Sophia Scriptura

On the Nature of Man 16–24

Nemesius of Emesa · On the Nature of Man · ca. 390-400 · Emesa · 9 passages

Greek text: Matthaei.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

Chapter 16

16Matthaei, 213-218

… καθ' ἕαυτὲὴν εἶναι λέγουσι τὴν ἀλογίαν, ὡς ἅλομὴ " ΩΝ ΩΣ “Ὁ γον ψυχὴν οὖσαν, καὶ οὐ μέρος τῆς λογικῆς. πρῶτον μὲν» ὅτι καὶ καθ' ἑχυτὴν ἐν τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζώοις εὑρίσκεται" ἐξ οὗ δῆλον, ὃ ὅτι τελεία τις ἐστὶ, καὶ οὐ μέρος ἄλλης" εἶθ᾽, ὅτι τῶν ἀτοπωτάτων ἐστὶ, τῆς λογικῆς μέρος εἶναι τὸ ὅλο. γον. ᾿Αριστοτέλης δὲ αὶ μέρος εἶναι λέγοι καὶ δύναμιν, καί ἱ διαιρεῖ εἰς δύο, ὡς ἔφαμεν" καλεῖ δὲ ταῦτα κοινῶς, καὶ ὀρεκτικόν" τούτου δέ ἐστι καὶ καὶ καθ' ὁρμὴν κίνησις. ἡ γὰρ ὄρεξις. κιγήσειός ἐστιν ἀρχή. ὀρεχθέντα γὰρ τὰ ὶ ζῶα ἐπὶ τὴν καθ' ὁρμὴν ἀττει κίνησιν. τοῦ δὲ ἀλόγου τὸ μὲν οὐ πείθεται λόγῳ, τὸ δὲ ἐπιπειθές ἐστι λόγῳ" πάλιν δὲ τὸ ἐπιπειθὲς λόγῳ διαιρεῖται εἰς δύο, εἴς τὲ τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν καὶ τὸ θυμικόν. ἔστι δὲ ὄργανα τοῦ μὲν ἐπιθυμητικοῦ, τοῦ δὲ αἰσθήσεως, τὸ. ἧπαρ τοῦ δὲ θυμριοῦς ἡ καρδία, σκληρὸν μόριον καὶ κίνησιν εὐτόνον ἐπιδεχόμενον, εἰς σκληρὰν ὑπηρεσίαν καὶ σύντονον ὁρμὴν τεταγμένον, ὥςπερ τὸ ἧπαρ, παλὸν σπλάγχνον, τῆς ἁπαλῆς ἐπιθυμίας ὄργανον γέγονε. καλεῖται δὲ ταῦτα ἐπιπειθῆ λόγῳ. ὅτι πέφυκε πείθεσθαι λόγῳ καὶ ὑποτάσσεσθαι καὶ κινεῖσθαι, εἰς ὧν ὁ ὁ λόγος κελεύη, ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ Φύσιν ἐχόντων ἀνθρώπων. ἔστι. δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τὼ πάθη συστατικὰ τὴς ζωώδους οὐσίας. ἄνευ γὰρ τούτων οὐκ ἔστι συστῆναι! τὴν ζωήν. ἐπεὶ δ τὸ πάθος ὁμωνύμως λέγεται, διασταλτέον πρότερον τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν. οᾷ λέγεται γὰρ πάθος καὶ τὸ σωματικὸν, ὡς τὰ νοσήματα καὶ τὰ ἕλκη" λέγεται πάθος, καὶ τὸ Ψυχυιὸνγ περὶ οὗ νῦν ἐστιν ὃ λόγος, ὅτε ἐπιθυμίᾳ καὶ ὁ θυμός" ἔστι δὲ κοινῶς μὲν καὶ γενικῶς ζώου πάθος, ᾧ ἕπεται ἡδονὴ ἢ ἢ λύπη. ἔπεται γὰρ τῷ πάθει λύπη, καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸ τὸ πάθος ἐστὶ λύπη. εἶ γὰρ τοῦτο ἦν, πᾶν τὸ πάσχον καὶ γλγει" νῦν δὲ τὰ ἀναίσθητα πάσχει μὲν, οὐκ ἀλγεῖ δέ" οὐκ ἄρα τὸ πάθος ἐστὶν ἄλγημα Ν ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τοῦ πάθους αἴσθησις. δεῖ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἀξιόλογον εἶναι, ἵνὰ τῇ αἰσθύσει ὑποπέση. τῶν δὲ ψυχικῶν παθῶν ὅρος οὗτος" σεάθος ἐστὶ κίνσις τὴς ὀρεκτικῆς δυνάμεὼς αἰσθητὴ ἐπὶ Φαντασίῳ, ἀγαθοὺ ἢ κακοῦ. καὶ ἄλλως" σάθος ἐστὶ κίνησις ἄλογος “«ῆς ψυχὲς δί' ὑπόληψιν καλοῦ ἢ κακοῦ. τὸ δὲ γενικὸν πάθος οὕτως ὁρίζονται" στάθος ἐστὶ κύησις ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἐξ ἑτέρου. ἐνέργεια δέ ἐστι κίνησις δραστικὴ κατὰ Φύσιν" δραστικὸν δὲ λέγεται, τὸ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ κινούμεγον. οὕτως οὖν καὶ ὁ θυμὸς, ἐνέργεια μέν ἐστι τοῦ πα δοῦς" πάθος δὲν τῶν δύο μερῶν τὴς ψυχῆς, καὶ προςέτι τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν παντὸς, ὅταν ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ βιαίως ἀγηται πρὸς τὰς πράξεις. ἐξ ἑτέρου γαρ ᾿ ἑτέρῳ γέγονεν ἡ κίνησις,» ὅπερ ἐλέγομεν εἶναι πάθος. ειαὶ καθ' ἕτερον δὲ τρόπον, ἡ Ἶ ἐνέργεια “«ταθος λέγεται, ὅταν μ παραὶ Φύον. ἐνέργεια μὲν γάρ ἐστι κατα Φύσιν κίνησις" πάθος δὲ παραὶ φύσιν. καὶ κατὰ τοῦτον οὖν τὸν λόγον ΚΙ ἐνέργεια, ὅταν μὲὴ κατὰ Φύσιν κρῆται, λέγεται πάθος, εἴτε ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ κινοῖτο, εἴτε ἐξ ἑτέρον. τῆς γοῦν καρδίας ἡ ἡ μὲν κατὰ τοὺς σφυγμοὺς κίνησις» ἐνέργειώ ἐστιν" ἡ δὲ κατὰ τοὺς παλμοὺς, πάθος. ἐξ αὐτῆς μὲν γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἡ κατὰ τοὺς παλμοὺς κίνησις αλλ᾽ οὐ κατὰ Φύσιν". ἐξ αὐτὴς δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν σφυγμῶν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ φῶνν. οὐδὲν οὖν θαυμαστὸν, ἕν καὶ ταὐτὸν πρᾶγμα, καὶ πάθος καὶ ἐνέργειαν ὀνομαίζεσθαι. καθ ὃ μὲν γὰρ κινήσεις εἰσὶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ παθητικοῦ τὸς ψυχῆς, ἐνέργειαί τινές εἶσι" καθ' ὃ δὲ ἃ αμετροι. καὶ οὐ κατὰ ᾧύσιν, οὐκ ἐνέργειαι, ἀλλὰ πάθη. οὕτως οὖν καὶ κύησις τοῦ ἀλόγου φάθος ἐστὶ κατ᾽ ἄμῴω τὰ σημαινόμενα. οὐ πᾶσα δὲ κύησις τοῦ παθητικοῦ, πάθος καλεῖται" οἰλλ᾽ αἱ σφοδρότεραι καὶ εἰς αἰσθησιν προβαύνουσαι. αἱ γρ μικραὶ καὶ ἀνεπαίσθητοι οὐδέπω πάθη. δεῖ γὰρ ἔχειν τὸ πάθος καὶ μέγεθος ἀξιόλογον. διὸ τ πρόφκειται τῷ ὅρῳ τοῦ πάθους, τὸ κίνησις αἰσθησή. αἱ γὰρ μικραὶ κιγήσεις.» λανθάνουσαι τὴν αἰσθησιν, οὐ “ποιοῦσι πάθος, ὡς εἴρηται.

… kath' heauteēn einai legousi tēn alogian, hōs halomē " ŌN ŌS “Ho gon psychēn ousan, kai ou meros tēs logikēs. prōton men» hoti kai kath' hechytēn en tois alogois zōois heurisketai" ex hou dēlon, ho hoti teleia tis esti, kai ou meros allēs" eith᾽, hoti tōn atopōtatōn esti, tēs logikēs meros einai to holo. gon. ᾿Aristotelēs de ai meros einai legoi kai dynamin, kai hi diairei eis dyo, hōs ephamen" kalei de tauta koinōs, kai orektikon" toutou de esti kai kai kath' hormēn kinēsis. hē gar orexis. kigēseios estin archē. orechthenta gar ta i zōa epi tēn kath' hormēn attei kinēsin. tou de alogou to men ou peithetai logǭ, to de epipeithes esti logǭ" palin de to epipeithes logǭ diaireitai eis dyo, eis te to epithymētikon kai to thymikon. esti de organa tou men epithymētikou, tou de aisthēseōs, to. hēpar tou de thymrious hē kardia, sklēron morion kai kinēsin eutonon epidechomenon, eis sklēran hypēresian kai syntonon hormēn tetagmenon, hōsper to hēpar, palon splanchnon, tēs hapalēs epithymias organon gegone. kaleitai de tauta epipeithē logǭ. hoti pephyke peithesthai logǭ kai hypotassesthai kai kineisthai, eis hōn ho ho logos keleuē, epi tōn kata Physin echontōn anthrōpōn. esti. de kai tauta tō pathē systatika tēs zōōdous ousias. aneu gar toutōn ouk esti systēnai! tēn zōēn. epei d to pathos homōnymōs legetai, diastalteon proteron tēn homōnymian. oą legetai gar pathos kai to sōmatikon, hōs ta nosēmata kai ta helkē" legetai pathos, kai to Psychuiong peri hou nyn estin ho logos, hote epithymią kai ho thymos" esti de koinōs men kai genikōs zōou pathos, hǭ hepetai hēdonē ē ē lypē. epetai gar tǭ pathei lypē, kai ouk auto to pathos esti lypē. ei gar touto ēn, pan to paschon kai glgei" nyn de ta anaisthēta paschei men, ouk algei de" ouk ara to pathos estin algēma N all᾽ hē tou pathous aisthēsis. dei de touto kai axiologon einai, hina tę̄ aisthysei hypopesē. tōn de psychikōn pathōn horos houtos" seathos esti kinsis tēs orektikēs dynameōs aisthētē epi Phantasiǭ, agathou ē kakou. kai allōs" sathos esti kinēsis alogos “«ēs psyches di' hypolēpsin kalou ē kakou. to de genikon pathos houtōs horizontai" stathos esti kyēsis en heterǭ ex heterou. energeia de esti kinēsis drastikē kata Physin" drastikon de legetai, to ex heautou kinoumegon. houtōs oun kai ho thymos, energeia men esti tou pa dous" pathos den tōn dyo merōn tēs psychēs, kai proseti tou sōmatos hēmōn pantos, hotan hypo tou thymou biaiōs agētai pros tas praxeis. ex heterou gar ᾿ heterǭ gegonen hē kinēsis,» hoper elegomen einai pathos. eiai kath' heteron de tropon, hē I energeia “«tathos legetai, hotan m parai Phyon. energeia men gar esti kata Physin kinēsis" pathos de parai physin. kai kata touton oun ton logon KI energeia, hotan meē kata Physin krētai, legetai pathos, eite ex heautou kinoito, eite ex heteron. tēs goun kardias hē hē men kata tous sphygmous kinēsis» energeiō estin" hē de kata tous palmous, pathos. ex autēs men gar esti kai hē kata tous palmous kinēsis all᾽ ou kata Physin". ex autēs de kai hē tōn sphygmōn, alla kata phōnn. ouden oun thaumaston, hen kai tauton pragma, kai pathos kai energeian onomaizesthai. kath ho men gar kinēseis eisin ex autou tou pathētikou tos psychēs, energeiai tines eisi" kath' ho de ha ametroi. kai ou kata hǭysin, ouk energeiai, alla pathē. houtōs oun kai kyēsis tou alogou phathos esti kat᾽ amǭō ta sēmainomena. ou pasa de kyēsis tou pathētikou, pathos kaleitai" oill᾽ hai sphodroterai kai eis aisthēsin probaunousai. hai gr mikrai kai anepaisthētoi oudepō pathē. dei gar echein to pathos kai megethos axiologon. dio t prophkeitai tǭ horǭ tou pathous, to kinēsis aisthēsē. hai gar mikrai kigēseis.» lanthanousai tēn aisthēsin, ou “poiousi pathos, hōs eirētai.

