§4.6Διὰ τί ἐκλύεται μάλιστα τῶν ζῴων ἀφροδισιάσας ἄνθρωπος;
Why is man, among animals, most exhausted after performing sexual intercourse?
ἢ διότι πλεῖστον προΐεται σπέρμα κατὰ λόγον τοῦ σώματος;
Is it because he emits the most semen in proportion to his body?
διὰ τί δὲ πλεῖστον προΐεται;
And why does he emit the most?
ἢ ὅτι ἥκιστα ἐκπονεῖ τὴν τροφὴν καὶ φύσει ὑγρὸν καὶ θερμόν ἐστι τῶν ζῴων μάλιστα;
Is it because he works off his food least, and is by nature the moistest and warmest of animals?
ὧν τὸ μὲν ποιεῖ σπέρμα πολύ, τὸ δὲ τὴν φύσιν σπερματικὴν ποιεῖ· καὶ γὰρ τὸ σπέρμα τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ἕως ἂν σῴζηται.
Of these, the former makes the semen abundant, while the latter makes his nature spermatic; for the semen too is of this character, as long as it is preserved.
§4.7Διὰ τί τοῦ ἀφροδισιάζειν γινομένου διὰ θερμότητα, τοῦ δὲ φόβου ὄντος ψυκτικοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀποθνήσκειν, ἐνίοις, ὅταν γένωνται ἐν τούτοις τοῖς πάθεσι, σπέρμα προέρχεται;
Why is it that, while sexual intercourse occurs because of heat, and fear and dying are chilling, in some, when they are in these states, semen comes forth?
ἢ ὅτι ψυχομένων ἐνίων τόπων ἕτεροι ὑποθερμαίνονται, τήν τε οἰκείαν ἔχοντες θερμότητα καὶ δεχόμενοι τὴν τῶν καταψυχομένων τόπων;
Is it because, while some parts are chilled, others are warmed from within, possessing both their own natural heat and receiving that of the chilled parts?
ὥστε καταψυχομένων μὲν συμβαίνει, οὐ διὰ τὸ ψύχεσθαι μέντοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ θερμαίνεσθαι.
So that it happens when they are being chilled, not indeed because of being chilled, but also because of being warmed.
δῆλον δὲ καὶ τῇ ὄψει· τῶν γὰρ φοβουμένων τὰ ἄνω λειφαιμεῖ, τὰ δὲ κάτω ὑγραίνεται, καὶ κοιλία καὶ κύστις λύεται.
And this is clear also to sight; for in those who are afraid, the upper parts become bloodless, while the lower parts become moist, and the belly and bladder are relaxed.
ὑπιὸν οὖν τὸ θερμὸν ἐν μὲν τῷ φόβῳ κάτω, ἐν δὲ τῷ θανάτῳ κάτωθεν ἄνω, ἐξυγραῖνον τῇ θερμότητι ποιεῖ τὴν τοῦ σπέρματος ἔξοδον.
Therefore, the heat, withdrawing downward in fear, but from below upward in death, moistening by its heat, causes the exit of the semen.
§4.8Διὰ τί οὐ δεῖ μὴ ὀργῶντα οὔτε ἀφροδισιάζειν οὔτε ἐμεῖν οὔτε πτάρνυσθαι οὔτε φῦσαν ἀφιέναι;
Why is it that one ought not, when not desiring, either to perform sexual intercourse, or to vomit, or to sneeze, or to pass wind?
ἢ ὅτι μὴ ὀργῶντες ὁμοίως ἔχομεν τοῖς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀνασπωμένοις, οἷς προσεκσπᾶταί τι ἀλλότριον ἢ ἐγκαταλείπεται ἀποσπασθέν;
Is it because when we are not desiring, we are like things torn up from the earth, in which some foreign matter is torn away with them or is left behind after being torn off?
ἅπαν δὲ ὃ δεῖ μὲν ἐξαρθῆναι, κολοβὸν δὲ ὑπολείπεται, πλείω χρόνον παρέξει πόνον.
And everything which ought indeed to be completely removed, but is left behind incomplete, will cause pain for a longer time.
ἐάν τέ τις κινήσῃ τι ἀλλότριον, τοῦτο πόνον παρέξει, οὐκ ἐν τῇ αὑτοῦ χώρᾳ ὄν· ἃ συμβήσεται τοῖς μὴ ὀργῶσιν ποιοῦσί τι τῶν εἰρημένων.
And if one moves some foreign matter, this, not being in its own proper place, will cause pain; which things will happen to those who, when not desiring, do any of the aforementioned things.
§4.9Διὰ τί νήστεις θᾶττον ἀφροδισιάζουσιν;
Why do those who are fasting perform sexual intercourse more quickly?
ἢ διότι οἱ πόροι κενώτεροι οἱ τοῦ σώματος νήστεσιν, πλήρεσι δὲ πλήρεις· κωλύουσιν οὖν τὴν εἰς τὸ σπέρμα ὑγρότητα διεξιέναι.
Is it because the passages of the body are emptier in those who are fasting, but full in those who are full, so that they prevent the moisture from passing through into the semen?
δῆλον δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς κύστεως· οὐ γὰρ δύνανται πλήρους οὔσης ταχὺ ἀφροδισιάζειν.
And this is clear in the case of the bladder; for they cannot perform sexual intercourse quickly when it is full.
