§4.13Διὰ τί, ἐὰν μὲν ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος τοῦ ἡμετέρου γένηται τὸ ζῷον, τοῦτο ἡμέτερον ἔκγονόν ἐστιν, ἐὰν δὲ ἐξ ἄλλου τινὸς ἢ μέρους ἢ ἀποκρίσεως, οὐχ ἡμέτερον;
Why is it that, if an animal is produced from our semen, this is our offspring, but if it is from some other thing, either a part or an excretion, it is not ours?
γίνεται γὰρ σηπομένων πολλὰ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος.
For many things are produced from rotting matter, even from semen.
τί δὴ οὖν, ἐὰν μὲν τοιοῦτον οἷον ἡμεῖς, ἡμέτερον, ἐὰν δὲ ἀλλότριον, οὔ;
What then is the reason that, if it is such as we are, it is ours, but if it is foreign, it is not?
ἢ γὰρ ἅπαντα προσήκει ἢ οὐθέν.
For either everything belongs to us, or nothing.
ἢ πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι οὕτω μὲν ἐξ ἡμετέρου γίνεται, ἐκείνως δὲ ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου, ὅσα ἐξ ἀποκαθάρματος γίνεται καὶ ἐκκρίσεως;
Is it first because in the former way it is produced from what is ours, but in the latter way from what is foreign, namely, all those things that are produced from residue and excretion?
καὶ ὅλως οὐθὲν τῶν τοῦ ζῴου ζῷον γεννᾷ, ἀλλ’ ἢ τὸ σπέρμα.
And in general, none of the parts of an animal generates an animal except the semen.
τὸ δὲ βλάπτον καὶ τὸ κακὸν οὐθενός ἐστιν οἰκεῖον, οὐδὲ τὸ ἀλλότριον· οὐ γὰρ ταὐτὸ τούτου τι εἶναι καὶ τούτου ἀλλότριον ἢ ἕτερον ἢ κακόν.
And that which is harmful and bad is not akin to anyone, nor is that which is foreign; for to be a part of something is not the same as to be foreign, different, or bad to it.
αἱ δὲ ἐκκρίσεις καὶ σήψεις οὐχ ἡμέτερα, ἀλλ’ ἕτερα καὶ ἀλλότρια τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν εἰσίν.
But excretions and rotted matters are not ours, but are different and foreign to our nature.
οὐ γὰρ ὅσα ἐν τῷ σώματι γίνεται, τοῦ σώματος θετέον, ἐπεὶ καὶ φύματα γίνεται, ἃ ἀφαιροῦσιν καὶ ἐκβάλλουσιν.
For not everything that is produced in the body should be regarded as belonging to the body, since tumors also are produced, which they remove and cast out.
καὶ ὅλως ὅσα παρὰ φύσιν, πάντα ἀλλότρια· παρὰ φύσιν δὲ πολλὰ καὶ τῶν συγγινομένων ἐστίν.
And in general, everything that is contrary to nature is foreign; and many of the things that grow with us are also contrary to nature.
εἰ οὖν ἐκ μόνου τούτου τῶν ἡμετέρων γίνεται ζῷον, ὀρθῶς ἂν τὸ ἐκ τούτου γινόμενον ἔκγονον ἡμέτερον εἴη μόνον.
If then an animal is produced from this alone of the things that are ours, it would be correct that only what is produced from this should be our offspring.
καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος δὲ ἄν τι ἄλλο γένηται, οἷον σκώληξ σαπέντος, ἢ καὶ ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ διαφθαρέντος, οἷον ἃ λέγεται τέρατα, οὐκ ἔκγονα λεκτέον.
And even if something else is produced from the semen, such as a worm when it rots, or even when it is corrupted in the womb, such as what are called monsters, they must not be called offspring.
ὅλως γὰρ ἐκ διεφθαρμένου γινόμενα οὐκέτι ἐξ ἡμετέρου ὄντος γίνεται, ἀλλ’ ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου, ὥσπερ τὰ ἐκ τῶν ἀποκρίσεων, οἷον τὸ ἐκ τῆς κόπρου.
For in general, things produced from corrupted matter are no longer produced from what is ours, but from what is foreign, just as those from excretions, for example, what is produced from dung.
σημεῖον δὲ ὅτι ἐκ διαφθειρομένου πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα γίνεται· μὴ ἐκ διαφθειρομένου γὰρ τοιοῦτον πέφυκε γίνεσθαι, οἷον ἂν ιἦ ἐξ οὗ τὸ σπέρμα, ἐὰν ἐξ ἵππου, ἵππος, ἐὰν δὲ ἐξ ἀνθρώπου, ἄνθρωπος.