[Some] say that the irrational is by itself an irrational soul, and not part of the rational soul: first, because it is found by itself in the irrational animals, from which it is clear that it is something complete and not part of another; second, because it is most absurd that the irrational should be part of the rational. Aristotle says it is a part and a power, and divides it into two, as we said; he calls these together the appetitive. To it belongs also movement by impulse; for appetite is the beginning of movement, since animals, when they desire, rush into movement by impulse. Of the irrational, one part does not obey reason, the other is obedient to reason; and again what is obedient to reason is divided into two, desire and anger. The organ of desire is the liver; of anger, the heart, a hard part capable of vigorous movement, appointed for hard service and intense impulse, as the liver, a soft organ, has become the instrument of soft desire. These are called obedient to reason because they naturally obey reason, are subject to it, and move as reason commands, in men who are in their natural state. And these passions are constitutive of the substance of a living creature; for without them life cannot hold together.

Since “passion” is used in more than one sense, the ambiguity must first be distinguished. Bodily things are called passions, such as diseases and wounds; and so is the psychic, of which we are now speaking, such as desire and anger. Generally and in common, a passion of a living creature is what pleasure or pain follows. For pain follows the passion; the passion itself is not pain. If it were, everything that is affected would feel pain; but insensible things are affected and do not feel pain; so passion is not pain, but the perception of the passion is. And it must be considerable, so as to fall under perception. The definition of the passions of the soul is this: passion is a perceptible movement of the appetitive power upon the image of something good or bad. And again: passion is an irrational movement of the soul through the supposition of good or evil. Passion in general they define thus: passion is a movement in one thing from another. Activity is a movement that acts according to nature; that is called active which moves of itself. So anger is an activity of the spirited part, but a passion of the two parts of the soul, and moreover of our whole body, when it is driven violently to actions by anger; for the movement has come about in one thing from another, which we said is passion. In another way too activity is called passion, when it is contrary to nature. For activity is movement according to nature, passion movement contrary to nature. On this account too activity, when it is not moved according to nature, is called passion, whether it is moved by itself or by another. The movement of the heart in pulses is activity, but in palpitations passion; for the movement in palpitations also comes from the heart itself, but not according to nature, while that of the pulses comes from it according to nature. It is not surprising, then, that one and the same thing is called both passion and activity. In so far as they are movements from the passive part of the soul itself, they are activities; in so far as they are immoderate and not according to nature, they are not activities but passions. So movement of the irrational part is passion in both senses. But not every movement of the passive part is called passion, only the more violent ones that reach perception; for small and imperceptible ones are not yet passions. A passion must have a considerable size; therefore “a perceptible movement” is added in the definition of passion; for small movements, escaping perception, do not make a passion, as has been said.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius discusses whether the irrational is a separate soul or a part, divides it into desire and anger with their organs, and defines passion and its relation to activity.

  • The opening words are lost in the OCR; “Some” is supplied by sense.
  • Aristotle, De an. 3.9–10; Eth. nic. 1.13. The definitions of passion are Stoic and Peripatetic.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (line number and OCR slip; words lost in the OCR at the opening): - καθ' ἕαυτὲὴν εἶναι → … καθ' ἕαυτὲὴν εἶναι; τῶν δὲ ψυχικῶν 4τα θῶν → τῶν δὲ ψυχικῶν παθῶν.

Extrabiblical texts: Aristotle (Aristotle (works); allusion)

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 16 (Matthaei, 213-218; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/16). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/16

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 17

17Matthaei, 218-220

Διαιρεῖται μὲν οὖν» ὡς ἔφαμεν, τὸ ἀλογον τῆς ψυχῆς, σὸ ἐπιτειθὲς λόγῳ, εἰς “δύο, τόντθ ἐπιθυμητικὸν καὶ τὸ θυμικόν" πάλιν δὲ τὸ ἐπιθυμγτικὸν διαιρεῖται εἰς δύο, εἰς ἡδονὰς καὶ λύπας" ἐπιτυγχάνουσα μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐπιθυμία, ἡδονὴν ἐμποιεῖ" ἀποτυγχάνουσα δὲ, λύπεν. πάλιν δὲ καθ᾽ ἕτερον Τρόπον ἡ ἡ ἐπιθυμία διαιρουμένη τέσσαρα σὺν ἑαυτῇ τὸ πάντα εἰδὴ ποιεῖ. ἐπεὶ γα τῶν ὄντων τὰ μέν ἐστιν ἀγαθὰ, τὰ δὲ φαῦλα" καὶ τὰ μὲν ἤδη πάρεστι, τὰ δὲ τοὸ προςδοκᾶται" κατὰ τούτους τοὺς τρόπους, τῶν δύο εἰς δύο πολυπλασιαζομένων, τὰ τῆς ἐπιθυαίας εἰς τέσσαρα διαιρεῖν ΕἾ Ε] ται. ἔστι γὰρ ἀγαθὸν καὶ κακόν" καὶ πάλιν παρὸν καὶ ᾿ ᾿,, προςδοκώμενον. προςδοκώμενον γὰρ ἀγαθὸν ἐπιθυμία ἐστίν" ες γδὴ δὲ παρὸν, ἡδονή. πάλιν προφόσκώμενον μὲν κακὸν, Φόα βος" παρὸν δὲ, λύπη. περὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ μὲν γὰρ στρέφεται ἡδονὴ καὶ ἐπιθυμίχ᾽" περὶ τὰ φαῦλα δὲ, Φόβος καὶ λύπη. διό τινες τὸ πάθος εἰς τέσσαρα διαιροῦσιν, ἐπιθυμίαν, ἠδονὴν, Φόβον καὶ λύπην. ἀγαθὰ δὲ καὶ φαῦλα λέγομεν, ἢ ΓΙ τὰ Ὄντως ὄντα, ἢ τὰ νομιζόμενα. ἐγγίνεται δὲ τὰ Φαῦλα πάθη τῇ ψυχῇ διὰ "τριῶν τούτων" διὰ κακῆς ἀγωγῆς, ἐξ Π με πὸ, νιν, ἀμαθίας, ὑπὸ καχεξίας. μὴ αχθέντες γὰρ καλῶς ἐκ παίδων, ὡς δύνασθαι κρατεῖν τῶν παθῶν, εἰς τὴν ἀμετρίαν αὐτῶν ἐκπίπτομεν᾽ ἐκ δὲ τὴς ἀμαθίας, Φαῦλαι κρίσεις τῷ λογισσικῷ τὸς ψυχῆς ἐμῴφύονται, ὡς οἴεσθαι τὰ φαῦλα χρηστὰ εἶναι, καὶ τὰ χρηστὰ Φαῦλα᾽ γίνεται δέ τινα καὶ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ σώματος καχεξίας. ὀργίλοι ὙΑρ εἰσιν οἱ πικρέχολοι" καὶ καταψφερεῖς εἰ θερμιοὶ καὶ ὑγροὶ τὴν κρᾶσιν" 9εραπευτέον δὲ τὸ μὲν κακὸν εθὸς ξθιι καλῷ τὴν δὲ ὦμαθίχν μαθήσει καὶ ἐπιστήμῃ" τὴν δὲ καχεξίαν ἢ ἰατέον σωματοιῶξη, μεθιστάντας αὐτὴν, ὡς εἶδντε εἰς τὴν μέσην πρᾶσιν ἀρμοζούση διαίτῃ καὶ γυμνασίᾳ, καὶ ζαρμάκοις, ἐὰν καὶ τούτων δεηθῶμεν.

Diaireitai men oun» hōs ephamen, to alogon tēs psychēs, so epiteithes logǭ, eis “dyo, tontth epithymētikon kai to thymikon" palin de to epithymgtikon diaireitai eis dyo, eis hēdonas kai lypas" epitynchanousa men gar kai epithymia, hēdonēn empoiei" apotynchanousa de, lypen. palin de kath᾽ heteron Tropon hē hē epithymia diairoumenē tessara syn heautę̄ to panta eidē poiei. epei ga tōn ontōn ta men estin agatha, ta de phaula" kai ta men ēdē paresti, ta de too prosdokatai" kata toutous tous tropous, tōn dyo eis dyo polyplasiazomenōn, ta tēs epithyaias eis tessara diairein EI E] tai. esti gar agathon kai kakon" kai palin paron kai ᾿ ᾿,, prosdokōmenon. prosdokōmenon gar agathon epithymia estin" es gdē de paron, hēdonē. palin prophoskōmenon men kakon, Phoa bos" paron de, lypē. peri ta agatha men gar strephetai hēdonē kai epithymich᾽" peri ta phaula de, Phobos kai lypē. dio tines to pathos eis tessara diairousin, epithymian, ēdonēn, Phobon kai lypēn. agatha de kai phaula legomen, ē GI ta Ontōs onta, ē ta nomizomena. enginetai de ta Phaula pathē tę̄ psychę̄ dia "triōn toutōn" dia kakēs agōgēs, ex P me po, nin, amathias, hypo kachexias. mē achthentes gar kalōs ek paidōn, hōs dynasthai kratein tōn pathōn, eis tēn ametrian autōn ekpiptomen᾽ ek de tēs amathias, Phaulai kriseis tǭ logissikǭ tos psychēs emǭphyontai, hōs oiesthai ta phaula chrēsta einai, kai ta chrēsta Phaula᾽ ginetai de tina kai ek tēs tou sōmatos kachexias. orgiloi HyAr eisin hoi pikrecholoi" kai katapsphereis ei thermioi kai hygroi tēn krasin" 9erapeuteon de to men kakon ethos xthii kalǭ tēn de ōmathichn mathēsei kai epistēmę̄" tēn de kachexian ē iateon sōmatoiōxē, methistantas autēn, hōs eidnte eis tēn mesēn prasin armozousē diaitę̄ kai gymnasią, kai zarmakois, ean kai toutōn deēthōmen.

The irrational part of the soul that is obedient to reason is divided, as we said, into two, desire and anger. Desire again is divided into two, pleasures and pains; for desire, when it attains its object, produces pleasure, and when it fails, pain. Again, divided in another way, desire makes four kinds in all, itself included. Since of things some are good and others bad, and some are already present while others are expected, by these modes, two multiplied by two, the things of desire are divided into four. There is good and evil, and again present and expected. Expected good is desire; present good, pleasure. Again, expected evil is fear; present evil, pain. Pleasure and desire are concerned with goods, fear and pain with evils. Therefore some divide passion into four: desire, pleasure, fear and pain. By good and bad we mean either what truly are so or what are thought to be. Bad passions arise in the soul through three things: bad upbringing, ignorance, and bad bodily condition. Not being brought up well from childhood so as to be able to master the passions, we fall into excess of them; from ignorance, bad judgments grow in the reasoning part of the soul, so that we think bad things good and good things bad; and some come from the bad condition of the body, for the bilious are irascible, and those hot and moist in temperament are lustful. Bad habit must be treated by good habit, ignorance by learning and knowledge, and bad bodily condition must be cured bodily, bringing it as far as possible to the middle temperament by suitable diet and exercise, and by drugs, if we need these too.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius divides desire into the four passions of desire, pleasure, fear and pain and names their causes and cures.

  • The fourfold division of the passions is Stoic (e.g. Diogenes Laertius 7.110–111).

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip; stray marks, numerals or sigla of the printed page left in the OCR text): ΔΔιωρεῖται μὲν οὖν → Διαιρεῖται μὲν οὖν; ᾿ Ω, ᾿ ν ͵, ᾿, → ; " “ἡ ν᾿,, ν → ; " “ ἥ → .

