§4.1Διὰ τί ὁ ἀφροδισιάζων καὶ ὁ ἀποθνήσκων ἀναβάλλει τὰ ὄμματα, καθεύδων δὲ καταβάλλει;
Why do those who perform sexual intercourse and those who are dying turn their eyes upward, but those who are sleeping turn them downward?
ἢ διότι ἄνωθεν τὸ θερμὸν ἐξιὸν ἀναστρέφει ἵνα περ ὁρμᾷ·
Is it because the heat, exiting from above, turns them back to the very place where it rushes?
ἐν δὲ τῷ ὕπνῳ κάτω συνάγεται, διὸ ῥέπει κάτω· συγκλείονται δὲ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ παρὰ τὸ μὴ ὑπάρχειν ἔτι νοτίδα.
But in sleep it is gathered below, wherefore it inclines downward; and the eyes are closed owing to there no longer being any moisture.
§4.2Διὰ τί τῶν πλείοσιν ἀφροδισίοις χρωμένων ἐπιδηλότατα συνδίδωσι τὰ ὄμματα καὶ τὰ ἰσχία, τὰ μὲν ἐγγὺς ὄντα, τὰ δὲ πόρρω;
Why is it that in those who indulge in frequent sexual intercourse, the eyes and the hips—the ones being near and the others far—most manifestly sink?
πότερον ὅτι καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ συνουσίᾳ ἐπιδηλότατα συμπονεῖ ταῦτα τῇ ἐργασίᾳ συνιόντα περὶ τὴν πρόεσιν τοῦ σπέρματος;
Is it because even in the intercourse itself these parts most manifestly work together, contracting for the action regarding the emission of the semen?
συνεκθλίβεται οὖν μάλιστα ἐντεῦθεν ὅσον εὔτηκτον τῆς τροφῆς ἔνεστι διὰ τὴν θλῖψιν.
Therefore, whatever is easily melted of the nourishment in them is squeezed out together most of all from there because of the pressure.
ἢ διότι παραθερμαινόμενα τήκεται μάλιστα·
Or is it because, being warmed, they are melted most of all?
ὁ δὲ ἀφροδισιασμὸς θερμότητι ἐργάζεται.
Indeed, sexual intercourse acts by means of heat.
μάλιστα δὲ ταῦτα θερμαίνεται, ἅ κινεῖται ἐν τῇ ἐργασίᾳ.
And those parts are warmed most which are moved in the action.
οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν ἕδραν ἐπιδήλως συμπονεῖ.
And the eyes and the parts around the anus manifestly work together.
οὔτε γὰρ μὴ συναγαγόντι τὰ περὶ τὴν ἕδραν ἐνδέχεται προέσθαι, οὔτε μὴ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καταβληθέντων· τὰ μὲν γὰρ περὶ τὴν ἕδραν συνιόντα θλίβει, οἷον ἐκ κύστεως τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὑγρόν, ἡ δὲ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν συναγωγὴ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου.
For it is not possible to emit semen for one who does not contract the parts around the anus, nor unless the eyes are cast down; for the parts around the anus, contracting, squeeze it, like liquid out of a bladder by hand, while the contraction of the eyes squeezes the things from the brain.
ὅτι δὲ μεγάλην ἔχουσιν τὰ ὄμματα τὴν δύναμιν καὶ ὁ τόπος αὐτῶν πρὸς γένεσιν, δηλοῖ ἡ τῶν ἀτέκνων καὶ γονίμων γυναικῶν τοῖς ἐναλείμμασι πεῖρα, ὡς δέον ταύτῃ διελθεῖν εἰς τὸ σπέρμα δύναμιν.
And that the eyes and their region have a great power towards generation is shown by the test of sterile and fertile women with ointments, showing that power must pass this way to the semen.
πίονα δὲ ἄμφω τυγχάνει ὄντα πάντων ἀεί, ἀρχός τε καὶ ὄμματα· διὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν συνεργίαν κοινωνεῖ τῆς θερμασίας, διὰ δὲ ταύτην λεπτύνεται καὶ συναποκρίνεται πολὺ εἰς τὸ σπέρμα.
And both the anus and the eyes happen to be fatter than all other parts always; therefore, on the one hand, because of cooperation they share in the heat, and on the other hand, because of this heat they are thinned and much is separated out together into the semen.
οὔτε γάρ, ἂν μὴ πῖον ᾖ, ὁμοίως γρύσει ἡ θερμότης, οὔτε πῖον ὂν μὴ συμπονοῦν, οἷον ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ· ἀλλὰ οἱ νεφροὶ τῶν ἄλλων μάλιστα αἰσθάνονται διὰ τὴν γειτνίασιν.
For neither, if it is not fat, will the heat cause it to flow in the same way, nor if it is fat but does not work together, as in the abdomen; but the kidneys, of all the other parts, feel it most because of their proximity.
καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ τοῦ σπέρματος πάροδος παρὰ τοὺς τόπους τούτους οὖσα ἐπιδηλότατα ἱκανή ἐστι λεπτύνειν· ἀφαιρεῖ γάρ, ἀλλ’ οὐ προστίθησι πλησιάζουσα.
And the very passage of the semen, being near these regions, is most clearly sufficient to thin them; for in passing near, it takes away, but does not add.
