§5.1Διὰ τί μακροὶ μὲν ὄντες οἱ περίπατοι ἐν τοῖς ὁμαλέσιν κοπιαρώτεροί εἰσιν τῶν ἀνωμάλων, βραχεῖς δὲ ἀκοπώτεροι;
Why is it that long walks on level ground are more tiring than those on uneven ground, but short ones are less tiring?
ἢ ὅτι ἥ τε πολλὴ κίνησις ποιεῖ κόπον καὶ ἡ ἰσχυρά.
Is it because both much movement and violent movement produce fatigue?
τοιαύτη δὲ ἡ σπασματώδης, πολλὴ δὲ ἡ συνεχὴς καὶ μία.
Spasmodic movement is violent, and continuous and uniform movement is much.
ἐν μὲν οὖν τοῖς ἀνάντεσιν, ἐὰν ᾖ μακρά, ἀνάπαυσις γίνεται ἡ μεταβολή, καὶ οὐ μακρὰ ἡ κίνησις, οὐδὲ ἵππων αὐτῶν, διὰ τὴν μεταβολήν· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ὁμαλέσιν ἡ ὁμοιότης τοῦ σχήματος οὐ διαλαμβάνει οὐδὲ ἀναπαύει τὰ μέρη, ἀλλὰ συνεργάζεται πρὸς τὸ συνεχῆ τὴν κίνησιν εἶναι.
In ascents, indeed, if the walk is long, the change becomes a rest, and the movement is not long, not even for horses themselves, because of the change; but on level ground the similarity of the shape does not divide nor rest the parts, but works together to make the movement continuous.
ὅταν δὲ ᾖ βραχεῖα, διὰ μὲν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς κινήσεως ἐν τοῖς ἐπιπέδοις οὐ γίνεται κόπος· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀνάντεσι διὰ τὸ τὴν μεταβολὴν ἰσχυρὰν γίνεσθαι καὶ ἐναντίαν, ὁτὲ μὲν ἄνω ὁτὲ δὲ κάτω, ποιεῖ κόπον.
But when it is short, because of the quantity of movement on flat surfaces fatigue does not occur; but on uneven ground, because the change becomes violent and opposite, now upwards and now downwards, it produces fatigue.
τοιαύτη δέ, ὡς φαμέν, ἐν τοῖς ἀνάντεσιν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πεδινοῖς τοὐναντίον.
Such a thing, as we say, occurs on uneven ground, but the opposite on level ground.
§5.2Δὶα τί τοῖς λειποψυχοῦσιν καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τῶν γυμνασίων διαλυομένοις ἐλάττους τε οἱ ὄγκοι καὶ ὀξύτεραι δοκοῦσιν εἶναι αἱ φωναί;
Why is it that for those who swoon and those who are relaxed after exercises, their body volume seems smaller and their voices sharper?
ἢ ὅτι αἵ τε φωναὶ ἐλάττους φαινόμεναι ὀξύτεραι φαίνονται (σημεῖον δὲ ὅτι μιμούμενοι τοὺς πόρρωθεν ὀξὺ φθέγγονται) καὶ οἱ ὄγκοι ἐλάττους;
Is it because voices appearing smaller seem sharper (and the proof is that when people imitate those far away, they speak with a sharp voice) and their volumes also become smaller?
§5.3Διὰ τί ἡ γαστὴρ μόνον λεπτύνεται τῶν γυμναζομένων;
Why is it that only the belly becomes thin in those who exercise?
ἢ ὅτι πλείστη ἡ πιμελὴ περὶ τὴν γαστέρα;
Is it because there is most fat around the belly?
§5.4Διὰ τί τὸ πῖον τετριμμένον γίνεται τοῖς πονοῦσιν;
Why does the fat become rubbed away in those who labor?
ἢ διότι τὸ πῖον τήκεται θερμαινόμενον, ἡ δὲ κίνησις θερμαίνει, ἡ δὲ σὰρξ οὐ τήκεται.
Is it because fat melts when heated, and movement heats, but flesh does not melt?
§5.5Διὰ τί δὲ τὰ περὶ τὴν κοιλίαν πιότατα;
And why are the parts around the belly fattest?
πότερον ὅτι ἐγγύς ἐστι τῆς τροφῆς;
Is it because it is near the food?
ἐν ὅσῳ οὖν τἆλλα παρ’ ἐκείνης λαμβάνει, αὐτὴ πολλάκις λαμβάνει.
While other parts receive from it, it itself often receives.
ἢ ὅτι ἥκιστα πονεῖ καμπὰς γὰρ οὐκ ἔχει.
Or because it labors least; for it has no bendings.
§5.6Διὰ τί οἱ κόποι μᾶλλον παύονται, ὅταν τις τῷ ἐλαίῳ ὕδωρ συμμίξας ἀνατρίψηται;
Why are fatigues relieved more when one rubs oneself with oil mixed with water?
ἢ ὅτι μᾶλλον εἰσδύεται τὸ ἔλαιον μετὰ τοῦ ὕδατος;
Is it because the oil penetrates more with the water?
ἐὰν δὲ αὐτὸ καθ’ αὑτὸ ᾖ, οὐχ ὁμοίως παρεισδύνει διὰ τὸ ἐπιπολαστικὸν εἶναι.
If it is by itself, it does not penetrate in the same way because it tends to float on the surface.