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 17 (Matthaei, 218-220; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/17). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/17

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 18

18Matthaei, 220-229

Τῶν δὲ ἡδονῶν, αἱ μέν εἰσι ψυχικαΐ, αἱ δὲ σωματιιαΐ, ψυχικαὶ μὲν, αἱ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς καθ' ἑαυτὴν, ὡς αἱ περὶ τ ν τὰ μαθήματα καὶ τὴὴἪ θεωρίαν. αὗται γὰρ καὶ αἱ τοιαῦται μόνης εἰσὶ τῆς ψυχῆς. σωματικαὶ δέ εἶσιν, αἱ μετα κοισωματικαὶ καλούμεναι» ὡς αἱ περὶ τὰς τροφὰς καὶ τὰς συνουσίας. μένου δὲ τοῦ σώματος οὐκ ἂν εὖροι τις ἰδίας ήδονας, ἀλλὰ πώθυ, οἷον τομαὶς καὶ ῥεύσεις καὶ τὰς κατὰ κρᾶσιν ποιότητας. πᾶσα γὲρ Ἀδονὴ μετὰ αἰσθήσεως. ψυχικὴν δὲ τὴν αἴσθησιν ἐδείξαμεν. καὶ δῆλον, ὡς τῶν πολλαχῶς λεγομένων ἐστὶν καὶ πἀσο,. ὑφ᾽ ἕτερον γῶρ καὶ ἕτερον γένος εἰσὶν, ὡς αἱ σπουδαῖκι ἡδοναὶ καὶ αἱ φαῦλαι" καὶ αἱ μὲν ψευδεῖς, αἱ δὲ ἀληθεῖς " καὶ αἱ μὲν τῆς διανοίας μόνης, κατ᾽ ἐπιστήμην εἰσίν" αἱ δὲ μετὰ σώματος» κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν" καὶ αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν κατ᾽ αἴσθησιν, αἱ μέν εἶσι Φυσικα" αἱ δὲ οὐ καὶ τῇ μὲν ἡδονῇ, τῇ ἐν τῷ πίνειν, ἀντίκειται ἡ ἐν τῷ διψῆν λύπη" τὴ δὲ κατὰ θεὼρίαν οὐδέν. ταῦτα οὖν πάντα δείκνυσι τὴν ἡδονὴν ὁμωνυμον. τῶν δὲ σωματικῶν καλουμένων ἡδονῶν αἱ μὲν εἰσὶν ἀναγκαῖχι ἅμα καὶ Φυσβεαὶ, ΝΥ͂ χωρὶς ζὴν ἀδύνατον" εἷς αἱ ἱ τροφαὶ, αἱ τῆς ἐνδείας ἀναπληρωτικαὶ καὶ τὰ ἐνδύματα τὰ ἀναγκαῖα" αἱ δὲ φυσιιαὶ μὲν, οὐκ ἀναγκαῖχι δὲ, ὡς αἱ κατὰ φύσιν καὶ κατοὶ νέμον μίξεις. αὗται “)αρ εἰς μὲν τὸν διαμονὴν τοῦ παντὸς γένους συντελοῦσι" δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ χωρὶς αὐτῶν ἐν παρθενία ζῆν" αἱ δὲ οὔτε ἀναγκαῖαι» οὔτε Φυσικαὶ, ὡς ἡ μέθη καὶ καὶ λαγνεία (καὶ ἡ Φιλαργυρία ) καὶ αἱ πλησμοναὶ τὴν χρείαν ὑπερβαίνουσαι. οὗτε γὰρ εἰς διαδοχὴν τοῦ γένους ἡμῖν συμβάλλονται, ὡς καὶ κατὰ νόμον συνουσία, οὗτε εἰς σύστασιν τῆς ζωῆς ἀλλὰ καὶ προςβλάπτουσι. τῷ τοίνυν κατα Θεὸν ὥντι μόνας μεταδιωκτέον τὰς ἀναγκαίας ἅμα καὶ Φυσικὰς ἡδονάς" τῷ δὲ μετ' ἐκεῖνον, ἐν δευτέρῳ τάξει τῶν οὐρετῶν τεταγμένῳ, ταύτας τε καὶ τὰς Φυσικας μὲν, οὐκ ἀναγκαίας δὲ μετιτέον μετὰ τοῦ προζήκοντος καὶ μέτρου καὶ τρόπου καὶ καιροῦ καὶ τόπου" τοῖς δὲ ἄλλας Φευκτέον “παντὶ τρόπως ἁπλῶς δὲ ἡγητέον, ταύτας εἶναι καλὰς ἡδονὰς, τὰς μὴ συμπεπλεγμένας λύπη» μήτε μεταμέλειαν ἐμποιούσας, μήτε βλάβης ἑτέρας γεννητικαὶς,, μήτε τοῦ μετρίου πέρα χωρούσας, μήτε τῶν σπουδαίων ἡμᾶς ἔργων ἀφελκούσας ἐπὶ πολὺ ἢ κωταδουλούσας. κυρίως δέ εἰσιν ἡδοναὶ, αἱ τὴ κατανοήσει τοῦ θείου καὶ ταῖς ἐπιστήμαις καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ἐπιγινόμεναί πῶς ἢ συμπεπλεγμέναι, ἄςπερ ἐν τοῖς κατὰ πρῶτον λόγον περισπουδάστοις θετέον, οὐκ εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἑπλῶς, οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν διαμονὴν τοῦ γένους, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τὸ εὖ εἶναι, καὶ σπουδαίοις καὶ θεοφιλέσιν εἶναι συντελούσας, καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὴν κατὰ ψυχὴν καὶ τὸ γοερὸν τελειότητα, αἵπερ οὔτε θεραπείαι τινῶν παθῶν εἰαὶν, ὡς αἱ τῆς ἐνδείας ἀναπληρωτικαὶ, οὐθ᾽ ὅλως λύπην ἔχουσι στροηγουμένην. ἑπομένην» ἢ ἀντυιειμόνηνν ἀλλ᾽ εἰσὶ καθαραὶ καὶ ἄμικτοι πάσης ὑλικῆς συμπλοκῆς » ψυχριαὶ μόνον οὖσαι. καὶ γὰρ κατὰ Πλάτωνα, τῶν δονῶν αἱ μέν εἰσι ψευδεῖς, αἱ δὲ ἀληθεῖς. ψευδεῖς μὲν, ὅσαι μετ᾽ αἰσθήσεως γίνονται «αὶ δόξης οὐκ ἀληθοῦς, καὶ λύπας ἔχουσι συμπεπλεγμένας" ἀληθεῖς δὲν ὅσαι τῆς ψυχῆς εἰσὶ μόνης αὐτῆς καθ' ἑαυτὴν μετ᾽ ἐπιστήμης καὶ νοῦ καὶ Φρονήσεως, καθαραὶ καὶ ἀνεπίμικτοι λύπης ν αἷς οὐδὲ μία μετάνοια παρακολουθεῖ ποτέ. καλοῦσι δὲ τὰς ἐπακολουθούσας τῇ θεωρίῳ καὶ ταῖς καλαῖς πράξεσιν ἡδονὰς, οὐ παθὴη;, ἀλλὰ πείσεις. τινὲς δὲ κυρίως τὴν τοιαύτην ἡδονὴν, χαρὰν λέγουσιν. ὁρίζονται δὲ τὴ ἦδονὴν» γένεσιν εἰς φύσιν αἰσθητήν. ἔοικδ δὲ οὗτος ὁ ὅρος» πῆς σωματικῆς μόνης ἡδονῆς εἶναι. αὕτη γὰρ ἀναπλήρωσίς τὶς ἐστὶ καὶ ἰατρεία τῆς σωματικῆς ἐνδείας, καὶ τῆς προςγενομένης διὰ τὴν ἔνδειαν λύπης. ῥνγοῦντες γὰρ ἡ διψῶν: τες, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ῥΐγους καὶ τῆς δίψης θεραπεύοντες λύπην, ἐν τῷ θάλπεσθαι καὶ πίνειν ἡδόμεθα. κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς οὖν εἰσὶν ἀγαθαὶ, καὶ οὐ καθ' ἑαυτὰς, οὐδὲ Φύσει. ὡς γὰρ τὸ ὑγιάζεσθαι κατὰ συμβεβηκός ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν, τὸ δὲ ὑγιαίνειν Φύσει καὶ καθ'᾽ ἑαυτό" οὕτω καὶ αὗται κατὰ συμβεβηκός εἶσιν αγαθαὶ, ἰατρεῖαί τινες οὖσαι" αἱ δὲ τῆς θεως ἡδοναὶ καθ᾽ ἑαυτὰς εἰσιν ἀγωθαὶ καὶ Φύσει. οὐ γάρ ἐπ᾽ ἐνδείου γίνονται. δῆλον οὖν ἐντεῦθεν, ες οὐ πᾶσα ἡδονὴ τῆς ἐνδείας ἐστὶν ἀναπληρωτική. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, οὐχ, ὑγιὴς ὁ ὅρος, ὁ λέγων, γένεσιν εἰς φύσιν αἰσθητὴν εἶναι τὴν ἡδονήν. οὐ γὼρ πάσας περιλαμβάνει τὰς ἡδονὰς, ἀλλὰ παραλείπει τοί «τὴν ἐκ τῆς θεωρίαις. καὶ Ἐπίκουρος δὲ, τὴν ἡδονὴν ὁριζό- {μενος, παντὸς τοῦ λυποῦντος ὑπεξαίρεσιν, τὸ αὐτό ᾧησι τοῖς λέγουσι, γένεσιν εἰς ᾧύσιν αἰσθητήν. τὴν γορ ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦ λυποῦντος, ἡδονὴν εἶναί ᾧησιν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐδεμία γένεσις τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀποτελέσμασιν ὁμογενής ἐστιν ἢ συγγενὴς, οὐδὲ τὴν γένεσιν τῆς ἡδονῆς, ἡδονὴν ἡγητέον, ἀλλὰ παροὺ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἄλλο τι" ἐν τῷ γίνεσθαι μὲν γαρ ἡ γένεσίς ἐστιν" οὐδὲν δὲ τῶν γινομένων ἅμα γίνεται καὶ γέγονεν" ἀλλὰ δὴλον» ὅτι κατὰ μέρος" τὸ δὲ ἡδόμενον ἀθρόως ἤσθη" οὐκ ἄρα «γένεσις ἡ ἡδονή. ἔτι, πᾶσα γένεσις οὐκ ὄντος ἐστίν" ἡ δὲ ἡδονὴ τῶν ἤδη ὄντων" οὐκ ἔστιν ἄρα γένεσις καὶ ἡδονή, ἔτι» γένεσις μὲν, ταχεῖα καὶ βραδεῖα λέγεται" ἡδονὴ δὲ οὔ. ἔτι, τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὰ μὲν ἕξις ἐστὶ, τὰ δὲ ἐνέργεια, τα δὲ ὀργανα. ἕξις μὲν, ὡς ἀρετή" ἐνέργεια δὲς εἷς καὶ κατ᾽ αὐτὴν πρᾶξις. καὶ πάλιν, ἕξις μὲν, καὶ ὁρατικὴ" ἐνέργεια δὲ, τὸ ὁρᾷν" ὄργανα δὲν δ ὧν ἐνεργοῦμεν, ὡς ὀφθαλμὸς καὶ ποῦτος καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. πᾶσαι δὲ αἱ περὶ τὼ ἀγαθὰ καὶ Φαῦλα ψυχικαὶ δυνάμεις.» ἔξεων τινῶν εἰσι δυνάμεις. εἶπε οὖν ἀγαθόν ἐστιν ἡδονὴ ἢ ἢ Φαῦλον» ἐν τούτοις ἔσται μόνως" ἀλλ᾽ ἕξις μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν. οὔτε γὰρ» ὡς ἀρετή" οὐ γὰρ ἂν οὕτω ῥᾳδίως μετέπιπτεν εἰς πὴν ἐναντίαν ἑαυτὴ λύπην" οὔτε, οἷς ἡ ἀντικειμένη τῇ στερήσει" κατοὶ ταὐτὸν γὰρ ἕξιν καὶ στέρησιν ἀδύνατον εἶναι" ἅμα δέ τινες ἥδονται καὶ λυποῦνται, ὡς οἱ κνώμενοι " οὐκ ἔστιν ἄρα ἕξις ἡ ἡ ἡδονή. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ δι δργανον. τὰ γὰρ ὄργανα καὶ δέ ἄλλα, καὶ ου ) δ᾽ ἑαυτά" καὶ δὲ ἡδονὴ. οὐ δ ἀλλο, ἀλλὰ δὲ ἑαυτήν" οὐκ ἄρα οὐδὲ ὃ ὄργανον. λεέπεται δὴ ἐνέργειαν αὐτὴν εἶναι. ὅθεν ᾿Αριστονέλης αὐτὴν ὁρίζεται, ἐνέργειαν τῆς κατὰ (φύσιν ἕξεως ἀνεμιτόδιστον. τὰ γὰρ ᾿ἐμπόδια τὺς κατὰ Φύσιν ἐνεργείας, λύπη" αλλὲὰ καὶ κα εὐδαιμονία. ἐνέργεια ἐστιν ἀνεμπόδιστος τῆς κατὰ (ύσιν ἕξεως" συμβαίνει δὴ κατὰ τὸν ὅρον τοῦτον, τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν ἡδονὴν εἶναι, καὶ διεσφάλθαι τὸν ὁρον" διορθούμενος οὖν ὡρίσατο τὴν ἡδονὴν, τέλος εἶναι τῶν τοῦ ζώου κατὰ Φύσιν ἐἰνεμποδίστων ἐνεργειῶν, ὡς συμπεπλέχθαι καὶ συνυπώρχεν τῇ εὐδαιμονίᾳ. τὴν ἡδονὴν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ᾽ ἡδονὴν εἶναι τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν. οὐ πᾶσα “δὲ ἐνέργεια κίνησίς ἐστιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔστι τις καὶ δ ἀκινησίας ἐνέργειαι καθ ἣν ὁ πρῶτος ἐνεργεῖ Ἐπ Θεός" τὸ γὰρ πρῶτον κινοῦν ἀκίνητον. τοιαύτη δὲ καὶ καὶ τοῦ θεωρεῖν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐνέργεια. διὰ γὰρ ἀκουσίως " καὶ γὰρ τὸ θεωρούμενον ἕν καὶ ταὐτὸν ἀεὶ καὶ ἡ δικίνοιος «τοῦ θεωροῦτος ἔ ἐστημδ᾽ περὶ ἕν γὰρ καὶ ταὐτὸν ἀεὶ καταγίνεταί. εἶ δὲ τῆς θεωρίας ἡ ἡδονὴ, μεγίστη τε οὖσα καὶ κυριωτάτη καὶ ἀληθὴς, δὲ ἀκινησίας γίνεται, δῆλον, ὡς αἱ δὲ ἐλαττόνων κινήσεων γινόμεναι » ὅσῳ δι ἐλαττόνων, τοσούτῳ καὶ κρείττους καὶ μείζους εἰσί. ᾿συνδιαιροῦνται δὲ ταῖς ἐνεργείαις αἱ ἡδοναὶ κατ᾽ εἶδος. ὅσα γὰρ ἐνεργειῶν εἶ εἴδη, ποσαῦτα καὶ ἡδονῶν" καὶ τῶν μὲν καλῶν καλαὶ, τῶν δὲ Φαύλων φαῦλαι" καὶ δῆλον, ὡς καθ' ἑκάστην αἴσθησιν ἔτεαι τῷ εἴδει καὶ ἡδοναί. ἕτεραι γὰρ φὴς καὶ γεύσεως καὶ ττεραι τῆς ὄψεως καὶ τὴς ἀκοὺς καὶ τῆς ὀσφρήσεως " καθατού Ῥώτεραι δέ εἰσι τῶν αἰσθήσεων; ὅσαι μὴ προςπελαΐζουσαι τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ἥδουσιν, ὡς ὄψις καὶ ἀκοὴ καὶ ὀσῴρησις. καὶ τῶν διανοητικῶν δὲ εἴδη δύο, καὶ τούτων τὸ μέν ἐστε πρακτικὸν, τὸ δὲ θεωρητριόν. δῆλον οὖν, ὃ ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἡδονῶν τῶν παρεπομένων ταῖς ἐνεργείαις ταύταις εἴδη δύο. καὶ τούτων δὲ κωθαρώτερον τὸ θεωρητικὸν τοῦ πρακτικοῦ. τοῖ δὲ ἀνθρώπου ἰδίαι, καθ' ὃ ἄνθρωπος, αἱ διανοητικαί. κοιναὶ Α ΓΙ γῶρ» καθ᾿ ὃ ζῶον, αἱ αἰσθητικαὶ καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα ζῶα, ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν αἰςθητικῶν ὑδονῶν οἱ μὲν ἄλλαις, οἱ δὲ ἀἄλ- λαις ἥδονται, οὐχ, αἱ τοῖς φαύλοις, αλ). αἱ τοῖς σπουδαίοις,,. ᾿. ΕῚ, ΕῚ πᾶλλι ψαινόμεναι, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὰς εἰσι καλαί. κριτὴς γὰρ ἐρθὸς ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγματος οὐχ, ὁ τυχών, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ἐπιστήτ᾽ ᾿ Α μὼν καὶ κατὰ (ύσιν διακείμενος.

