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    Click to Expand/Collapse Option Complete text
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionTitle
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionPreface
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionDramatis Personae
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionIntroduction
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionSpeech of Timaeus
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe soul of the world
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionTime
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionGods visible and generated
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionCreation of the souls
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionBody and sense perceptions
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionNecessity
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe triangles
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe forth genera
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionMovement and stillness
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionForms of the genera
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe forms of the earth
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionSense perceptions
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionPleasure and weaknesses
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionPowers of the soul
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionOn the rest of the body
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionIllnesses of the body
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionIllnesses of the soul
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionOrigination of the other living beings
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionConcluding remarks
(ἡδονὴ καὶ λύπη) Μέγιστον δὲ καὶ λοιπὸν τῶν κοινῶν περὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα παθημάτων τὸ τῶν ἡδέων καὶ τῶν ἀλγεινῶν αἴτιον ἐν οἷς διεληλύθαμεν, καὶ ὅσα διὰ τῶν τοῦ σώματος μορίων αἰσθήσεις κεκτημένα καὶ λύπας ἐν αὑτοῖς ἡδονάς θ’ ἅμα ἑπομένας ἔχει.  ὧδ’ οὖν κατὰ παντὸς αἰσθητοῦ καὶ ἀναισθήτου παθήματος τὰς αἰτίας λαμβάνωμεν,  ἀναμιμνῃσκόμενοι τὸ τῆς εὐκινήτου τε καὶ δυσκινήτου φύσεως ὅτι διειλόμεθα ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν·  ταύτῃ γὰρ δὴ μεταδιωκτέον πάντα ὅσα ἐπινοοῦμεν ἑλεῖν.  τὸ μὲν γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν εὐκίνητον, ὅταν καὶ βραχὺ πάθος εἰς αὐτὸ ἐμπίπτῃ, διαδίδωσιν κύκλῳ μόρια ἕτερα ἑτέροις ταὐτὸν ἀπεργαζόμενα, μέχριπερ ἂν ἐπὶ τὸ φρόνιμον ἐλθόντα ἐξαγγείλῃ τοῦ ποιήσαντος τὴν δύναμιν·  τὸ δ’ ἐναντίον ἑδραῖον ὂν κατ’ οὐδένα τε κύκλον ἰὸν πάσχει μόνον, ἄλλο δὲ οὐ κινεῖ τῶν πλησίον,  ὥστε οὐ διαδιδόντων μορίων μορίοις ἄλλων ἄλλοις τὸ πρῶτον πάθος ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀκίνητον εἰς τὸ πᾶν ζῷον γενόμενον ἀναίσθητον παρέσχεν τὸ παθόν.  ταῦτα δὲ περί τε ὀστᾶ καὶ τὰς τρίχας ἐστὶν καὶ ὅσ’ ἄλλα γήϊνα τὸ πλεῖστον ἔχομεν ἐν ἡμῖν μόρια·  τὰ δὲ ἔμπροσθεν περὶ τὰ τῆς ὄψεως καὶ ἀκοῆς μάλιστα, διὰ τὸ πυρὸς ἀέρος τε ἐν αὐτοῖς δύναμιν ἐνεῖναι μεγίστην.  τὸ δὴ τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ λύπης ὧδε δεῖ διανοεῖσθαι·  τὸ μὲν παρὰ φύσιν καὶ βίαιον γιγνόμενον ἁθρόον παρ’ ἡμῖν πάθος ἀλγεινόν, τὸ δ’ εἰς φύσιν ἀπιὸν πάλιν ἁθρόον ἡδύ, τὸ δὲ ἡρέμα καὶ κατὰ σμικρὸν ἀναίσθητον, τὸ δ’ ἐναντίον τούτοις ἐναντίως.  