§3.6Διὰ τί οἱ μεθύοντες θερμοῦ ὄντος τοῦ οἴνου δύσριγοί εἰσι, καὶ τάχιστα ἁλίσκονται ὑπὸ πλευρίτιδος καὶ τῶν τοιούτων νόσων;
Why is it that those who are drunk, although wine is warm, are sensitive to cold, and very quickly fall victim to pleurisy and such diseases?
ἢ ὅτι τὸ πολὺ ὑγρὸν ἐὰν ψυχθῇ, πολὺ ψυχρὸν γίνεται, ὥστε κρατεῖ τῆς φυσικῆς θερμότητος.
Or is it because if a large amount of moisture is chilled, it becomes very cold, so that it overpowers the natural heat?
πάντα δὲ τὰ ὑγρότερα θερμότερά ἐστι τὴν φύσιν.
For all things that are more moist are by nature warmer.
σημεῖον δέ· θερμαίνεται μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἐκτός, ὑγραίνεται δὲ οὔ.
A proof of this is that they are warmed by external things, but are not moistened.
εἰ δ’ ἧττόν ἐστι θερμά, καὶ ἀπολείπει δῆλον ὅτι θᾶττον αὐτὰ ἡ θερμότης ἢ ὑγρότης, ὥστε λειφθέντων ψυχρῶν ὑγρῶν εἰκότως ῥιγοῦσίν τε μᾶλλον οἱ μεθύοντες καὶ τὰ τοῦ ῥίγους οἰκεῖα πάσχουσι πάθη.
And if they are less warm, it is clear that heat leaves them more quickly than moisture, so that, cold moisture being left behind, it is natural that those who are drunk shiver more and suffer the affections peculiar to shivering.
§3.7Διὰ τί οἱ μὲν παῖδες θερμοὶ ὄντες οὐ φίλοινοί εἰσι, Σκύθαι δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ ἀνδρεῖοι θερμοὶ ὄντες φίλοινοι;
Why is it that children, though warm, are not fond of wine, whereas Scythians and brave men, though warm, are fond of wine?
ἢ ὅτι οἱ μὲν θερμοὶ ὄντες καὶ ξηροί (ἡ γὰρ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἕξις τοιαύτη), οἱ δὲ παῖδες ὑγροὶ καὶ θερμοί.
Or is it because the latter are warm and dry (for the habit of a man is of this kind), whereas children are moist and warm?
ἡ δὲ φιλοποσία ἐστὶν ἐπιθυμία ὑγροῦ τινός.
And fondness for drinking is a desire for some kind of moisture.
ἡ οὖν ὑγρότης κωλύει διψητικοὺς εἶναι τοὺς παῖδας· ἔνδεια γάρ τις ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπιθυμία.
The moisture, therefore, prevents children from being thirsty; for desire is a kind of lack.
§3.8Διὰ τί μεθύοντες μᾶλλον διαισθανόμεθα τὰ ἁλυκὰ καὶ τὰ μοχθηρὰ ὕδατα, νήφοντες δὲ ἧττον;
Why is it that when we are drunk we perceive salty and bad waters more, but less so when we are sober?
ἢ ὅτι τὸ οἰκεῖον ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκείου ἐστὶν ἀπαθές, καὶ τὸ ὁμοίως διακείμενον, τὰ δὲ ἐναντία τῶν ἐναντίων ἐστὶν αἰσθητικώτατα.
Or is it because like is unaffected by like, and that which is in a similar state is likewise, whereas opposites are most sensitive to opposites?
ὁ μὲν οὖν μεθύων γλυκεῖς ἐν αὑτῷ χυμοὺς ἔχει (τοιοῦτο γὰρ ὁ οἶνος δοκεῖ), καὶ τῶν φαύλων χυμῶν αἰσθητικώτερός ἐστιν, ὁ δὲ νήφων δριμεῖς καὶ ἁλυκούς.
Now, a man who is drunk has sweet juices in himself (for wine seems to be of this kind), and is more sensitive to bad juices, whereas a sober man has pungent and salty juices.
τῆς τροφῆς οὖν πεπεμμένης οἱ περιττωματικοὶ ἐπιπολάζουσιν.
Thus, when food is digested, the residual juices rise to the surface.
οὗτοί τε οὖν εἰσὶν ἀπαθεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ὁμοίων, καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα ποιοῦσιν.