Tōn de hēdonōn, hai men eisi psychikaï, hai de sōmatiiaï, psychikai men, hai tēs psychēs autēs kath' heautēn, hōs hai peri t n ta mathēmata kai tēēĒ theōrian. hautai gar kai hai toiautai monēs eisi tēs psychēs. sōmatikai de eisin, hai meta koisōmatikai kaloumenai» hōs hai peri tas trophas kai tas synousias. menou de tou sōmatos ouk an euroi tis idias ēdonas, alla pōthy, hoion tomais kai rheuseis kai tas kata krasin poiotētas. pasa ger Adonē meta aisthēseōs. psychikēn de tēn aisthēsin edeixamen. kai dēlon, hōs tōn pollachōs legomenōn estin kai paso,. hyph᾽ heteron gōr kai heteron genos eisin, hōs hai spoudaiki hēdonai kai hai phaulai" kai hai men pseudeis, hai de alētheis " kai hai men tēs dianoias monēs, kat᾽ epistēmēn eisin" hai de meta sōmatos» kat᾿ aisthēsin" kai autōn de tōn kat᾽ aisthēsin, hai men eisi Physika" hai de ou kai tę̄ men hēdonę̄, tę̄ en tǭ pinein, antikeitai hē en tǭ dipsēn lypē" tē de kata theōrian ouden. tauta oun panta deiknysi tēn hēdonēn homōnymon. tōn de sōmatikōn kaloumenōn hēdonōn hai men eisin anankaichi hama kai Physbeai, NY chōris zēn adynaton" heis hai hi trophai, hai tēs endeias anaplērōtikai kai ta endymata ta anankaia" hai de physiiai men, ouk anankaichi de, hōs hai kata physin kai katoi nemon mixeis. hautai “)ar eis men ton diamonēn tou pantos genous syntelousi" dynaton de kai chōris autōn en parthenia zēn" hai de oute anankaiai» oute Physikai, hōs hē methē kai kai lagneia (kai hē Philargyria ) kai hai plēsmonai tēn chreian hyperbainousai. houte gar eis diadochēn tou genous hēmin symballontai, hōs kai kata nomon synousia, houte eis systasin tēs zōēs alla kai prosblaptousi. tǭ toinyn kata Theon hōnti monas metadiōkteon tas anankaias hama kai Physikas hēdonas" tǭ de met' ekeinon, en deuterǭ taxei tōn ouretōn tetagmenǭ, tautas te kai tas Physikas men, ouk anankaias de metiteon meta tou prozēkontos kai metrou kai tropou kai kairou kai topou" tois de allas Pheukteon “panti tropōs haplōs de hēgēteon, tautas einai kalas hēdonas, tas mē sympeplegmenas lypē» mēte metameleian empoiousas, mēte blabēs heteras gennētikais,, mēte tou metriou pera chōrousas, mēte tōn spoudaiōn hēmas ergōn aphelkousas epi poly ē kōtadoulousas. kyriōs de eisin hēdonai, hai tē katanoēsei tou theiou kai tais epistēmais kai tais aretais epiginomenai pōs ē sympeplegmenai, asper en tois kata prōton logon perispoudastois theteon, ouk eis to einai heplōs, oude eis tēn diamonēn tou genous, all᾽ eis to eu einai, kai spoudaiois kai theophilesin einai syntelousas, kai eis autēn tou anthrōpou tēn kata psychēn kai to goeron teleiotēta, haiper oute therapeiai tinōn pathōn eiain, hōs hai tēs endeias anaplērōtikai, outh᾽ holōs lypēn echousi stroēgoumenēn. hepomenēn» ē antuieimonēnn all᾽ eisi katharai kai amiktoi pasēs hylikēs symplokēs » psychriai monon ousai. kai gar kata Platōna, tōn donōn hai men eisi pseudeis, hai de alētheis. pseudeis men, hosai met᾽ aisthēseōs ginontai «ai doxēs ouk alēthous, kai lypas echousi sympeplegmenas" alētheis den hosai tēs psychēs eisi monēs autēs kath' heautēn met᾽ epistēmēs kai nou kai Phronēseōs, katharai kai anepimiktoi lypēs n hais oude mia metanoia parakolouthei pote. kalousi de tas epakolouthousas tę̄ theōriǭ kai tais kalais praxesin hēdonas, ou pathēē?, alla peiseis. tines de kyriōs tēn toiautēn hēdonēn, charan legousin. horizontai de tē ēdonēn» genesin eis physin aisthētēn. eoikd de houtos ho horos» pēs sōmatikēs monēs hēdonēs einai. hautē gar anaplērōsis tis esti kai iatreia tēs sōmatikēs endeias, kai tēs prosgenomenēs dia tēn endeian lypēs. rhngountes gar hē dipsōn: tes, tēn ek tou rhïgous kai tēs dipsēs therapeuontes lypēn, en tǭ thalpesthai kai pinein hēdometha. kata symbebēkos oun eisin agathai, kai ou kath' heautas, oude Physei. hōs gar to hygiazesthai kata symbebēkos estin agathon, to de hygiainein Physei kai kath'᾽ heauto" houtō kai hautai kata symbebēkos eisin agathai, iatreiai tines ousai" hai de tēs theōs hēdonai kath᾽ heautas eisin agōthai kai Physei. ou gar ep᾽ endeiou ginontai. dēlon oun enteuthen, es ou pasa hēdonē tēs endeias estin anaplērōtikē. ei de touto, ouch, hygiēs ho horos, ho legōn, genesin eis physin aisthētēn einai tēn hēdonēn. ou gōr pasas perilambanei tas hēdonas, alla paraleipei toi «tēn ek tēs theōriais. kai Epikouros de, tēn hēdonēn horizo- {menos, pantos tou lypountos hypexairesin, to auto hǭēsi tois legousi, genesin eis hǭysin aisthētēn. tēn gor apallagēn tou lypountos, hēdonēn einai hǭēsin. epeidē de oudemia genesis tois oikeiois apotelesmasin homogenēs estin ē syngenēs, oude tēn genesin tēs hēdonēs, hēdonēn hēgēteon, alla parou tēn hēdonēn allo ti" en tǭ ginesthai men gar hē genesis estin" ouden de tōn ginomenōn hama ginetai kai gegonen" alla dēlon» hoti kata meros" to de hēdomenon athroōs ēsthē" ouk ara «genesis hē hēdonē. eti, pasa genesis ouk ontos estin" hē de hēdonē tōn ēdē ontōn" ouk estin ara genesis kai hēdonē, eti» genesis men, tacheia kai bradeia legetai" hēdonē de ou. eti, tōn agathōn, ta men hexis esti, ta de energeia, ta de organa. hexis men, hōs aretē" energeia des heis kai kat᾽ autēn praxis. kai palin, hexis men, kai horatikē" energeia de, to horąn" organa den d hōn energoumen, hōs ophthalmos kai poutos kai ta toiauta. pasai de hai peri tō agatha kai Phaula psychikai dynameis.» exeōn tinōn eisi dynameis. eipe oun agathon estin hēdonē ē ē Phaulon» en toutois estai monōs" all᾽ hexis men ouk estin. oute gar» hōs aretē" ou gar an houtō rhądiōs metepipten eis pēn enantian heautē lypēn" oute, hois hē antikeimenē tę̄ sterēsei" katoi tauton gar hexin kai sterēsin adynaton einai" hama de tines hēdontai kai lypountai, hōs hoi knōmenoi " ouk estin ara hexis hē hē hēdonē. all᾽ oude di drganon. ta gar organa kai de alla, kai ou ) d᾽ heauta" kai de hēdonē. ou d allo, alla de heautēn" ouk ara oude ho organon. leepetai dē energeian autēn einai. hothen ᾿Aristonelēs autēn horizetai, energeian tēs kata (physin hexeōs anemitodiston. ta gar ᾿empodia tys kata Physin energeias, lypē" allea kai ka eudaimonia. energeia estin anempodistos tēs kata (ysin hexeōs" symbainei dē kata ton horon touton, tēn eudaimonian hēdonēn einai, kai diesphalthai ton horon" diorthoumenos oun hōrisato tēn hēdonēn, telos einai tōn tou zōou kata Physin einempodistōn energeiōn, hōs sympeplechthai kai synypōrchen tę̄ eudaimonią. tēn hēdonēn, all᾽ ouch᾽ hēdonēn einai tēn eudaimonian. ou pasa “de energeia kinēsis estin, all᾽ esti tis kai d akinēsias energeiai kath hēn ho prōtos energei Ep Theos" to gar prōton kinoun akinēton. toiautē de kai kai tou theōrein en anthrōpois energeia. dia gar akousiōs " kai gar to theōroumenon hen kai tauton aei kai hē dikinoios «tou theōroutos e estēmd᾽ peri hen gar kai tauton aei kataginetai. ei de tēs theōrias hē hēdonē, megistē te ousa kai kyriōtatē kai alēthēs, de akinēsias ginetai, dēlon, hōs hai de elattonōn kinēseōn ginomenai » hosǭ di elattonōn, tosoutǭ kai kreittous kai meizous eisi. ᾿syndiairountai de tais energeiais hai hēdonai kat᾽ eidos. hosa gar energeiōn ei eidē, posauta kai hēdonōn" kai tōn men kalōn kalai, tōn de Phaulōn phaulai" kai dēlon, hōs kath' hekastēn aisthēsin eteai tǭ eidei kai hēdonai. heterai gar phēs kai geuseōs kai tterai tēs opseōs kai tēs akous kai tēs osphrēseōs " kathatou Rhōterai de eisi tōn aisthēseōn? hosai mē prospelaïzousai tois aisthētois hēdousin, hōs opsis kai akoē kai osǭrēsis. kai tōn dianoētikōn de eidē dyo, kai toutōn to men este praktikon, to de theōrētrion. dēlon oun, ho hoti kai tōn hēdonōn tōn parepomenōn tais energeiais tautais eidē dyo. kai toutōn de kōtharōteron to theōrētikon tou praktikou. toi de anthrōpou idiai, kath' ho anthrōpos, hai dianoētikai. koinai A GI gōr» kath᾿ ho zōon, hai aisthētikai kai pros ta alla zōa, epeidē de tōn aisthētikōn hydonōn hoi men allais, hoi de aal- lais hēdontai, ouch, hai tois phaulois, al). hai tois spoudaiois,,. ᾿. EI, EI palli psainomenai, kai kath' heautas eisi kalai. kritēs gar erthos epi pantos pragmatos ouch, ho tychōn, all᾽ ho epistēt᾽ ᾿ A mōn kai kata (ysin diakeimenos.

