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Aristotle · Aristotelean Divisions §A.6_col1-A.9_col1

Divisions of Medicine, Law, Speech, and Music

Passage 3 of 19 · Greek

Summary

The passage outlines the definitions and systematic subdivisions of medicine, law, speech, and music, detailing their respective categories and concrete forms of practice.

§A.6_col1## ἡ ίατρική.
## Medicine.
τῆς ἰατρικῆς ἐστιν εἴδη πέντε· ἡ μὲν φαρμακευτική, ἡ δὲ χειρουργική, ἡ δὲ διαιτητική, ἡ δὲ νοσογνωμονική, ἡ δὲ βοηθητική.
Of medicine, there are five kinds: pharmaceutics, surgery, dietetics, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
ἡ μὲν φαρμακευτικὴ διὰ φαρμάκων ἰᾶται τὰς ἀρρωστίας ἡδὲ χειρουργικὴ διὰ τοῦ τέμνειν καὶ καίειν ὑγιάζει, ἡ δὲ διαιτητικὴ διὰ τοῦ διαιτᾶν ἀπαλλάττει τῆς ἀρρωστίας, ἡ δὲ νοσογνωμονικὴ διὰ τοῦ γνῶναι τὸ ἀρρώστημα, ἡ δὲ βοηθητικὴ διὰ τοῦ βοηθῆσαι εἰς τὸ παραχρῆμα ἀπαλλάττει τῆς ἀλγηδόνος.
And pharmaceutics cures illnesses by means of drugs; and surgery heals by cutting and cauterizing; and dietetics relieves illness by regulating diet; and diagnostics [cures] by knowing the illness; and therapeutics relieves pain by rendering aid on the spot.
τῆς ἄρα ἰατρικῆς ἡ μέν ἐστι φαρμακευτική, ἡ δὲ χειρουργική, ἡ δὲ διαιτητική, ἡ δὲ νοσογνωμονική, ἡ δὲ βοηθητική.
Therefore, of medicine, some is pharmaceutics, some surgery, some dietetics, some diagnostics, and some therapeutics.
§A.61_col2## ἡ ίατρική.
## Medicine.
διαιρεῖται ἡ ἰατρικὴ εἰς πέντε· τὸ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐστι φαρμακευτικόν, τὸ δὲ χειρουργικόν, τὸ δὲ διαιτητικόν, τὸ δὲ νοσογνωμικόν, τὸ δὲ βοηθητικόν.
Medicine is divided into five: for some of it is pharmaceutical, some surgical, some dietetic, some diagnostic, and some therapeutic.
καὶ ἡ μὲν φαρμακευτικὴ διὰ φαρμακείας ἰᾶται τὰς ἀρρωστίας, ἡ δὲ χειρουργικὴ διὰ 〈τοῦ τέμνειν καὶ καίειν ὑγιάζει, ἡ δὲ διαιτητικὴ διὰ〉 τοῦ διαιτᾶν ἀπαλλάττει τῆς ἀρρωστίας, ἡ δὲ νοσογνωμικὴ διὰ τοῦ γνῶναι τὴν νόσον οὕτως ἰᾶται τὸν νοσοῦντα, ἡ δὲ βοηθητικὴ διὰ τῶν βοηθημάτων ὑγιάζει τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας.
And pharmaceutics cures illnesses by means of pharmacology; and surgery heals 〈by cutting and cauterizing; and dietetics relieves〉 illness by regulating diet; and diagnostics cures the sick person in this way by knowing the disease; and therapeutics heals the sick by means of remedies.
§A.7_col1## ὁ νόμος.
## Law.
νόμου διαιρέσεις δύο· ὁ μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένος, ὁ δὲ ἄγραφος.
There are two divisions of law: for one of it is written, and the other unwritten.
ᾧ μὲν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι πολιτευόμεθα, γεγραμμένος ἐστίν· ὁ δὲ κατὰ ἔθη γινόμενος οὗτος ἄγραφος καλεῖται· οἷον τὸ μὴ γυμνὸν πορεύεσθαι εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν μηδὲ γυναικεῖον ἱμάτιον περιβάλλεσθαι.
The one by which we conduct our public life in the cities is written; and the one which arises according to customs is called unwritten, such as not walking naked into the marketplace nor wearing women's clothing.
ταῦτα γὰρ οὐθεὶς νόμος κωλύει, ἀλλ’ ὅμως οὐ πράττομεν διὰ τὸ ἀγράφῳ νόμῳ κωλύεσθαι.
For no law forbids these things, but nevertheless we do not do them because of being forbidden by unwritten law.
τοῦ ἄρα νόμου ἐστὶν ὁ μὲν γεγραμμένος, ὁ δὲ ἄγραφος.
Therefore, of law, some is written, and some unwritten.
§A.20_col2## ὁ νόμος.
## Law.
διαιρεῖται ὁ νόμος εἰς δύο· ἔστι γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἓν μὲν γεγραμμένον, ἓν δὲ ἄγραφον.
Law is divided into two: for of it, one is written and one unwritten.
ἔστι δὲ ὁ μὲν γεγραμμένος, καθ’ ὃν τὰ συμβόλαια συναλλάσσομεν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πρὸς ἀλλήλους πράξεις διακρίνομεν καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα οἰκονομοῦμεν, ὁ δὲ ἄγραφος, καθ’ ὃν τὰ ἔθη ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν αὔξεται καὶ διαμένει.
