§30.2Διὰ τί κατ’ ἐνίας μὲν τῶν ἐπιστημῶν ἕξιν ἔχειν λέγομεν, κατ’ ἐνίας δὲ οὔ;
Why do we say that we have a state with respect to some of the sciences, but not with respect to others?
ἢ καθ’ ὅσας εὑρετικοί ἐσμεν, ἕξιν ἔχειν λεγόμεθα;
Or is it that we are said to have a state with respect to as many of them as we are inventive in?
τὸ γὰρ εὑρίσκειν ἀπὸ ἕξεως.
For discovering comes from a state.
§30.3Διὰ τί τῶν ζῴων ὁ ἄνθρωπος φρονιμώτατον;
Why is man the most intelligent of the animals?
πότερον ὅτι μικροκεφαλώτατον κατὰ λόγον τοῦ σώματος;
Is it because he has the smallest head in proportion to his body?
ἢ ὅτι ἀνωμάλως ἐλάχιστον;
Or because it is disproportionately smallest?
διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ μικροκέφαλον, καὶ αὐτῶν οἱ τοιοῦτοι μᾶλλον τῶν μεγαλοκεφάλων φρονιμώτεροι.
For it is for this reason also that he has a small head, and among humans themselves, those of this kind are more intelligent than those with large heads.
§30.4Διὰ τί δοκεῖ ἡμῖν πλείων εἶναι ἡ ὁδός, ὅταν μὴ εἰδότες πόση τίς ἐστι βαδίζωμεν, μᾶλλον ἢ ὅταν εἰδότες, ἐὰν τὰ ἄλλα ὁμοίως τύχωμεν ἔχοντες;
Why does the road seem longer to us when we walk not knowing how long it is, rather than when we know, if we happen to be in the same state in other respects?
ἢ ὅτι τὸ εἰδέναι πόση, ἐστὶν εἰδέναι ἀριθμόν;
Or is it because to know how long it is, is to know a number?
τὸ γὰρ ἄπειρον καὶ ἀναρίθμητον ταὐτόν, καὶ πλέον ἀεὶ τὸ ἄπειρον τοῦ ὡρισμένου.
For the infinite and the innumerable are the same, and the infinite is always more than the limited.
ὥσπερ οὖν εἰ ᾔδει ὅτι τοσήδε ἐστί, πεπερασμένην αὐτὴν ἀνάγκη εἶναι, οὕτως εἰ μὴ οἶδε πόση τίς ἐστιν, ὡς ἀντιστρέφοντος παραλογίζεται ἡ ψυχή, καὶ φαίνεται αὕτη εἶναι ἄπειρος, ἐπεὶ τὸ ποσὸν ὡρισμένον ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ ὡρισμένον ποσόν.
Just as, therefore, if one knew that it is of such and such a length, it would of necessity be limited, so if one does not know how long it is, the soul reasons fallaciously as if the relation converted, and this road appears to be infinite, since quantity is limited and the limited is quantity.
ὅταν τοίνυν μὴ φαίνηται ὡρισμένον, ὥσπερ ἄπειρον δόξει εἶναι, διὰ τὸ τὸ πεφυκὸς ὡρίσθαι, ἂν μὴ ᾖ ὡρισμένον, ἄπειρον εἶναι, καὶ τὸ φαινόμενον μὴ ὡρίσθαι φαίνεσθαι ἀνάγκη πως ἀπέραντον.
Therefore, when it does not appear to be limited, it will seem to be as if infinite, because that which is by nature suited to be limited, if it is not limited, is infinite, and that which appears not to be limited must in some way appear endless.
§30.5Διὰ τί πρεσβύτεροι μὲν γινόμενοι μᾶλλον νοῦν ἔχομεν, νεώτεροι δὲ ὄντες θᾶττον μανθάνομεν;
Why is it that as we get older we have more intellect, but when we are younger we learn more quickly?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὄργανα ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἡμῖν δέδωκε δύο, ἐν οἷς χρησόμεθα τοῖς ἐκτὸς ὀργάνοις, σώματι μὲν χεῖρα, ψυχῇ δὲ νοῦν.
Or is it because God has given us two instruments within ourselves, by which we shall use external instruments: a hand for the body, and intellect for the soul?
ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ὁ νοῦς τῶν φύσει ἐν ἡμῖν ὥσπερ ὄργανον ὑπάρχων· αἱ δὲ ἄλλαι ἐπιστῆμαι καὶ τέχναι τῶν ὑφ’ ἡμῶν ποιητῶν εἰσίν, ὁ δὲ νοῦς τῶν φύσει.
For the intellect also is one of those things that belong to us by nature, existing like an instrument; whereas the other sciences and arts are among the things made by us, but the intellect is of the things by nature.
καθάπερ οὖν τῇ χειρὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς γενόμενοι χρώμεθα βέλτιστα, ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἡ φύσις αὐτὴν ἐπιτελέσῃ (προϊούσης γὰρ τῆς ἡλικίας ἡ χεὶρ μάλιστα δύναται ἀποτελεῖν τὸ ἑαυτῆς ἔργον), τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ νοῦς τῶν φύσει οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ γήρως ἡμῖν μάλιστα παραγίνεται καὶ τότε ἀποτελεῖται μάλιστα, ἢν μὴ ὑπό τινος πηρωθῇ, καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ φύσει ὑπάρχοντα.
Just as, therefore, we do not use our hand in the best way immediately when we are born, but when nature has perfected it (for as age advances, the hand is best able to accomplish its own work), in the same way the intellect, being one of the things by nature, does not come to us immediately but is present to us most of all in old age, and is then most of all perfected, unless it is damaged by something, just like the other things that exist by nature.
ὕστερον δὲ τῆς τῶν χειρῶν δυνάμεως ὁ νοῦς παραγίνεται ἡμῖν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ τοῦ νοῦ ὄργανά ἐστι τῶν τῆς χειρός.
And the intellect comes to us later than the power of the hands, because the instruments of the intellect are posterior to those of the hand.
ἔστι γὰρ νοῦ μὲν ὄργανον ἐπιστήμη (τούτῳ γάρ ἐστι χρήσιμος, καθάπερ αὐλοὶ αὐλητῇ), χειρῶν δὲ πολλὰ τῶν φύσει ὄντων· ἡ δὲ φύσις αὐτή γε ἐπιστήμης πρότερον, καὶ τὰ ὑπ’ αὐτῆς γινόμενα.
For science is an instrument of the intellect (for it is useful to this, just as flutes are to a flute-player), while of the hand there are many instruments among things that exist by nature; and nature itself is prior to science, and so are the things produced by it.
ὧν δὲ τὰ ὄργανα πρότερα, καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις πρότερον εἰκὸς ἐγγίνεσθαι ἡμῖν· τούτοις γὰρ χρώμενοι ἕξιν λαμβάνομεν, καὶ ἔχει ὁμοίως τὸ ἑκάστου ὄργανον πρὸς αὐτό· καὶ ἀνάπαλιν, ὡς τὰ ὄργανα πρὸς ἄλληλα, οὕτω τὰ ὄργανα πρὸς αὐτά.
And those things whose instruments are prior, it is reasonable that their powers also should arise in us prior; for by using these we acquire a state, and the instrument of each is related to its power in the same way; and conversely, as the instruments are related to one another, so are the instruments related to the powers themselves.
ὁ μὲν οὖν νοῦς διὰ ταύτην τὴν αἰτίαν πρεσβυτέροις οὖσιν ἡμῖν μᾶλλον ἐγγίνεται.
So the intellect, for this reason, is present in us more when we are older.
μανθάνομεν δὲ θᾶττον νεώτεροι ὄντες διὰ τὸ μηδέν πω ἐπίστασθαι.
But we learn more quickly when we are younger because we do not yet know anything.
ὅταν δὲ ἐπιστώμεθα, οὐκέτι ὁμοίως δυνάμεθα.
But when we know, we are no longer able to do so in the same way.
δυνάμεθα δὲ ἔχεσθαι, καθάπερ καὶ μνημονεύομεν μᾶλλον οἷς ἂν ἕωθεν πρῶτον ἐντυγχάνωμεν, ἔπειτα προϊούσης τῆς ἡμέρας οὐκέτι ὁμοίως διὰ τὸ πολλοῖς ἐντετυχηκέναι.
But we are able to hold onto things, just as we also remember better those things which we first meet with in the morning, but then as the day goes on, no longer in the same way because we have met with many things.