§5.38Διὰ τί δεῖ τοὺς μὲν θερινοὺς κόπους λουτρῷ ἰᾶσθαι, τοὺς δὲ χειμερινοὺς ἀλείμματι;
Why must summer fatigue be cured by bathing, and winter fatigue by anointing?
ἢ τούτους μὲν διὰ τὰς φρίκας καὶ τὰς γινομένας μεταβολὰς θερμῷ δεῖ λύειν, ὃ ποιήσει ἀλεάζειν (τὸ δὲ ἔλαιον θερμὸν)·
Or must the latter be relieved by warmth because of the chills and the changes that occur, which will make one warm (and oil is warm), whereas in summer one must thoroughly moisten?
ἐν δὲ τῷ θέρει καθυγραίνειν. ἡ γὰρ ὥρα ξηρά, καὶ οὐ γίνονται φρῖκαι διὰ τὴν ἀλέαν.
For the season is dry, and chills do not occur because of the heat.
ὀλιγοσιτία δὲ καὶ κωθωνισμὸς θέρους, τὸ μὲν ὅλως, τὸ δὲ μᾶλλον, ὁ μὲν πότος θέρους ὅλως διὰ τὴν ξηρότητα, ἡ δὲ ὀλιγοσιτία κοινὸν μέν, μᾶλλον δὲ θέρους· ἐκθερμαίνεται γὰρ μᾶλλον διὰ τὴν ὥραν ὑπὸ τῶν σιτίων.
Moderate eating and heavy drinking belong to summer, the one entirely, the other more so; drinking belongs entirely to summer because of the dryness, while moderate eating is common to all seasons, but more so to summer; for because of the season, one is heated more by food.
§5.39Διὰ τί οἱ θέοντες εὐτόνως μάλιστα λαμβάνουσι σπάσματα, ὅταν τις θέουσιν αὐτοῖς ὑποστῇ;
Why do those who run vigorously especially suffer from cramps when someone stands in their way as they run?
ἢ ὅτι ταῦτα μάλιστα διασπᾶται, ἃ εἰς τοὐναντίον τε καὶ ἰσχυρῶς ἕλκεται καὶ κινεῖται;
Is it because those parts are especially torn apart which are strongly pulled and moved in opposite directions?
ὅταν οὖν θέοντος καὶ σφοδρῶς ὠθουμένων τῶν μορίων εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν ὑποστῇ τις, συμβαίνει ἄμα ἀντισπᾶν εἰς τοὐναντίον, ἔτι φερομένων εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν, ὥστε ἡ σπάσις τοσούτῳ ἰσχυροτέρα γίνεται, ὅσῳ ἂν θέωσι σφοδρότερον.
Therefore, when someone stands in the way of a runner whose parts are being violently propelled forward, it happens that they are simultaneously pulled back in the opposite direction while still being carried forward, so that the cramp becomes stronger the more violently they run.
§5.40Διὰ τί τῶν περιπάτων οἱ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς ἀκοπώτεροί εἰσιν οἱ ἀνώμαλοι τῶν εὐθέων;
Why, among walks along roads, are those on uneven ground less tiring than those on straight ground?
ἢ διὰ τὸ τὴν φορὰν ὀρθὴν εἶναι κατὰ φύσιν παντὶ τῷ σώματι;
Is it because the motion is naturally straight for the whole body?
οἱ δ’ ἐν τοῖς ὁμαλοῖς τῶν ἀνωμάλων κοπιωδέστεροι· τοῖς γὰρ αὐτοῖς μέρεσι τοὺς πόνους παρέχουσιν, οἱ δ’ ἐν τοῖς ἀνωμάλοις διαμερίζουσι μᾶλλον εἰς ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα.
But walks on flat ground are more tiring than those on uneven ground; for they bring exertion to the same parts, whereas those on uneven ground distribute it more over the whole body.
αἱ δὲ ἀλέαι μᾶλλον ἰσχνοῦσι τῶν ἐν τοῖς ψύχεσιν· τοῖς γὰρ ἔξω μέρεσι πλείονα τὸν πόνον παρέχονται· διὸ καὶ τοὺς ἱδρῶτας ἐμποιοῦντες ἰσχναίνουσιν.
Walks in the heat thin the body more than those in the cold; for they bring more exertion to the external parts, and so, by producing sweat, they thin it.
