῃ κράσει ἁρμόττει, οἷον τὸ μέλι ταῖς μελίτταις κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν, ὥστε προσφέρεσθαι μόνον· καίτοι ἀσθενεῖς γέ εἰσι τὴν δύναμιν.
And different things suit different temperaments; for instance, honey is in accordance with nature for bees, so that they consume it alone, although they are weak in strength.
ὥστε δεῖ λείπειν τὸ ἀναλισκόμενον, ἀλλ’ εἶναι ἀνάλογον τὸ πλῆθος πρὸς τὴν ἰσχὺν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων·
So that what is consumed must be lacking, but its quantity must be in proportion to the strength derived from humans.
ὥστε ὅσα τῶν ἡδέων τοιαῦτά ἐστι, διὰ μὲν τὸ ἐν τῇ φύσει ἧττον ὑπάρχειν ἡδέα φαίνεται, ὀλίγον δὲ χρόνον· εἶτα πληροῖ ταχύ.
Consequently, such of the pleasant things, because they exist to a lesser degree in our nature, appear pleasant only for a short time, and then quickly satisfy.
τῶν δὲ κατὰ φύσιν ἀεὶ δέονται, ὥστε καὶ προσφερομένων συνεχῶς δι’ αὐτὰ οὐ τῶν ἡδίστων, ἀλλ’ ἑτέρων ἧττον πληροῦνται.
But they always stand in need of those things that are in accordance with nature, so that even when, because of this, they consume them continuously, they are less satisfied by them, even if they are not the most pleasant but other things.