§3.10Διὰ τί τοῖς μεθύουσιν ἐνίοτε πολλὰ φαίνεται τὸ ἓν ὁρῶσιν;
Why is it that to those who are drunk sometimes one thing appears as many when they are looking at it?
ἢ καθάπερ εἴρηται, κινουμένης τῆς ὄψεως συμβαίνει μηθένα χρόνον τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ ταὐτοῦ ἠρεμεῖν ὄψιν;
Or is it because, as has been said, when the vision is moved, it happens that the same vision rests upon the same object for no period of time?
τὸ δ’ ἐν ταὐτῷ χρόνῳ ἑτέρως ὁρώμενον ὀψιαίτερον εἶναι δοκεῖ·
But that which is seen differently at the same time seems to be later.
ἁφῇ γὰρ ὄψεως ὁρᾶται τὸ ὁρώμενον, ἅπτεσθαι δὲ πλείοσιν ἅμα τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀδύνατον.
For the thing seen is seen by the contact of vision, but it is impossible to touch the same thing with several visions at the same time.
ὄντος δὲ ἀναισθήτου τοῦ μεταξὺ χρόνου, ἐν ᾧ ἡ ὄψις ἥπτετο καὶ παρήλλαττεν τὸ ὁρώμενον, εἷς εἶναι δοκεῖ χρόνος ἐν ᾧ τε ἧπται καὶ παρήλλαχεν·
And since the intermediate time in which the vision touched and moved away from the thing seen is imperceptible, the time in which it has touched and that in which it has moved away seem to be one.
ὥστ’ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ ταὐτοῦ πλειόνων ἁπτομένων ὄψεων πλείω δοκεῖ εἶναι τὰ ὁρώμενα, διὰ τὸ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἀδύνατον εἶναι ἅπτεσθαι.
Consequently, when several visions touch the same thing at the same time, the things seen seem to be more, because it is impossible for these to touch in the same manner.
§3.11Διὰ τί οἱ μεθύοντες ἀφροδισιάζειν ἀδύνατοί εἰσιν;
Why is it that those who are drunk are unable to have sexual intercourse?
ἢ ὅτι δεῖ τινὰ τόπον ἐκθερμανθῆναι μᾶλλον τοῦ ἄλλου σώματος, τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ σώματι θερμασίας ἀδυνατοῦσιν·
Or is it because some part must be warmed more than the rest of the body, but they are unable to do this owing to the abundance of heat in the whole body?
ἀποσβέννυται γὰρ τὸ ὑπὸ τῆς κι νήσεως γινόμενον θερμὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ περιέχοντος μᾶλλον, ὅτι πολύ ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ ὑγρὸν καὶ ἄπεπτον.
For the heat generated by the movement is rather quenched by that which surrounds it, because the moisture in them is abundant and undigested.
ἔτι δὲ τὸ σπέρμα ἐκ τροφῆς, τροφὴ δὲ πᾶσα πέττεται· ἧς πληρωθέντες ὁρμητικοί εἰσι πρὸς τὰ ἀφροδίσια.
Furthermore, semen comes from food, and all food is digested; and when filled with this, people are impelled toward sexual intercourse.
διὸ καὶ κελεύουσί τινες πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν τὴν τοιαύτην ἀριστᾶν μὲν πολύ, δειπνεῖν δὲ ὀλίγον, ἵνα ᾖ αὐτοῖς ἐλάττω τὰ ἄπεπτα τῶν πεπεμμένων.
For this reason, some even advise for such an act to eat a large lunch but a small dinner, so that the undigested food in them may be less than the digested.
§3.12Διὰ τί ὁ γλυκὺς καὶ ὁ ἄκρατος καὶ ὁ κυκεὼν μεταξὺ διαπινόμενοι ἐν τοῖς πότοις νήφειν ποιοῦσιν;
Why is it that sweet wine, unmixed wine, and the cyceon, when drunk in between during drinking parties, make people sober?
καὶ διὰ τί ἧττον μεθύσκονται ταῖς μεγάλαις κωθωνιζόμενοι;
And why are they less drunk when they drink from large cups?
ἢ πάντων τὸ αὐτὸ αἴτιόν ἐστιν, ἡ παράκρουσις τοῦ ἐπιπολῆς θερμοῦ;
Or is the cause of all these the same, namely, the diverting of the surface heat?
τὸ γὰρ μεθύειν ἐστίν, ὅταν ᾖ τὸ θερμὸν ἐν τοῖς περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τόποις.
For to be drunk is when the heat is in the places around the head.
