§4Δημόκριτος δ’ ὅτι μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς συμβαίνει τι τοῖς ἀναπνέουσι λέγει, φάσκων κωλύειν ἐκθλίβεσθαι τὴν ψυχήν· οὐ μέντοι ὡς τούτου γ’ ἕνεκα ποιήσασαν τοῦτο τὴν φύσιν οὐθὲν εἴρηκεν· ὅλως γὰρ ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι φυσικοί, καὶ οὗτος οὐθὲν ἅπτεται τῆς τοιαύτης αἰτίας.
Democritus says that some benefit results to those who respire from respiration, claiming that it prevents the soul from being squeezed out; however, he has said nothing to the effect that nature made this for this very purpose; for in general, just like the other natural philosophers, he too does not touch upon this kind of cause at all.
Λέγει δ’ ὡς ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ θερμὸν ταὐτὸν τὰ πρῶτα σχήματα τῶν σφαιροειδῶν.
And he says that the soul and the hot element are the same, being the primary shapes among spherical particles.
συγκρινομένων οὖν αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ περιέχοντος ἐκθλίβοντος, βοήθειαν γίνεσθαι τὴν ἀναπνοήν φησιν.
Therefore, when they are compressed by the surrounding environment which squeezes them out, he says that respiration occurs as an aid.
Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἀέρι πολὺν ἀριθμὸν εἶναι τῶν τοιούτων ἃ καλεῖ ἐκεῖνος νοῦν καὶ ψυχήν· ἀναπνέοντος οὖν καὶ εἰσιόντος τοῦ ἀέρος συνεισιόντα ταῦτα, καὶ ἀνείργοντα τὴν θλίψιν, κωλύειν τὴν ἐνοῦσαν ἐν τοῖς ζῴοις διιέναι ψυχήν.
For in the air there is a great number of such particles which he calls intellect and soul; thus, when one respires and the air enters, these enter together with it, and by keeping off the pressure, they prevent the soul existing in the animals from escaping.
Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ ἀναπνεῖν καὶ ἐκπνεῖν εἶναι τὸ ζῆν καὶ τὸ ἀποθνήσκειν· ὅταν γὰρ κρατῇ τὸ περιέχον συνθλῖβον, καὶ μηκέτι θύραθεν εἰσιὸν δύνηται ἀνείργειν, μὴ δυναμένου ἀναπνεῖν, τότε συμβαίνειν τὸν θάνατον τοῖς ζῴοις· εἶναι γὰρ τὸν θάνατον τὴν τῶν τοιούτων σχημάτων ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἔξοδον ἐκ τῆς τοῦ περιέχοντος ἐκθλίψεως.
And because of this, living and dying consist in inhaling and exhaling; for when the surrounding environment, compressing, overpowers, and what enters from without can no longer keep off the pressure because the animal is unable to respire, then death happens to animals; for death is the departure of such shapes from the body owing to the squeezing out by the surrounding environment.
Τὴν δ’ αἰτίαν διὰ τί ποτε πᾶσι μὲν ἀναγκαῖον ἀποθανεῖν, οὐ μέντοι ὅτε ἔτυχεν ἀλλὰ κατὰ φύσιν μὲν γήρᾳ, βίᾳ δὲ παρὰ φύσιν, οὐθὲν δεδήλωκεν.
But he has made nothing clear as to the cause why it is necessary for all to die, yet not at any random time, but in accordance with nature by old age, and by violence contrary to nature.
Καίτοι ἐχρῆν, ἐπεὶ ὁτὲ μὲν φαίνεται τοῦτο γινόμενον, ὁτὲ δ’ οὐ φαίνεται, πότερον τὸ αἴτιον ἔξωθέν ἐστιν ἢ ἐντός.
And yet he ought to have stated, since this is seen happening at one time and not at another, whether the cause is from without or from within.
Οὐ λέγει δὲ οὐδὲ περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ ἀναπνεῖν τί τὸ αἴτιον, πότερον ἔσωθεν ἢ ἔξωθεν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ ὁ θύραθεν νοῦς τηρεῖ τὴν βοήθειαν, ἀλλ’ ἔσωθεν ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς γίνεται καὶ τῆς κινήσεως, οὐχ ὡς βιαζομένου τοῦ περιέχοντος.
Nor does he say concerning the beginning of respiration what its cause is, whether from within or from without; for surely the intellect from without does not maintain this aid, but the beginning of respiration and of movement occurs from within, and not as though the surrounding environment were forcing it.
Ἄτοπον δὲ καὶ τὸ ἅμα τὸ περιέχον συνθλίβειν καὶ εἰσιὸν διαστέλλειν.
It is also absurd that the surrounding environment should at the same time compress and, by entering, dilate.
Ἃ μὲν οὖν εἴρηκε καὶ ὥς, σχεδὸν ταῦτ’ ἐστίν.
Now, what he has said and in what manner, is roughly this.
Εἰ δὲ δεῖ νομίζειν ἀληθῆ εἶναι τὰ πρότερον λεχθέντα καὶ μὴ πάντα τὰ ζῷα ἀναπνεῖν, οὐ περὶ παντὸς θανάτου τὴν αἰτίαν ὑποληπτέον εἰρῆσθαι ταύτην, ἀλλὰ μόνον ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναπνεόντων.
But if we must believe that what was said before is true, and that not all animals respire, we must not suppose this cause of death to have been stated concerning every kind of death, but only in the case of those that respire.
Οὐ μὴν οὐδ’ ἐπὶ τούτων καλῶς.
Yet, not even in their case is it well said.
Δῆλον δ’ ἐκ τῶν συμβαινόντων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὧν ἔχομεν πάντες πεῖραν.
This is clear from the facts that occur and from such things of which we all have experience.
Ἐν γὰρ ταῖς ἀλέαις θερμαινόμενοι μᾶλλον καὶ τῆς ἀναπνοῆς μᾶλλον δεόμεθα καὶ πυκνότερον ἀναπνέομεν πάντες· ὅταν δὲ τὸ πέριξ ᾖ ψυχρὸν καὶ συνάγῃ καὶ συμπηγνύῃ τὸ σῶμα, κατέχειν συμβαίνει τὸ πνεῦμα.
For in hot weather, when we are more warmed, we all stand more in need of respiration and respire more frequently; but when the surrounding air is cold and contracts and solidifies the body, it happens that we hold our breath.
Καίτοι τότ’ ἐχρῆν τὸν θύραθεν εἰσιόντα κωλύειν τὴν σύνθλιψιν.
And yet, in that case, the air entering from without ought to have prevented the compression.
Νῦν δὲ γίνεται τοὐναντίον· ὅταν γὰρ πολὺ λίαν ἀθροισθῇ τὸ θερμὸν μὴ ἐκπνεόντων, τότε δέονται τῆς ἀναπνοῆς· ἀναγκαῖον δ’ εἰσπνεύσαντας ἀναπνεῖν.
But in fact the contrary happens; for when the heat is gathered in too great a quantity because they do not exhale, then they stand in need of respiration, and having inhaled they must necessarily exhale.
Ἀλεάζοντες δὲ πολλάκις ἀναπνέουσιν, ὡς ἀναψύξεως χάριν ἀναπνέοντες, ὅτε τὸ λεγόμενον ποιεῖ πῦρ ἐπὶ πῦρ.
And when they are hot they respire frequently, as though they respired for the sake of cooling, when, as the saying goes, it is adding 'fire to fire'.