And the written is that according to which we exchange contracts and decide other actions toward one another and manage all such things; and the unwritten is that according to which customs grow and endure in the cities.
§A.8_col1## ὁ λόγος.
## Speech.
ὁ λόγος διαιρεῖται εἰς πέντε, ὧν εἷς μέν ἐστιν, ὃν οἱ πολιτευόμενοι λέγουσιν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, ὃς καλεῖται πολιτικός· ἑτέρα δὲ διαίρεσις λόγου ὃν οἱ ῥήτορες γράφουσι καὶ εἰς ἐπίδειξίν τε προφέρουσι καὶ εἰς 〈δικαστήρίον, οἷον〉 ἐγκώμια καὶ ψόγους καὶ κατηγορίας 〈καὶ ἀπολογίας〉. . . . τὸ δὴ τοιοῦτον εἶδός ἐστι ῥητορικόν.
Speech is divided into five, of which one is that which those in public life speak in the assemblies, which is called political; and another division of speech is that which rhetoricians write and produce both for display and for [court, such as] encomiums, censures, accusations [and defenses].... indeed such a kind is rhetorical.
τρίτη δὲ διαίρεσις λόγου, ὃν οἱ ἰδιῶται διαλέγονται πρὸς ἀλλήλους· οὗτος δὴ ὁ τρόπος προσαγορεύεται ἰδιωτικός.
And the third division of speech is that which private individuals use in dialogue with one another; and this manner indeed is addressed as private.
| ἑτέρα δὲ διαίρεσις λόγου, ὃν οἱ κατὰ βραχὺ ἐρωτῶντες καὶ ἀποκρινόμενοι τοῖς ἐρωτῶσι διαλέγονται· οὗτος δὲ καλεῖται ὁ λόγος διαλεκτικός.
¦ And another division of speech is that in which those who ask briefly and answer those who ask carry on dialogue; and this speech is called dialectical.
πέμπτη δὲ διαίρεσις λόγου, ὃν οἱ τεχνῖται περὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν διαλέγονται τέχνης· ὃς δὴ καλεῖται τεχνικός.
And the fifth division of speech is that in which craftsmen dialogue about their own craft; which indeed is called technical.
τοῦ λόγου ἄρα τὸ μέν ἐστι πολιτικόν, τὸ δὲ ῥητορικόν, τὸ δὲ ἰδιωτικόν, τὸ δὲ διαλεκτικόν, τὸ δὲ τεχνικόν.
Therefore, of speech, some is political, some rhetorical, some private, some dialectical, and some technical.
§A.16_col2## ὁ λόγος.
## Speech.
διαιρεῖται ὁ λόγος εἰς πέντε· ἔστι γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὁ μὲν ῥητορικός, ὁ δὲ πολιτικός, ὁ δὲ διαλεκτικός, ὁ δὲ τεχνικός, ὁ δὲ ἰδιωτικός.
Speech is divided into five: for of it, some is rhetorical, some political, some dialectical, some technical, and some private.
ἔστι δὲ ὁ μὲν ῥητορικὸς καὶ ἐπιδεικτικὸς καὶ κατηγορικὸς καὶ ἀπο λογητικός, ὁ δὲ πολιτικὸς συμβουλευτικὸς καὶ παρακλητικός, διαλεκτικὸς δὲ ὁ κατὰ βραχὺ τῷ ἐρωτᾶν ἐμφανίζων ἃ προαιρεῖται, τεχνικὸς δὲ, ὃν λέγουσιν οἱ τεχνῖται ὑπὲρ τῶν κατὰ τὴν τέχνην ἑκάστου [τῶν] αὐτῶν, ἰδιωτικὸς δὲ, ὃν οἱ ἰδιῶται λέγουσι πρὸς ἀλλήλους καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν διαλεγόμενοι.
And the rhetorical is also display-oriented, accusatory, and apologetic; and the political is advisory and exhortative; and the dialectical is that which, through asking, reveals what it chooses in brief; and the technical is that which craftsmen speak concerning the matters of the craft of each of them; and the private is that which private individuals speak with one another, holding dialogue every day.
§A.9_col1## ἡ μουσική.
## Music.
ἡ μουσικὴ εἰς τρία διαιῥεῖται· ἔστι γὰρ ἡ μὲν διὰ τοῦ στόματος μόνον, οἷον ἡ ᾠδή· δεύτερον δὲ διὰ τοῦ στόματος καὶ τῶν χειρῶν, οἷον ἡ κιθαρῳδία· τρίτον ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν μόνον, οἷον ἡ κιθαριστική.
Music is divided into three: for one is through the mouth alone, such as singing; second, through the mouth and the hands, such as lyre-singing; third, from the hands alone, such as lyre-playing.
τῆς ἄρα μουσικῆς ἔστι τὸ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος μόνον, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος καὶ τῶν χειρῶν, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν.
Therefore, of music, some is from the mouth alone, some from the mouth and the hands, and some from the hands.