μᾶλλον οὖν μαλάττεται τὸ σῶμα εἰσδυομένου, ἐπεὶ τὸ ἔλαιόν ἐστι φύσει θερμόν, τὰ δὲ θερμὰ καὶ ξηραίνει καὶ σκληρύνει, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς κόπους ἀξύμφορόν ἐστιν ἡ ξηρασία καὶ ἡ σκληρότης· μετὰ δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος ἀνατριφθὲν ἧττον ξηραίνει.
Therefore, the body is softened more as it penetrates, since oil is by nature hot, and hot things both dry and harden, and dryness and hardness are disadvantageous for fatigues; but when rubbed with water, it dries less.
§5.7Διὰ τί τοῖς κοπιῶσι προστάττουσιν ἐμεῖν, εἴπερ ὁ ἔμετος κοπῶδές ἐστιν;
Why do they prescribe vomiting for those who are fatigued, if indeed vomiting is fatiguing?
ἢ κόπος γίνεται ὀστῶν θλωμένων καὶ πιεζομένων καὶ κοπιωμένων, ταῦτα δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκτός τινος πάσχοι ἂν ἢ τῶν ἐν τῷ σώματι, καὶ τοῦτο διττῶς· ἢ γὰρ σαρκῶν ὑπερτεινουσῶν τὴν δύναμιν αὑτῶν, ἢ σώματος μιχθέντος συχνοῦ τῷ ἄλλῳ σώματι, χώραν οἰκείαν οὐκ ἔχοντος, οἷα τὰ περιττώματά ἐστιν.
Is it because fatigue consists in bones being crushed, pressed, and tired, and these would suffer either from something external or from something inside the body, and this in two ways: either from flesh stretching beyond its own power, or from a large quantity of body mixed with the other body, not having its proper place, such as residues are.
πάντα γὰρ τὰ ἐκτὸς ἡμῖν περιαπτόμενα βάρη κοπωδέστερα τῶν τοῦ σώματος μερῶν, κἂν τύχῃ σταθμῷ ὄντα αὐτῶν ἐλαφρότερα.
For all external weights attached to us are more fatiguing than the parts of our body, even if they happen to be lighter in weight than them.
σημεῖον δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων· οἱ γὰρ πλεῖον βεβρωκότες καὶ πεπωκότες, ἔλαττον πονήσαντες ἢ νήστεις ὄντες, μᾶλλον κοπιῶσι διὰ τὸ μὴ τὴν οἰκείαν χώραν ἔχειν τὰ σιτία ὄντα ἄπεπτα.
And the proof of what has been said: for those who have eaten and drunk more, having labored less than those who are fasting, are more fatigued because the food, being unconcocted, does not have its proper place.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ κόπος σύντηξιν ποιεῖ, ἡ δὲ σύντηξις περίττωμά ἐστιν, τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ τὸν κόπον ἐν ἡμῖν ποιεῖ, πλανώμενον ἀτάκτως καὶ προσπῖπτον ὀστοῖς τε καὶ νεύροις καὶ τοῖς ἐντὸς τῆς σαρκὸς ἀραιοῖς οὖσι καὶ ἀνεῳγμένοις.
Since fatigue produces liquefaction, and liquefaction is a residue, this is what produces fatigue in us, wandering irregularly and falling upon bones, sinews, and the thin and open parts inside the flesh.
ὁ οὖν ἔμετος ἐξάγων αὐτὸ ὂν αἴτιον τοῦ κόπου, εἰκότως ἀκόπους ποιεῖ· λείπει γὰρ οἷον ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ πόνου τὸ σῶμα.
Therefore, vomiting, by carrying out that which is the cause of fatigue, reasonably makes them free of fatigue; for it leaves the body as it was in the beginning of the labor.
κοπῶδες δ’ ἐστὶν ὁ ἔμετος οὐ τῇ τῆς γινομένης ἐν αὐτῷ κινήσεως ὑπερβολῇ, ἀλλ’ ὅταν συμβῇ μὴ καλῶς ἐξεμέσαι· λειφθέντων γὰρ πολλῶν σιτίων, καὶ περιττωμάτων τούτοις ἐνόντων, τὸν τοῦ ἐμέτου κόπον γίνεσθαι συμβαίνει, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν πεπληρωμένων εἴρηται.
And vomiting is fatiguing not because of the excess of the movement occurring in it, but when it happens that one does not vomit well; for when much food is left behind, and residues are present in these, it happens that the fatigue from vomiting occurs, just as has been said of those who are full.
εἰ οὖν μηδ’ ἐκείνοις ὁ πόνος ἐστὶ τοῦ κόπου αἴτιος, ἀλλὰ τὸ οὕτως ἔχοντας πονῆσαι, οὐδ’ ἂν τοῖς μὴ ἐξαιροῦσι τὰ σιτία ὁ ἔμετος εἴη τοῦ κόπου αἴτιος· χρῆν γὰρ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐμοῦσι γίνεσθαι κόπον, γίνονται δὲ ἀκοπώτεροι πολλοὶ ἐμέσαντες.
If, then, for them also the labor is not the cause of fatigue, but their laboring when in such a state, neither would vomiting be the cause of fatigue for those who do not remove the food; for fatigue ought to occur to all who vomit, but many become less fatigued after vomiting.