§3.13Διὰ τί τοῦ γλυκέως ἐπιπολαστικοῦ ὄντος, ἐάν τις μεθύων ἤδη ἐπιπίῃ γλυκύ, καταπέττεται ὁ ἐνυπάρχων οἶνος καὶ ἧττον ἐνοχλεῖ;
Why is it that, although sweet wine is prone to rise to the surface, if someone who is already drunk drinks sweet wine in addition, the wine existing within is digested and troubles him less?
ἢ ὅτι τὸ μὲν γλυκὺ λεαντικόν τέ ἐστι καὶ γλίσχρον (ἐμφράττει οὖν τοὺς πόρους), τὸ δὲ αὐστηρὸν τραχυντικόν·
Or is it because sweet wine is smoothing and sticky (so it blocks the pores), whereas harsh wine is roughening?
καὶ τὸ μὲν εὐπετῆ ποιεῖ τῷ θερμῷ τὴν ἀναφοράν, ὁ δὲ γλυκὺς στέγει αὐτό, τοὺς πόρους ἐμφράττων.
And the latter makes the rising up of heat easy, while sweet wine confines it by blocking the pores?
ὅτι δὲ τῶν ἄνω θερμανθέντων ἐστὶν ἡ μέθη, εἴρηται.
Indeed, it has been said that drunkenness consists in the warming of the upper parts.
ἔτι δὲ ὁ μὲν γλυκὺς ἄνοδμος, ὁ δὲ αὐστηρὸς οὔ· ὀσμὴ δὲ πᾶσα βαρύνει κεφαλήν.
Furthermore, sweet wine is odorless, whereas harsh wine is not; and every odor weighs down the head.
§3.14Διὰ τί ἀπὸ τοῦ κεκραμένου μέν, ἀκρατεστέρου δὲ ἕωθεν μᾶλλον πονοῦσι τὴν κεφαλὴν ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀκράτου;
Why is it that people suffer a headache in the morning more from diluted but relatively unmixed wine than from unmixed wine?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἄκρατος παχυμερὴς ὢν εἰς τοὺς περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν πόρους στενοὺς ὄντας, αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ εἰσπίπτει, ἡ δὲ δύναμις αὐτοῦ, ἡ ὀσμὴ καὶ θερμότης·
Or is it because unmixed wine, being coarse-grained, does not itself fall into the narrow pores around the head, but only its power, namely its odor and heat?
ὁ δὲ κεκραμένος μιχθεὶς λεπτῷ τῷ ὕδατι αὐτὸς εἰσδύεται, ἔχων δὲ σῶμα, καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως πολὺ τῆς τοῦ ἀκράτου, δυσπεπτότερός ἐστιν.
On the other hand, diluted wine, being mixed with thin water, penetrates itself, and having a body as well as much of the power of unmixed wine, is more difficult to digest.
τά τε γὰρ ὑγρὰ πάντων δυσπεπτότατα, καὶ τὰ σώματα τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς δυνάμεων.
For liquids are the most difficult of all things to digest, and so are the bodies rather than the powers within them.
§3.15Διὰ τί μᾶλλον δύνανται πιεῖν εἰς μέθην οἱ ἀγύμναστοι τῶν γεγυμνασμένων, καὶ ῥᾷον ἀπαλλάττουσιν;
Why is it that the unexercised are able to drink more to the point of drunkenness than those who exercise, and recover more easily?
ἢ ὅτι οἱ ἔχοντες περίττωμα καὶ ὑγρὸν ἐν αὑτοῖς οὐρητικοὶ γίνονται·
Or is it because those who have residues and moisture in themselves become prone to urination?
ὅπερ ποιεῖ δύνασθαι πίνειν καὶ ὕστερον κούφως ἔχειν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐμμένειν πολὺ ὑγρὸν οἰνῶδες.
This makes them able to drink and later feel light, because much of the winy moisture does not remain.
οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀγύμναστοι ὑγροὶ καὶ περιττωματικοί εἰσιν, οἱ δὲ γεγυμνασμένοι ξηροί, ὥστ’ εἰς τὸ σῶμα τούτοις ἡ ὑγρότης ἡ οἰνηρὰ ἀφικνεῖται.
Therefore, while the unexercised are moist and full of residues, those who exercise are dry, so that in the latter the winy moisture reaches the body.
εὐθύς τε οὖν ἀντισπᾷ τῇ οὐρήσει ἡ φορὰ αὕτη, καὶ ὕστερον ἐμμένον τὸ ὑγρὸν τοῦτο ἐν τῷ σώματι βάρος ποιεῖ.
Consequently, this flow immediately counteracts urination, and later this moisture remaining in the body produces heaviness.