§22.1Διὰ τί τὴν ὀπώραν ὕστερον ἢ πρότερον φαγοῦσιν οὐκ ἀνάλογον τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὁ ὄγκος τῆς πληρώσεως γίνεται;
Why is it that, for those who eat fruit after or before [the meal], the volume of fullness is not proportional to the same [amount of food]?
ἢ ὅτι βαρυτέρα ἐστὶν ἡ ὀπώρα πολύ τῶν σιτίων.
Or is it because fruit is much heavier than the wheat food?
δηλοῖ δὲ τὰ σῦκα. ἐὰν ὕστατα βρωθῇ· τελευταῖα γὰρ ἐμεῖται.
This is shown by figs; for if they are eaten last, they are vomited last.
ἐὰν μὲν οὖν πρῶτα, διὰ βάρος κάτω πορευόμενα εὐρυχωρίαν ἄνω ποιεῖ, ὥστε ῥᾳδίως δέχεσθαι τὸν ὄγκον τῶν σιτίων.
Therefore, if they are eaten first, going downward because of their weight, they make a wide space above, so that the stomach easily receives the volume of the wheat food.
ἀνάπαλιν δὲ εἰσελθόντα τὰ σιτία, διὰ τὸ μὴ κάτω φέρεσθαι, ταχὺ τοῦ ἄνω κενοῦ προσλαμβάνει.
Conversely, the wheat food, having entered first, because it does not sink downward, quickly takes up the upper empty space.
§22.2Διὰ τί τῶν γλυκέων ὄντων ὁμοιοτέρων ἡμῖν ἢ τῶν δριμέων, θᾶττον πληρούμεθα ὑπὸ τῶν γλυκέων;
Why is it that, although sweet things are more similar to us than sharp things, we are more quickly filled by sweet things?
εἰκὸς δὲ ἦν ἧττον· ὑπὸ γὰρ τῶν ὁμοίων ἧττον ἦν εἰκὸς πληροῦσθαι.
Yet it would be reasonable to be less filled; for it would be reasonable to be less filled by similar things.
ἢ ὅτι οὐχ ὁμοίως τό τε ἀγγεῖον πληροῦται ταχύ, ἐξ οὗ πληρούμεθα, καὶ τὸ τρεφόμενον, ἀλλ’ ἐνίοτε ἡ μὲν κοιλία πλήρης ἐστίν, οἷον τῶν διψώντων, τὸ δὲ δίψος οὐδὲν ἧττόν ἐστιν.
Or is it because the container (the stomach) from which we are filled, and the part which is nourished, are not filled in the same way, but sometimes the stomach is full, as is the case with thirsty people, yet the thirst is none the less?
οὐ γὰρ τῷ ταύτην εἶναι πλήρη παυόμεθα διψῶντες, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἕκαστον τῶν τοῦ σῶματος τὸ αὑτῷ οἰκεῖον ἐσπακέναι, καὶ ὅταν ἐκεῖνα ἀπολάβῃ ἱκανῶς, τότε παυόμεθα διψῶντες.
For we do not stop being thirsty because the stomach is full, but because each of the parts of the body has drawn in what is appropriate to itself, and when those parts have received enough, then we stop being thirsty.
καὶ πεινῶντες δὲ ὡσαύτως.
And it is the same with those who are hungry.
§22.3Διὰ τί θᾶττον πληρούμεθα ἀπὸ τῶν γλυκέων ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν δριμέων;
Why are we filled more quickly by sweet things than by sharp things?
ἢ ὅτι θᾶττον παυόμεθα ἐπιθυμοῦντες τῶν γλυκέων;
Or is it because we stop desiring sweet things more quickly?
ἢ ὡς μὲν ἡ κοιλία πληροῦται, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν γλυκέων;
Or do we, just as the stomach is filled, also get filled by sweet things in the same way?
οὐχ ὁμολογεῖται· ὅτι δὲ ἡ ἐπιθυμία θᾶττον ὑπ’ αὐτῶν πληροῦται, τοῦτ’ ἂν εἴη λεκτέον.
This is not agreed upon; rather, it should be said that the desire is filled more quickly by them.
ἢ ὅτι ἡ μὲν ἐπιθυμία, ὡς ἀπλῶς εἰπεῖν, ἔστι μὲν ἔνδεια, καὶ ὅταν μηκέτι ἔχωμεν τροφὴν ἢ ὀλίγην;
Or is it because desire, to put it simply, is a lack, and occurs when we no longer have food or have only a little?
