On the Nature of Man 7–15
Greek text: Matthaei.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 7
7Matthaei, 178-189
Ὄψις ὁμωνύμως λέγεται, καὶ τὸ αἰσθητήριον καὶ ἡ δύναμις ἡ αἰσθητικη. Ἵππαρχος δέ ᾧησιν, ἀκτῖνας ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀποτεινομένας τοῖς πέρασιν ἑαυτῶν, καθασπτερ χειρῶν ἐπαζφαῖς, καθαπτούσας τοῖς ἐκτὸς σώμασι, τὴν ἀντίληψιν αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸ ὁρατικὸν ἀναδιδόναι. οἱ δὲ γεωμέτραᾶι κωνους τινὰς ἀναγράφουσιν, ἐκ τῆς συνεμπτώσεως τῶν ἀκτίνων γινομένους, τῶν ἐκπτεμπομένων διὰ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν. … πέμπειν γὰρ ἀκτῖνας, τὸν μὲν δεξιὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, ἐπὶ τὰ ἀριστερὰ, τὸν δὲ ἀριστερὸν, ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιά" ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς … παραγίνεσθαι, Πλάτων δὲ, κατὰ συναύγειαν,, τοῦ μὲν ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν. Φωτὸς ἐπὶ πεσὸν ἀποῤῥέοντος εἰς τὸν ὁμοιοεν ἀέρα. τοῦ δὲ οὐπὸ τῶν σωμάτων ἐντιζερομένου, τοῦ δὲ περὶ τὼ μεταξὺ ἀέρα, εὐδιάχυτον ὄντα καὶ εὔτρετστον, συνεκτεινομένου τῷ πυροειδεῖ τῆς ὄψεως. Γαληνὸς δὲ, συμφώνως τημλάτωνι, “περὶ τὴς ὄψεως ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ τῆς συμφωνίας λέγει, γράφων οὕτω πως σποράδην" εἴπερ γὰρ εἰς τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἀφικνοῖτο μοῖρα τις ἥ δύναμις ἢ ἢ εἴδωλον ἣ ποιότης τῶν ὁρωμένων. σωμάτων, οὐκ ἂν τοῦ βλεπομένου τὸ μέγεθος ἔγνωμεν, οἷον ὄρους, εἰ τύχοι, μεγίστου, τηλικούτου γοὶρ εἰδωλον ἐμπήττειν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν παντάπασιν ἀλογον" ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ὀπτικὸν οὐχ, οἵόντε τοσαύτην ἰσχὺν ἐκκχρινέμενον λαυβάνειν, ὡς περιχεῖσθαι παντὶ τῷ βλεπομένω" λείπεται οὖν, τὸν πέριξ ἀέρα τοιοῦτον ὄργανον ἐμῖν γίνεσθαι, καθ' ὃν ὁρῶμεν χρό- γον, ὁποῖν ἐν τῷ σώματι τὸ νεῦρον ὑπάρχει τὸ ὀπτικόν. τοιοῦτον γΐο. τι πάσχειν ἔοιχεν ὁ περιέχων ἡμᾶς ἀήρ᾽ ἢ τε γλρ αὐγὴ τοῦ ἡλίου, ψαύουσα τοῦ ἄνω Τέρατος τοῦ ἀέρος, διαδίδωσιν εἰς ὅλον τὴν δύναμιν" ὅτο διὰ τῶν ὀπτικῶν νεύρων αὐγὴ Φερομένη, τὴν μὲν οὐσίαν ἔχει π’εὺματικὴν» ἐμπίπτουσα δὲ τῷ περιέχοντι καὶ τὴ πρώτη προς βολὴ τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν ἐργαζομένη, διχδίδωσιν ἄχρι πλείστοῦ συνέχουσα ἑαυτὴν, ἄχρις ἄν εἰς ἀντιτυπὲς ἐμπέση σῶμα. ἡΐνεται γὰρ ὃ ἀὴ᾿ ὄργανον τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ πρὲς τὸν τῶν ἐρωμένων διάγνωσιν τοιοῦτον», οἷόνπερ ἐν ἐγκεφάλῳ τὸ νεῦρον" ὥςτε ὃν ἔχει λόγον ὁ ἐὴ κέφαλος πρὸς τὸ νεῦρὸν, τοῦτον ἔχειν τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν πρὸς τὸν ἀέρα ἐψυχωμένον ὑπὸ τῆς ἡλιακῆς αὐγῆς. ὅτι δὲ. πέφυκεν ὁ ἀὴρ τοῖς πλησιάφουσι σώμασι συνεξομοιοῦσθαι, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ καὶ πυῤῥοῦ τινὸς ἢ κυανοῦ ἢ καὶ ἀργύρου λαμπροῦ διαφερομεένου, Φωτὸς ὄντος, ὑπὸ τοῦ διενεχθέντος οἰλλοιοῦσθαι τὸν ἀέρα. Πορφύριος. δὲ ἐν τῷ στερὶ αἰσθήσεως, οὔτε κῶνον; οὔτε εἴδωλον, οὔτε ἄλλο τί, Φησὶν, αἴτιον εἶναι τοῦ ὁρᾷν" ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτὴν, ἐντυγχάνουσαν τοῖς ὁρατοῖς, ἐπηινώσπειν ἑαυτὴν οὖσαν τὰ ὁρατὰ; τῷ τὴν ψυχὴν συνέχειν πάντα τὰ ὄντα, καὶ εἶναι τὰ παντὰ ψυχὴν συνέχρυσαν σώματα διάφορα. μίαν γοὺρ βυνλόμονος εἶναι πάντων ὠυχὴν τὴν λογικὴν» εἰκότως Φησὶ γνωρίζειν ἑαυτὴν ἐν πᾶσι τοὶς ουσιν. ὁρῷ δὲ ἡ ὄψις κατ' εὐθείας ἡραμμὰς, αἰσθανεται δὲ, κατὰ πρῶτον μὲν λόγον, τῶν χρωμάτων, συνδιαγινώσπει δὲ αὐ- κε τοῖς καὶ τὸ κεχρωσμένον σῶμα, καὶ τὸ μέγεθος αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ τὴν χώραν, ἔνθα ἐστὶ, καὶ τὸ ὁ διάστημα, καὶ τὸν αριθμὸν, κὐηπί τὸ ναὶ στάσιν» καὶ τὸ τραχὺ καὶ λεῖξν καὶ ὁμαλὸν καὶ ἀνώμαλον καὶ τὸ ὀξὺ καὶ τὸ ἀμθλὺ καὶ τὴν σύστασιν, εἶτε ὑδατῶδες, εἴτε γεῶδές ἐστιν, οἷον, ὑγρὸν ἢ ξηρόν. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἴδιον αὐτῆς αἰσθητόν ἐστι, τὸ χρῶμχ᾽ διὰ μόνης γὰρ τῆς ὄψεως τῶν χρωμάτων ἄντίλαμβανόμεθα" εὐθέως δὲ σὺν τῷ χρώματι καὶ τὸ πεχρωσμένὸν σῶμα καὶ τὸν τόπον, ἐν ᾧ τυ γχάνει ὃν τὸ ὁρώμενον» καὶ τὸ διάστημα, πὸ μεταξὺ τοῦτε ὁρῶντος καὶ τοῦ ὁρω- Μένου. ὁπόσαις γὰρ τῶν αἰσθήσεων συνεμφαίεται καὶ τὸ οἰἶμα, ταύταις εὐθέως καὶ ὁ τύπος συνδιαγινώσκεται, ὡς τὴ ἀφῇ καὶ τὴ γεύσει" αλλ᾽ αὑται μὲν τότε μόνον, ὅταν προςπελάσωσι τῷ σώματι, αἰσθάνονται, πλὴν τῶν ἑξῆς διορισθησομένων" οψις δὲ καὶ πόῤῥωθεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ πόῤῥωεν ἀντιλαμβάνεται τῶν ἰδίων αἰσθητῶν, ἀναγκαίως ἐπηκολούθησε, τὸ μόνην ὁρῶν καὶ τὸ διάστημα, τὸ δὲ μέγεθος τότε μόνην διαγινώσκειν, ὅταν τὸ άνω δύνηται διὰ μιᾶς προςβολῆς περιλαβεῖν. ἐν οἷς δὲ μεῖζόν ἐστι τὸ ὁρώμενον ἣ κατὰ μίαν προςβολὴν περλαμβάνεσθαι, ἐν τούτοις (ἑ ὄψις) δεῖται καὶ τὸς μνήμης καὶ τῆς διανοίας. κατα μέρος γὰρ αὐτὸ “θεωμένη καὶ οὐχ, ὑφ᾽ ἕν ὅλον, ἀναγκαίως εἰς ἕτερον ἀφ᾽ ἑτέρου μεταβαίνει, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐμπίπτον ἀεὶ κατὰ τὴν μετάβασιν, αἰσθητόν ἐστι" τα δὲ ἔμπροσθεν ἑωραμένα αὶ μνήμο) διαφυλάττει, συνάγει δὲ ἀμφέτερα ἡ ἡ διάνοια τό ΤῈ αἰσθητὸν καὶ τὸ μνημονευτέν. τοῦ μὲν οὖν μεγέθους διχῶς ἀντιλαμβάνεται, ποτὲ μὲν μόνην ποτὲ δὲ μετὰ μοήμης. καὶ διανοίας" τοῦ δὲ ἀριθυοῦ τῶν ὁρωμένων, τοῦ ὑπὲρ τρία ἦ τέσσαρα, τοῦ κατὰ μίαν προς βολὴν μὴ ὁρωμένου, καὶ τῶν κινήσεων καὶ τῶν σχημάτων τῶν πολυγώ ὠνων» οὐδέποτε μόνη, ἀλλ᾽ οἰεὶ μετὰ μνήμης καὶ διανοίας. οὐ γὰρ δύγαται τὰ πέντε καὶ ἐξ καὶ ἑπτὰ καὶ πλείω χωρὶς μνήμης συναγαγεῖν. οὕτως οὐδὲ τὰ ἐξάγωνα καὶ ὀκταγωνα καὶ πολύγωνα σχήματα. καὶ καὶ Ἶ κίνησις δὲ κατὰ μετάβασιν γινομένη, τὸ μὲν ἔχει “πρότερον, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον. ἔνθα δὲ πρότερον ἐστὶ καὶ δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον. τοῦτο μνήμη μόνη διαφυλάττει" τὸ δὲ ἄνω καὶ κάτω καὶ τὸ ἀνώμαλον καὶ ὁμαλὸν, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸ τραχὺ καὶ τὸ λεῶν καὶ τὸ ὀξὺ καὶ τὸ,κἀυβλὺ κοινὰ τῆς ἐφὴς καὶ τῆς ὀψεώς ἐστιν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ μόναι τὸν τόπον διαγινώσκουσι. χρήζουσι