§31.8Διὰ τί οἱ μύωπες μικρὰ γράμματα γράφουσιν;
Why do shortsighted people write small letters?
ἄτοπον γὰρ τὸ μὴ ὀξὺ ὁρῶντας ποιεῖν ἔργον ὀξὺ ὁρώντων.
For it is strange that those who do not see sharply should do the work of those who see sharply.
πότερον ὅτι μεγάλα φαίνεται τὰ μικρά, ἐὰν ᾖ ἐγγύς· οἱ δὲ προσάγοντες γράφουσιν;
Is it because small things appear large if they are near, and they write by bringing their eyes close?
ἢ διὰ τὸ συνάγοντας τὰ βλέφαρα γράφειν;
Or is it because they write by drawing their eyelids together?
δι’ ἀσθένειαν γὰρ τῆς ὄψεως, ἂν μὲν ἀναπεπταμένοις γράφωσι τοῖς ὄμμασι, διασπωμένη ἡ ὄψις ἀμβλὺ ὁρᾷ, οὕτω δὲ ἀθρόως προσπίπτει· γωνίαν δὲ μικρὰν ποιοῦσα ἐξ ἀνάγκης ποιεῖ μικρὰ γράφειν.
For owing to the weakness of their sight, if they write with eyes wide open, their sight is dispersed and sees dimly, but in this way with eyelids drawn together it falls in a concentrated mass; and making a small angle, it necessarily makes them write small letters.
§31.9Διὰ τί ὀφθαλμιάσαντες ἔνιοι ὀξύτερον ὁρῶσιν;
Why do some people see more sharply after having suffered from ophthalmia?
ἢ διὰ τὸ ἀποκεκαθάρθαι τὰ ὄμματα;
Is it because the eyes have been purified?
πολλάκις γὰρ ἡ ἔξω πυκνότης ἀποστέγει τὴν ὄψιν, ἀποδακρύσαντι δὲ λύεται.
For often the outer density blocks the sight, but when one sheds tears, it is dissolved.
διὸ καὶ τὸ ἀποδάκνεσθαι συμφέρει, οἷον κρόμμυον· θάτερον δὲ πολέμιον, οἷον ὀρίγανον.
Therefore, that which makes one shed tears (such as an onion) is beneficial, while the other kind (such as marjoram) is hostile.
§31.10Διὰ τί τῇ μιᾷ ὄψει ἀπαθέστεροι;
Why are people less affected when using only one sight?
ἢ διότι ἔλαττον ἡ ψυχὴ πάσχει, ὥστε ἔλαττον τὸ πάθος.
Is it because the soul is affected less, so that the affection is also less?
§31.11Διὰ τί τοῖς διισταμένοις δύο φαίνεται;
Why does a thing appear double to those whose eyes are displaced?
ἢ διότι οὐκ ἀφικνεῖται ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ σημεῖον ἑκατέρου τῶν ὀμμάτων ἡ κίνησις;
Is it because the movement of each of the eyes does not arrive at the same point?
ὥσπερ οὖν δύο ὁρᾶν τὸ δὶς ὁρᾶν οἴεται ἡ ψυχή.
Therefore, just as if it were seeing two things, the soul thinks that it sees it twice.
ὅμοιον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δακτύλων τῆς ἐπαλλάξεως· δύο γὰρ τὸ ἓν δοκεῖ ὡς δὶς ἁπτομένῃ ἑνί.
It is the same also in the case of crossing the fingers; for one object appears as two, as if one were touching one thing twice.
§31.12Διὰ τί οὐ διαφέρουσιν αἱ αἰσθήσεις αἱ ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς τῶν ἀριστερῶν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι κρείττω τὰ δεξιά;
Why do the senses on the right side not differ from those on the left, whereas in all other respects the right parts are superior?
πότερον διὰ τὸ ἔθος, ὅτι εὐθὺς ὁμοίως ἀμφοῖν ἐθιζόμεθα αἰσθάνεσθαι;
Is it because of habit, in that we are accustomed from the very start to perceive similarly with both?
τὰ δὲ δεξιὰ τῷ ἔθει δοκεῖ διαφέρειν, ἐπεὶ ἐθισθεῖσιν ἀμφιδέξιοι γίνονται.
And the right parts seem to differ because of habit, since to those who are accustomed they become ambidextrous.
ἢ ὅτι τὸ μὲν αἰσθάνεσθαι πάσχειν τί ἐστι, τὰ δὲ δεξιὰ διαφέρει τῷ ποιητικώτερα εἶναι καὶ ἀπαθέστερα τῶν ἀριστερῶν.