And the proof is that all such things are produced from what is being corrupted; for from what is not being corrupted, it is natural that such a thing is produced as that from which the semen came—if from a horse, a horse, and if from a man, a man.
καὶ αὐτό τε οὐ τιμῶμεν τὸ σπέρμα, οὐδὲ πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῇ γενέσει περαινόμενον.
And we do not honor the semen itself, nor everything that is completed in generation.
καὶ γὰρ ὑγρὸν καὶ ὄγκος τις καὶ σὰρξ γίνεται.
For moisture, a certain mass, and flesh are also produced.
ποτὲ δέ, διὰ τὸ μήπω ἔχειν τὴν φύσιν, ἀλλ’ ἢ τοσοῦτον μόνον τῆς φύσεως, ὅτι οὕτω διάκειται ὥστε γενέσθαι ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοιοῦτον οἷον ἡμεῖς· ἐκ δὲ διεφθαρμένου οὐδὲ τοιοῦτον.
And sometimes, because it does not yet possess its nature, except only so much of nature as to be in such a condition that from it something like us can be produced; but from what is corrupted, not even such a thing is produced.
διὰ ταῦτα οὔτε ἐξ ἑτέρου τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν οὔτε ἐκ τούτου διεφθαρμένου ἢ ἀτελῶς ἔχοντος τὸ ἔκγονόν ἐστιν ἡμέτερον.
For these reasons, neither what is produced from any other thing in us, nor what is from this when corrupted or incomplete, is our offspring.
§4.14Διὰ τί ἐν τῷ ὕδατι ἧττον δύνανται ἀφροδισιάζειν οἱ ἄνθρωποι;
Why is it that men are less able to perform sexual intercourse in water?
ἢ ὅτι ἐν ὕδατι οὐδὲν τήκεται, ὅσα ὑπὸ πυρὸς τήκεται, οἷον μόλιβδος ἢ κηρός· ἡ δὲ γονὴ τηκομένη φαίνεται πυρί· πρὶν μὲν γὰρ ἡ τρῖψις ἐκθερμάνῃ, οὐ τήκεται.
Is it because nothing is melted in water that is melted by fire, such as lead or wax; and the semen is seen to be melted by heat; for before the friction warms it, it is not melted.
οἱ δὲ ἰχθύες οὐ τρίψει ὀχεύουσιν.
And fish do not mate by means of friction.
§4.15Διὰ τί τὸ ἀφροδισιάζειν ἥδιστον, καὶ πότερον ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἢ ἕνεκά τινος ὑπάρχει τοῖς ζῴοις;
Why is sexual intercourse most pleasant, and does it belong to animals of necessity or for some purpose?
ἢ ἡδὺ μέν ἐστιν ἤτοι διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος ἀπιέναι τὸ σπέρμα, ὥσπερ τινές φασιν; ἢ καὶ ἀπὸ παντὸς μὲν μὴ ἀπιέναι, διὰ δὲ τοιούτου εἰς ὃ πάντες συντείνουσιν οἱ πόροι τῶν φλεβῶν;
Is it pleasant either because the semen departs from the whole body, as some say; or even if it does not depart from the whole body, because it passes through a part in which all the passages of the veins meet?
οὔσης οὖν τῆς ἡδονῆς ὁμοίας τῆς ἐν τῷ κνησμῷ, τοῦτο συμβαίνει γίνεσθαι ὥσπερ δι’ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος.
Since, therefore, the pleasure is similar to that in scratching, it happens that this occurs as if through the whole body.
ὁ δὲ κνησμὸς ἡδύς ἐστιν, ὑγροῦ ἔξοδος πνευματώδους ἐγκατακεκλεισμένου παρὰ φύσιν.
And scratching is pleasant, being the exit of a windy moisture that has been enclosed contrary to nature.
ἡ δὲ γονὴ τοιούτου εἰς τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἔξοδος.
And semen is the exit of such a substance into a state according to nature.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡδὺ καὶ ἕνεκά τινος, ἐξ ἀνάγκης μὲν ὅτι ἡ εἰς τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ὁδὸς ἡδύ ἐστιν, ἐὰν ιἦ αἰσθητή, ἕνεκα δέ τινος ἵνα γένεσις ᾖ ζῴων· διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἡδονὴν μᾶλλον ὁρμᾷ πρὸς τὴν μῖξιν τὰ ζῷα.
It is pleasant both of necessity and for some purpose: of necessity, because the journey into a state according to nature is pleasant, if it is felt; and for some purpose, so that there may be the generation of animals, for because of the pleasure animals rush more eagerly toward copulation.