τὸ δὲ μετ’ εὐπετείας γιγνόμενον ἅπαν αἰσθητὸν μὲν ὅτι μάλιστα, λύπης δὲ καὶ ἡδονῆς οὐ μετέχον,  οἷον τὰ περὶ τὴν ὄψιν αὐτὴν παθήματα, ἣ δὴ σῶμα ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν ἐρρήθη καθ’ ἡμέραν συμφυὲς ἡμῶν γίγνεσθαι.  ταύτῃ γὰρ τομαὶ μὲν καὶ καύσεις καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα πάσχει λύπας οὐκ ἐμποιοῦσιν, οὐδὲ ἡδονὰς πάλιν ἐπὶ ταὐτὸν ἀπιούσης εἶδος,  μέγισται δὲ αἰσθήσεις καὶ σαφέσταται καθ’ ὅτι τ’ ἂν πάθῃ καὶ ὅσων ἂν αὐτή πῃ προσβαλοῦσα ἐφάπτηται·  βία γὰρ τὸ πάμπαν οὐκ ἔνι τῇ διακρίσει τε αὐτῆς καὶ συγκρίσει.  τὰ δ’ ἐκ μειζόνων μερῶν σώματα μόγις εἴκοντα τῷ δρῶντι, διαδιδόντα δὲ εἰς ὅλον τὰς κινήσεις, ἡδονὰς ἴσχει καὶ λύπας,  ἀλλοτριούμενα μὲν λύπας, καθιστάμενα δὲ εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἡδονάς.  ὅσα δὲ κατὰ σμικρὸν τὰς ἀποχωρήσεις ἑαυτῶν καὶ κενώσεις εἴληφεν, τὰς δὲ πληρώσεις ἁθρόας καὶ κατὰ μεγάλα, κενώσεως μὲν ἀναίσθητα, πληρώσεως δὲ αἰσθητικὰ γιγνόμενα,  ὅσα δὲ ἀπαλλοτριοῦται μὲν ἁθρόα, λύπας μὲν οὐ παρέχει τῷ θνητῷ τῆς ψυχῆς, μεγίστας δὲ ἡδονάς· ἔστιν δὲ ἔνδηλα περὶ τὰς εὐωδίας.  κατὰ σμικρὰ δὲ μόγις τε εἰς ταὐτὸν πάλιν ἑαυτοῖς καθίσταται, τοὐναντίον τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν πάντα ἀποδίδωσιν·  ταῦτα δ’ αὖ περὶ τὰς καύσεις καὶ τομὰς τοῦ σώματος γιγνόμενά ἐστιν κατάδηλα.  Καὶ τὰ μὲν δὴ κοινὰ τοῦ σώματος παντὸς παθήματα, τῶν τ’ ἐπωνυμιῶν ὅσαι τοῖς δρῶσιν αὐτὰ γεγόνασι, σχεδὸν εἴρηται·  τὰ δ’ ἐν ἰδίοις μέρεσιν ἡμῶν γιγνόμενα, τά τε πάθη καὶ τὰς αἰτίας αὖ τῶν δρώντων, πειρατέον εἰπεῖν, ἄν πῃ δυνώμεθα.  πρῶτον οὖν ὅσα τῶν χυμῶν πέρι λέγοντες ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν ἀπελίπομεν, ἴδια ὄντα παθήματα περὶ τὴν γλῶτταν, ἐμφανιστέον ᾗ δυνατόν.  φαίνεται δὲ καὶ ταῦτα, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ τὰ πολλά, διὰ συγκρίσεών τέ τινων καὶ διακρίσεων γίγνεσθαι, πρὸς δὲ αὐταῖς κεχρῆσθαι μᾶλλόν τι τῶν ἄλλων τραχύτησί τε καὶ λειότησιν.  ὅσα μὲν γὰρ εἰσιόντα περὶ τὰ φλέβια, οἷόνπερ δοκίμια τῆς γλώττης τεταμένα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν, εἰς τὰ νοτερὰ τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἁπαλὰ ἐμπίπτοντα γήϊνα μέρη κατατηκόμενα συνάγει τὰ φλέβια καὶ ἀποξηραίνει, τραχύτερα μὲν ὄντα στρυφνά, ἧττον δὲ τραχύνοντα αὐστηρὰ φαίνεται·  τὰ δὲ τούτων τε ῥυπτικὰ καὶ πᾶν τὸ περὶ τὴν γλῶτταν ἀποπλύνοντα, πέρα μὲν τοῦ μετρίου τοῦτο δρῶντα καὶ προσεπιλαμβανόμενα ὥστε ἀποτήκειν αὐτῆς τῆς φύσεως, οἷον ἡ τῶν λίτρων δύναμις, πικρὰ πάνθ’ οὕτως ὠνόμασται,   τὰ δὲ ὑποδεέστερα τῆς λιτρώδους ἕξεως ἐπὶ τὸ μέτριόν τε τῇ ῥύψει χρώμενα ἁλυκὰ ἄνευ πικρότητος τραχείας καὶ φίλα μᾶλλον ἡμῖν φαντάζεται.  τὰ δὲ τῇ τοῦ στόματος θερμότητι κοινωνήσαντα καὶ λεαινόμενα ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, συνεκπυρούμενα καὶ πάλιν αὐτὰ ἀντικάοντα τὸ διαθερμῆναν, φερόμενά τε ὑπὸ κουφότητος ἄνω πρὸς τὰς τῆς κεφαλῆς αἰσθήσεις,  τέμνοντά τε πάνθ’ ὁπόσοις ἂν προσπίπτῃ, διὰ ταύτας τὰς δυνάμεις δριμέα πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐλέχθη.  