οἱ δ’ ἐν τοῖς ψύχεσι στριφνοτέραν τὴν σάρκα ποιοῦσιν καὶ τῶν σιτίων ἐπιθυμητικωτέρους· τοῖς γὰρ ἔσω μέρεσιν τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ θερμοῦ ποιοῦνται, καὶ δυσκινήτων γινομένων ὑπὸ τοῦ ψύχους τὸν μὲν ἔσω τόπον καθαίρουσι, τὴν θερμασίαν αὐξάνοντες ἐν αὐτῷ, τὴν δὲ σάρκα στερεὰν ποιοῦσιν, οὐ δυνάμενοι κρατεῖν διὰ πάσης αὐτῆς.
On the other hand, walks in the cold make the flesh more compact and make people more desirous of food; for they produce an increase of heat in the internal parts, and when the parts become hard to move because of the cold, they cleanse the internal place by increasing the heat in it, but make the flesh solid since they cannot control it all through.
ὁμοίως οἱ ἀνάντεις τῶν κατάντων ἐπιπονώτεροι καὶ ἰσχναντικώτεροι.
Similarly, uphill walks are more laborious and thinning than downhill ones.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀνάντεις τὴν ὀσφὺν μάλιστα ποιοῦσι πονεῖν, οἱ δὲ κατάντεις τοὺς μηρούς· τοῖς γὰρ μηροῖς τὸ βάρος πᾶν ἐμπῖπτον κόπους εἴωθεν παρέχειν.
For uphill ones make the loins exert themselves most, whereas downhill ones make the thighs do so; for all the weight falling upon the thighs is accustomed to bring fatigue.
ἄνω γὰρ παρὰ φύσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ θερμοῦ βίᾳ φερόμενος ἐκθερμαίνει.
For in going upward, the body being violently carried against nature by the heat is thoroughly heated.
διὸ τούς τε ἱδρῶτας ἐμποιοῦσι, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα μετεωρίζοντες ἰσχναίνουσιν, καὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν ὀδυνῶσιν· τὰ γὰρ σκέλη χαλεπῶς ἀναγόμενα τὴν ὀσφὺν κάμπτουσίν τε καὶ ἀνασπῶσιν, ὑφ’ ὧν ἀναγκάζονται μάλιστα πονεῖν.
Therefore they produce sweat, and by raising the breath they thin the body, and they pain the loins; for the legs being with difficulty raised bend and pull up the loins, by which they are forced to exert themselves most.
οἱ δ’ ἐν ἀντιτύποις περίπατοι τοῖς τε μυσὶ καὶ τοῖς τεταμένοις τῶν σκελῶν παρέχουσι κόπους· συντάσεις γὰρ ἐμποιοῦσι τοῖς νεύροις καὶ τοῖς μυσί, βιαίας γενομένης τῆς ἀπερείσεως αὐτοῖς.
On the other hand, walks on resistant ground bring fatigue both to the muscles and to the stretched parts of the legs; for they produce tension in the tendons and muscles, since the treading upon them is violent.
οἱ δ’ ἐν τοῖς μαλακοῖς τοῖς ἄρθροις κοπιώδεις εἰσίν· τῶν γὰρ ἄρθρων πυκνὰς τὰς κάμψεις ποιοῦσιν, ἅτε ἐνδιδούσης τῆς βάσεως.
But walks on soft ground are tiring to the joints; for they cause frequent bendings of the joints, since the footing yields.
τὸ δ’ αὐτό ἐστι πρόβλημα.
This is the same problem.
§5.41Διὰ τί πρὸς τὰ σιμὰ χαλεπῶς βαδίζομεν;
Why do we walk with difficulty uphill?
ἢ διότι πᾶσα πορεία ἐξ ἄρσεως καὶ θέσεως συντελεῖται;
Is it because all walking is accomplished by lifting and placing the foot?
τὸ μὲν οὖν ἆραι παρὰ φύσιν, τὸ δὲ θεῖναι κατὰ φύσιν, τὸ δὲ προσθεῖναι μεσότης·
Now, lifting is against nature, placing is according to nature, and advancing is the mean.
ἐν δὲ τῷ πρὸς τὰ σιμὰ βαδίζειν πολὺ τὸ παρὰ φύσιν.
But in walking uphill, there is much that is against nature.
§5.42Διὰ τί οἱ ἀφ’ ἵππων ἧττον πίπτουσιν;
Why do people fall less from horses?
ἢ διὰ τὸ φοβεῖσθαι φυλάττονται μᾶλλον;
Is it because they are afraid, and so take more care?