§8Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἴρηται πρότερον ὅτι τὸ ζῆν καὶ ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἕξις μετὰ θερμότητός τινός ἐστιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ πέψις, δι’ ἧς ἡ τροφὴ γίνεται τοῖς ζῴοις, οὔτ’ ἄνευ ψυχῆς οὔτ’ ἄνευ θερμότητός ἐστιν· πυρὶ γὰρ ἐργάζεται πάντα. Διόπερ ἐν ᾧ πρώτῳ τόπῳ τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἐν ᾧ πρώτῳ τοῦ τόπου τούτου μορίῳ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τὴν τοιαύτην, ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὴν πρώτην τὴν θρεπτικὴν ψυχὴν ἀναγκαῖον ὑπάρχειν.
But since it has been said before that living and the state of the soul are accompanied by a certain heat—for not even digestion, through which nourishment comes to animals, exists either without the soul or without heat, since everything is worked by fire—therefore, in whatever primary place of the body and in whatever primary part of this place it is necessary for such a principle to be, there also the primary, nutritive soul must of necessity exist.
Οὗτος δ’ ἐστὶν ὁ μέσος τόπος τοῦ τε δεχομένου τὴν τροφὴν καὶ καθ’ ὃν ἀφίησι τὸ περίττωμα.
And this is the middle region between that which receives the nourishment and that by which it discharges the residue.
Τοῖς μὲν οὖν ἀναίμοις ἀνώνυμον, τοῖς δ’ ἐναίμοις ἡ καρδία τοῦτο τὸ μόριόν ἐστιν.
Therefore, in bloodless animals this part is nameless, but in red-blooded animals it is the heart.
Ἡ τροφὴ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ἧς ἤδη γίνεται τὰ μόρια τοῖς ζῴοις, ἡ τοῦ αἵματος φύσις ἐστίν.
For the nourishment from which the parts of animals are already formed is the nature of the blood.
Τοῦ δ’ αἵματος καὶ τῶν φλεβῶν τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρχὴν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι· θατέρου γὰρ ἕνεκα θάτερόν ἐστιν, ὡς ἀγγεῖον καὶ δεκτικόν.
And it is necessary for the blood and the vessels to have the same origin; for one exists for the sake of the other, as a vessel and a container.
Ἀρχὴ δὲ τῶν φλεβῶν ἡ καρδία τοῖς ἐναίμοις· οὐ γὰρ διὰ ταύτης, ἀλλ’ ἐκ ταύτης ἠρτημέναι πᾶσαι τυγχάνουσιν.
And the heart is the origin of the vessels in red-blooded animals; for all of them happen to be suspended from it, and not to pass through it.
Δῆλον δ’ ἡμῖν τοῦτο ἐκ τῶν ἀνατομῶν.
And this is clear to us from anatomy.
Τὰς μὲν οὖν ἄλλας δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς ἀδύνατον ὑπάρχειν ἄνευ τῆς θρεπτικῆς (δι’ ἣν δ’ αἰτίαν, εἴρηται πρότερον ἐν τοῖς περὶ ψυχῆς), ταύτην δ’ ἄνευ τοῦ φυσικοῦ πυρός· ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ ἡ φύσις ἐμπεπύρευκεν αὐτήν.
Now, it is impossible for the other powers of the soul to exist without the nutritive one (for what reason, has been said before in the books On the Soul), and this latter without the natural fire; for in this nature has set it on fire.
Φθορὰ δὲ πυρός, ὥσ περ εἴρηται πρότερον, σβέσις καὶ μάρανσις.
And the destruction of fire, as has been said before, is extinction and exhaustion.
Σβέσις μὲν ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων· διό περ ἀθρόον τε ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ περιέχοντος ψυχρότητος, καὶ θᾶττον ὅτι σβέννυται διασπώμενον.
Extinction is that caused by contraries; wherefore it is extinguished both all at once by the cold of the surrounding environment, and more quickly because it is extinguished when dispersed.
Αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἡ φθορὰ βίαιος ὁμοίως ἐπὶ τῶν ἐμψύχων καὶ τῶν ἀψύχων ἐστίν· καὶ γὰρ ὀργάνοις διαιρουμένου τοῦ ζῴου, καὶ πηγνυμένου διὰ ψύχους ὑπερβολήν, ἀποθνήσκουσιν.
This destruction, then, is violent in like manner for animate and inanimate things; for animals die both when they are divided by instruments and when they are congealed because of an excess of cold.
Ἡ δὲ μάρανσις διὰ πλῆθος θερμότητος· καὶ γὰρ ἂν ὑπερβάλλῃ τὸ πέριξ θερμόν, καὶ τροφὴν ἐὰν μὴ λαμβάνῃ, φθείρεται τὸ πυρούμενον, οὐ ψυχόμενον ἀλλὰ μαραινόμενον.
But exhaustion is due to an abundance of heat; for if the surrounding heat is excessive, and if it does not receive nourishment, that which is on fire is destroyed, not by being cooled but by being exhausted.
Ὥστ’ ἀνάγκη γίνεσθαι κατάψυξιν, εἰ μέλλει τεύξεσθαι σωτηρίας· τοῦτο γὰρ βοηθεῖ πρὸς ταύτην τὴν φθοράν.
Consequently, it is necessary for cooling to take place if it is to obtain preservation; for this helps against this destruction.