Of pleasures, some are of the soul, others of the body. Those of the soul belong to the soul itself by itself, such as those concerned with learning and contemplation; for these and the like belong to the soul alone. Those called bodily are the ones that come with the participation of the body, such as those concerned with food and sexual intercourse. One would not find pleasures belonging to the body alone, but passions, such as cuttings, fluxes, and the qualities that come from the blending; for every pleasure is with perception, and we have shown that perception belongs to the soul. It is clear that pleasure is among the things spoken of in many senses; for pleasures fall under different kinds, as good pleasures and bad; some false, some true; some of thought alone, by knowledge, others with the body, by perception; and of those by perception some are natural and others not. To the pleasure in drinking the pain of thirst is opposed, but to the pleasure of contemplation nothing. All this shows that pleasure is a word of many senses. Of the so-called bodily pleasures, some are both necessary and natural, without which life is impossible, such as foods that fill up want and necessary clothing; others are natural but not necessary, such as intercourse according to nature and according to law, for these contribute to the continuance of the whole race, but one can live without them in virginity; others are neither necessary nor natural, such as drunkenness, lust, love of money, and surfeits beyond need. These neither contribute to the succession of the race, as lawful intercourse does, nor to the support of life, but do harm besides. One who lives according to God must pursue only the pleasures that are both necessary and natural; one who comes after him, ranked in the second order of the virtues, must pursue these and also those natural but not necessary, with the fitting measure, manner, time and place; all others must be shunned in every way. In short, those pleasures must be considered good which are not entangled with pain, neither produce regret nor give rise to other harm, do not go beyond the moderate, and do not draw us away for long from good works or enslave us. Pleasures in the strict sense are those that come upon or are joined with the knowledge of God, the sciences and the virtues, which must be placed among the things to be pursued in the first rank, as contributing not simply to being, nor to the continuance of the race, but to well-being, to being good and dear to God, and to man's very perfection in soul and intellect. These are not cures of certain affections, as are those that fill up want, nor do they have any pain preceding, following, or opposed to them; but they are pure and unmixed with any material entanglement, being of the soul alone. For according to Plato too some pleasures are false and others true: false, those that arise with perception and untrue opinion and have pains entangled with them; true, those of the soul alone by itself, with knowledge, mind and wisdom, pure and unmixed with pain, never followed by any regret. The pleasures that follow contemplation and good actions they call not passions but experiences; some call such pleasure in the strict sense joy.

They define pleasure as a perceptible coming into the natural state. This definition seems to be of bodily pleasure only; for that is a kind of filling up and cure of bodily want and of the pain that arises from the want. When we are cold or thirsty and cure the pain of cold or thirst, we feel pleasure in being warmed and drinking. Such pleasures, then, are good incidentally, not in themselves nor by nature. As being cured is good incidentally, while being healthy is good by nature and in itself, so these too are good incidentally, being cures; but the pleasures of contemplation are good in themselves and by nature, for they do not arise from want. It is clear from this that not every pleasure fills up a want. If so, the definition that says pleasure is a perceptible coming into the natural state is not sound; for it does not include all pleasures, but leaves out that from contemplation. Epicurus too, defining pleasure as the removal of all that causes pain, says the same as those who call it a perceptible coming into the natural state; for he says that release from what causes pain is pleasure. Since no coming-to-be is of the same kind or akin to its results, the coming-to-be of pleasure must not be considered pleasure, but something other than pleasure. Coming-to-be is in the process of coming to be; and nothing that comes to be has at the same moment come to be, but clearly by parts; but one who is pleased has been pleased all at once; so pleasure is not a coming-to-be. Again, every coming-to-be is of what is not; but pleasure is of what already is; so pleasure is not a coming-to-be. Again, coming-to-be is called quick and slow, but pleasure is not. Again, of goods, some are states, others activities, others instruments: a state, such as virtue; an activity, such as the action according to it; again, a state, the power of sight, an activity, seeing; instruments, those through which we act, such as the eye and the like. All the powers of the soul concerned with good and bad are powers of certain states. If, then, pleasure is good or bad, it will be only among these. But it is not a state: not as virtue, for it would not so easily turn into its contrary, pain; nor as what is opposed to privation, for a state and its privation cannot exist at the same time; but some feel pleasure and pain at once, as those who scratch; so pleasure is not a state. Nor is it an instrument; for instruments are for the sake of other things, not for their own sake; but pleasure is not for the sake of another but for its own sake; so it is not an instrument either. It remains, then, that it is an activity. Hence Aristotle defines it as the unimpeded activity of a natural state; for impediments to natural activity are pain. But happiness too is the unimpeded activity of a natural state; so by this definition happiness would be pleasure, and the definition is faulty. Correcting it, he defined pleasure as the completion of the unimpeded natural activities of the living creature, so that pleasure is entangled with happiness and exists together with it, but happiness is not pleasure. Not every activity is movement; there is also an activity of unmovedness, by which the first God acts, for the first mover is unmoved. Such too is the activity of contemplation among men; for it is without movement, since what is contemplated is always one and the same, and the thought of the one contemplating is steady, being always occupied with one and the same thing. If the pleasure of contemplation, being greatest, most proper and true, comes from unmovedness, it is clear that the pleasures that arise through fewer movements are the better and greater the fewer the movements. Pleasures are divided in kind along with activities: as many kinds of activities as there are, so many of pleasures; of good activities good pleasures, of bad ones bad. Clearly the pleasures of each sense differ in kind: those of touch and taste differ from those of sight, hearing and smell; purer are those of the senses that give pleasure without coming into contact with their objects, such as sight, hearing and smell. Of the powers of thought there are two kinds, the practical and the contemplative. Clearly, then, there are two kinds of the pleasures that follow these activities too, and of these the contemplative is purer than the practical. The pleasures of thought are proper to man as man; those of perception are common to him as an animal with the other animals. And since some take pleasure in some sensible pleasures and others in others, those that appear good not to the base but to the good are good in themselves. For the right judge in every matter is not anyone at random but the one who has knowledge and is in a natural condition.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius distinguishes pleasures of soul and body, classes bodily pleasures as necessary, natural, or neither, commends true pleasures of contemplation and virtue, and argues against defining pleasure as a coming-to-be.

  • The classification of desires as natural and necessary, natural but not necessary, and neither, is Epicurean (Ep. Men. 127); Plato on true and false pleasures: Phileb. 36c–53c; Aristotle on pleasure as unimpeded activity: Eth. nic. 7.12–13, 10.4; the unmoved first mover: Metaph. 12.7.
  • Lawful intercourse is called “natural but not necessary,” since one can live in virginity; translated as written.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the decorated initial; line number of the printed page; stray marks, numerals or sigla of the printed page left in the OCR text): [οι ΤΙ, χδονῶν → Τῶν δὲ ἡδονῶν; λυποῦνται, 1ο9 ὡς → λυποῦνται, ὡς; “᾿ ΄΄ »"“ Γ μ᾿ → ; -“: - Γ - " ᾿’ → ; ᾿ ᾽ ’ → .

Extrabiblical texts: Epicurus (Epicurus (sayings and fragments); allusion); Plato, Phileb. 36c–53c (Plato (works); allusion); Aristotle, Eth. nic. 10.4 (Aristotle (works); allusion)

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 18 (Matthaei, 220-229; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/18). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/18

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 19

19Matthaei, 229-230

Τῆς δὲ λύπης εἰδὴ τέσσαρα, ἄχος, ἄχθος, ᾧθόνος, ἔλεος. ἔστι δὲ ἄχες, λύπη ἀφωνίαν ἐμποιοῦσα" ἄχθος δὲ, λύπη βαρύνουσα" ᾧθόνος δὲ, λύπη ἐπ᾽ ἀλλοτρίοις ἀγαθοῖς ΟΝ Η ’ ΙῚ ἔλεος δὲ, λύπη ἐπ᾽ αλλοτρίοις κακοῖς. πᾶσχ δὲ λύπη κακὸν “. τῳ, ΠΩ τῇ ἑαυτῆς Φύσει. εἰ ηχρ καὶ ὁ σπουδαῖος λυπηθήσεταί ποτε, χρηστῶν ἀνδρῶν διαφθειρομένων, ἢ τέκνων, ἢ πόλεως πορθουμένης " ἀλλ᾽ οὐ προηγουμένως, οὐδὲ κατοὶ πρόθεσιν, ΝῚ αλλα κατα περίστασιν. καὶ ἐν τούτοις δὲ ὁ μὲν θεωρχτικὸς ἀπαθὴς ἔσται παντάπασιν, ἀλλοτριώσας ἑαυτὸν τῶν τῆδες καὶ συνάψας Θεῷ" ὁ δὲ σπουδαῖος, μετριοπαθὴς ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ οὐχ, ὑπερβάλλων, οὐδὲ αἰχμαλωτιζόμενος ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν" ἄλλα μᾶλλον κρατῶν αὐτῶν. ἀντίκειται δὲ καὶ λύπη, ὡς μὲν κακὸν καλῷ, τῇ μετρίᾳ ἡδονῇ " ὡς δὲ κακὸν κακῷ, τῇ ὑπερβαλλούση ἡδονῇ. ἐν ταῖς σωματικαῖς δὲ μόναις αἱ ὑπερβολιαὶ γίνονται" αἱ γὰρ θεωρητικαὶ, ἄκραι τινὲς οὖσαι, καὶ τὸ τέλειον ἔχουσαι, τὴν ὑπερβολὴν οὐκ ἐπιδέχονται. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀντίκειται αὐταῖς λύπη, οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ θεραπείῳ προηγησαμένης λύπης γίνονται.

Tēs de lypēs eidē tessara, achos, achthos, hǭthonos, eleos. esti de aches, lypē aphōnian empoiousa" achthos de, lypē barynousa" hǭthonos de, lypē ep᾽ allotriois agathois ON Ē ’ II eleos de, lypē ep᾽ allotriois kakois. pasch de lypē kakon “. tǭ, PŌ tę̄ heautēs Physei. ei ēchr kai ho spoudaios lypēthēsetai pote, chrēstōn andrōn diaphtheiromenōn, ē teknōn, ē poleōs porthoumenēs " all᾽ ou proēgoumenōs, oude katoi prothesin, NI alla kata peristasin. kai en toutois de ho men theōrchtikos apathēs estai pantapasin, allotriōsas heauton tōn tēdes kai synapsas Theǭ" ho de spoudaios, metriopathēs en autais, kai ouch, hyperballōn, oude aichmalōtizomenos hyp᾽ autōn" alla mallon kratōn autōn. antikeitai de kai lypē, hōs men kakon kalǭ, tę̄ metrią hēdonę̄ " hōs de kakon kakǭ, tę̄ hyperballousē hēdonę̄. en tais sōmatikais de monais hai hyperboliai ginontai" hai gar theōrētikai, akrai tines ousai, kai to teleion echousai, tēn hyperbolēn ouk epidechontai. oude gar antikeitai autais lypē, oud᾽ epi therapeiǭ proēgēsamenēs lypēs ginontai.

