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Aristoteles: Categoriae
    Click to Expand/Collapse Option Complete text
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionTitle
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter I
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter II
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter III
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter IV
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter V: De substantia
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter VI: De quantitate
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter VII: De relativis ved ad aliquid
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter VIII: De quali et qualitate
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter IX: De facere et pati
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter X: De oppositis
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter XI
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter XII: De priore
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter XIII: De his quae simul sunt
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter XIV: De motu
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionChapter XV: De habere
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(26) Πρότερον ἕτερον ἑτέρου λέγεται τετραχῶς·  πρῶτον μὲν (27) καὶ κυριώτατα κατὰ χρόνον,  καθ’ ὃ πρεσβύτερον ἕτε(28)ρον ἑτέρου καὶ παλαιότερον λέγεται,  —τῷ γὰρ τὸν χρόνον πλείω (29) εἶναι καὶ πρεσβύτερον καὶ παλαιότερον λέγεται·— 
       
(12,1) DE PRIORE: Prius alterum altero dicitur quadrupliciter.  Primo quidem et proprie (2) secundum tempus,  secundum quod scilicet antiquius alterum altero et (3) senius dicimus  (eo enim quod plus est temporis longaeuius et antiquius (4) dicitur). 
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There are four senses in which one thing can be said to be ’prior’ to another.  Primarily and most properly the term has reference to time:  in this sense the word is used to indicate that one thing is older or more ancient than another,  for the expressions ’older’ and ’more ancient’ imply greater length of time. 
δεύτερον (30) δὲ τὸ μὴ ἀντιστρέφον κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησιν, οἷον (31) τὸ ἓν τῶν δύο πρότερον·  δυεῖν μὲν γὰρ ὄντων ἀκολουθεῖ (32) εὐθὺς τὸ ἓν εἶναι, ἑνὸς δὲ ὄντος οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον δύο εἶναι,  (33) ὥστε οὐκ ἀντιστρέφει ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἡ ἀκολούθησις τοῦ εἶναι τὸ (34) λοιπόν,  πρότερον δὲ δοκεῖ τὸ τοιοῦτον εἶναι ἀφ’ οὗ μὴ ἀντι(35)στρέφει ἡ τοῦ εἶναι ἀκολούθησις. 
       
(5) Secundo quod non conuertitur secundum subsistendi consequentiam, ut (6) unus duobus prius est  (cum enim duo sint, consequitur mox unum esse, (7) cum uero sit unum non est necesse duo esse;  quare non conuertitur ab (8) uno consequentia alterius subsistentiae);  prius autem uidetur esse (9) illud a quo non conuertitur subsistentiae consequentia. 
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Secondly, one thing is said to be ’prior’ to another when the sequence of their being cannot be reversed. In this sense ’one’ is ’prior’ to ’two’.  For if ’two’ exists, it follows directly that ’one’ must exist, but if ’one’ exists, it does not follow necessarily that ’two’ exists:  thus the sequence subsisting cannot be reversed.  It is agreed, then, that when the sequence of two things cannot be reversed, then that one on which the other depends is called ’prior’ to that other. 
τρίτον δὲ κατά τινα τάξιν (36) πρότερον λέγεται, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπιστημῶν καὶ τῶν λό(37)γων·  ἔν τε γὰρ ταῖς ἀποδεικτικαῖς ἐπιστήμαις ὑπάρχει τὸ πρότε(38)ρον καὶ τὸ ὕστερον τῇ τάξει,  —τὰ γὰρ στοιχεῖα πρότερα τῶν (14b1) διαγραμμάτων τῇ τάξει,  καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γραμματικῆς τὰ στοιχεῖα (2) πρότερα τῶν συλλαβῶν,—  ἐπί τε τῶν λόγων ὁμοίως, —τὸ γὰρ (3) προοίμιον τῆς διηγήσεως πρότερον τῇ τάξει ἐστίν.— 
         
(10) Tertio uero secundum quendam ordinem prius dicitur, quemadmodum et in (11) disciplinis et in orationibus;  in demonstratiuis enim disciplinis (12) inest prius et posterius secundum ordinem  (elementa enim priora sunt (13) descriptionibus secundum ordinem,  et in grammatica elementa priora (14) sunt syllabis),  et in orationibus similiter (exordium enim narratione (15) prius est ordine). 
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In the third place, the term ’prior’ is used with reference to any order, as in the case of science and of oratory.  For in sciences which use demonstration there is that which is prior and that which is posterior in order;  in geometry, the elements are prior to the propositions;  in reading and writing, the letters of the alphabet are prior to the syllables  Similarly, in the case of speeches, the exordium is prior in order to the narrative. 
ἔτι (4) παρὰ τὰ εἰρημένα τὸ βέλτιον καὶ τὸ τιμιώτερον πρότερον (5) εἶναι τῇ φύσει δοκεῖ·  εἰώθασι δὲ καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τοὺς (6) ἐντιμοτέρους καὶ μᾶλλον ἀγαπωμένους ὑπ’ αὐτῶν προ(7)τέρους φάσκειν εἶναι·  ἔστι μὲν δὴ σχεδὸν ἀλλοτριώτατος (8) τῶν τρόπων οὗτος. 
     