τὰ μὲν οὖν δριμέα οὐκ ἔστι τρόφιμα, ἀλλὰ τροφὴν μὲν ὀλίγην ἔχει, τὸ δὲ περίττωμα πολύ.
Now sharp things are not nutritious, but contain little nourishment and much residue.
εἰκότως οὖν πολλὰ ταῦτα ζητοῦμεν ἐσθίειν, καὶ οὐκ ἐμπιπλάμεθα αὑτῶν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, διὰ τὸ ἔτι προσδεῖσθαι τροφῆς, ταῦτα δὲ μὴ ἔχειν τροφήν.
Naturally, therefore, we seek to eat much of them, and our desire for them is not satisfied, because we still need nourishment, while these do not contain nourishment.
τὰ δὲ γλυκέα ἅπαντά ἐστι τροφή, καὶ ἀπὸ μικρῶν τοιούτων πολλὴν λαμβάνει τὸ σῶμα.
But sweet things are all nourishment, and from a small amount of them the body receives much.
ὅταν οὖν ἀπολάβῃ πολλὴν τροφήν, οὐκέτι δύναται ἐσθίειν διὰ τὸ μὴ ὑποφέρειν.
Therefore, when it has received much nourishment, it can no longer eat, because it cannot bear any more.
εἰκότως οὖν θᾶττον ὑπὸ τῶν γλυκέων πληρούμεθα.
Naturally, therefore, we are more quickly filled by sweet things.
§22.4Διὰ τί τὰ περικάρπια καὶ τὰ κρέα, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα ἐν τοῖς ἀσκοῖς ἄσηπτα γίνεται ὅταν σφόδρα φυσηθῶσι, καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἀκριβῶς περιπωματιζομένοις ὡσαύτως;
Why is it that fruit and meat, and such things, do not decay in skins when they are strongly inflated, and likewise in vessels that are tightly stoppered?
ἢ διότι σήπεται μὲν κινούμενα πάντα, τὰ δὲ πλήρη ἀκίνητα·
Is it because all things decay when they are moved, but those that are full are motionless?
ἀδύνατον γὰρ ἄνευ κενοῦ κινηθῆναι, ταῦτα δὲ πλήρη.
For it is impossible to move without empty space, and these are full.
§22.5Διὰ τί μετὰ τὰ σαπρὰ τῶν περικαρπίων ὁ οἶνος πικρὸς φαίνεται πινόμενος;
Why does wine, when drunk after decayed fruit, appear bitter?
ἢ ὅτι τὴν πικρότητα ἔχει ἡ σαπρότης ἡ τοιαύτη;
Is it because such decay possesses bitterness?
τὸ οὖν ἐπιμένον ἐπὶ τῇ γλώττῃ, μιγνύμενον τῷ πόματι καὶ διαχεόμενον πικρὸν ποιεῖ τὸ πόμα.
Therefore, that which remains on the tongue, mixing with the drink and being dispersed, makes the drink bitter.
αὐτὸ δὲ καθ’ αὑτὸ ἧττον φαίνεται ἐσθιόμενον διὰ τὸ πολλῶν ἅπτεσθαι καὶ εἰς μικρὰ διανενεμῆσθαι τὸν τοιοῦτον χυμόν.
But when eaten by itself, it appears less so, because such juice touches many parts and is distributed into small portions.
§22.6Διὰ τί τὰ τραγήματα ἐδεστέον;
Why should we eat desserts?
ἢ ἕνεκα τοῦ πιεῖν ἱκανόν;
Is it for the sake of drinking sufficiently?
οὐ γὰρ μόνον ποτέον τῆς δίψης χάριν τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς σιτίοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὸ σιτίον.
For one must drink not only because of the thirst arising from the wheat food, but also after the food.
§22.7Διὰ τί τὰ ὀπτὰ κάρυα ψυχθέντα χείρω γίνεται, καὶ ὁ ἄρτος δὲ καὶ ὁ βάλανος καὶ πολλὰ τῶν τοιούτων, θερμανθέντα δὲ πάλιν βελτίω;
Why do roasted nuts, when cooled, become worse, as do bread, acorns, and many such things, but when warmed up again, they become better?
ἢ διότι ψυχθέντος μὲν πέπηγεν ὁ χυμός, ἀναχλιανθέντος δὲ πάλιν χεῖται;
Is it because when they are cooled the juice congeals, but when warmed up again it flows?
ἡ δὲ ἡδονὴ γίνεται διὰ τὸν χυμόν.
And pleasure arises because of the juice.