τὸ δὲ αὖ τῶν προλελεπτυσμένων μὲν ὑπὸ σηπεδόνος, εἰς δὲ τὰς στενὰς φλέβας ἐνδυομένων, καὶ τοῖς ἐνοῦσιν αὐτόθι μέρεσιν γεώδεσιν καὶ ὅσα ἀέρος συμμετρίαν ἔχοντα, ὥστε κινήσαντα περὶ ἄλληλα ποιεῖν κυκᾶσθαι,  κυκώμενα δὲ περιπίπτειν τε καὶ εἰς ἕτερα ἐνδυόμενα ἕτερα κοῖλα ἀπεργάζεσθαι περιτεινόμενα τοῖς εἰσιοῦσιν ἃ δὴ νοτίδος περὶ ἀέρα κοίλης περιταθείσης, τοτὲ μὲν γεώδους, τοτὲ δὲ καὶ καθαρᾶς, νοτερὰ ἀγγεῖα ἀέρος, ὕδατα κοῖλα περιφερῆ τε γενέσθαι,  καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς καθαρᾶς διαφανεῖς περιστῆναι κληθείσας ὄνομα πομφόλυγας, τὰ δὲ τῆς γεώδους ὁμοῦ κινουμένης τε καὶ αἰρομένης ζέσιν τε καὶ ζύμωσιν ἐπίκλην λεχθῆναι - τὸ δὲ τούτων αἴτιον τῶν παθημάτων ὀξὺ προσρηθῆναι.  σύμπασιν δὲ τοῖς περὶ ταῦτα εἰρημένοις πάθος ἐναντίον ἀπ’ ἐναντίας ἐστὶ προφάσεως·  ὁπόταν ἡ τῶν εἰσιόντων σύστασις ἐν ὑγροῖς, οἰκεία τῇ τῆς γλώττης ἕξει πεφυκυῖα, λεαίνῃ μὲν ἐπαλείφουσα τὰ τραχυνθέντα, τὰ δὲ παρὰ φύσιν συνεστῶτα ἢ κεχυμένα τὰ μὲν συνάγῃ, τὰ δὲ χαλᾷ, καὶ πάνθ’ ὅτι μάλιστα ἱδρύῃ κατὰ φύσιν, ἡδὺ καὶ προσφιλὲς παντὶ πᾶν τὸ τοιοῦτον ἴαμα τῶν βιαίων παθημάτων γιγνόμενον κέκληται γλυκύ.  Καὶ τὰ μὲν ταύτῃ ταῦτα·  περὶ δὲ δὴ τὴν τῶν μυκτήρων δύναμιν, εἴδη μὲν οὐκ ἔνι.  τὸ γὰρ τῶν ὀσμῶν πᾶν ἡμιγενές, εἴδει δὲ οὐδενὶ συμβέβηκεν συμμετρία πρὸς τό τινα σχεῖν ὀσμήν·  ἀλλ’ ἡμῶν αἱ περὶ ταῦτα φλέβες πρὸς μὲν τὰ γῆς ὕδατός τε γένη στενότεραι συνέστησαν, πρὸς δὲ τὰ πυρὸς ἀέρος τε εὐρύτεραι,  διὸ τούτων οὐδεὶς οὐδενὸς ὀσμῆς πώποτε ᾔσθετό τινος, ἀλλὰ ἢ βρεχομένων ἢ σηπομένων ἢ τηκομένων ἢ θυμιωμένων γίγνονταί τινων.  μεταβάλλοντος γὰρ ὕδατος εἰς ἀέρα ἀέρος τε εἰς ὕδωρ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ τούτων γεγόνασιν, εἰσίν τε ὀσμαὶ σύμπασαι καπνὸς ἢ ὁμίχλη,  τούτων δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐξ ἀέρος εἰς ὕδωρ ἰὸν ὁμίχλη, τὸ δὲ ἐξ ὕδατος εἰς ἀέρα καπνός·  ὅθεν λεπτότεραι μὲν ὕδατος, παχύτεραι δὲ ὀσμαὶ σύμπασαι γεγόνασιν ἀέρος.  δηλοῦνται δὲ ὁπόταν τινὸς ἀντιφραχθέντος περὶ τὴν ἀναπνοὴν ἄγῃ τις βίᾳ τὸ πνεῦμα εἰς αὑτόν·  τότε γὰρ ὀσμὴ μὲν οὐδεμία συνδιηθεῖται, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τῶν ὀσμῶν ἐρημωθὲν αὐτὸ μόνον ἕπεται.  δύ’ οὖν ταῦτα ἀνώνυμα τὰ τούτων ποικίλματα γέγονεν, οὐκ ἐκ πολλῶν οὐδὲ ἁπλῶν εἰδῶν ὄντα,  ἀλλὰ διχῇ τό θ’ ἡδὺ καὶ τὸ λυπηρὸν αὐτόθι μόνω διαφανῆ λέγεσθον,  τὸ μὲν τραχῦνόν τε καὶ βιαζόμενον τὸ κύτος ἅπαν, ὅσον ἡμῶν μεταξὺ κορυφῆς τοῦ τε ὀμφαλοῦ κεῖται,  τὸ δὲ ταὐτὸν τοῦτο καταπραῧνον καὶ πάλιν ᾗ πέφυκεν ἀγαπητῶς ἀποδιδόν.  Τρίτον δὲ αἰσθητικὸν ἐν ἡμῖν μέρος ἐπισκοποῦσιν τὸ περὶ τὴν ἀκοήν, δι’ ἃς αἰτίας τὰ περὶ αὐτὸ συμβαίνει παθήματα, λεκτέον.  ὅλως μὲν οὖν φωνὴν θῶμεν τὴν δι’ ὤτων ὑπ’ ἀέρος ἐγκεφάλου τε καὶ αἵματος μέχρι ψυχῆς πληγὴν διαδιδομένην,  τὴν δὲ ὑπ’ αὐτῆς κίνησιν, ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς μὲν ἀρχομένην, τελευτῶσαν δὲ περὶ τὴν τοῦ ἥπατος ἕδραν, ἀκοήν·  ὅση δ’ αὐτῆς ταχεῖα, ὀξεῖαν, ὅση δὲ βραδυτέρα, βαρυτέραν·  τὴν δὲ ὁμοίαν ὁμαλήν τε καὶ λείαν, τὴν δὲ ἐναντίαν τραχεῖαν·  μεγάλην δὲ τὴν πολλήν, ὅση δὲ ἐναντία, σμικράν.  τὰ δὲ περὶ συμφωνίας αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕστερον λεχθησομένοις ἀνάγκη ῥηθῆναι.  Τέταρτον δὴ λοιπὸν ἔτι γένος ἡμῖν αἰσθητικόν, ὃ διελέσθαι δεῖ συχνὰ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ποικίλματα κεκτημένον,  ἃ σύμπαντα μὲν χρόας ἐκαλέσαμεν, φλόγα τῶν σωμάτων ἑκάστων ἀπορρέουσαν, ὄψει σύμμετρα μόρια ἔχουσαν πρὸς αἴσθησιν·  ὄψεως δ’ ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν αὐτὸ περὶ τῶν αἰτίων τῆς γενέσεως ἐρρήθη.  