(16) Amplius praeter haec omnia, quod melius et honorabilius est, prius (17) natura esse uidetur;  solent autem plures honoratiores [magis] et (18) quos ipsi maxime uenerantur priores esse dicere;  est autem hic modus (19) paene alienissimus. 
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Besides these senses of the word, there is a fourth. That which is better and more honourable is said to have a natural priority.  In common parlance men speak of those whom they honour and love as ’coming first’ with them.  This sense of the word is perhaps the most far-fetched. 
(9) Οἱ μὲν οὖν λεγόμενοι τοῦ προτέρου τρόποι τοσοῦτοί (10) εἰσιν. 
 
(20) Atque hi quidem qui dicuntur modi prioris isti sunt. 
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Such, then, are the different senses in which the term ’prior’ is used. 
δόξειε δ’ ἂν καὶ παρὰ τοὺς εἰρημένους ἕτερος (11) εἶναι προτέρου τρόπος·  τῶν γὰρ ἀντιστρεφόντων κατὰ τὴν τοῦ (12) εἶναι ἀκολούθησιν τὸ αἴτιον ὁπωσοῦν θατέρῳ τοῦ εἶναι πρότε(13)ρον εἰκότως φύσει λέγοιτ’ ἄν.  ὅτι δ’ ἔστι τινὰ τοιαῦτα, (14) δῆλον·  τὸ γὰρ εἶναι ἄνθρωπον ἀντιστρέφει κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εἶ(15)ναι ἀκολούθησιν πρὸς τὸν ἀληθῆ περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον·  εἰ γὰρ (16) ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος, ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος ᾧ λέγομεν ὅτι ἔστιν ἄν(17)θρωπος·  καὶ ἀντιστρέφει γε, —εἰ γὰρ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος ᾧ λέ(18)γομεν ὅτι ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος, ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος·—  ἔστι δὲ ὁ μὲν ἀλη(19)θὴς λόγος οὐδαμῶς αἴτιος τοῦ εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, τὸ μέντοι (20) πρᾶγμα φαίνεταί πως αἴτιον τοῦ εἶναι ἀληθῆ τὸν λόγον·  (21) τῷ γὰρ εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ μὴ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος ἢ ψευ(22)δὴς λέγεται.  ὥστε κατὰ πέντε τρόπους πρότερον ἕτερον ἑτέρου (23) λέγοιτ’ ἄν. 
                 
(21) Videtur autem praeter eos qui dicti sunt alter esse prioris modus;  (22) eorum enim quae conuertuntur secundum essentiae consequentiam, quod (23) alterius quomodolibet causa est digne prius natura dicitur.  Quoniam (24) autem sunt quaedam talia, manifestum est;  nam esse hominem conuertitur (25) secundum subsistentiae consequentiam ad uerum de eo sermonem;  nam, si (26) est homo, uerus sermo est quo dicimus quoniam est homo,  et conuertitur (27) (nam, si uerus est: sermo quo dicimus quoniam est homo, hominem esse (28) necesse est);  est autem uerus sermo nullo modo causa subsistendi rem, (29) res autem uidetur quodammodo causa esse ut sermo uerus sit;  nam, (30) quoniam est res uel non est, uerus sermo uel falsus dicitur.  Quare (31) secundum quinque modos prius alterum altero dicitur. 
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Yet it would seem that besides those mentioned there is yet another.  For in those things, the being of each of which implies that of the other, that which is in any way the cause may reasonably be said to be by nature ’prior’ to the effect.  It is plain that there are instances of this.  The fact of the being of a man carries with it the truth of the proposition that he is, and the implication is reciprocal:  for if a man is, the proposition wherein we allege that he is true,  and conversely, if the proposition wherein we allege that he is true, then he is.  The true proposition, however, is in no way the cause of the being of the man, but the fact of the man’s being does seem somehow to be the cause of the truth of the proposition,  for the truth or falsity of the proposition depends on the fact of the man’s being or not being.  Thus the word ’prior’ may be used in five senses. 
 
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