There are four kinds of pain: grief, vexation, envy, and pity. Grief is pain that causes speechlessness; vexation, pain that weighs one down; envy, pain at others' goods; pity, pain at others' evils. Every pain is evil by its own nature. For even if the good man will sometimes feel pain, when good men are destroyed, or children, or a city is sacked, it is not as his primary aim nor by intention, but by circumstance. And in these things the contemplative man will be wholly free of passion, having estranged himself from things here and joined himself to God; the good man will be moderate in his passions in them, not going to excess nor taken captive by them, but rather mastering them. Pain is opposed, as evil to good, to moderate pleasure, and as evil to evil, to excessive pleasure. Excesses arise only in bodily pleasures; the contemplative pleasures, being extremes in a sense and having perfection, do not admit excess. For no pain is opposed to them, nor do they arise as the cure of a preceding pain.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius names four kinds of pain, calls all pain evil, and contrasts the passionlessness of the contemplative with the moderation of the good man.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the decorated initial; stray marks, numerals or sigla of the printed page left in the OCR text): 4} δὲ λύπης → Τῆς δὲ λύπης; 2.. " » ͵ ᾽, Ὁ " → ; " Ψ., ᾿ ᾿ ὔ »“ → ; ᾿ : -, → ; Ἄ ᾿Ὶ δ, ’ « → .

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 19 (Matthaei, 229-230; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/19). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/19

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nemesius-natura-hominis-19) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 20

20Matthaei, 231-233

Διαιρεῖται δὲ καὶ ὁ (φόβος εἰς ἕξ, εἰς ὄκνον» εἰς αἰδὼ, εἰς αἰσχύνην, εἰς κατάπληξιν, εἰς ἐκπληξν» εἰς ἀγωνίαν " ἔστι δὲ ὄκνος μὲν, Φόβος μελλούσης ἐνεργείας" κατάπληξις δὲ, Φόβος ἐκ μεγάλης φαντασίας" ἔκπληξις δὲ, Φέβος ἐξ ἀσυνήθους φαντασίας" ἀγωνία δὲν Φόβος διαπτώσεως, τοῦτα ἐστιν ὠποτυχίας᾽ Φοβούμενοι γὰρ ἐποτυχεῖν τῆς πράξεως» "ἀγωνιῶμεν᾽ αἰδὼς δὲν Φόβος ἐπὶ προςδοκίῳ ψόγου" καὶλιστον δὲ τοῦτο τὸ πάθος᾽ αἰσχύνη δὲ, Φόβος ἐπ᾽ αἰσχρῷ, πεπραγμένῳ. οὐδὲ τοῦτο δὲ ἀνέλπιστον εἰς σωτηρίαν" ταύτη δὲ διαφέρει αἰδὼς αἰσχύνης, ὅτι ὁ μὲν αἰσχυνόμενος, ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἔπραξε, καταδύεται" ὃ δὲ αἰδούμενος Φοβεῦται περίτεςσεῖν ἀδοξίῳ τινί. καλοῦσι δὲ οἱ παλαιοὶ πολλάκις καὶ τὴν αἰδὼ αἰσχύνην, καὶ τὴν αἰσχύνην αἰδῶ, καταχρώμενοι τοῖς ὀνόμασι. γίνεται δὲ ὁ φόβος κατὰ περέψυξιν», τοῦ θεραοῦ παντὸς συντρέχρντος εἰς τὴν καρδίαν, ἐπὶ τὸ ἀρχικὸν» καθἅπερ καὶ ὁ δῆμος, ὅταν ᾧοβῆται, καταφεύγει πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας. «ὃς δὲ λύπης ὅ ὀργανον, τὸ στόμα τὸς κοιλίας. τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ τὴς δήξεως αἰσθανόμενον ἐν ταῖς λύπαις» »Ὡὡς ὁ Γαληνὸς ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ πὺς ὠποδεικτικῆς φησὶν οὕτώ ηπως" τοῖς λυπουμένοις οὐκ ὀλέγον εἰς τὴν γαστέρα καταῤῥεῖ ο»ζξανθὴς χολῆς, ὃ τὴν δῆξιν αὐτοῖς παρέχει!» καὶ οὐ πρό- »» ΤΈρον παύονται,λυπούμενοι καὶ δακνόμενοι, πρὶν ἐξεμέσαι »τὴν χολήν." γίνεται γὰρ ἡ δῆξις αὐτοῖς ὑποκάτω τοῦ κατὰ τὰ μέσα στέρνα χόνδρου, τοῦ ξιφοειδοῦς ὀνομαζομένου. πολὺ δὲ ἀνωτέρω κεῖται ἡ καρδία". Ῥοῦ γὰρ διαφράγματος ἡ μὲν γαστὴρ κατωτέρω ἐστίν" ἡ δὲ καρδία ἀνωτέρω. συνήθὼς δὲ οἱ παλαιοὶ καρδίαν καὶ τὸ στόμα τῆς ρὸς και λοῦσιν, ὡς Ἱπποκράτης καὶ ὶ Θουκυδίδης ἐν τῷ λοιμῷ λέγων οὕτως" »Ἀαὶ ὁπότε εἰς τὴν καρδίαν στηρίξαι. ἀνέστρεφέ τε »»αὐτὴν καὶ ἀποκαθάρσεις χολῆς πᾶσαι, ἑπόσαι ἀπὸ ἰατρῶν »»ὠνομασμέναι εἰσὶν, ἐπήεσαν. ἢ τὸ γὰρ ἀναστρεφόμενον, τὸ στόμα τῆς γαστρὸς ἐστιν, ἀναγεαζ Ὄμενον ἐμεῖν, οὐ τὸ σπλαγχνον, καὶ καρδία.

Diaireitai de kai ho (phobos eis hex, eis oknon» eis aidō, eis aischynēn, eis kataplēxin, eis ekplēxn» eis agōnian " esti de oknos men, Phobos mellousēs energeias" kataplēxis de, Phobos ek megalēs phantasias" ekplēxis de, Phebos ex asynēthous phantasias" agōnia den Phobos diaptōseōs, touta estin ōpotychias᾽ Phoboumenoi gar epotychein tēs praxeōs» "agōniōmen᾽ aidōs den Phobos epi prosdokiǭ psogou" kailiston de touto to pathos᾽ aischynē de, Phobos ep᾽ aischrǭ, pepragmenǭ. oude touto de anelpiston eis sōtērian" tautē de diapherei aidōs aischynēs, hoti ho men aischynomenos, eph᾽ hois epraxe, katadyetai" ho de aidoumenos Phobeutai peritessein adoxiǭ tini. kalousi de hoi palaioi pollakis kai tēn aidō aischynēn, kai tēn aischynēn aidō, katachrōmenoi tois onomasi. ginetai de ho phobos kata perepsyxin», tou theraou pantos syntrechrntos eis tēn kardian, epi to archikon» kathaper kai ho dēmos, hotan hǭobētai, katapheugei pros tous archontas. «hos de lypēs ho organon, to stoma tos koilias. touto gar esti to tēs dēxeōs aisthanomenon en tais lypais» »Hōōs ho Galēnos en tǭ tritǭ pys ōpodeiktikēs phēsin houtō ēpōs" tois lypoumenois ouk olegon eis tēn gastera katarrhei o»zxanthēs cholēs, ho tēn dēxin autois parechei!» kai ou pro- »» TEron pauontai,lypoumenoi kai daknomenoi, prin exemesai »tēn cholēn." ginetai gar hē dēxis autois hypokatō tou kata ta mesa sterna chondrou, tou xiphoeidous onomazomenou. poly de anōterō keitai hē kardia". Rhou gar diaphragmatos hē men gastēr katōterō estin" hē de kardia anōterō. synēthōs de hoi palaioi kardian kai to stoma tēs ros kai lousin, hōs Hippokratēs kai i Thoukydidēs en tǭ loimǭ legōn houtōs" »Aai hopote eis tēn kardian stērixai. anestrephe te »»autēn kai apokatharseis cholēs pasai, heposai apo iatrōn »»ōnomasmenai eisin, epēesan. ē to gar anastrephomenon, to stoma tēs gastros estin, anageaz Omenon emein, ou to splanchnon, kai kardia.

Fear too is divided into six: hesitation, modesty, shame, consternation, panic, and anxiety. Hesitation is fear of a coming activity; consternation, fear from a great image; panic, fear from an unaccustomed image; anxiety, fear of failure, that is, of miscarrying, for when we fear to fail in an action we are anxious; modesty, fear in expectation of blame, and this is the finest passion; shame, fear over a disgraceful thing done, and even this is not without hope of salvation. Modesty differs from shame in this: the one who is ashamed sinks down over what he has done, while the one who is modest fears falling into some disgrace. The ancients often call modesty shame and shame modesty, using the words loosely. Fear arises by chilling, when all the heat runs together to the heart, to the ruling part, as the people, when they are afraid, flee to their rulers. The organ of pain is the mouth of the stomach; for this is what feels the gnawing in pains, as Galen says in the third book of his Demonstrations, roughly as follows: “In those who are grieved not a little yellow bile flows down into the stomach, which causes them the gnawing; and they do not stop being grieved and gnawed until they have vomited the bile.” For the gnawing occurs in them below the cartilage in the middle of the breastbone, called the xiphoid. But the heart lies much higher; for the stomach is below the diaphragm and the heart above it. The ancients customarily call the mouth of the stomach the heart too, as Hippocrates does, and Thucydides in the plague, speaking thus: “And when it settled in the heart, it turned it over, and every kind of discharge of bile that has been named by physicians came on.” For what is turned over, being forced to vomit, is the mouth of the stomach, not the internal organ, the heart.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius divides fear into six kinds, explains its bodily cause, and places the organ of pain in the mouth of the stomach, citing Galen and Thucydides.

  • Galen's Demonstrations (Περὶ ἀποδείξεως) is lost; the quotation is given as Nemesius cites it. Thucydides 2.49.3 (the plague at Athens).

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the decorated initial; line number of the printed page): ,. ΤΑ͂Ν δὲ καὶ ὁ → Διαιρεῖται δὲ καὶ ὁ; πρὸς τοὺς 1τοβ ἄρχοντας → πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας.

Extrabiblical texts: Galen (Galen (works); quotation); Hippocrates (Hippocrates, Hippocratic Corpus; allusion); Thucydides, 2.49.3 (Thucydides, History; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 20 (Matthaei, 231-233; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/20). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/20

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 21

21Matthaei, 234-235

Θυμὸς δέ ἐστι, ζέσις τοῦ περὶ καρὸ ν αἵματος» ἐξ ἄναθυμιάσεως τῆς χολῆς ἡ Ω ἄνα θολώσεως γοομένη. διὸ καὶ χολὴ λέγεται καὶ χόλος. ἔστι δ᾽ ὅτε καὶ ὁ θυμός ἐστιν, ὄρεξις ἐντιτιμωρίσεως. ἀδικούμενοι γάρν ὴ νομίζοντες ἀδικεῖσθαιν θυμούμεθα, καὶ γίνεται τότε μικτὸν τὸ πάθος ἐξ ἐπιθυμίας καὶ θυμοῦ. εἴδη δὲ τοῦ θυμοῦ τρία, ὀργὴ» ἡ καὶ χολὴ καὶ χόλος καλεῖται, μῆνις» καὶ κότος. θυμὸς μὲν γὰρ» ἀρχὴν καὶ κύησιν ἔχων, ὀργὴ καὶ χολὴ καὶ χέλος λέγεται" μῆνις δὲν χολὴ εἰς παλαίωσιν ἀγομένὴ" εἴρηται γὰρ παρὰ τὸ μένειν καὶ τῇ μνήαη παραδεδόσθαι" κότος δὲ, ὀργὴ ἐπιτηροῦσα καιρὸν εἰς τιμωρίαν" εἴρηται δὰ καὶ οὗτος παρὰ τὸ κεῖσθαι. ἔστι δὲ ὁ θυμὸς τὸ δορυφορικὸν τοῦ λογισμοῦ. ὅταν γὰρ οὗτος ἄξιον κρένη τὸ γενόμενον οἶγαγακτήσεως, τότε ὁ θυμὸς ἐπεξέρχεται» ἐὰν κατὰ Φύσὴ τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν Φυλάττωσιν.

Thymos de esti, zesis tou peri karo n haimatos» ex anathymiaseōs tēs cholēs hē Ō ana tholōseōs goomenē. dio kai cholē legetai kai cholos. esti d᾽ hote kai ho thymos estin, orexis entitimōriseōs. adikoumenoi garn ē nomizontes adikeisthain thymoumetha, kai ginetai tote mikton to pathos ex epithymias kai thymou. eidē de tou thymou tria, orgē» hē kai cholē kai cholos kaleitai, mēnis» kai kotos. thymos men gar» archēn kai kyēsin echōn, orgē kai cholē kai chelos legetai" mēnis den cholē eis palaiōsin agomenē" eirētai gar para to menein kai tę̄ mnēaē paradedosthai" kotos de, orgē epitērousa kairon eis timōrian" eirētai da kai houtos para to keisthai. esti de ho thymos to doryphorikon tou logismou. hotan gar houtos axion krenē to genomenon oigagaktēseōs, tote ho thymos epexerchetai» ean kata Physē tēn oikeian taxin Phylattōsin.