τῇδ’ οὖν τῶν χρωμάτων πέρι μάλιστα εἰκὸς πρέποι τ’ ἂν ἐπιεικεῖ λόγῳ διεξελθεῖν·  τὰ φερόμενα ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων μόρια ἐμπίπτοντά τε εἰς τὴν ὄψιν τὰ μὲν ἐλάττω, τὰ δὲ μείζω, τὰ δ’ ἴσα τοῖς αὐτῆς τῆς ὄψεως μέρεσιν εἶναι·  τὰ μὲν οὖν ἴσα ἀναίσθητα, ἃ δὴ καὶ διαφανῆ λέγομεν,  τὰ δὲ μείζω καὶ ἐλάττω, τὰ μὲν συγκρίνοντα, τὰ δὲ διακρίνοντα αὐτήν, τοῖς περὶ τὴν σάρκα θερμοῖς καὶ ψυχροῖς καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὴν γλῶτταν στρυφνοῖς, καὶ ὅσα θερμαντικὰ ὄντα δριμέα ἐκαλέσαμεν, ἀδελφὰ εἶναι,  τά τε λευκὰ καὶ τὰ μέλανα, ἐκείνων παθήματα γεγονότα ἐν ἄλλῳ γένει τὰ αὐτά, φανταζόμενα δὲ ἄλλα διὰ ταύτας τὰς αἰτίας.  οὕτως οὖν αὐτὰ προσρητέον· τὸ μὲν διακριτικὸν τῆς ὄψεως λευκόν, τὸ δ’ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ μέλαν,  τὴν δὲ ὀξυτέραν φορὰν καὶ γένους πυρὸς ἑτέρου προσπίπτουσαν καὶ διακρίνουσαν τὴν ὄψιν μέχρι τῶν ὀμμάτων, αὐτάς τε τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰς διεξόδους βίᾳ διωθοῦσαν καὶ τήκουσαν, πῦρ μὲν ἁθρόον καὶ ὕδωρ, ὃ δάκρυον καλοῦμεν,  ἐκεῖθεν ἐκχέουσαν, αὐτὴν δὲ οὖσαν πῦρ ἐξ ἐναντίας ἀπαντῶσαν, καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἐκπηδῶντος πυρὸς οἷον ἀπ’ ἀστραπῆς, τοῦ δ’ εἰσιόντος καὶ περὶ τὸ νοτερὸν κατασβεννυμένου, παντοδαπῶν ἐν τῇ κυκήσει ταύτῃ γιγνομένων χρωμάτων, μαρμαρυγὰς μὲν τὸ πάθος προσείπομεν,  τὸ δὲ τοῦτο ἀπεργαζόμενον λαμπρόν τε καὶ στίλβον ἐπωνομάσαμεν.  τὸ δὲ τούτων αὖ μεταξὺ πυρὸς γένος, πρὸς μὲν τὸ τῶν ὀμμάτων ὑγρὸν ἀφικνούμενον καὶ κεραννύμενον αὐτῷ, στίλβον δὲ οὔ·  τῇ δὲ διὰ τῆς νοτίδος αὐγῇ τοῦ πυρὸς μειγνυμένου χρῶμα ἔναιμον παρασχομένῃ, τοὔνομα ἐρυθρὸν λέγομεν.  λαμπρόν τε ἐρυθρῷ λευκῷ τε μειγνύμενον ξανθὸν γέγονεν·  τὸ δὲ ὅσον μέτρον ὅσοις, οὐδ’ εἴ τις εἰδείη, νοῦν ἔχει τὸ λέγειν, ὧν μήτε τινὰ ἀνάγκην μήτε τὸν εἰκότα λόγον καὶ μετρίως ἄν τις εἰπεῖν εἴη δυνατός.  ἐρυθρὸν δὲ δὴ μέλανι λευκῷ τε κραθὲν ἁλουργόν· ὄρφνινον δέ, ὅταν τούτοις μεμειγμένοις καυθεῖσίν τε μᾶλλον συγκραθῇ μέλαν.  πυρρὸν δὲ ξανθοῦ τε καὶ φαιοῦ κράσει γίγνεται, φαιὸν δὲ λευκοῦ τε καὶ μέλανος, τὸ δὲ ὠχρὸν λευκοῦ ξανθῷ μειγνυμένου.  λαμπρῷ δὲ λευκὸν συνελθὸν καὶ εἰς μέλαν κατακορὲς ἐμπεσὸν κυανοῦν χρῶμα ἀποτελεῖται, κυανοῦ δὲ λευκῷ κεραννυμένου γλαυκόν, πυρροῦ δὲ μέλανι πράσιον.  τὰ δὲ ἄλλα ἀπὸ τούτων σχεδὸν δῆλα αἷς ἂν ἀφομοιούμενα μείξεσιν διασῴζοι τὸν εἰκότα μῦθον.  εἰ δέ τις τούτων ἔργῳ σκοπούμενος βάσανον λαμβάνοι, τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης καὶ θείας φύσεως ἠγνοηκὼς ἂν εἴη διάφορον,  ὅτι θεὸς μὲν τὰ πολλὰ εἰς ἓν συγκεραννύναι καὶ πάλιν ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς πολλὰ διαλύειν ἱκανῶς ἐπιστάμενος ἅμα καὶ δυνατός,  ἀνθρώπων δὲ οὐδεὶς οὐδέτερα τούτων ἱκανὸς οὔτε ἔστι νῦν οὔτε εἰς αὖθίς ποτε ἔσται.  Ταῦτα δὴ πάντα τότε ταύτῃ πεφυκότα ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὁ τοῦ καλλίστου τε καὶ ἀρίστου δημιουργὸς ἐν τοῖς γιγνομένοις παρελάμβανεν,  ἡνίκα τὸν αὐτάρκη τε καὶ τὸν τελεώτατον θεὸν ἐγέννα,  χρώμενος μὲν ταῖς περὶ ταῦτα αἰτίαις ὑπηρετούσαις, τὸ δὲ εὖ τεκταινόμενος ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς γιγνομένοις αὐτός.  διὸ δὴ χρὴ δύ’ αἰτίας εἴδη διορίζεσθαι, τὸ μὲν ἀναγκαῖον, τὸ δὲ θεῖον,  καὶ τὸ μὲν θεῖον ἐν ἅπασιν ζητεῖν κτήσεως ἕνεκα εὐδαίμονος βίου, καθ’ ὅσον ἡμῶν ἡ φύσις ἐνδέχεται,  τὸ δὲ ἀναγκαῖον ἐκείνων χάριν, λογιζόμενον ὡς ἄνευ τούτων οὐ δυνατὰ αὐτὰ ἐκεῖνα ἐφ’ οἷς σπουδάζομεν μόνα κατανοεῖν οὐδ’ αὖ λαβεῖν οὐδ’ ἄλλως πως μετασχεῖν. 