δὲ καὶ διανοίας. μόνον γὲρ ἐκεῖνο, τὸ κατὰ μίαν προς βολοὴν προςπέπτον τὴ αἰσθήσει, μόνης αἰσθήσεως ἔργον ἐστί" τὰ δὲ κατὰ “πλείους οὐ μόνης» ολλὰ καὶ μνήμης μετὰ διανοίας, ὡς ἔμπροσθεν ἐδείχθη. τῶν δὲ διαφανῶν καὶ μέχρι τοῦ βάθους διμνεῖσθαι πέζυκεν ἡ ὄψις, ἀέρος μὲν πρώτως καὶ μάλιστα" ὅλον γὰρ διεξέρ- Χχεται" δεύτερον δὲ ὕδατος ἡρεμοῦντός τε καὶ καθα οὔ" τοὺς ἰχθὺς γοῦν νηχομένους ὁρῶμεν" ἧττον δὲ διὰ ὑέλευ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τρρθεοτεζδνν» δὴν δὲ, ὅτι “πεί(φωτισμένων" καὶ τῶν θερμῶν καὶ ἀντίλχψις ὀψεώς ἐστιν, ἐπειδὴ τὸ πῦρ ὁρῶντες, ἴσμεν εὐθέως, ὅτι καὶ θερμόν ἐστιν" ὧν ΚΟ ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην ὄψιν ἀναγ ἧς τὸν λέγον, εὑρήσεις, ὡς τότε, ὅτε πρῶτον ἡ ὄψις ἐθεάσατο τὸ πῦρ, μένου τοῦ χρώματος καὶ σχήματος ἔσχε τὴν ἀντίληψιν. προςελιθούσης δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀφῇς» ἐγνωρίσαμεν, ὅτι καὶ θερα ὄν ἐστιν, ὅπερ διεφυλαξεν ἥ μνήμην παραλαβοῦσα παρὰ τὺς ἀφῇς" νῦν οἷν, ὅταν θεασώμεθα πῦρ, οὐδὲν ἄλλο μέπομεν, ἢ τὸ σχῆμα καὶ τὸ χρῶμα τοῦ πυρός" αὶ δὲ διετδι συμπαρφαλαμβάνει τοῖς ἐρωμένοις διὰ τὴς μνήμης καὶ τὴν θερμότητα. ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μήλου. εἰ γὰρ οὐχ, ὑπὸ μόνου τοῦ χρώματος καὶ σχήματος εἰδοποιεῖται τὸ μῆλον, ἀλλα καὶ τῆς ὀσμῆς, καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν γεῦσιν ποιότητος, οὐχὶ, εἰὐὰ καὶ τούτων ἡ ὄψις ἀντιλαμίβανομένη, οἶδεν, ὃ ὅτι ε μῆλέν ἐστιν" αλλ καὶ ψυχὴ τὴν μνήμην ἀποσωζει, τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἐσφρ᾽σεώς τε καὶ γεύσεως, ἅμα τε τῷ θεάσασθαι συνεπινοεῖ. καὶ ταῦτα τῷ σχήματι καὶ τῷ χρώματι. ὅταν οὺν κύρινον μῆλον νομίσωμεν ἀληθινὸν εἶναι μῆλον, οὐχ, ἡὶ ὄψις ἐστὶν καὶ ἐξαπατωμένη, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ διάνοια. ἡ γὰρ ὄψις “ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις αἰσθητοῖς οὐ διεσφαλη" τόντε γὰρ. χρῶμα καὶ τὸ σχῆμα συνεῖδεν. αἱ μὲν οὖν τρεῖς τῶν αἰσθήσεων, ἥτε ὄψις καὶ αὶ ἀκοὴ καὶ ἡ ὄσζρησις τῶν ἔξωθεν καὶ μὴ προςπελαζόντων ἀντιλαμβάνονται, διὸ μέσου τοῦ ἀέρος" ἢ δὲ γεῦσις οὐκ λλ αὶ αἰσθάνεται. ἐὰν μὴ στροτομιλύση τῶ αἰσθητῷ" ἡ δὲ ἀφὴ ἐπαμφοτερίζει" καὶ γὰρ πλησιάζουσα τοῖς σώμασι καὶ ξς διὰ μέσης ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε ῥάβδου. ποτὲ μὲν οὖν καὶ ὄψις τῆς ἐπιμαρτυρίας χρήζω τῆς τῶν ἄλλων αἰσθήσεων, ὅταν ἡ τὸ Φαινόμενον ἐπιτετεχνημένον πρὸς ἀπάτην, ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς γρα- Φῆς" γραφικῆς γδρ ἔργον, ἀπατῆσαι τὴν ὄψιν ἐξοχαῖς οὐκ οὖσαις καὶ κοιλώμασιν, εἰ τὸ πρᾶγμα τοιαύτην ἔχε! τὴν φύσιν" ἔνθα χρεία πρὸς διάγνωσιν, μάλιστα μὲν τὸς ὠἀφὴςν ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε δὲ καὶ τῆς γεύσεως ἢ ὀσφρήσεως; ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ κηρίνου μήλου" ποτὲ δὲ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἐναργῶς παρίστησι τὰ φαινόμενα, ὅταν μὴ πόῤῥωθεν ὁρῷ᾽ τὸν γοῦν πύργον, τὸν τετράγωνον» στρογγύλον ὁ ὁρᾷ π πόρῥωθεν" σφαλλεται δὲ καὶ, ὅταν δέ ἀχλύος ἢ καπνοῦ βλέπωμεν, ἢ ἡ τινος τῶν παραπτληοσίων τῶν ἐπιθολούντων τὴν ὄψιν. ὁ ὁμοίως καὶ, ὅταν δὲ ὕδατος κινουμένου " καὶ γὰρ ἐν κε θαλάσση τὴν κώπην ὡς κεκλασμέγὴν ὁρᾷ" ὁμοίως: καὶ, ὅταν διά τινος διαφανοῦς ὕλης βλέπη, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐσόπτρων καὶ τῆς ὑέλου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν «οιουτοτρόπων" ἢ ὅταν ὀξέως κιῆται τὸ ὁρώμενον" συνταράσσει γὰρ τὴν ὄψιν καὶ ταχεῖα κίνησις. ὡς στρογὴ λα τὰ μὴ στρογγύλα βλέπειν, καὶ εἰς ἐπ ῴης τὰ κρούμενα " ἡ ὅταν καὶ διάνοια “πρὸς ἄλλοις ἀσχολῆται, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ προθεμένου μὲν συντυχεῖν. φίλῳ, καὶ συντυχόντος μὲν» παρελθόντος δὲ αὐτὸν, τῷ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἑτέροις εἶναι. οὐκ ἔστι δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦτο διαμάρτημα τῆς ὄψεως, αλλαὶ τοῦ νοῦ. ἡ μὲν γὰρ εἶδε, καὶ ἀπηγγειλεν" ὁ δὲ νοῦς οὐ προςέσχε τοῖς ἀπαγγελθεῖσ!. τεσσάρων δὲ μάλιστα πρὸς ἐναργἢ διά- Ἴνωσιν ἡ ὄψις χρήξει, ἀβλαβοῦς αἰσθητηρίου, συμμέτρου κοήσεως, καὶ διαστήματος, ἀέρος καθαροῦ καὶ λαμπροῦ,
Opsis homōnymōs legetai, kai to aisthētērion kai hē dynamis hē aisthētikē. Hipparchos de hǭēsin, aktinas apo tōn ophthalmōn apoteinomenas tois perasin heautōn, kathaspter cheirōn epazphais, kathaptousas tois ektos sōmasi, tēn antilēpsin autōn pros to horatikon anadidonai. hoi de geōmetraai kōnous tinas anagraphousin, ek tēs synemptōseōs tōn aktinōn ginomenous, tōn ekptempomenōn dia tōn ophthalmōn. … pempein gar aktinas, ton men dexion ophthalmon, epi ta aristera, ton de aristeron, epi ta dexia" apo de tēs … paraginesthai, Platōn de, kata synaugeian,, tou men ek tōn ophthalmōn. Phōtos epi peson aporrheontos eis ton homoioen aera. tou de oupo tōn sōmatōn entizeromenou, tou de peri tō metaxy aera, eudiachyton onta kai eutretston, synekteinomenou tǭ pyroeidei tēs opseōs. Galēnos de, symphōnōs tēmlatōni, “peri tēs opseōs en tǭ hebdomǭ tēs symphōnias legei, graphōn houtō pōs sporadēn" eiper gar eis ton ophthalmon aphiknoito moira tis hē dynamis ē ē eidōlon hē poiotēs tōn horōmenōn. sōmatōn, ouk an tou blepomenou to megethos egnōmen, hoion orous, ei tychoi, megistou, tēlikoutou goir eidōlon empēttein tois ophthalmois hēmōn pantapasin alogon" alla mēn kai to pneuma to optikon ouch, hoionte tosautēn ischyn ekkchrinemenon laubanein, hōs pericheisthai panti tǭ blepomenō" leipetai oun, ton perix aera toiouton organon emin ginesthai, kath' hon horōmen chro- gon, hopoin en tǭ sōmati to neuron hyparchei to optikon. toiouton gïo. ti paschein eoichen ho periechōn hēmas aēr᾽ ē te glr augē tou hēliou, psauousa tou anō Teratos tou aeros, diadidōsin eis holon tēn dynamin" hoto dia tōn optikōn neurōn augē Pheromenē, tēn men ousian echei p’eumatikēn» empiptousa de tǭ periechonti kai tē prōtē pros bolē tēn alloiōsin ergazomenē, dichdidōsin achri pleistou synechousa heautēn, achris an eis antitypes empesē sōma. hēïnetai gar ho aē᾿ organon tǭ ophthalmǭ pres