Notes

  1. A.6_col1ἡ δὲ νοσογνωμονικὴ διὰ τοῦ γνῶαι τὸ ἀρρώστημα — This clause lacks a main verb. Based on the surrounding context (such as `ἰᾶται` or `ἀπαλλάττει`), a verb of curing or distinguishing is structurally implied: "[cures or discerns] through knowing the illness." This ellipsis is confirmed by the parallel phrase in §A.61_col2, `οὕτως ἰᾶται τὸν νοσοῦντα` ("cures the sick in this way").
  2. A.7_col1ᾧ μὲν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι πολιτευόμεθα — The relative pronoun `ᾧ` is a dative of means or standard, referring to the subsequent predicate adjective `γεγραμμένος [νόμος]`. Combined with the middle verb `πολιτευόμεθα` ("to conduct public/civic life"), it indicates the means or constitutional basis by which citizens live together and organize their society within cities.
  3. A.8_col1ὃν οἱ κατὰ βραχὺ ἐρωτῶντες καὶ ἀποκρινόμενοι τοῖς ἐρωτῶσι διαλέγονται — The relative pronoun `ὃν` functions as the internal or cognate accusative object of the intransitive verb `διαλέγονται` ("to converse/dialogue"). The subject of the relative clause is a compound participle structure joined under the single article `οἱ`: `ἐρωτῶντες` ("those who ask") and `ἀποκρινόμενοι` ("those who answer"), which describes the interactive nature of dialectic through brief exchange (`κατὰ βραχὺ`).

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Aristotelean Divisions §A.6_col1-A.9_col1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg048.humanitext-grc1:A.6_col1-A.9_col1

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