Or is it because perceiving is a form of being affected, whereas the right parts differ in being more active and less passive than the left parts?
§31.13Διὰ τί ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις κρείττω τὰ δεξιά, ἐν δὲ ταῖς αἰσθήσεσιν ὅμοια;
Why is the right side superior in other respects, but in the senses they are similar?
ἢ διότι ταῦτα μὲν ὁμοίως ἐθιζόμεθα κατ’ ἀμφότερα τῷ ἔθει;
Is it because in the case of the senses we are accustomed by habit to use both sides similarly?
ἔτι τὸ μὲν αἰσθάνεσθαι πάσχειν τί ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ τῶν δεξιῶν διαφορὰ τῷ εἰς τὸ ποιεῖν καὶ οὐκ εἰς τὸ πάσχειν.
Furthermore, because perceiving is a form of being affected, whereas the difference of the right parts lies in acting and not in being affected.
§31.14Διὰ τί τὸ γυμνάζεσθαι ἀσύμφορον πρὸς ὀξυωπίαν;
Why is physical exercise disadvantageous for sharp sight?
ἢ ὅτι ξηρὸν ποιεῖ τὸ ὄμμα ἡ γυμνασία, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ ἄλλο σῶμα;
Is it because exercise makes the eye dry, just as it does the rest of the body?
ἡ δὲ ξηρότης σκληρύνει τὸ δέρμα πᾶν, ὥστε καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τῇ κόρῃ.
And dryness hardens all skin, so that it hardens also the skin over the pupil.
διὸ καὶ οἱ πρεσβῦται οὐκ ὀξὺ ὁρῶσιν· καὶ γὰρ τῶν γερόντων σκληρόδερμα, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ῥυσά, ὥστε ἐπικαλύπτεται ἡ ὄψις.
Therefore, old men also do not see sharply; for the skin of old men is hard and at the same time wrinkled, so that their sight is obscured.
§31.15Διὰ τί οἱ μύωπες βλέπουσι μὲν οὐκ ὀξύ, γράφουσι δὲ μικρά;
Why do shortsighted people not see sharply, yet write small letters?
καίτοι τὸ μικρὸν ὀξὺ βλέποντος καθορᾶν ἐστίν.
And yet to discern a small thing belongs to one who sees sharply.
ἢ διότι ἀσθενῆ ἔχοντες τὴν ὄψιν συνάγουσι τὰ βλέφαρα εἰς μικρόν;
Is it because, having weak sight, they draw their eyelids together into a small space?
ἀθρόα γὰρ ἐξιοῦσα ἡ ὄψις μᾶλλον ὁρᾷ, ἀναπεπταμένου δὲ τοῦ ὄμματος διασπᾶται.
For when the sight goes out in a concentrated mass, it sees better, whereas when the eye is wide open, it is dispersed.
διὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἀσθένειαν συνάγουσι εἰς μικρὸν τὸ βλέφαρον διὰ δὲ τὸ ἐκ μικροῦ ὁρᾶν μικρὸν μέγεθος ὁρῶσιν.
Therefore, owing to their weakness, they draw the eyelid together into a small space, and because they see from a small opening, they see a small size.
ὅσον δὲ ὁρῶσι μέγεθος, τοσοῦτον καὶ γράφουσιν.
And whatever size they see, that is the size they also write.
§31.16Διὰ τί οἱ μύωπες συνάγοντες τὰ βλέφαρα ὁρῶσιν;
Why do shortsighted people see by drawing their eyelids together?
ἢ δι’ ἀσθένειαν τῆς ὄψεως, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ πρὸς τὰ πόρρω τὴν χεῖρα προσάγοντες, οὕτω καὶ τὰ βλέφαρα πρὸς τὰ ἐγγὺς προστίθενται ὥσπερ χεῖρα;
Is it due to the weakness of their sight, so that just as those who hold their hand over their eyes against far objects, so they also apply their eyelids close to their eyes like a hand?
τοῦτο δὲ ποιοῦσιν, ἵνα ἀθροωτέρα ἡ ὄψις ἐξίῃ, δι’ ἐλάττονος ἐξιοῦσα, καὶ μὴ εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀναπεπταμένου ἐξιοῦσα διασπασθῇ, ὁρᾷ δὲ ἡ πλείων μεῖζον.
And they do this so that the sight may go out in a more concentrated mass, by going out through a smaller space, and not be dispersed by going out immediately from a wide open eye; and the greater amount of sight sees a larger thing.