ton tōn erōmenōn diagnōsin toiouton», hoionper en enkephalǭ to neuron" hōste hon echei logon ho eē kephalos pros to neuron, touton echein ton ophthalmon pros ton aera epsychōmenon hypo tēs hēliakēs augēs. hoti de. pephyken ho aēr tois plēsiaphousi sōmasi synexomoiousthai, dēlon ek tou kai pyrrhou tinos ē kyanou ē kai argyrou lamprou diapheromeenou, Phōtos ontos, hypo tou dienechthentos oilloiousthai ton aera. Porphyrios. de en tǭ steri aisthēseōs, oute kōnon? oute eidōlon, oute allo ti, Phēsin, aition einai tou horąn" alla tēn psychēn autēn, entynchanousan tois horatois, epēinōspein heautēn ousan ta horata? tǭ tēn psychēn synechein panta ta onta, kai einai ta panta psychēn synechrysan sōmata diaphora. mian gour bynlomonos einai pantōn ōychēn tēn logikēn» eikotōs Phēsi gnōrizein heautēn en pasi tois ousin. horǭ de hē opsis kat' eutheias hērammas, aisthanetai de, kata prōton men logon, tōn chrōmatōn, syndiaginōspei de au- ke tois kai to kechrōsmenon sōma, kai to megethos autou, kai to schēma, kai tēn chōran, entha esti, kai to ho diastēma, kai ton arithmon, kyēpi to nai stasin» kai to trachy kai leixn kai homalon kai anōmalon kai to oxy kai to amthly kai tēn systasin, eite hydatōdes, eite geōdes estin, hoion, hygron ē xēron. to men oun idion autēs aisthēton esti, to chrōmch᾽ dia monēs gar tēs opseōs tōn chrōmatōn antilambanometha" eutheōs de syn tǭ chrōmati kai to pechrōsmenon sōma kai ton topon, en hǭ ty nchanei hon to horōmenon» kai to diastēma, po metaxy toute horōntos kai tou horō- Menou. hoposais gar tōn aisthēseōn synemphaietai kai to oiima, tautais eutheōs kai ho typos syndiaginōsketai, hōs tē aphę̄ kai tē geusei" all᾽ hautai men tote monon, hotan prospelasōsi tǭ sōmati, aisthanontai, plēn tōn hexēs dioristhēsomenōn" opsis de kai porrhōthen. epei de porrhōen antilambanetai tōn idiōn aisthētōn, anankaiōs epēkolouthēse, to monēn horōn kai to diastēma, to de megethos tote monēn diaginōskein, hotan to anō dynētai dia mias prosbolēs perilabein. en hois de meizon esti to horōmenon hē kata mian prosbolēn perlambanesthai, en toutois (he opsis) deitai kai tos mnēmēs kai tēs dianoias. kata meros gar auto “theōmenē kai ouch, hyph᾽ hen holon, anankaiōs eis heteron aph᾽ heterou metabainei, kai to men empipton aei kata tēn metabasin, aisthēton esti" ta de emprosthen heōramena ai mnēmo) diaphylattei, synagei de amphetera hē hē dianoia to TE aisthēton kai to mnēmoneuten. tou men oun megethous dichōs antilambanetai, pote men monēn pote de meta moēmēs. kai dianoias" tou de arithyou tōn horōmenōn, tou hyper tria ē tessara, tou kata mian pros bolēn mē horōmenou, kai tōn kinēseōn kai tōn schēmatōn tōn polygō ōnōn» oudepote monē, all᾽ oiei meta mnēmēs kai dianoias. ou gar dygatai ta pente kai ex kai hepta kai pleiō chōris mnēmēs synagagein. houtōs oude ta exagōna kai oktagōna kai polygōna schēmata. kai kai I kinēsis de kata metabasin ginomenē, to men echei “proteron, to de deuteron. entha de proteron esti kai deuteron kai triton. touto mnēmē monē diaphylattei" to de anō kai katō kai to anōmalon kai homalon, hōsautōs de kai to trachy kai to leōn kai to oxy kai to,kaubly koina tēs ephēs kai tēs opseōs estin, epeidē kai monai ton topon diaginōskousi. chrēzousi de kai dianoias. monon ger ekeino, to kata mian pros boloēn prospepton tē aisthēsei, monēs aisthēseōs ergon esti" ta de kata “pleious ou monēs» olla kai mnēmēs meta dianoias, hōs emprosthen edeichthē. tōn de diaphanōn kai mechri tou bathous dimneisthai pezyken hē opsis, aeros men prōtōs kai malista" holon gar diexer- Chchetai" deuteron de hydatos hēremountos te kai katha ou" tous ichthys goun nēchomenous horōmen" hētton de dia hyeleu kai tōn allōn tōn trrtheotezdnn» dēn de, hoti “pei(phōtismenōn" kai tōn thermōn kai antilchpsis opseōs estin, epeidē to pyr horōntes, ismen eutheōs, hoti kai thermon estin" hōn KO epi tēn prōtēn opsin anag hēs ton legon, heurēseis, hōs tote, hote prōton hē opsis etheasato to pyr, menou tou chrōmatos kai schēmatos esche tēn antilēpsin. proselithousēs de kai tēs aphę̄s» egnōrisamen, hoti kai thera on estin, hoper diephylaxen hē mnēmēn paralabousa para tys aphę̄s" nyn hoin, hotan theasōmetha pyr, ouden allo mepomen, ē to schēma kai to chrōma tou pyros" ai de dietdi symparphalambanei tois erōmenois dia tēs mnēmēs kai tēn thermotēta. ho autos logos kai epi tou mēlou. ei gar ouch, hypo monou tou chrōmatos kai schēmatos eidopoieitai to mēlon, alla kai tēs osmēs, kai tēs kata ton geusin poiotētos, ouchi, eiya kai toutōn hē opsis antilamibanomenē, oiden, ho hoti e mēlen estin" all kai psychē tēn mnēmēn aposōzei, tēn ek tēs esphr᾽seōs te kai geuseōs, hama te tǭ theasasthai synepinoei. kai tauta tǭ schēmati kai tǭ chrōmati. hotan oun kyrinon mēlon nomisōmen alēthinon einai mēlon, ouch, hēi opsis estin kai exapatōmenē, all᾽ hē dianoia. hē gar opsis “en tois idiois aisthētois ou diesphalē" tonte gar. chrōma kai to schēma syneiden. hai men oun treis tōn aisthēseōn, hēte opsis kai ai akoē kai hē oszrēsis tōn exōthen kai mē prospelazontōn antilambanontai, dio mesou tou aeros" ē de geusis ouk ll ai aisthanetai. ean mē strotomilysē tō aisthētǭ" hē de aphē epamphoterizei" kai gar plēsiazousa tois sōmasi kai xs dia mesēs esth᾽ hote rhabdou. pote men oun kai opsis tēs epimartyrias chrēzō tēs tōn allōn aisthēseōn, hotan hē to Phainomenon epitetechnēmenon pros apatēn, hōs epi tēs gra- Phēs" graphikēs gdr ergon, apatēsai tēn opsin exochais ouk ousais kai koilōmasin, ei to pragma toiautēn eche! tēn physin" entha chreia pros diagnōsin, malista men tos ōaphēsn esth᾽ hote de kai tēs geuseōs ē osphrēseōs? hōs epi tou kērinou mēlou" pote de kath' heautēn enargōs paristēsi ta phainomena, hotan mē porrhōthen horǭ᾽ ton goun pyrgon, ton tetragōnon» strongylon ho horą p porrhōthen" sphalletai de kai, hotan de achlyos ē kapnou blepōmen, ē hē tinos tōn paraptlēosiōn tōn epitholountōn tēn opsin. ho homoiōs kai, hotan de hydatos kinoumenou " kai gar en ke thalassē tēn kōpēn hōs keklasmegēn horą" homoiōs: kai, hotan dia tinos diaphanous hylēs blepē, hōs epi tōn esoptrōn kai tēs hyelou kai tōn allōn tōn «oioutotropōn" ē hotan oxeōs kiētai to horōmenon" syntarassei gar tēn opsin kai tacheia kinēsis. hōs strogē la ta mē strongyla blepein, kai eis ep ǭēs ta kroumena " hē hotan kai dianoia “pros allois ascholētai, hōs epi tou prothemenou men syntychein. philǭ, kai syntychontos men» parelthontos de auton, tǭ tēn dianoian autou pros heterois einai. ouk esti de oude touto diamartēma tēs opseōs, allai tou nou. hē men gar eide, kai apēngeilen" ho de nous ou prosesche tois apangeltheis!. tessarōn de malista pros enargē dia- Inōsin hē opsis chrēxei, ablabous aisthētēriou, symmetrou koēseōs, kai diastēmatos, aeros katharou kai lamprou,