Anger is a boiling of the blood around the heart, arising from the exhalation or stirring up of the bile; therefore it is also called bile and gall. Sometimes anger is also a desire for retaliation; for when we are wronged, or think we are wronged, we become angry, and then the passion is mixed of desire and anger. There are three kinds of anger: wrath, which is also called bile and gall; rancour; and resentment. Anger, when it has a beginning and movement, is called wrath, bile and gall; rancour is bile brought to long duration, so called from remaining and being handed over to memory; resentment is wrath watching for an opportunity for revenge, so called from lying in wait. Anger is the bodyguard of reason. When reason judges that what has happened deserves indignation, then anger goes forth, if they keep their proper order according to nature.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius defines anger, its three kinds, and its role as the bodyguard of reason.

  • The etymologies (μῆνις from μένειν, κότος from κεῖσθαι) are given as written.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the decorated initial; line number of the printed page): Θ... δέ ἐστι → Θυμὸς δέ ἐστι; θυμὸς μὲν το9 γὰρ → θυμὸς μὲν γὰρ.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 21 (Matthaei, 234-235; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/21). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/21

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 22

22Matthaei, 236

Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐπιπειθὲς λόγῳ τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον. τοῦ δὲ μὴ πειθομένου λόγῳ, ἔστι τὸ τε θρεπτικὸν καὶ γεννητικὸν καὶ σφυγμικόν. καλεῖται δὲ φυσικὸν μὲν, τὸ θρεπτικὸν καὶ γεννητικόν" ζωτικὸν δὲγ τὸ σῴφυγμωιόν.

To men oun epipeithes logǭ touton echei ton tropon. tou de mē peithomenou logǭ, esti to te threptikon kai gennētikon kai sphygmikon. kaleitai de physikon men, to threptikon kai gennētikon" zōtikon deg to sǭphygmōion.

The part obedient to reason, then, is like this. To the part that does not obey reason belong the nourishing, the generative, and the pulsating powers. The nourishing and generative are called natural; the pulsating, vital.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius names the powers of the part of the soul that does not obey reason.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (chapter heading and OCR slip): ΚΑΤΗΚΟΟΥ͂ ΛΟΓΩι ἐν μὲν οὖν → Τὸ μὲν οὖν.

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 22 (Matthaei, 236; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/22). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/22

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 23

23Matthaei, 236-240

Τοῦ θρεπτικοῦ ζυσικαὶ δυνάμεις εἰσὶ τέσσαρες, ἐλκτικὴ, καθεκτροὶν αλλοιωτικὴ, ὠποκριτουή" ἕκαστον γὰρ τῶν μορίων τοῦ ζώου Φυσικῶς ἕλκει πρὸς ἑαντὰ τὸν οἰκείαν τροφὴν, καὶ ἑλκύσαν κατέχειν καὶ κατασχὸν εἰς ἑαυτὸ μεταβάλλει, καὶ οὕτως τὸ πεῷ τὸν ἐξωθεῖ." καὶ αὐταί εἰσιν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ τὴ τροῷὴν τῶν μορίων τοῦ σιίματος διοικοῦσαι, ἐξ ὦ ὧν ἢ αὔξησις. ἅτε κατὰ μῆκος καὶ πλάτος» ἡίνεται. ἐκκρίνε. ται δὲ τὰ περιττὰ διὰ γαστρὸς, δ οὔρων, δὲ ἐμέτων, δὲ δρώτων, διὰ στόματος, διὰ ῥινῶν, δὲ ὦτων, δέ ὀῷθαλμῶν, διοὶ τῆς ἐκπνοῖς., διὲ τῶν ἀδήλων πόρων. αἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλαι ἐκκρίσεις πρύδηλοι" δὲ ὦτων δὲ, ἡ ἥ καλουμένη κυψέλη, ἥτις ἐστὶ ῥύπος τῶν ὠτων" διὰ δὲ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, δάκρυα καὶ λῆμαι" διὰ δὲ τῆς ἐκπνοὺς, τὸ λιγνυῶδες τῆς θερμότήτος τῆς καρδίας. ἀδήλους δὲ πόρους Φασὶ, τὴν διατενοὴν “παντὸς τοῦ σώματος, καθ' ἥν ἐκ τοῦ βάθους καὶ τὺς συστολῆς τῶν ἀρτηρίων ἀτμοὶ πλεῖστοι διὼὶ τῆς μανότητος τοῦ δέρματος ιλεξήτονταις ἔγμα δὲ τοῦ θρεπτικοῦ, τό τα στόμα καὶ ὁ στόμαχος παὶ ἡ γαστὴρ καὶ “τὸ ἡταρ, αἵ τε φλέβες πᾶσα!" τά τε ἔντερα καὶ αἱ χολαὶ ἀμφότεραι, καὶ οἱ γεῴροί. τὸ γὰρ στόμα πρῶτον προκατασκευάφε τῇ γαστρὶ τὴν τροφὴν εἰς λεπτὼ κατατέμνον αὐτὴν διὰ τῶν ὀδόντων καὶ τῆς γλώττης. μεγίστην γὰρ καὶ αὶ γλῶττα χρείαν παρέχεται τὴ διαμασῆσει, συνάγουσα τὴν τροφὴν καὶ τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν ὑποβάλλι ουσα,. καθάπερ αἱ ἀλετρίδες διὰ πῆς χειρὲς τὸν σίτον ταῖς ωύλαις. τρόπον γάρ τινὰ καὶ ἡ γλῶττα χείρ ἐστι τῆς διαμασήσεως. οὕτω δὲ κατεργασθεῖσα ἡ ἡ τροφὴ, παρατέμπεται τῇ κολία διὰ τοῦ στομάχου " ὁ γὰρ στόμαχος οὐ μόνον αἰσθητήριόν ἐστι τῆς ἐνδείας τ᾽ ἀλλὰ καὶ δίο-. δὸς τῶν σιτίων. ἀνατρέχει γαρ ἐν τῇ καταπέσει καὶ ἐπισπᾶται τὴν τροφὸν, καὶ παραπέμπει τῇ κοίλῴῳ. ἡ δὲ κοιλία παραλαβοῦσα χωρίζει τὸ χρηστὸν καὶ τὸ τρόφιμον ἀπὸ τοῦ λιθώδους καὶ ξυλώδους καὶ ἀτρόζου" καὶ τὸ μὲν χρηστὸν, εἰς χυμοὺς μεταβάλλουσα, ἀναπέμπει τῷ ὕπατι διὰ τῶν φλεβὼν τῶν ἑλκουσῶν ἀπ΄. αὐτῆς καὶ διοχετευουσῶν εἰς τὸ τι ἡπαροι αἵτινες φλέβες ῥίζαις ἐοίκασι τοῦ ἥπατος, ἑ ἑλκούσαις απὸ τῆς ἡαοερὰς τὴν τροφὴν» ὡς ἀπῷ τῆς ΚΩ͂Ν ἕλκουσιν αἱ τῶν Φυτῶν ῥίζαι. ἔοικε γὰρ ἡ μὲν ποθ τὴ γ}» τὴ παρεχρύφῃ τὴν τροφὴν, τοῖς Φυτοῖς" ῥίζαις δὲ, αἱ φλέβες, αἱ ἐπὶ τὰς σύλας καὶ τὰ σιμὰ τοὺ ἥπατος ἀνάγουσαι τὸν χὺμὸν ὠπὸ τε τῆς γαστρὸς καὶ τῶν ἐντέρων διὰ τοῦ μεσαραίου" πρέμνῳ δὲ, τὸ ἧπαρ αὐτό" κλάδοις δὲ καὶ ὠκρέμοσιν, αἱ φλέβες αἱ κατασχιζέμεναι τὴς κωύλης φλεβὸς, τῆς ἀποζυομένης ἐκ τῶν κυρτῶν τοῦ ἥπατος. τὸ γὰρ ἧπαρ. δεξώμενον ἐκ τὴς οἱριλίας τὸν χυμὸν συμπέσσει τὸ καὶ ἑξομοιοῖ ἑωυτῷ, ὁμοιοτάτην δὲ ἔχον τὴν σάρκω τῷ αἴματι, εἰκότως εἰς αἷμα μεταβάλλει τὸν χυμόν. τὸ δὲ αἷμα καθαίρεται διά τὸ τοῦ σπληνὸς καὶ τὴς χρληδόχου κύστεως καὶ τῶν νεφρῶν" τοῦ ἐν σπληνὸς τὸ τρυγῶδες ἕλκοντος καὶ τροφὴν οἰκείαν ποιουμένου" τὴς δὲ χοληδόχου κύστεως τὸ δριμὺ, τὸ ἐναπομεῖναν ποῖς χυμοῖς, ἐκ τὴς τροφῆς" σῶν δὲ νεφρῶν, τὸ ὀρῥῶδες μετὰ τοῦ περιλειπομένου δριμέος, ὡς καθαρὸν λριπὸν καὶ χρηστὸν τὸ εἷμα γενόμενον, εἰς τροφὴν διανέμεσθαι τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι μορίοις τοῦ σώματος διὰ τῶν κατασπειρομένων εἰς αὐτὰ φλεβῶν" καὶ οὕτως ἕκαστον τῶν μορίων ἕλκον τὸ αἷμα καὶ κατέχον καὶ μεταβάλλον εἰς τὴν ἰδιαν ᾧυσιν, τὸ στεριττὸν παραπέμπει “τοῖς γειτνιῶσι μορίοις τροφὴν ἐπιτής δειον ἐκείνοις γενόμενον. καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον πᾶντα τὰ μόρια ἐξ αἵματος τρέφεται καὶ αὔξει καὶ διαμένει, χρρη- ᾿γοῦντος αὐτὸ τοῦ ἥπατος. λέγεται δὲ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος. τοῦ οἰλόγου μὴ πείθεσθαι λόγῳ, ἐπειδήπερ οὐ κατὰ γνώμην ἡμῶν, οὐδὲ κατὰ προαίρεσιν ἀλλα Φυσικῶς τὸ ἴδιον ἔργον ἀποτελεῖ.

Tou threptikou zysikai dynameis eisi tessares, elktikē, kathektroin alloiōtikē, ōpokritouē" hekaston gar tōn moriōn tou zōou Physikōs helkei pros heanta ton oikeian trophēn, kai helkysan katechein kai kataschon eis heauto metaballei, kai houtōs to peǭ ton exōthei." kai autai eisin hai dynameis hai tē troǭēn tōn moriōn tou siimatos dioikousai, ex ō hōn ē auxēsis. hate kata mēkos kai platos» hēinetai. ekkrine. tai de ta peritta dia gastros, d ourōn, de emetōn, de drōtōn, dia stomatos, dia rhinōn, de ōtōn, de oǭthalmōn, dioi tēs ekpnois., die tōn adēlōn porōn. hai men oun allai ekkriseis prydēloi" de ōtōn de, hē hē kaloumenē kypselē, hētis esti rhypos tōn ōtōn" dia de tōn ophthalmōn, dakrya kai lēmai" dia de tēs ekpnous, to lignyōdes tēs thermotētos tēs kardias. adēlous de porous Phasi, tēn diatenoēn “pantos tou sōmatos, kath' hēn ek tou bathous kai tys systolēs tōn artēriōn atmoi pleistoi diōi tēs manotētos tou dermatos ilexētontais egma de tou threptikou, to ta stoma kai ho stomachos pai hē gastēr kai “to hētar, hai te phlebes pasa!" ta te entera kai hai cholai amphoterai, kai hoi geǭroi. to gar stoma prōton prokataskeuaphe tę̄ gastri tēn trophēn eis leptō katatemnon autēn dia tōn odontōn kai tēs glōttēs. megistēn gar kai ai glōtta chreian parechetai tē diamasēsei, synagousa tēn trophēn kai tois odousin hypoballi ousa,. kathaper hai aletrides dia pēs cheires ton siton tais ōylais. tropon gar tina kai hē glōtta cheir esti tēs diamasēseōs. houtō de katergastheisa hē hē trophē, paratempetai tę̄ kolia dia tou stomachou " ho gar stomachos ou monon aisthētērion esti tēs endeias t᾽ alla kai dio-. dos tōn sitiōn. anatrechei gar en tę̄ katapesei kai epispatai tēn trophon, kai parapempei tę̄ koilǭǭ. hē de koilia paralabousa chōrizei to chrēston kai to trophimon apo tou lithōdous kai xylōdous kai atrozou" kai to men chrēston, eis chymous metaballousa, anapempei tǭ hypati dia tōn phlebōn tōn helkousōn ap΄. autēs kai diocheteuousōn eis to ti hēparoi haitines phlebes rhizais eoikasi tou hēpatos, he helkousais apo tēs hēaoeras tēn trophēn» hōs apǭ tēs KŌN helkousin hai tōn Phytōn rhizai. eoike gar hē men poth tē g}» tē parechryphę̄ tēn trophēn, tois Phytois" rhizais de, hai phlebes, hai epi tas sylas kai ta sima tou hēpatos anagousai ton chymon ōpo te tēs gastros kai tōn enterōn dia tou mesaraiou" premnǭ de, to hēpar auto" kladois de kai ōkremosin, hai phlebes hai kataschizemenai tēs kōylēs phlebos, tēs apozyomenēs ek tōn kyrtōn tou hēpatos. to gar hēpar. dexōmenon ek tēs hoirilias ton chymon sympessei to kai hexomoioi heōytǭ, homoiotatēn de echon tēn sarkō tǭ aimati, eikotōs eis haima metaballei ton chymon. to de haima kathairetai dia to tou splēnos kai tēs chrlēdochou kysteōs kai tōn nephrōn" tou en splēnos to trygōdes helkontos kai trophēn oikeian poioumenou" tēs de cholēdochou kysteōs to drimy, to enapomeinan pois chymois, ek tēs trophēs" sōn de nephrōn, to orrhōdes meta tou perileipomenou drimeos, hōs katharon lripon kai chrēston to heima genomenon, eis trophēn dianemesthai tois allois pasi moriois tou sōmatos dia tōn kataspeiromenōn eis auta phlebōn" kai houtōs hekaston tōn moriōn helkon to haima kai katechon kai metaballon eis tēn idian hǭysin, to steritton parapempei “tois geitniōsi moriois trophēn epitēs deion ekeinois genomenon. kai touton ton tropon panta ta moria ex haimatos trephetai kai auxei kai diamenei, chrrē- ᾿gountos auto tou hēpatos. legetai de touto to meros. tou oilogou mē peithesthai logǭ, epeidēper ou kata gnōmēn hēmōn, oude kata proairesin alla Physikōs to idion ergon apotelei.

