Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §29.1

Differences Between Cosmic Generation and Geometric Diagrams

Passage 19 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus, while admitting that Plato might have assumed the universe to be generated for the sake of clarity, points out that cosmic generation is not the same as the construction of diagrams.

§29.1Fr. 29 Ὁ δὲ Θ. εἰπὼν ὅτι τάχʼ ἂν γεννητὸν λέγοι σαφηνείας χάριν ὡς καὶ τοῖς διαγράμμασι παρακολουθοῦμεν γινομένοις, φησὶ, πλὴν ἴσως ἡ γένεσις οὐχ ὁμοίως ἔχει καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν διαγραμμάτων.
Fr. 29 But Theophrastus, having said that perhaps he speaks of it as generated for the sake of clarity, just as we also follow diagrams as they are being generated, says that, however, perhaps generation does not hold in the same way also in the case of diagrams.

Notes

  1. §29.1ὡς καὶ τοῖς διαγράμμασι παρακολουθοῦμεν γινομένοις — The present participle γινομένοις modifies the dative noun τοῖς διαγράμμασι, representing an ongoing process ('diagrams as they are being drawn/constructed'). The verb παρακολουθέω ('to follow', 'to understand') governs the dative case.
  2. §29.1οὐχ ὁμοίως ἔχει — The verb ἔχω combined with an adverb (here οὐχ ὁμοίως) means 'to be in a certain state' (either impersonally or with ἡ γένεσις as the subject). Thus, it means 'is not in the same way' or 'does not hold in the same way'.
  3. §29.1τάχʼ ἂν ... λέγοι — This is a potential optative (ἄν + optative), expressing a tentative conjecture or possibility by Theophrastus regarding Plato's intention: 'he might perhaps say' or 'he would perhaps speak of'.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §29.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:29.1

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