“Sight” is used in two senses, both for the sense organ and for the sensitive power. Hipparchus says that rays stretched out from the eyes, touching external bodies with their ends as with the contact of hands, convey the apprehension of them to the power of seeing. The geometers draw certain cones, formed by the meeting of the rays sent out through the eyes; for they say the right eye sends rays to the left and the left eye to the right, and from [their meeting a cone is formed] … [Epicurus says that images of what is seen] come [into the eyes]. Plato says that seeing happens by a co-shining, the light from the eyes flowing out to a certain distance into the air akin to it, and the light from bodies being carried toward it, while the air between, being easily diffused and changed, stretches out together with the fiery element of sight. Galen, agreeing with Plato, speaks about sight in the seventh book of his On the Agreement [of Hippocrates and Plato], writing in scattered places roughly as follows: “If some portion, power, image, or quality of the bodies seen reached the eye, we should not know the size of what is seen, for instance of a very great mountain; for it is wholly unreasonable that an image of such a size should fall upon our eyes. Nor can the visual breath, when sent out, acquire such strength as to spread round everything that is seen. It remains, then, that the surrounding air becomes for us, while we see, the same kind of instrument as the optic nerve is in the body. The air around us seems to be affected in some such way: the light of the sun, touching the upper limit of the air, passes its power through the whole; and the light carried through the optic nerves has a breath-like substance, and falling on the surrounding air and producing the alteration by its first impact, it passes on as far as possible, holding itself together, until it falls on a solid body. For the air becomes an instrument for the eye in the discernment of visible things, of the same kind as the nerve is in the brain; so that the relation of the brain to the nerve is the relation of the eye to the air, ensouled by the light of the sun.” That air is apt to be made like the bodies near it is clear from the fact that when something red or blue or even bright silver is carried across, while there is light, the air is altered by what is carried across. Porphyry, in his work On Sensation, says that neither a cone nor an image nor anything else is the cause of seeing, but that the soul itself, meeting the visible things, recognizes itself as being the visible things, because the soul holds together all beings and all things are a soul holding together various bodies. For since he holds that the rational soul is one soul of all things, he reasonably says it recognizes itself in all beings.
Sight sees along straight lines. It perceives colours in the first place, but together with them it also discerns the coloured body, its size, its shape, the place where it is, the distance, the number, motion and rest, rough and smooth, even and uneven, sharp and blunt, and its constitution, whether watery or earthy, that is, moist or dry. Its proper object of perception is colour, for we apprehend colours by sight alone; but at once, together with the colour, we apprehend the coloured body, the place where what is seen happens to be, and the distance between the one who sees and what is seen. For with whatever senses shape is also shown, with them place too is discerned at once, as with touch and taste; but these perceive only when they come near the body, except for those to be distinguished below, while sight perceives even from afar. Since it apprehends its proper objects from afar, it necessarily followed that it alone sees distance too; and it discerns size alone only when it can take in what is seen in one glance. Where what is seen is too large to be taken in at one glance, sight needs memory and thought as well. For viewing it part by part and not all at once, it must pass from one part to another, and what meets it at each step is perceived, while memory keeps what was seen before, and thought brings both together, the perceived and the remembered. Sight apprehends size, then, in two ways, sometimes alone and sometimes with memory and thought. But the number of things seen, beyond three or four, which is not seen at one glance, and motions and many-sided figures, it never apprehends alone, but always with memory and thought. For it cannot gather five, six, seven or more without memory; so too with hexagonal, octagonal and many-angled figures. And motion, which takes place by passage, has a first and a second; and where there is a first, a second and a third, memory alone keeps it. Up and down, uneven and even, likewise rough and smooth, sharp and blunt are common to touch and sight, since these alone discern place too. But they also need thought. For only what falls on the sense at one glance is the work of sense alone; what needs more than one is the work not of sense alone but also of memory with thought, as was shown above.
