Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §54.1

Instantaneous Light and Doubts on Change in Time

Passage 45 of 196 · Greek

Summary

This passage describes how Theophrastus doubts whether all change occurs in time, bringing up the example of a room being instantaneously filled with light when a lamp is introduced.

§54.1Fr. 54 Δοκεῖ δὲ ὁ Θ. ἀπορεῖν εἰ πᾶσα μεταβολὴ ἐν χρόνῳ ὑφορώμενος ἴσως τὰς ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς μεταβολὰς, ὅταν εἰσκομισθέντος εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον λύχνου πᾶς ἀθρόως ὁ οἶκος ἀναπλησθῇ τοῦ φωτὸς ἄνευ χρόνου.
Theophrastus seems to doubt whether every change is in time, perhaps having in view the changes from darkness to light, when, a lamp having been brought into the room, the whole house is filled at once with light without time.

Notes

  1. 54.1ὑφορώμενος — Present middle-passive participle, nominative masculine singular of the verb ὑφοράω (to look from below, view with suspicion, keep in view), modifying the main subject ὁ Θ. (Theophrastus). It indicates his mental state of keeping in mind or being wary of the 'changes from darkness to light' as a potential exception to the thesis that all change occurs in time.
  2. 54.1εἰσκομισθέντος ... λύχνου — A genitive absolute construction consisting of the genitive noun λύχνου (from λύχνος, 'lamp') and the aorist passive participle genitive εἰσκομισθέντος (from εἰσκομίζω, 'to bring in'), functioning within the temporal clause introduced by ὅταν to express the condition 'when a lamp is brought in.'

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §54.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:54.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.