§5.9Ἔπειτ᾿ ἀνασκευάζοντα μὲν εἰ δυνάμει τὸ ἴδιον ἀποδιδοὺς καὶ πρὸς μὴ ὂν ἀποδέδωκε τὸ ἴδιον τῇ δυνάμει, μὴ ἐνδεχομένης τῆς δυνάμεως ὑπάρχειν τῷ μὴ ὄντι· οὐ γὰρ ἔσται ἴδιον τὸ κείμενον εἶναι ἴδιον.
Next, for refuting, if in rendering the property potentially one has also rendered it in relation to what is not, where the potentiality cannot belong to what is not; for then what is laid down to be a property will not be a property.
Οἷον ἐπεὶ ὁ εἴπας ἀέρος ἴδιον τὸ ἀναπνευστὸν τῇ δυνάμει μὲν ἀπέδωκε τὸ ἴδιον (τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτον οἷον ἀναπνεῖσθαι ἀναπνευστόν ἐστιν), ἀποδέδωκε δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὂν τὸ ἴδιον· καὶ γὰρ μὴ ὄντος ζῴου, οἷον ἀναπνεῖν πέφυκε τὸν ἀέρα, ἐνδέχεται ἀέρα εἶναι· οὐ μέντοι μὴ ὄντος ζῴου δυνατόν ἐστιν ἀναπνεῖν· ὥστ᾿ οὐδ᾿ ἀέρος ἔσται ἴδιον τὸ τοιοῦτον οἷον ἀναπνεῖσθαι, τότε ὅτε ζῷον οὐκ ἔσται τοιοῦτον οἷον ἀναπνεῖν.
For instance, since he who said that to be respirable is the property of air rendered the property potentially (for that which is of such a nature as to be breathed is respirable), but he also rendered it in relation to what is not; for even if there is no animal of such a nature as to breathe the air, it is possible for air to exist, yet if there is no animal, it is not possible to breathe; so that neither will to be breathed be the property of air at that time when there is no animal of such a nature as to breathe.
Οὐκ ἂν οὖν εἴη ἀέρος ἴδιον τὸ ἀναπνευστόν.
Therefore, to be respirable would not be the property of air.
Κατασκευάζοντα δὲ εἰ τῇ δυνάμει ἀποδιδοὺς τὸ ἴδιον ἢ πρὸς ὂν ἀποδίδωσι τὸ ἴδιον ἢ πρὸς μὴ ὄν, ἐνδεχομένης τῆς δυνάμεως τῷ μὴ ὄντι ὑπάρχειν· ἔσται γὰρ ἴδιον τὸ κείμενον μὴ εἶναι ἴδιον.
And for establishing, if in rendering the property potentially one renders it either in relation to what is, or in relation to what is not, when the potentiality can belong to what is not; for then what is laid down not to be a property will be a property.
Οἷον ἐπεὶ ὁ ἀποδιδοὺς ἴδιον τοῦ ὄντος τὸ δυνατὸν παθεῖν ἢ ποιῆσαι, δυνάμει ἀποδιδοὺς τὸ ἴδιον, πρὸς ὂν ἀπέδωκε τὸ ἴδιον· ὅτε γὰρ ὄν ἐστι, καὶ δυνατὸν παθεῖν τι ἢ ποιῆσαι ἔσται· ὥστε εἴη ἂν ἴδιον τοῦ ὄντος τὸ δυνατὸν παθεῖν ἢ ποιῆσαι.
For instance, since he who rendered to be capable of being acted upon or of acting as the property of what is, in rendering the property potentially, rendered it in relation to what is; for when it is what is, to be capable of being acted upon or of acting will also be present; so that to be capable of being acted upon or of acting would be the property of what is.
Ἔπειτ᾿ ἀνασκευάζοντα μὲν εἰ ὑπερβολῇ τέθεικε τὸ ἴδιον· οὐ γὰρ ἔσται ἴδιον τὸ κείμενον εἶναι ἴδιον.
Next, for refuting, if one has laid down the property by excess; for then what is laid down to be a property will not be a property.
Συμβαίνει γὰρ τοῖς οὕτως ἀποδιδοῦσι τὸ ἴδιον οὐ καθ᾿ οὗ τὸν λόγον, τοὔνομα ἀληθεύεσθαι· φθαρέντος γὰρ τοῦ πράγματος οὐδὲν ἧττον ἔσται ὁ λόγος· τῶν γὰρ ὄντων τινὶ μάλιστα ὑπάρχει.
For it happens to those who render the property in this way that the name is not true of that of which the definition is true; for when the thing is destroyed, the definition will none the less exist, since it belongs in the highest degree to some one of existing things.
Οἷον εἴ τις ἀποδοίη τοῦ πυρὸς ἴδιον σῶμα τὸ κουφότατον· φθαρέντος γὰρ τοῦ πυρὸς ἔσται τι τῶν σωμάτων ὃ κουφότατον ἔσται, ὥστ᾿ οὐκ αν εἴη τοῦ πυρὸς ἴδιον σῶμα τὸ κουφότατον.
For instance, if anyone should render the lightest body as the property of fire; for when fire is destroyed, there will be some body which will be the lightest, so that the lightest body would not be the property of fire.
Κατασκευάζοντα δὲ εἰ μὴ ὑπερβολῇ τέθεικε τὸ ἴδιον· ἔσται γὰρ κατὰ τοῦτο καλῶς κείμενον τὸ ἴδιον.
And for establishing, if one has not laid down the property by excess; for in this respect the property will be well laid down.
Οἷον ἐπεὶ ὁ θεὶς ἀνθρώπου ἴδιον ζῷον ἥμερον φύσει οὐχ ὑπερβολῇ ἀποδέδωκε τὸ ἴδιον, εἴη ἂν κατὰ τοῦτο καλῶς κείμενον τὸ ἴδιον.
For instance, since he who laid down naturally civilized animal as the property of man has not rendered the property by excess, in this respect the property would be well laid down.