Sight is able to pass through transparent things even to their depth: through air first and most, for it passes through the whole of it; second, through still and clear water, for we see fish swimming; less through glass and other such transparent things. … [It sees the things] that are lit. It also apprehends hot things, since when we see fire we know at once that it is hot. But if you trace the account back to the first sight, you will find that when sight first beheld fire it apprehended only colour and shape; when touch came in, we learned that it was also hot, which memory kept, having received it from touch. Now, then, when we see fire, we see nothing but the shape and colour of the fire; but thought, through memory, takes the heat along with what is seen. The same account holds for an apple. For since the apple is given its form not only by colour and shape but also by smell and its quality of taste, sight does not know that it is an apple by apprehending these too; but the soul keeps the memory from smell and taste, and at the moment of seeing thinks of these along with the shape and colour. So when we take a wax apple for a real apple, it is not sight that is deceived but thought; for sight was not mistaken in its proper objects, since it saw both the colour and the shape correctly. Three of the senses, sight, hearing and smell, apprehend things outside and not in contact, through the medium of air; taste perceives nothing unless it comes into contact with what is perceived; touch does both, perceiving by coming near bodies and sometimes through a stick. Sometimes, then, sight needs the confirming witness of the other senses, when what appears has been contrived for deception, as in painting; for it is the work of painting to deceive sight with projections and hollows that are not there, as if the thing had such a nature; there touch especially is needed to discern it, and sometimes taste or smell, as with the wax apple. Sometimes sight by itself presents appearances clearly, when it does not see from afar; for it sees a square tower as round from afar. It is also mistaken when we look through mist or smoke or something similar that clouds sight; likewise through moving water, for in the sea it sees an oar as if broken; likewise when it looks through some transparent material, as with mirrors and glass and other such things; or when what is seen moves swiftly, for swift motion confuses sight, so that it sees things that are not round as round and things at rest as moving; or when thought is busy with other things, as when someone intends to meet a friend and, though the friend meets him, passes him by, because his thought is on other things. But this is not a mistake of sight but of the mind; for sight saw and reported, but the mind did not attend to the report. For clear discernment sight needs especially four things: an unharmed sense organ, moderate motion, moderate distance, and air that is clear and bright.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius reviews theories of vision (Hipparchus, the geometers, Plato, Galen, Porphyry) and explains what sight perceives by itself and with memory and thought, and how it is deceived.
- The OCR has lost the end of the geometers' theory and the view of Epicurus (images entering the eyes); the gap is marked “…” and supplied in square brackets by sense. Another line is lost before “that are lit.”
- Galen, On the Doctrines of Hippocrates and Plato 7.5, quoted as Nemesius gives it. Plato, Tim. 45b–46a. Porphyry's On Sensation is lost.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (a line lost in the OCR; chapter heading and OCR slip; garbled line of the OCR; garbled line of the OCR; words lost; stray marks of the printed page): ΠΕΡῚ ΟΨὦΕ ῷ Σ. ὄψις → Ὄψις; συνεμπτώσεως τῶν., -, ΩΣ ἀκτίνων → συνεμπτώσεως τῶν ἀκτίνων; ὀφθαλμῶν. Ε.“ ν᾿ ἀκ ν ἧς ἌΡ: ν᾿ πεῖν παν ἃ πέμπειν → ὀφθαλμῶν. … πέμπειν; ἐπὶ τὰ ν δὰ ν ν ΩΝ ᾿ Μ ἀριστερὸ, → ἐπὶ τὰ ἀριστερὰ,; ὠπὸ δὲ τῆς παραγίνεσθαι → ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς … παραγίνεσθαι.
Extrabiblical texts: Galen, Plac. Hipp. Plat. 7.5 (Galen (works); quotation); Plato, Tim. 45b–46a (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 7 (Matthaei, 178-189; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/7
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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 8
8Matthaei, 189-195
Ἕκαστον μὲν τῶν ἄλλων αἰσθητηρίων διπλοῦν ὁ δημιουρἐς κατεσκούασε, καὶ τόπῳ τινὶ καὶ μορίῳ τοῦ σώματος περιέγραψε καὶ γὼρ ὀφθαλμοὺς δύο, καὶ ὦτα δύο, καὶ δύο πέρους τῆς αἰσθύσεως ἐν τῇ ῥινὶ πεποίηκε» καὶ γλωῶτο τὰς δὲ δύο πᾶσι τοῖς ζώοις ἐνέφυσεν" ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν διηρημένας» ὡς τοῖς ὀφισι" τοῖς δὲ συνημμένας καὶ συνηνωμένας » ἧς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις" διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δύο τὰς προσθίους κοιλίας μένας τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου πεποίηκεν, ἵνα ἐξ ἑκατέρας κοιλίας τὰ αἰσθητικὰ νεῦρα καταπεμπόμενα, διπλᾶ ποιὴ τὰ αἰσθητήρια. διπλᾶ δὲ αὐτὰ πεποίηκε, δὲ ὑπερβάλλουσαν κηδεαν" ἵνα τοῦ ἑτέρου παθόντος, τὸ περιλειπόμενον σώῤη τὴν αἰσθησιν. ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν πλείστων αἰσθγητηρίων διαφθειρομένων, οὐδὲν εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ζωὴν καταβλάπτεται τὸ ὁ ζῶον" «φὴς δὲ ὠπολλυμένης » συναπόλλυται καὶ τὸ ζῶον. ἁφὴ γὰρ μόνη τῶν αἰσθήσεων κοινὴ πάντων ἐστὶ τῶν ζώων. πᾶν γὰρ ζῶον ἁφὴν ἔχει" τὰς δὲ ἄλλας αἰσθήσεις οὐ πᾶντα πάσας, αλλ᾽ ἐνίας ἔνια" πάσας δὲ ἔχειν, τὰ τελειότερα. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἐν τούτῳ τὸ ζῶον ἐκινδύνευε ζῶον εἶναι, ἢ μὴ εἶναι. οὐχ, ἕν μόριον ὁ δημιουργὸς ἀπεκλήρωσε τῇ ἀφη" ἀλλὰ πᾶν σχεδὸν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ζώου" πλὴν γὰρ ὀστῶν καὶ ὀνύχων καὶ κεράτων» συνδέσμων τε καὶ τριχῶν, καὶ ἄλλων τινῶν τοιούτων, πᾶν μόριον τοῦ σώματος τῆς αἀφῆς ἀντιλαμβάνεται. συμβέβηκεν οὖν ἕ ἑκαστὸν τῶν αἰσθητχρίων διπλᾶς ἔχειν αἰσθήσεις " τὸν μὲν, τῶν ἰδίων αἰσθητῶν" τὴν δὲ» τῆς ἀφῇς, ὡς ἡ ὄψις" καὶ γὰρ τὰ χρώματα διακρίνει, καὶ τῶν θερμῶν καὶ ' ψυχρῶν ἀντιλαμβάνεται" ἄλλα τούτων μὲν, ὡς σῶμα, τῶν δὲ χρωμάτων, ὡς ὄψις. ὡσαύτως ὲ καὶ ἡ γεῦσις καὶ σζρησις καὶ ἀκοή. πῶς οὖν παντός ἐστι τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἀφὴ, εἴπερ ἀπὸ τῶν προσθίων κοιλιῶν τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου λέγομεν εἶναι τὰς αἰσθήσεις; ἢ δῆλον, ὅτι νεύρων καταπεμτομένων ἐξ ἐγκεφάλου καὶ διασπειρομένων εἰς πᾶν μόριον τοῦ σώματος ἡ τῆς ἀφῆς αἴσθησις προτγίνεται. ἐπειδὴ δὲ πολλάκις ὑπ᾽ ὠκάνθης πλγγέντες τὸν πέδα, τὴς κεφαλῆς εὐθέως τὰς τρίχας Φρίττομεν" ὠζθησάν τινες» τὸ πάθος, ἢ τὴν αἰσθησιν τοῦ πάθους, εἰς τὸν ἐγκέφαλον ἀναπέμπεσθαι, καὶ οὕτως αἰσθάνεσθαι. ἀλλ᾽ εἴπερ ἦν ἀληθὴς οὗτος ὁ λόγος, οὐκ ἂν ἤλγει τὸ τεμνόμενον μόριον, ἄλλ᾽ ὁ ἐγκέφαλος. βῶσιον οὗ οὖν λέγειν, ὅτι τὸ νεῦρον ἐγκέ- Φαλός ἐστι. καὶ γὰρ μοῖρ τις ἐστὶν ἐγκεφάλου, δι παν- } τὸς ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ψυχικὸν ἔχον πνεῦμα», ὡς ὃ πεπυρακτως μένος σίδηρος ἔχει τὸ πῦρ" διά τοι τοῦτο, ἔνθα ἂν νεῦρον ν νι» αἰσθητικὸν ἐμφύηται; ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέρος αἰσθήσεως ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ μεταλαμβάνει: καὶ γύεται αἰσθητικόν. οὐδὲν δὲ ἴσως ἄτοπον λέγειν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν νεύρων, τὸν ἐγκέφαλον, ἀναπέμπεσθαι, οὐ τὸ πάθος» ἀλλοὶ συναίσθησιν τινα καὶ ἀπαγγελίαν τοῦ πάθους" ἔστι δὲ ἴδιον αἰσθητὸν ἀφῇς τὸ θερμὸν καὶ ψυχρὸν, τὸ τε μαλακὸν, καὶ σκληρὸν, καὶ γλίσχρον. γκαἱ κραῦρον, βαρύ τε καὶ κοῦφον" διὰ μόνης Ὑρ τῆς «φὴς ταῦτα γνωρίζεται. κοινὰ δὲ οἱψῆς καὶ ὄψεως, τὸ τε ὀξὺ καὶ ἀμβλὺ καὶ τὸ πραχὺ καὶ λεῖον» τὸ τε ξηρὸν καὶ ὑγρὸν » παχύ τε καὶ λεπτὸν, ἄνω καὶ κάτω" καὶ γὰρ ὁ τόπος, τόγτε μέγεθος » ὅταν ἣ τοιοῦτον, εἰς κατὰ μίαν προςβολὴν τῆς φὴς περιλαμβάνεσθαι, "καὶ τὸ πυκνὸν δὲ “καὶ τὸ μανὸν καὶ τὸ στρογγύλον, ὅταν ἥ ἢ μικρὸν, ὡς καὶ ἀλλα τινὰ σχήματα. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῆς κινήσεως τοὺ πλησιαζοντος αὐτῇ σώματος αἰσθάνεται σὺν τῇ μνήμη καὶ Κι διανοίᾳ, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ οἰριθμοῦ" ἀλλὰ μέχρι δυοῖν ἢ τριῶν καὶ τούτων ᾿μυιρῶν καὶ ῥῳδίως περιλαμβανομένων" μᾶλλον δὲ τὸς ἀζφῆς ἡ ὄψις τούτων ἀντιλαμβάνεται, ὥςπερ καὶ τοῦ ὁμαλοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀνωμάλου. τοῦ γαῖρ γένους ἐστὶ τοῦ τὸ λείου καὶ τραχέος " σκληρότητι μὲν γὰρ ἀνωμαλία μιχθεῖσα τραχύτητα, ὁμαλότης δὲ πυκνότητι λειότητα ποιεῖ. δῆλον οὖν ἔκ τῶν εἰρημένων, ὡς πολλὴν κοινωνίαν αἱ αἰσθύήσεις αὗται πρὸς ἀλλέλας ἔχουσι. καὶ γὰρ. τὰ τῆς ἑτέρας, διαμαρτήματα ὴ ἑτέρα διασαφεῖ. ἐπὶ γοῦν τῆς γραφῆς ἡ μὲν ὄψις ἐξοχάς τινας ὁρᾷ, ῥινὸς τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων" ἡ δὲ ὠζὴ προςελιθοῦσα διήλεγξεν αὐτῆς τὸ διωμάρτημα. ὥςπερ δὲ ἡ ἡ ὄψις ἀεὶ καὶ πάντα διὰ μέσου" τοῦ ἀέρος ὁρᾷ" οὕτω καὶ κἢὶ ᾿ἀφὴ διὰ μέσου τῆς βακτηρίας τῶν σκληρῶν καὶ μαλακῶν καὶ ὑγρῶν αἰσθάνεται» ἀλλὰ συλλογιστικῶς καὶ μετοὶ διανοίας " ἀκριβεστάτὴν γὰρ ἔχει ταύτην τὴν αἴσθησιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος. ταύτῃ γοῦν καὶ τὴ γεύσει πλέον ἔχει τῶν ἄλλων ζώων, καί τοι ταῖς ἄλλαις τρισὶν ἡττώμενος. ἄλλο μὲν γᾶρ ζῶον κατ᾽ ἄλλην αἴσθησιν τῶν τριῶν πλεονεκτεῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον" ὁ δὲ κύων, ἐν ταῖς τρισὶν ἀμα" ὀξύτερον γὰρ καὶ ἀκούει καὶ βλέπει καὶ ἐσφραίνεται,, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τῶν ἰχνευόντων κυνῶν. καὶ πᾶν μὲν τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁφῆς ἐστιν αἰσθητήριον, ὡς καὶ ὶ πρόσθεν εἴρηται" μάλιστα δὲ τῶν χειρῶν τὰ ἔσωθεν, καὶ τούτων ἔτι μᾶλλον τὰ ἄκρα τῶν δακτύλων" ταῦτα γὰρ ὥςπερ γνώμονάς τινὰς τῆς ἀφῆς ἀκριβεῖς Ε' ἔχομεν. οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἄντιληπτικὸν ὄργανον ὁ δημισυργὸς τὰς χεῖρας κατεσκεύασεν" ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁπτικὸν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ δέρμα λεπτότερον ἔχουσι, καὶ μῦς αὐταῖς ὅλαις ἔσωθεν ὑπέστρωται.. καὶ τριχῶν ἀμοιροῦσιν, ἵνα μᾶλλον τῶν ἀπτῶν ἀντιλαμβάνωνται. τοῦ δὲ τρίχας αὐτὰς μὴ Φύειν, ὁ ὑπεστορεσμένος μῦς γέονεν αἴτιος, τῶν δὲ χειρῶν αἱ μὲν σκληρότεραι πρὸς ἀντίληψίν εἰσιν ἰσχυρότεραι" αἱ δὲ μαλακώτεραι πρὸς τὴν ἀφὸὴν ἀκριβέστεραι" ὡςπὲρ καὶ τῶν νεύρων τὰ μὲν σκληρὰ πρὸς κόησιν, τὰ δὲ μαλακὰ πρὸς αἰσθησίν εἶσιν ἐπιτηδειότερα. ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἀφὴς ἐστὶν ὄργανα" διὰ τούτων γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἁφῆς αἰσθησις γίνεται.
