Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §22.1

Definition of Place as the Order and Position of Bodies

Passage 10 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus suggests that place is not a self-subsisting substance but is defined by the order and position of bodies, arguing that this relation also applies to organic and heterogeneous parts in relation to the whole.

§22.1Fr. 22 Καὶ Θ. ἐν τοῖς Φυσικοῖς φαίνεται τὴν ἐννοίαν ταύε την ἐσχηκὼς περὶ τοῦ τόπου ἐν οἷς φησὶν ὡς ἐν ἀπορίᾳ προάγων τὸν λόγον μήποτε οὐκ ἔστι καθʼ αὑτὴν οὐσία τις ὁ τόπος ἀλλὰ τῇ τάξει καὶ θέσει τῶν σωμάτων λέγεται κατὰ τὰς φύσεις καὶ δυνάμεις· ὁμοίως δ' ἐπὶ ζώων καὶ φυτῶν καὶ ὅλως τῶν ἀνομοιομερῶν, εἴτε ἐμψύχων εἴτε ἀψύχων, ἔμμορφον δὲ τὴν φύσιν ἐχόντων· καὶ γὰρ τούτων τάξις τις καὶ θέσις τῶν μερῶν ἐστὶ πρὸς τὴν ὅλην οὐσίαν.
Fr. 22 And Theophrastus also in his *Physics* seems to have held this view concerning place, in which he says, advancing the argument by way of difficulty: "Could it be that place is not some substance in itself, but is spoken of in terms of the order and position of bodies, according to their natures and powers?" And similarly in the case of animals and plants, and generally of heterogeneous things, whether animate or inanimate, provided they have a formed nature; for of these too there is a certain order and position of the parts in relation to the whole substance.
Διὸ καὶ ἕκαστον ἐν αὑτοῦ χώρᾳ λέγεται τῷ ἔχειν τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν· ἐπεὶ καὶ τῶν τοῦ σώματος μερῶν ἕκαστον ἐπιποθήσειεν ἂν καὶ ἀπαιτήσειε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χώραν καὶ θέσιν.
Therefore, each of them is also said to be in its own place by virtue of having its proper order; since indeed each of the parts of the body would yearn for and demand its own place and position.

Notes

  1. §22.1ταύε την — A typographical error in the text, to be understood as the feminine singular accusative demonstrative pronoun `ταύτην`.
  2. §22.1φαίνεται ... ἐσχηκὼς — The verb `φαίνεται` with a participle (`ἐσχηκὼς`) indicates an evident fact ("manifestly appears to have held"), in contrast to `φαίνεται` with an infinitive, which would mean "seems to hold (but may not)."
  3. §22.1μήποτε οὐκ ἔστι — The adverb `μήποτε` with the indicative introduces a tentative or aporetic question/assertion, meaning "perhaps... is not" or "could it be that... is not?".
  4. §22.1ὁμοίως δ' ἐπὶ — The predicate "is spoken of" (`λέγεται`) from the previous clause is understood to carry over elliptically to this prepositional phrase with the genitive (`ἐπὶ ζώων...`), meaning "and similarly it is spoken of in the case of... ".
  5. §22.1ἐπιποθήσειεν ἂν καὶ ἀπαιτήσειε — The particle `ἂν` is placed after the first optative (`ἐπιποθήσειεν`) but also governs the second optative (`ἀπαιτήσειε`), forming a potential optative construction applying to both verbs ("would yearn for and demand").

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §22.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:22.1

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