§4.3Διὰ τί καὶ οἱ ἀφροδισιάζοντες καὶ οἱ εὐνοῦχοι οὐ χρώμενοι ἀφροδισίοις ὁμῶς ἀμφότεροι τὰ ὄμματα πρὸς ὀξυωπίαν βλάπτονται;
Why do both those who perform sexual intercourse and eunuchs who do not perform sexual intercourse because of not doing so, equally have their eyes damaged with respect to sharpness of vision?
ἢ ὅτι τοῖς μὲν διὰ λαγνείαν, τοῖς δὲ διὰ τὴν πήρωσιν τὰ ἄνω ξηρὰ γίνεται μᾶλλον τοῦ δέοντος, ἐπιδηλότατα δ’ ἐν τούτοις, ὅσων τὸ ἔργον ἐστὶν ἀκριβές· ἡ δ’ ὄψις τοιοῦτον.
Is it because in the former because of lust, and in the latter because of mutilation, the upper parts become drier than they ought to be, and this is most manifest in those parts whose function is precise; and vision is of this kind.
κατασπωμένων δὲ τῶν ὑγρῶν τὰ ἄνω ξηραίνεται.
For when moisture is drawn downwards, the upper parts are dried.
ὁ μὲν οὖν ἀφροδισιασμὸς δῆλον ὅτι τοῦτο ποιεῖ· τοῖς δὲ εὐνούχοις τά τε σκέλη οἰδεῖ καὶ αἱ κοιλίαι εὔλυτοι ὡς κάτω μεθισταμένου τοῦ ὑγροῦ.
Now, sexual intercourse clearly does this; but in eunuchs the legs swell and the bellies are relaxed, as the moisture shifts downwards.
§4.4Διὰ τί ἄνθρωπος μόνον, ὅταν ἄρχηται δύνασθαι ἀφροδισιάζειν, ἡβᾷ, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ζῴων ὅσα τρίχας ἔχει οὐθέν;
Why does man alone grow pubic hair when he begins to be able to perform sexual intercourse, while none of the other animals that have hair does so?
ἢ ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὰς ἡλικίας μεταβάλλει τὰ ζῷα εἰς τοὐναντίον;
Is it because with age animals change into the opposite state?
φωνή τε γὰρ βαρεῖα ἐξ ὀξείας γίνεται, καὶ δασύνεται ἐκ ψιλῶν· δῆλον οὖν ὡς καὶ τὰ ἐκ γενετῆς δασέα ζῷα ψιλοῖτ’ ἂν, οὐ δασύνοιτο, σπερματικὰ γινόμενα.
For the voice becomes deep from being high, and they become hairy from being smooth; it is clear, then, that animals that are hairy from birth would become smooth, not hairy, when they become capable of generating semen.
οὐ πάσχει δὲ τοῦτο διὰ τὸ τὰ σπερμαίνοντα ξηρότερα γίνεσθαι καὶ ἀραιότερα, ἐξ ὧν θρὶξ φύεται.
But man does not suffer this because the semen-producing parts become drier and more porous, from which hair grows.
δῆλον δὲ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ἐν ταῖς οὐλαῖς φύεσθαι τρίχας· στεγαναὶ γὰρ αἱ οὐλαί, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἀραιαί.
And this is clear from the fact that hair does not grow on scars; for scars are dense, but not porous.
μηδὲ τοῖς παιδίοις καὶ γυναιξίν· ὑγρὰ γὰρ καὶ ἄμφω, ἀλλ’ οὐ ξηρά.
Nor does it grow on children and women; for both are moist, but not dry.
§4.5Διὰ τί ἡ ἀνυποδησία οὐ συμφέρει πρὸς ἀφροδισιασμούς;
Why is going barefoot not beneficial for sexual intercourse?
ἢ ὅτι τὸ μέλλον ἀφροδισιάζειν σῶμα δεῖ τὰ ἐντὸς θερμὸν εἶναι καὶ ὑγρόν;
Is it because the body that is about to perform sexual intercourse must be warm and moist within?
τοιοῦτον δὲ ἐν τοῖς ὕπνοις μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν τῷ ἐγρηγορέναι· διὸ καὶ ταχὺ καὶ ἄνευ ἐργασίας οἱ ἐξονειρωγμοὶ γίνονται, ἐγρηγοροῦσι δὲ μετὰ πόνου.
And it is more so in sleep than in waking; wherefore also wet dreams occur quickly and without effort, but in waking they occur with labor.
ἅμα δὲ τὸ σῶμα τοιοῦτον καὶ οἱ πόδες ὑγρότεροι καὶ θερμότεροι· σημεῖον δέ, ὅτι καθευδόντων θερμοί, ὡς ἅμα τοῖς ἐντὸς οὕτως ἔχοντες.
And at the same time, when the body is in this state, the feet also are moister and warmer; and a sign of this is that the feet of those who are sleeping are warm, since they are in the same state as the internal parts.
ἡ δ’ ἀνυποδησία τοὐναντίον ποιεῖ· ξηραίνει γὰρ καὶ ψύχει.
But going barefoot does the opposite; for it dries and chills.
ὥστ’, εἴτε ἀδύνατον μὴ θερμῶν ὄντων ἀφροδισιάσαι εἴτε χαλεπόν, ἀνάγκη ἀσύμφορον εἶναι πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀφροδισίων χρῆσιν.
So that, whether it is impossible or difficult to perform sexual intercourse when they are not warm, it must be disadvantageous for the practice of sexual intercourse.