Hekaston men tōn allōn aisthētēriōn diploun ho dēmioures kateskouase, kai topǭ tini kai moriǭ tou sōmatos periegrapse kai gōr ophthalmous dyo, kai ōta dyo, kai dyo perous tēs aisthyseōs en tę̄ rhini pepoiēke» kai glōōto tas de dyo pasi tois zōois enephysen" alla tois men diērēmenas» hōs tois ophisi" tois de synēmmenas kai synēnōmenas » hēs tois anthrōpois" dia touto kai dyo tas prosthious koilias menas tou enkephalou pepoiēken, hina ex hekateras koilias ta aisthētika neura katapempomena, dipla poiē ta aisthētēria. dipla de auta pepoiēke, de hyperballousan kēdean" hina tou heterou pathontos, to perileipomenon sōrē tēn aisthēsin. alla tōn men pleistōn aisthgētēriōn diaphtheiromenōn, ouden eis autēn tēn zōēn katablaptetai to ho zōon" «phēs de ōpollymenēs » synapollytai kai to zōon. haphē gar monē tōn aisthēseōn koinē pantōn esti tōn zōōn. pan gar zōon haphēn echei" tas de allas aisthēseis ou panta pasas, all᾽ enias enia" pasas de echein, ta teleiotera. epeidē toinyn en toutǭ to zōon ekindyneue zōon einai, ē mē einai. ouch, hen morion ho dēmiourgos apeklērōse tę̄ aphē" alla pan schedon to sōma tou zōou" plēn gar ostōn kai onychōn kai keratōn» syndesmōn te kai trichōn, kai allōn tinōn toioutōn, pan morion tou sōmatos tēs aaphēs antilambanetai. symbebēken oun he hekaston tōn aisthētchriōn diplas echein aisthēseis " ton men, tōn idiōn aisthētōn" tēn de» tēs aphę̄s, hōs hē opsis" kai gar ta chrōmata diakrinei, kai tōn thermōn kai ' psychrōn antilambanetai" alla toutōn men, hōs sōma, tōn de chrōmatōn, hōs opsis. hōsautōs e kai hē geusis kai szrēsis kai akoē. pōs oun pantos esti tou sōmatos kai aphē, eiper apo tōn prosthiōn koiliōn tou enkephalou legomen einai tas aisthēseis? ē dēlon, hoti neurōn katapemtomenōn ex enkephalou kai diaspeiromenōn eis pan morion tou sōmatos hē tēs aphēs aisthēsis protginetai. epeidē de pollakis hyp᾽ ōkanthēs plngentes ton peda, tēs kephalēs eutheōs tas trichas Phrittomen" ōzthēsan tines» to pathos, ē tēn aisthēsin tou pathous, eis ton enkephalon anapempesthai, kai houtōs aisthanesthai. all᾽ eiper ēn alēthēs houtos ho logos, ouk an ēlgei to temnomenon morion, all᾽ ho enkephalos. bōsion hou oun legein, hoti to neuron enke- Phalos esti. kai gar moir tis estin enkephalou, di pan- } tos heautou to psychikon echon pneuma», hōs ho pepyraktōs menos sidēros echei to pyr" dia toi touto, entha an neuron n ni» aisthētikon emphyētai? ekeino to meros aisthēseōs hyp᾽ autou metalambanei: kai gyetai aisthētikon. ouden de isōs atopon legein, epi tēn archēn tōn neurōn, ton enkephalon, anapempesthai, ou to pathos» alloi synaisthēsin tina kai apangelian tou pathous" esti de idion aisthēton aphę̄s to thermon kai psychron, to te malakon, kai sklēron, kai glischron. nkai krauron, bary te kai kouphon" dia monēs Hyr tēs «phēs tauta gnōrizetai. koina de hoipsēs kai opseōs, to te oxy kai ambly kai to prachy kai leion» to te xēron kai hygron » pachy te kai lepton, anō kai katō" kai gar ho topos, togte megethos » hotan hē toiouton, eis kata mian prosbolēn tēs phēs perilambanesthai, "kai to pyknon de “kai to manon kai to strongylon, hotan hē ē mikron, hōs kai alla tina schēmata. homoiōs de kai tēs kinēseōs tou plēsiazontos autę̄ sōmatos aisthanetai syn tę̄ mnēmē kai Ki dianoią, hōsautōs de kai oirithmou" alla mechri dyoin ē triōn kai toutōn ᾿muirōn kai rhǭdiōs perilambanomenōn" mallon de tos azphēs hē opsis toutōn antilambanetai, hōsper kai tou homalou kai tou anōmalou. tou gair genous esti tou to leiou kai tracheos " sklērotēti men gar anōmalia michtheisa trachytēta, homalotēs de pyknotēti leiotēta poiei. dēlon oun ek tōn eirēmenōn, hōs pollēn koinōnian hai aisthyēseis hautai pros allelas echousi. kai gar. ta tēs heteras, diamartēmata ē hetera diasaphei. epi goun tēs graphēs hē men opsis exochas tinas horą, rhinos te kai tōn allōn" hē de ōzē proselithousa diēlenxen autēs to diōmartēma. hōsper de hē hē opsis aei kai panta dia mesou" tou aeros horą" houtō kai kēi ᾿aphē dia mesou tēs baktērias tōn sklērōn kai malakōn kai hygrōn aisthanetai» alla syllogistikōs kai metoi dianoias " akribestatēn gar echei tautēn tēn aisthēsin ho anthrōpos. tautę̄ goun kai tē geusei pleon echei tōn allōn zōōn, kai toi tais allais trisin hēttōmenos. allo men gar zōon kat᾽ allēn aisthēsin tōn triōn pleonektei ton anthrōpon" ho de kyōn, en tais trisin ama" oxyteron gar kai akouei kai blepei kai esphrainetai,, hōs dēlon ek tōn ichneuontōn kynōn. kai pan men to sōma tēs haphēs estin aisthētērion, hōs kai i prosthen eirētai" malista de tōn cheirōn ta esōthen, kai toutōn eti mallon ta akra tōn daktylōn" tauta gar hōsper gnōmonas tinas tēs aphēs akribeis E' echomen. ou gar monon antilēptikon organon ho dēmisyrgos tas cheiras kateskeuasen" alla kai haptikon, dia touto kai to derma leptoteron echousi, kai mys autais holais esōthen hypestrōtai.. kai trichōn amoirousin, hina mallon tōn aptōn antilambanōntai. tou de trichas autas mē Phyein, ho hypestoresmenos mys geonen aitios, tōn de cheirōn hai men sklēroterai pros antilēpsin eisin ischyroterai" hai de malakōterai pros tēn aphoēn akribesterai" hōsper kai tōn neurōn ta men sklēra pros koēsin, ta de malaka pros aisthēsin eisin epitēdeiotera. tauta gar kai tēs aphēs estin organa" dia toutōn gar hē tēs haphēs aisthēsis ginetai.
Each of the other sense organs the Creator made double and bounded by some place and part of the body: he made two eyes, two ears, and two passages of sensation in the nose; and he implanted two tongues in all animals, divided in some, like snakes, joined and united in others, like men. For this reason he also made the front ventricles of the brain two, so that the sensory nerves sent down from each ventricle make the sense organs double. He made them double out of exceeding care, so that if one is damaged the one remaining may preserve the sense. But when most of the sense organs are destroyed, the animal is not harmed as regards life itself; when touch perishes, the animal perishes with it. For touch alone of the senses is common to all animals: every animal has touch, but not all have all the other senses, but some have some; the more perfect have all. Since, then, on this depended whether the animal was an animal or not, the Creator allotted to touch not one part but nearly the whole body of the animal; for apart from bones, nails, horns, ligaments, hair and some other such things, every part of the body apprehends touch. So it happens that each of the sense organs has two senses: one of its proper objects, the other of touch. Sight, for example, discerns colours and also apprehends hot and cold; but these as body, colours as sight. Likewise taste, smell and hearing.
How then does touch belong to the whole body, if we say the senses come from the front ventricles of the brain? Clearly because nerves are sent down from the brain and spread into every part of the body, and so the sense of touch arises. Since often when we are pricked in the foot by a thorn the hair of our head bristles at once, some have thought that the affection, or the sensation of the affection, is sent up to the brain, and so we perceive. But if this account were true, the part that is cut would not feel pain, but the brain. It is better, then, to say that the nerve is brain. For it is a portion of the brain, having the psychic breath throughout itself, as red-hot iron has fire; and for this reason, wherever a sensory nerve is implanted, that part receives a share of sensation from it and becomes sensitive. Perhaps it is not absurd to say that what is sent up to the beginning of the nerves, the brain, is not the affection but a kind of joint awareness and report of the affection.
The proper objects of touch are hot and cold, soft and hard, viscous and brittle, heavy and light; for these are known by touch alone. Common to touch and sight are sharp and blunt, rough and smooth, dry and moist, thick and thin, up and down; and place, and size when it is such as to be taken in at one contact of touch; and dense and rare and round, when it is small, as also some other shapes. Likewise it perceives the motion of a body near it, with memory and thought; and likewise number, but up to two or three, and these small and easily taken in. But sight apprehends these better than touch, as also even and uneven, which are of the same class as smooth and rough: unevenness mixed with hardness makes roughness, evenness with density makes smoothness. It is clear from what has been said that these senses have much in common with one another; for one makes clear the mistakes of the other. In a painting sight sees certain projections, of the nose and other features; but touch, coming in, exposes its mistake. As sight always sees all things through the medium of air, so touch perceives hard, soft and moist things through the medium of a staff, but by inference and with thought. Man has this sense most exact; by it and by taste he has the advantage over the other animals, though he is outdone in the other three. One animal surpasses man in one of the three senses, another in another; but the dog in all three together, for it hears, sees and smells more sharply, as is clear from tracking dogs. The whole body is the organ of touch, as was said above, but especially the inner side of the hands, and still more the tips of the fingers; for these we have as exact gauges, as it were, of touch. For the Creator made the hands not only an instrument for grasping but also for touching. For this reason they have thinner skin, a muscle is spread under them on the inside, and they have no hair, so that they may better apprehend what they touch. The underlying muscle is the reason they grow no hair. Harder hands are stronger for grasping, softer ones more exact for touch; as also of the nerves, the hard are better suited for movement, the soft for sensation. For these are the organs of touch; through them the sense of touch takes place.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius explains why the sense organs are double, why touch extends over the whole body and is necessary to life, how the nerves carry sensation, and what touch perceives alone and in common with sight.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost the initial letter; stray marks, numerals or sigla of the printed page left in the OCR text): καστον μὲν τῶν ἄλλων → Ἕκαστον μὲν τῶν ἄλλων; Ω Ω Ν Ω “Ὡ → .