The natural powers of the nourishing part are four: attractive, retentive, alterative, and excretive. For each part of the animal naturally draws its own food to itself, retains what it has drawn, changes what it has retained into itself, and so expels the residue. These are the powers that manage the nourishment of the parts of the body, from which growth in length and breadth comes. The superfluities are excreted through the belly, through urine, vomiting, sweat, through the mouth, the nostrils, the ears, the eyes, through breathing out, and through the invisible pores. The other excretions are obvious; through the ears comes the so-called cerumen, which is the dirt of the ears; through the eyes, tears and rheum; through breathing out, the sooty part of the heat of the heart. By invisible pores they mean the transpiration of the whole body, by which very many vapours are breathed out from the depth and from the contraction of the arteries through the porousness of the skin.

The organs of the nourishing part are the mouth, the gullet, the stomach, the liver, all the veins, the intestines, both biles, and the kidneys. The mouth first prepares the food for the stomach, cutting it small by the teeth and the tongue; for the tongue gives very great help in chewing, gathering the food and putting it under the teeth, as women grinding at the mill put the grain under the millstones with the hand; for in a way the tongue is the hand of chewing. Food so worked is sent on to the belly through the gullet; for the gullet is not only the sense organ of want but also the passage of food. It runs up in swallowing, draws the food down, and sends it on to the belly. The belly receives it and separates what is useful and nourishing from what is stony, woody and without nourishment; the useful part it changes into juices and sends up to the liver through the veins that draw from it and channel to the liver. These veins are like roots of the liver, drawing food from the belly as the roots of plants draw from the earth. The belly, which supplies the food, is like the earth to plants; the veins that carry the juice up to the gates and the concave part of the liver from the stomach and the intestines through the mesentery are like roots; the liver itself is like the trunk; the veins branching from the vena cava, which springs from the convex part of the liver, are like branches and twigs. For the liver, receiving the juice from the belly, concocts it and assimilates it to itself, and since its flesh is very like blood, it naturally changes the juice into blood. The blood is purified through the spleen, the gall bladder and the kidneys: the spleen draws off the dregs and makes them its own food; the gall bladder the pungent part left in the juices from the food; the kidneys the watery part together with what remains of the pungent; so that the blood, now pure and useful, is distributed as food to all the other parts of the body through the veins sown through them. And so each part, drawing the blood, retaining it and changing it into its own nature, passes the surplus on to the neighbouring parts, for which it has become suitable food. In this way all the parts are nourished by blood, grow and endure, the liver supplying it. This part of the irrational is said not to obey reason because it performs its own work not by our judgment or choice but naturally.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius describes the four natural powers of nourishment, the excretions, and the organs and course of digestion and the making of blood.

  • The four powers follow Galen, On the Natural Faculties.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the decorated initial; line number of the printed page): Ἃν θρεπτικοῦ → Τοῦ θρεπτικοῦ; αἱ μὲν οὖν τιο; ἄλλαι → αἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλαι.

Extrabiblical texts: Galen (Galen (works); allusion)

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 23 (Matthaei, 236-240; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/23). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/23

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 24

24Matthaei, 240-242

Ἡ δὲ σφυγμιοὶ κίνησις καλεῖται μὲν καὶ ζωτικὴ δύναμις. ἔχουσα δὲ τὴν καρδίαν ἀρχὴν. καὶ μάλιστα τὴν ἀριστερὰν αὐτῆς κοιλίαν) τὴν πνευματικὴν καλόυμένην» τὴν ἔμψυτον καὶ ζωτικὴν θερμότητα διανέμει παντὶ μορίῳ τοῦ σώματος δὰ τῶν ἀρτηρίων, καθάπερ τὸ ἧπαρ διὰ τῶν φλεβῶν τὴν τροζήν. θερμαινομιένης γοῦν τῆς καρδίας (παρὰ Φύσιν,) εὐθέως καὶ τὸ ζῶον ὅλον ( παρὰ φύσιν) θερμιαίνεται, καὶ ψυχομένης ψύχεται. τὸ γὰρ ζωτικὸν πνεῦμα παρ αὐτὴς διὰ τῶν ἀρτηρίων εἷς πᾶν τὸ σῶμα κατασπείρεται. συγκατασχίζεται δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον ἀλλήλοις τὰ τρία ταῦτα, φλὲψ, ἀρτηρία, νεῦρον, ἐκ τῶν τριῶν ἀρχῶν τῶν διοικου» σῶν τὸ ζῶον" ἐξ ἐγκεφάλου μὲν ἀρχῆς ὄντος κινήσεώς τὸ καὶ αἰσθήσεως γ τὸ νεῦρον" ἐξ ἥπατος δὲ ἀ ἀρχῆς ὄντος αἶματός τε καὶ τοῦ θρεπτικοῦ, ἡ Φλὲψ, τὸ ἀγγεῖόν τοῦ αἱἷματος" ἐκ δὲ τῆς καρδίας ἀρχῆς οὗσης τοῦ ζωτριοῦ, ἡ ἀρτηρία, Τὸ αγγεῖον τοῦ πνεύματος" συνόντα δὲ ἀλλήλοις τὰς παρ ἀλλήλων ὠφελείας καρποῦγτω. ἡ μὲν γὰρ Φλὲψ τροζὴν χορηγεῖ τῷ νεύρῳ καὶ τὴ ἀρτηρίῳ" καὶ δὲ ἀρτηρία μεταδίδωσι τῇ φλεβὶ θερμασίας ζυσικῆς καὶ πνεύματος ζωτικοῦ. τὸ δὲ νεῦρον αἴσθησιν παρέχει αὐταῖς τε καὶ τῷ παντὶ σώματι. ὅθεν οὔτε ἀρτηρίαν ἐστὶν εὑρεῖν “«ωρὶς αἵματος λεπτοῦ, οὗτε φλέβα χωρὶς πνεύματος ἀτωώδους, οὔτε νεῦρον χωρὶς αἰσθήσεως᾽ διαστέλλεται δὲ σζοδρῶς καὶ συστέλλεται ἡ ἀρτηρία καθ᾽ ὡρμονίαν τινὰ καὶ λόγον, τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχουσα τῆς κινήσεως ἐκ τῆς καρδίας" ἀλλὰ διαστελλομένη μὲν. ἐκ τῶν παρακειμένων Φλεβῶν ἕλκει τῇ βίᾳ τὸ λεπτὸν αἶωα" δπτερ αναθυμιώμενον τροφὴ γίεται τῷ ζωτικῷ πνεύματι" συστνλλομένη δὲ τὸ αἰθαλῶδες τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ κενοῖ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῶν ἀδήλων πόρων, ὡς διὰ τοῦ στόματος καὶ τῆς ῥινὸς ἡ καρδίχ τὸ λιγνυῶδες ἐν ταῖς ἐκπνοαῖς ἀνωθεῖται.

Hē de sphygmioi kinēsis kaleitai men kai zōtikē dynamis. echousa de tēn kardian archēn. kai malista tēn aristeran autēs koilian) tēn pneumatikēn kaloumenēn» tēn empsyton kai zōtikēn thermotēta dianemei panti moriǭ tou sōmatos da tōn artēriōn, kathaper to hēpar dia tōn phlebōn tēn trozēn. thermainomienēs goun tēs kardias (para Physin,) eutheōs kai to zōon holon ( para physin) thermiainetai, kai psychomenēs psychetai. to gar zōtikon pneuma par autēs dia tōn artēriōn heis pan to sōma kataspeiretai. synkataschizetai de hōs epi to pleiston allēlois ta tria tauta, phleps, artēria, neuron, ek tōn triōn archōn tōn dioikou» sōn to zōon" ex enkephalou men archēs ontos kinēseōs to kai aisthēseōs g to neuron" ex hēpatos de a archēs ontos aimatos te kai tou threptikou, hē Phleps, to angeion tou haiimatos" ek de tēs kardias archēs housēs tou zōtriou, hē artēria, To angeion tou pneumatos" synonta de allēlois tas par allēlōn ōpheleias karpougtō. hē men gar Phleps trozēn chorēgei tǭ neurǭ kai tē artēriǭ" kai de artēria metadidōsi tę̄ phlebi thermasias zysikēs kai pneumatos zōtikou. to de neuron aisthēsin parechei autais te kai tǭ panti sōmati. hothen oute artērian estin heurein “«ōris haimatos leptou, houte phleba chōris pneumatos atōōdous, oute neuron chōris aisthēseōs᾽ diastelletai de szodrōs kai systelletai hē artēria kath᾽ hōrmonian tina kai logon, tēn archēn echousa tēs kinēseōs ek tēs kardias" alla diastellomenē men. ek tōn parakeimenōn Phlebōn helkei tę̄ bią to lepton aiōa" dpter anathymiōmenon trophē gietai tǭ zōtikǭ pneumati" systnllomenē de to aithalōdes to en autę̄ kenoi dia pantos tou sōmatos kai tōn adēlōn porōn, hōs dia tou stomatos kai tēs rhinos hē kardich to lignyōdes en tais ekpnoais anōtheitai.

The pulsating movement is also called the vital power. Having its beginning in the heart, and especially in its left ventricle, called the pneumatic, it distributes the innate and vital heat to every part of the body through the arteries, as the liver distributes food through the veins. When the heart is heated contrary to nature, at once the whole animal is heated contrary to nature, and when it is cooled, the animal is cooled; for the vital breath is sown from it through the arteries into the whole body. These three, vein, artery and nerve, for the most part branch out together, from the three principles that govern the animal: the nerve from the brain, which is the principle of movement and sensation; the vein, the vessel of the blood, from the liver, which is the principle of blood and of nourishment; the artery, the vessel of breath, from the heart, which is the principle of the vital power. Being together, they enjoy the benefits they give one another: the vein supplies food to the nerve and the artery; the artery imparts natural heat and vital breath to the vein; the nerve gives sensation to them and to the whole body. Hence one cannot find an artery without fine blood, nor a vein without vaporous breath, nor a nerve without sensation. The artery expands and contracts vigorously according to a certain harmony and ratio, having the beginning of its movement from the heart. When it expands, it draws by force the fine blood from the adjacent veins, which, evaporated, becomes food for the vital breath; when it contracts, it empties the sooty matter in it through the whole body and the invisible pores, as the heart drives out the smoky matter through the mouth and nostrils in breathing out.

Notes and citation

Summary: Nemesius describes the vital power of the heart and arteries and the cooperation of vein, artery and nerve.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (line number of the printed page): σώτι3 ματι → σώματι.

Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 24 (Matthaei, 240-242; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/24). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/24

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nemesius-natura-hominis-24) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.