These, therefore, are unaffected by their likes, and make the person who has them so too.
§3.9Διὰ τί τοῖς μεθύουσι σφόδρα κύκλῳ πάντα φαίνεται φέρεσθαι, καὶ ἤδη ἁπτομένης τῆς μέθης ἀθρεῖν τὰ πόρρω οὐ δύνανται;
Why is it that to those who are extremely drunk all things seem to be carried round in a circle, and as soon as the drunkenness takes hold, they cannot see things far off?
διὸ καὶ σημεῖον τῆς μέθης αὐτὸ ποιοῦνταί τινες.
For this reason some even make this a sign of drunkenness.
ἢ ὅτι κινεῖται ὑπὸ τῆς θερμότητος τοῦ οἴνου ἡ ὄψις πυκνάκις;
Or is it because the vision is frequently moved by the heat of the wine?
διαφέρει οὖν οὐθὲν τὴν ὄψιν κινεῖν ἢ τὸ ὁρώμενον· ταὐτὸ γὰρ ποιεῖ πρὸς τὸ φαίνεσθαι τὰ εἰρημένα.
It makes no difference, therefore, whether the vision moves or the thing seen; for the mentioned things produce the same effect regarding the appearance.
ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ περὶ τὰ πλησίον ὄντα διαψεύδεσθαι τὴν ὄψιν συμβαίνει τῶν μεθυόντων, καὶ περὶ τὰ πόρρω μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ταῦτα πάσχειν.
And since the vision of those who are drunk happens to be deceived even about things that are near, it is likely that they suffer this even more regarding things far off.
διόπερ ἐκεῖνα μὲν ὅλως οὐχ ὁρᾶται, τὰ δ’ ἐγγὺς οὐκ ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ ἐστὶν ὁρᾷ.
Therefore, those things are not seen at all, and they do not see near things in the place where they are.
κύκλῳ δὲ φαίνεται φέρεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἐγγὺς καὶ πόρρω, ὅτι εἰς μὲν τὸ πόρρω διά τε τὴν κύκλῳ κίνησιν ἀδυνατέρα ἐστὶ φέρεσθαι ἡ ὄψις.
And they seem to be carried round in a circle, and not near and far, because towards what is far off the vision is less able to be carried owing to the circular motion.
ἅμα γὰρ τἀναντία ποιεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.
For it is not easy to do opposites at the same time.
ἔστι δὲ ἡ μὲν πόρρω ἐπιθυμία σφοδρά, ἡ δὲ κύκλῳ ἐν ᾧ τοὔνομα σημαίνει σχήματι.
And the movement far off is a strong stretching forward, while the circular movement is in the figure which the name signifies.
διά τε οὖν τὰ εἰρημένα πόρρω οὐ φέρεται· καὶ εἰ φέροιτο τὸ ἐγγὺς καὶ πόρρω, οὐκ ἂν ταῦθ’ ὁρῴη.
For the mentioned reasons, then, the vision is not carried far off; and even if it were carried near and far, it would not see these things.
ἀπολείποι γὰρ ἂν ἐν θατέρῳ χρόνῳ αὐτῶν τὸ ὁρώμενον ἐν ταὐτῷ τόπῳ, ἀπολείπων δὲ οὐκ ἂν ὁρῴη.
For in the other portion of time it would leave behind the thing seen in the same place, and leaving it behind, it would not see it.
κύκλῳ δὲ φέρεται διὰ τὸ ὑπάρχον σχῆμα τῆς ὄψεως.
But it is carried round in a circle owing to the inherent shape of the vision.
ἔστι γὰρ κῶνος, οὗ ἡ βάσις κύκλος, ἐν ᾧ κινουμένη ὁρᾷ μὲν τοῦτο διὰ τὸ μηδέποτε ἀπολείπειν αὐτό, διέψευσται δὲ τῷ τόπῳ διὰ τὸ μὴ τὴν αὐτὴν ὄψιν ἐπιβάλλειν ἐπ’ αὐτό.
For the vision is a cone, whose base is a circle, and moving in this circle it sees the object because it never leaves it behind, but is deceived as to the place because it does not cast the same part of the vision upon it.
ταὐτὸν γὰρ ἂν ἦν ἢ τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν κινεῖν ἢ τὴν ὄψιν πρὸς τοῦτο.
For it would be the same thing either to move the object towards the vision or the vision towards the object.