                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                           
Sed earum passionum quae (19) circa totum corpus communiter accidunt, ea restat maxima quae voluptatis dolorisque est (20) causa in his quae diximus. Similiter quacunque per corporis partes sensibus patent, do(21)loresque et voluptates cient.  Ita igitur omnis tam sensibilis quam insensibilis passionis, (22) causas capiamus,  in primis memoria repetentes quod de ea natura quae facile move(23)tur, deque ea quae movetur difficile, supra diximus.  hoc pacto ea persequi debe(24)mus omnia quae comprehendere cupimus.  Quando in id quod facile moveri solet, ali(25)qua vel brevis incidit passio, pars eius quaelibet sequentibus partibus undique passionem (26) ipsam transfundit, quousque ad prudentiae sedem perveniatur: ubi per hos quasi nun(27)cios potentia illius quod passionem intulit, noscitur.  Quod vero contra est affectum, et (28) immobile quodammodo permanet circularem illam transfusionem non habet: et ip(29)sum quidem patitur solum, proxima vero minime movet.  Quapropter cum partes aliae (30) aliis passionem primam non impertiant, totumque animal hinc minime agitetur, sensus (31) expers id quod patitur extat.  Id profecto circa ossa capillosqueet reliquas partes quae ter(32)renae ut plurimum in nobis sunt, accidit.  Visus vero et auditus instrumenta aliter omni(33)ino efficiunt, quia illis ignis aerisque vis maxima inest.  Quod praeterea ad voluptatem at(34)tinet et dolorem, ita consideretur.  Passio violenter praeterque naturam abunde simulque (35) nobis illata, molesta fit. Rursus quae in naturam abunde simulque revertitur, dulcis: quae (36) contra fit, contra.  Passio vero magna cum facillitate illata sentitur quidem maxime, vo(37)luptatis autem et doloris minime particeps.  huiusmodi sunt, quae ex aspectu proveni(38)unt. Cui quidem corpus nostrum cognatum fieri in die supra narravimus,  huic adustio(39)nes sectionesve et quaecunque passiones huiusmodi, dolorem non inferunt: nec etiam (40) quando in suam speciem fit/sit[?] restitutio, voluptatem.  Sensus tamen vehementes clarissimi(41)que ipsi competunt, quatenus aliquid patitur, incurritque in aliquid et attingit.  Violentia (42) siquidem huius discretioni concretionive nulla penitus inest.  Corpora vero ex partibus (43) grandioribus constituta, et vix agenti cedentia, quando motiones illatas in totum corpus (44) traiiciunt, voluptates doloresque continet:  quando videlicet e suo statu moventur, dolo(45)res: quando redeunt, voluptates.  Quaecunque paulatim abscessus evacuationesque sui(46) perpetiuntur, repletiones vero simul atque abunde, cum evacationis quidem sensum ha(47)beant nullum, repletionis autem habeant,  mortalitate ipsius potentiae dolores nullos vo(48)luptates vero maximas afferunt. Quod ex suavium odorum perceptione cognoscitur.  (49) Atque e sua natura simul et abunde pelluntur, paulatim vero vix in eam restituuntur, (50) contra quam superiora affici solent,  hoc plane in secandis utendisque membris apparet.  (51) Iam communes toti corpori passiones, easque inferentium cognomens attractavimus. (52)  Nunc igitur eas quae certis nostris corporis partibus accedunt, et unde proveniunt, qui(53)busve causis inferuntur, pro viribus exponamus.  Principio quae supra quando de hu(54)moribus agebamus reliquimus, cum linguea passiones sint, siquo modo possumus decla[(725,1)]remus.  Videntur autem haec quemadmodum et alia multa discretionibus quibusdam et (2) concretionibus fieri, ac praeterea lenitate asperitateque magis quam cetera uti.  Tendun(3)tur a lingua venae ad cordis sedem, saporum nunciae: in quas siqua ita inciderint ut hu(4)midam carnis mollitiem penetrantia terrestri sua natura modice liquefacta, venas ipsas (5) contrahant arefaciantque, sapores huiusmodi pariunt.  Videlicet si asperiore sunt acerbos (6) acresque: sin aspera minus, austreros et ponticos. Quae et illas purgant, et siqua lin(7)guae inhaerescunt, abluunt, si ultra modum id faciant, naturaeque ipsius nonnihil liquefa(8)ciant, qualis est in nitro potentia, amara omnia nominantur.  Sin autem vim nitro tempe(9)ratiorem habent, leniusque abstergunt, falsa sine amaritudinis asperitate, magisque ami(10)ca nobis apparent.  Quae autem applicata oris caliditati, ab eoque mollita et fervefacta (11) ipsum vicissim fervefaciunt, suaque levitate sursum ad sensus capitis elevantur,  suoque at(12)tractu singula dividunt, propter huiusmodi vires acuta vocantur.  Quandoque vero (13) haec eadem ex putredine attenuata angustas venas ingrediuntur, coguntque partes inte(14)riores tam terrenas quam quodammodo aereas iactatas invicem commisceri, permixtas(15)que circumlabi alias ingredi,  ingressuque suo penetratas concavas tensasque effi(16)cere, ubi concavas et ampullosus humor aeri circunfunditur: isque humor alias terreus quo(17)quo modo est, alias purus, fitque ex aqua concava vasculum aeris humidum atque cla(18)rum. Sed quod ex pura nascitur aqua, perlucet undique, ampullasque vocatur.  Quod au(19)tem ex lutulento magis humore simul agitato quidem elatoque et circumtenso conficitur, (20) ebullitio, bulla, fermentumque dicitur. harum omnium passionum causa acida qualitas (21) appellatur.  His omnibus quae de his dicta sunt contraria passio, a contraria causa proficisci(22)tur.  Quando vero ingrediuntum qualitas humida est linguae qualitati naturaliter con(23)cors et consentanea, ac lenit mollitque eam, contractamque demulcet asperitatem, et quae (24) in nobis praeter naturam contracta vel sparsa fuerunt, relaxat vel colligit, ac summatim (25) naturalem singulis restituit habitum, suave huiusmodi omne amicumque est omnibus, (26) violentarum quoque passionum medicina atque remedium, dulceque vocatur.  Circa (27) narium vim species non sunt.    