§4.10Διὰ τί οἱ νέοι, ὅταν πρῶτον ἀφροδισιάζειν ἄρχωνται, αἷς ἂν ὁμιλήσωσι, μετὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν μισοῦσιν;
Why do young men, when they first begin to be able to perform sexual intercourse, hate those women with whom they have associated, after the act?
ἢ διὰ τὸ μεγάλην γίνεσθαι τὴν μεταβολήν;
Is it because a great change occurs?
τῆς γὰρ συμβαινούσης ὕστερον ἀηδίας μεμνημένοι, ὡς αἰτίαν ιἧ ἐπλησίασαν φεύγουσιν.
For remembering the subsequent unpleasantness, they avoid her with whom they associated as being the cause.
§4.11Διὰ τί οἱ ἱππεύοντες συνεχῶς ἀφροδισιαστικώτεροι γίνονται;
Why do those who ride horses continuously become more prone to sexual desire?
ἢ ὅτι διὰ τὴν θερμότητα καὶ τὴν κίνησιν ταὐτὸ πάσχουσιν ὅπερ ἐν τῇ ὁμιλίᾳ;
Is it because, owing to the heat and the motion, they experience the same thing as in intercourse?
διὸ καὶ τῇ τῆς ἐπεχούσης ἡλικίας ἐπιδόσει περὶ τὰ αἰδοῖα μείζω τὰ μόρια ταῦτα γίνεται.
Wherefore also, with the increase of the age they have reached, these parts become larger around the genitals.
ἀεὶ οὖν τῇ κινήσει ταύτῃ χρωμένων εὔροα τὰ σώματα γίνεται καὶ προωδοπεποιημένα πρὸς τὸν ἀφροδισιασμόν.
Therefore, as they are always engaging in this motion, their bodies become free-flowing and prepared beforehand for sexual intercourse.
§4.12Διὰ τί, ὅταν ἄρξωνται ἀφροδισιάζειν δύνασθαι, οἱ χρῶτες ὄζουσιν, πρότερον δ’ οὐκ ὄζουσι πρὸ ἥβης οὔτε οἱ ἄνδρες οὔτε αἱ γυναῖκες;
Why is it that, when they begin to be able to perform sexual intercourse, their skin smells, whereas beforehand, before puberty, neither men nor women smell?
ἢ ὅτι τὰ ἄπεπτα τούς τε χυμοὺς ἀεὶ χείρους ἔχει (ἢ γὰρ ὀξυτέρους ἢ ἁλμυρωτέρους ἢ πικροτέρους) καὶ τὰς ὀσμὰς δυσωδεστέρας, τὰ δὲ πεπεμμένα ἢ γλυκεῖς ἢ ἧττον ἀγλευκεῖς, καὶ τὰς ὀσμὰς εὐωδεστέρας ἢ ἧττον δυσώδεις;
Is it because undigested things always have worse humors—either more acid, or saltier, or bitterer—and more offensive odors, whereas digested things are either sweet or less unsweet, and have sweeter or less offensive odors?
τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶ δῆλον ἐπὶ πάντων θεωμένοις καὶ φυτῶν καὶ ζῴων.
And this is clear to those who observe all things, both plants and animals.
ἀφαιρεθέντων δὴ τῶν εὐπέπτων, τὰ ὑπολειπόμενα ἄπεπτα, οἷον δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τέφρας ἀναλωθέντος τοῦ γλυκέος πικρὰ ἡ κονία, καὶ ὁ ἱδρὼς ἁλμυρός.
Now, when the easily digested parts are removed, the remaining parts are undigested, just as in the case of ashes, when the sweet part is consumed, the lye is bitter, and sweat is salty.
πέττει δὲ ἡ φυσικὴ θερμότης τὸ σπέρμα, ὃ μικρὸν ὂν πολλὴν ἔχει δύναμιν· ἐκ πολλοῦ γὰρ ὀλίγον συγκεκεφαλαίωται.
And the natural heat digests the semen, which, though small in quantity, has great power; for a small amount has been concentrated from a large quantity.
διὸ ὅταν ἀπέλθῃ, ἐκλύονται ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ μᾶλλον καὶ καταψύχονται· ὥστε ἀπεπτότεροι οἱ χυμοὶ γίνονται μᾶλλον, ἀναστομουμένων τῶν πόρων διὰ τὴν ἔκκρισιν αὐτοῦ.
Therefore, when it departs, they are for the most part more exhausted and cooled; so that the humors become more undigested, as the passages are opened wide owing to its excretion.
ἁλμυρώτεροι οὖν ἢ οἱ τῶν παίδων ἱδρῶτες καὶ δυσωδέστεροι διὰ τὴν ἀπεψίαν· καὶ ἐὰν τύχῃ τοιαύτη ἡ φύσις οὖσα ὥστε δυσώδη ἔχειν τὴν ὑπόστασιν τοῦ ἱδρῶτος, τούτοις μᾶλλον ἐπισημαίνει καὶ ἐν τοῖς τόποις τούτοις μάλισται οἷον μασχάλη, ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις.
Consequently, the sweat is saltier and more offensive than that of children because of the lack of digestion; and if a person’s nature happens to be such as to have an offensive residue in the sweat, it is more marked in these people, and especially in those regions, such as the armpit, where it is most of all in others as well.