Semigenia enim odorum natura. Speciei vero nulli com(28)petit odorem ullum habere.  Sed nostrae circa haec venae ad terrae et aquae genera angusti(29)ores sunt, ad ignis vero aerisque genera latiores.  Quocirca nemo unquam istorum ali(30)quem sensit odorem. Sed in madefactione quorundam, vel, putredine, vel liquefactio(31)ne, vel evaporatione gignuntur odores.  Cum enim aerem aqua vel aer in aquam tran(32)sit, in medio istorum odores fiunt, omnisque odor aut fumus est, aut caligo.  Sed horum (33) quod ex aere mutatur in aquam, caligo: quod vero ex aqua in aerem, fumus.  hinc fit ut (34) aqua odores teniores sint, aere crassiores.  Quod maxime perspicuum fit, quando cer(35)ta quadam re naribus occurrente aliquis in se ipsum vehementer spiritum retrahit.  Tunc (36) sane nullus simul influit odor, spiritus autem ab odore nudus solus sequitur.  Duae igi(37)tur hae in his varietates absque nomine sunt, nec ex pluribus, nec ex simplicibus specie(38)bus:  sed duo ibi nomina tantum manifesta sunt, suave scilicet et molestum.  Hoc quidem (39)disturbat violatque omnem eam capacitatem quae a summo capitis vertice ad umbilicum (40) protenditur.  Illud vero eandem mulcet, et amico quodam ingressu naturalem eius ser(41)vat habitum.  Tertiam praeterea vim sentiendi, auditum videlicet, ita considerare debe(42)mus, ut quibus ex causis passiones eius proveniant, exponamus.  Omnino igitur vocem (43) ponamus pulsationem quandam ab aere, per aures cerebrumque et sanguinem usque ad (44) animam penetrantem.  Natam quoque ex aere ea motionem incipientem a capite, et in sedem (45) iecoris desinentem, auditum vocemus.  Motio quidem velox, acuta provenit: tarda, (46) gravis.  Una aequalis atque lenis, contraria vero aspera.  Magna quae multa, parva quae pau(47)ca.  Harum vocum concordiam consonantiasque in sequentibus declarabimus.  Sequitur (48) quartum sentiendi genus exponendum, quod varietatem in se plurimam continet:  et quae (49) sub eo sunt omnia, colores vocantur. Est autem color veluti flammula quaedam fulgorque a (50) singulis corporibus emanans, partes habens visui ad sentiendum accommodatas.  Causas (51) vero ex quibus visus gignitur, supra tractavimus.  Nunc de coloribus potissimum hoc pa(52)cto probabilia dicenda videntur.  Quae ab aliis delata partibus in aspectum cadunt, partim (53) minora, partim maiora, partim visus ipsius partibus aequalia sunt,  Aequalia quidem sen(726, 1)tiri non possunt, quae diaphana, id est utrinque perspicua nominantur.  Minora vero aut (2) maiora partim discernere, partim contrahere visum dicimus, instar eorum quae calidi(3)tate vel frigiditate carnem, aut eorum quae acrimonia vel acumine caliditateve linguam (4) contrahunt vel discernunt.   Atque ea quae visum sic afficiunt alba nigrave vocamus.(5) Quae quidem passiones eorum sunt quae modo narrabam, et illorum quidem germana (6) eademque quodammodo, sed in genere alio, diversa tamen propter has causas esse viden(7)tur.  Sic utique appellanda sunt ista. Quod visum disgregat, album, nigrum vero quod (8) congregat.   Motionem profecto acutiorem alteriusque generis ignis, incidentem disper(9)gentemque visum usque ad oculos, orbesque ipsos oculorum meatusque vi diverberantem (10) liquefacientemque, ignem esse dicimus ex opposito obviantem, cuius occursu lacrima, (11) corpus ex igni et aqua mixtum, effunditur.   Et uno quidem igne velut e coruscatione (12) quadam exiliente, altero vero penetrante et ab humore extincto, varii creantur ex hu(13)iusmodi mixtione colores,  atque ipsam passionem fulgorem coruscationemque voca(14)mus, quodve id facit, splendidum atque coruscum.  Horum medium ignis genus ad ocu(15)lorum humorem perveniens illique se miscens, minime quidem coruscum,  sed ex ipsa (16) ignei radii ad humorem admixtione, sanguineum creante colorem, rubeum nominavi(17)mus.  Splendidum albumque rubeo mixtum flavum procreat.  Quo autem mensurae mo(18)do singula singulis misceantur, etiam si quis noverit, narrare prudentis non est, praeser(19)tim cum neque necessariam neque verisimilem de his rationem afferre ullo modo pos(20)sit.  Rubeum cum albo nigroque purpureum generat. Paulo obscurior moreus lutheo(21)lusque fit color quando his invicem conflatis adustisque magis est adiuncta nigredo.  Ful(22)vum flavi fuscique temperatione producitur. Fuscum vero albi et nigri confusione. Pal(23)lorem albi flavique copula generat.  Splendidum albo adiunctum plurimaque obfusum ni(24)gredine caeruleum efficit. Caeruleum cum albo glaucum creat. Fulvi nigrique temperie (25) color viridis nascitur.  Cetera ferme ex his omnia manifesta fiunt. Siquis enim supe(26)riores mixtiones imitatus reliquos reliquos colores exequitur, probabilibus rationibus diputa(27)bit.  At si quis horum discussionem probationemque opere ipso aggredietur, quid inter (28) humanam divinamque naturam intersit, ignorare videbitur.  Nempe deus multa in unum (29) colligere, rursusque unum in multa producere sufficiens est. Scit enim simul ac potest.  Ho(30)mo autem nullus qui alterutrum valeat aut est nunc aut unquam erit.  Haec sane omnia (31) ita tunc naturaliter affecta ex necessitate ille pulcherrimi optimique operis fabricator in (32) his quae gignebantur assumebat,  quando deum seipso sufficientem et perfectissimum ge(33)nerabat,  utens quidem causis ad haec ministris, quod autem bene se habebat, ipse in singu(34)lis agens.  Duas enim causarum species distinguere decet. Unam quidem necessariam, (35) alteram vero divinam.  Ac divinam in omnibus quaerere ut beatam vitam quoad natu(36)rae nostrae possibile est adipiscamur.  Necessariam quoque causam illorum gratia per(37)scrutari. Cogitare enim oportet absque his illa in quibus studium ponimus non posse in(38)telligi vel comprehendi vel quomodocumque aliter percipi. 
[How is it that sensations are accompanied by pleasure and pain? Sensations arise thus. An object comes into contact with an organ of sense. This, if composed of fine particles, like the eye or ear, readily transmits the motion to the soul; if of larger, like the bones, less readily. The result is sensation.—As regards pleasure and pain—an organ consisting of large particles is more liable to them than an organ of the opposite kind. Pain arises when the particles are suddenly disturbed, pleasure when they are suddenly restored to their natural state.] The most important of the affections which concern the whole body remains to be considered,—that is, the cause of pleasure and pain in the perceptions of which I have been speaking, and in all other things which are perceived by sense through the parts of the body, and have both pains and pleasures attendant on them.  Let us imagine the causes of every affection, whether of sense or not, to be of the following nature,  remembering that we have already distinguished between the nature which is easy and which is hard to move;  for this is the direction in which we must hunt the prey which we mean to take.  A body which is of a nature to be easily moved, on receiving an impression however slight, spreads abroad the motion in a circle, the parts communicating with each other, until at last, reaching the principle of mind, they announce the quality of the agent.  But a body of the opposite kind, being immobile, and not extending to the surrounding region, merely receives the impression, and does not stir any of the neighbouring parts;  and since the parts do not distribute the original impression to other parts, it has no effect of motion on the whole animal, and therefore produces no effect on the patient.  This is true of the bones and hair and other more earthy parts of the human body;  whereas what was said above relates mainly to sight and hearing, because they have in them the greatest amount of fire and air.  Now we must conceive of pleasure and pain in this way.  An impression produced in us contrary to nature and violent, if sudden, is painful; and, again, the sudden return to nature is pleasant; but a gentle and gradual return is imperceptible and vice versa.  On the other hand the impression of sense which is most easily produced is most readily felt, but is not accompanied by pleasure or pain;  such, for example, are the affections of the sight, which, as we said above, is a body naturally uniting with our body in the day-time;  for cuttings and burnings and other affections which happen to the sight do not give pain, nor is there pleasure when the sight returns to its natural state;  but the sensations are clearest and strongest according to the manner in which the eye is affected by the object, and itself strikes and touches it;  there is no violence either in the contraction or dilation of the eye.  But bodies formed of larger particles yield to the agent only with a struggle; and then they impart their motions to the whole and cause pleasure and pain  — pain when alienated from their natural conditions, and pleasure when restored to them.  Things which experience gradual withdrawings and emptyings of their nature, and great and sudden replenishments, fail to perceive the emptying, but are sensible of the replenishment;  and so they occasion no pain, but the greatest pleasure, to the mortal part of the soul, as is manifest in the case of perfumes.   But things which are changed all of a sudden, and only gradually and with difficulty return to their own nature, have effects in every way opposite to the former,  as is evident in the case of burnings and cuttings of the body.  [ii. Affections of particular organs:—(1) of the tongue,—produced by contraction and dilation of the veins. They are as follows: a. Astringency. b. Harshness. c. Bitterness. d. Saltness. e. Pungency. f. Acidity. g. Sweetness.] Thus have we discussed the general affections of the whole body, and the names of the agents which produce them.  And now I will endeavour to speak of the affections of particular parts, and the causes and agents of them, as far as I am able.  In the first place let us set forth what was omitted when we were speaking of juices, concerning the affections peculiar to the tongue.  These too, like most of the other affections, appear to be caused by certain contractions and dilations, but they have besides more of roughness and smoothness than is found in other affections;  for whenever earthy particles enter into the small veins which are the testing instruments of the tongue, reaching to the heart, and fall upon the moist, delicate portions of flesh — when, as they are dissolved, they contract and dry up the little veins, they are astringent if they are rougher, but if not so rough, then only harsh.  Those of them which are of an abstergent nature, and purge the whole surface of the tongue, if they do it in excess, and so encroach as to consume some part of the flesh itself, like potash and soda, are all termed bitter.  But the particles which are deficient in the alkaline quality, and which cleanse only moderately, are called salt, and having no bitterness or roughness, are regarded as rather agreeable than otherwise.  Bodies which share in and are made smooth by the heat of the mouth, and which are inflamed, and again in turn inflame that which heats them, and which are so light that they are carried upwards to the sensations of the head,  and cut all that comes in their way, by reason of these qualities in them, are all termed pungent.  But when these same particles, refined by putrefaction, enter into the narrow veins, and are duly proportioned to the particles of earth and air which are there, they set them whirling about one another,  and while they are in a whirl cause them to dash against and enter into one another, and so form hollows surrounding the particles that enter—which watery vessels of air (for a film of moisture, sometimes earthy, sometimes pure, is spread around the air) are hollow spheres of water;  and those of them which are pure, are transparent, and are called bubbles, while those composed of the earthy liquid, which is in a state of general agitation and effervescence, are said to boil or ferment;—of all these affections the cause is termed acid.  And there is the opposite affection arising from an opposite cause,  when the mass of entering particles, immersed in the moisture of the mouth, is congenial to the tongue, and smooths and oils over the roughness, and relaxes the parts which are unnaturally contracted, and contracts the parts which are relaxed, and disposes them all according to their nature;—that sort of remedy of violent affections is pleasant and agreeable to every man, and has the name sweet.  But enough of this.  [(2) Of the nostrils. Smells can only be distinguished as pleasant or the reverse. The substances which emit them, vapour and mist, are halfformed, being intermediate between water and air.] The faculty of smell does not admit of differences of kind;  for all smells are of a half-formed nature, and no element is so proportioned as to have any smell.    and for this reason no one ever perceives the smell of any of them; but smells always proceed from bodies that are damp, or putrefying, or liquefying, or evaporating,  and are perceptible only in the intermediate state, when water is changing into air and air into water; and all of them are either vapour or mist.  That which is passing out of air into water is mist, and that which is passing from water into air is vapour;  and hence all smells are thinner than water and thicker than air.  The proof of this is, that when there is any obstruction to the respiration, and a man draws in his breath by force,  then no smell filters through, but the air without the smell alone penetrates.  Wherefore the varieties of smell have no name, and they have not many, or definite and simple kinds;  but they are distinguished only as painful and pleasant,  the one sort irritating and disturbing the whole cavity which is situated between the head and the navel,  the other having a soothing influence, and restoring this same region to an agreeable and natural condition.  [(3) Of the ear. Sounds are blows which pass through the ears to the soul. They are acute and grave, smooth and harsh, &c.] In considering the third kind of sense, hearing, we must speak of the causes in which it originates.  We may in general assume sound to be a blow which passes through the ears, and is transmitted by means of the air, the brain, and the blood, to the soul,  and that hearing is the vibration of this blow, which begins in the head and ends in the region of the liver.  The sound which moves swiftly is acute, and the sound which moves slowly is grave,  and that which is regular is equable and smooth, and the reverse is harsh.  A great body of sound is loud, and a small body of sound the reverse.  Respecting the harmonies of sound I must hereafter speak.  [(4) Of the eye. Colours are flames emitted by objects.] There is a fourth class of sensible things, having many intricate varieties, which must now be distinguished.  They are called by the general name of colours, and are a flame which emanates from every sort of body, and has particles corresponding to the sense of sight.  I have spoken already, in what has preceded, of the causes which generate sight,  and in this place it will be natural and suitable to give a rational theory of colours.  [Simple colours are: a. Transparent. b. White. c. Black. d. Bright. c. Red. The compound colours are: a. Auburn. b. Purple. c. Umber. d. Flamecolour. e. Dun. f. Pale yellow. g. Dark blue. h. Light blue. i. Leek green.] Of the particles coming from other bodies which fall upon the sight, some are smaller and some are larger, and some are equal to the parts of the sight itself.  Those which are equal are imperceptible, and we call them transparent.  The larger produce contraction, the smaller dilation, in the sight, exercising a power akin to that of hot and cold bodies on the flesh, or of astringent bodies on the tongue, or of those heating bodies which we termed pungent.  White and black are similar effects of contraction and dilation in another sphere, and for this reason have a different appearance.  Wherefore, we ought to term white that which dilates the visual ray, and the opposite of this black.  There is also a swifter motion of a different sort of fire which strikes and dilates the ray of sight until it reaches the eyes, forcing a way through their passages and melting them, and eliciting from them a union of fire and water which we call tears,  being itself an opposite fire which comes to them from an opposite direction—the inner fire flashes forth like lightning, and the outer finds a way in and is extinguished in the moisture, and all sorts of colours are generated by the mixture.  This affection is termed dazzling, and the object which produces it is called bright and flashing.  There is another sort of fire which is intermediate, and which reaches and mingles with the moisture of the eye without flashing;  and in this, the fire mingling with the ray of the moisture, produces a colour like blood, to which we give the name of red.  A bright hue mingled with red and white gives the colour called auburn (ξανθόν).  The law of proportion, however, according to which the several colours are formed, even if a man knew he would be foolish in telling, for he could not give any necessary reason, nor indeed any tolerable or probable explanation of them.  Again, red, when mingled with black and white, becomes purple, but it becomes umber (ὄρϕνινον) when the colours are burnt as well as mingled and the black is more thoroughly mixed with them.   Flamecolour (πυρρὸν) is produced by a union of auburn and dun (ϕαιὸν), and dun by an admixture of black and white; pale yellow (ὠχρὸν), by an admixture of white and auburn.  White and bright meeting, and falling upon a full black, become dark blue (κυανον̂ν), and when dark blue mingles with white, a light blue (γλαυκὸν) colour is formed, as flame-colour with black makes leek green (πράσιον).  There will be no difficulty in seeing how and by what mixtures the colours derived from these are made according to the rules of probability.  He, however, who should attempt to verify all this by experiment, would forget the difference of the human and divine nature.  For God only has the knowledge and also the power which are able to combine many things into one and again resolve the one into many.  But no man either is or ever will be able to accomplish either the one or the other operation.  [These are the necessary causes which God used in creating the universe. They are subservient to the divine, which we must seek, if we wish to attain bliss.] These are the elements, thus of necessity then subsisting, which the creator of the fairest and best of created things associated with himself,  when he made the self-sufficing and most perfect God,  using the necessary causes as his ministers in the accomplishment of his work, but himself contriving the good in all his creations.  Wherefore we may distinguish two sorts of causes, the one divine and the other necessary,  and may seek for the divine in all things, as far as our nature admits, with a view to the blessed life;  but the necessary kind only for the sake of the divine, considering that without them and when isolated from them, these higher things for which we look cannot be apprehended or received or in any way shared by us. 
                                                                                                                                                                           
 
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