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 8 (Matthaei, 189-195; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/8
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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 9
9Matthaei, 195-197
Τὴν μὲν ὄψιν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἴπομεν κατ᾽ εὐθείας γραμμὰς ὁρᾷν" ἡ δὲ ὀσζρησις καὶ ἡ ἀκοὴ οὐ καθ' εὐθείαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πανταχόθεν. οφὴ δὲ καὶ γεῦσις οὔτε κατ᾽ εὐθείας γραμμὰς, οὔτε πανταχόθεν γνωρίζουσιν" ἀλλα τότα μόνον, ὅταν αὐτοῖς πλησιάσωσι τοῖς ἰδίοις αἰσθητοῖς γ πλὴν τῶν ἤδη διωρισμένων. ἔστι δὲ καὶ γεῦσις τῶν χυμῶν ἀντιληπττικη" ὄργανα δὲ αὐτῆς ἡ γλῶσσα, καὶ ταύτης μᾶλλον τὸ ἄκρον, ἔτι τὲ σὺν τούτοις ἡ ὑπερῶχ, ἐν οἷ: ἐστι τὰ ἐξ ἐγκεζφαλου Φερόμενα νεῦρα πεπλωτυσμένα καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντα τὴν γενομένην ἀντίληψιν πρὸς τὸ ἡγεμονριόν. τῶν δὲ χυμῶν αἱ γευστικαὶ καλούμεναι ποιότητές εἰσιν αὗται, γλυκύτης, ὀξύτης, δριμύτης » στρυφνότης, αὐστηρότης, πικρότης» ἀλμυρότης» λιπαρότης. τούτων γορ ἐστιν ἡ γεῦσις διαγνωστική. κατὰ ταύτας δὲ τὰς ποιότητας "αὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἄποιον λέγεται, τῷ μηδεμίαν τούτων ἐμφαδειν ἐν τῇ γεύσει ποιοἴτητα. κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας » οἷον ψυχρότητα καὶ ὑγρότητα ᾿ σύμῷυτον ἔχει τὴν ποιότητα. στρυφνέτης δὲ καὶ αὐστηρότῆς» τῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον στύφειν, ἀλλήλων διαφέρουσιν. αἱ μὲν οὖν ἁπλαῖ γευστικαὶ ποιότητες αὗται βέναι σχεδόν εἰσι" σύνθετοι δὲν μυρίαι. καθ' ἕκαστον γὰρ εἶδος ζώου ταὶ φυτοῦ ἰδιάζουσαι ποιότητές εἰσιν. ἄλλης γὰρ» ἂν οὕτω; τύχῃ» χοιρδίου ποιότητος ἀντιλαμιβανόμεθα καὶ ἄλλης αἰγείου. διὸ καὶ μὴ μαθόντες, ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ προζενεχθὲν κρέας, ἐν τῇ γεύσει ἡνωρίζομεν" τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἣν» εἰ μὴ διάφορος ἣν ἣν ἑκάστου τῶν γευστῶν ἡ ποιότης. ὁθεν οὐκ ἂν τις αὐτὰς γενικῶς περιλάβοι, εἰπείρους οὔσας, καὶ πάντως ἀλλήλων διαφερούσας. καὶ γὰρ ἐν οἷς ἐπικρατεῖ μία τις τῶν ὡπλῶν ποιοτήτων, καὶ ἐν τούτοις γνώριμος αὶ κατ᾿ εἰδος τῶν γευστῶν διαφορά. ἰσχάδος γοῦν καὶ ᾿ἀσταζίδος καὶ Φούνικος. τούτων μέλ μὲν ἐπριρατεῖ ποιότης, ἡ κατὰ γλυκύτητα, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ γεῦσις διωκρύει τῶν εἰδῶν τὸ διάφορον.
Tēn men opsin en tois emprosthen eipomen kat᾽ eutheias grammas horąn" hē de oszrēsis kai hē akoē ou kath' eutheian monon, alla kai pantachothen. ophē de kai geusis oute kat᾽ eutheias grammas, oute pantachothen gnōrizousin" alla tota monon, hotan autois plēsiasōsi tois idiois aisthētois g plēn tōn ēdē diōrismenōn. esti de kai geusis tōn chymōn antilēpttikē" organa de autēs hē glōssa, kai tautēs mallon to akron, eti te syn toutois hē hyperōch, en hoi: esti ta ex enkezphalou Pheromena neura peplōtysmena kai apangellonta tēn genomenēn antilēpsin pros to hēgemonrion. tōn de chymōn hai geustikai kaloumenai poiotētes eisin hautai, glykytēs, oxytēs, drimytēs » stryphnotēs, austērotēs, pikrotēs» almyrotēs» liparotēs. toutōn gor estin hē geusis diagnōstikē. kata tautas de tas poiotētas "ai to hydōr apoion legetai, tǭ mēdemian toutōn emphadein en tę̄ geusei poioitēta. kata tas allas » hoion psychrotēta kai hygrotēta ᾿ symǭyton echei tēn poiotēta. stryphnetēs de kai austērotēs» tǭ mallon kai hētton styphein, allēlōn diapherousin. hai men oun haplai geustikai poiotētes hautai benai schedon eisi" synthetoi den myriai. kath' hekaston gar eidos zōou tai phytou idiazousai poiotētes eisin. allēs gar» an houtō? tychę̄» choirdiou poiotētos antilamibanometha kai allēs aigeiou. dio kai mē mathontes, hopoion esti to prozenechthen kreas, en tę̄ geusei hēnōrizomen" touto de ouk an hēn» ei mē diaphoros hēn hēn hekastou tōn geustōn hē poiotēs. hothen ouk an tis autas genikōs perilaboi, eipeirous ousas, kai pantōs allēlōn diapherousas. kai gar en hois epikratei mia tis tōn hōplōn poiotētōn, kai en toutois gnōrimos ai kat᾿ eidos tōn geustōn diaphora. ischados goun kai ᾿astazidos kai Phounikos. toutōn mel men epriratei poiotēs, hē kata glykytēta, all᾽ hē geusis diōkryei tōn eidōn to diaphoron.
We said earlier that sight sees along straight lines; smell and hearing perceive not only along a straight line but from all sides; touch and taste discern neither along straight lines nor from all sides, but only when they come near their proper objects, except for what has already been distinguished. Taste apprehends flavours. Its organs are the tongue, especially its tip, and with these the palate, in which are the nerves coming from the brain, spread flat, which report the apprehension that has occurred to the ruling part. The so-called tasting qualities of flavours are these: sweetness, sourness, pungency, astringency, harshness, bitterness, saltiness, oiliness; taste discerns these. By these qualities water is called without quality, since it shows none of them to the taste; by the other qualities, such as coldness and moisture, it has an innate quality. Astringency and harshness differ from each other by puckering more or less. These are practically the only simple tasting qualities; the compound ones are countless. For each kind of animal and plant has its own particular qualities: we apprehend one quality in pork, say, and another in goat's flesh. So even without being told what meat has been served, we recognize it by taste; which would not be so if the quality of each thing tasted were not different. Hence no one could take them all in by kinds, since they are without number and differ entirely from one another. Even where one of the simple qualities prevails, the difference in kind of the things tasted is recognized: in dried figs, raisins and dates the quality of sweetness prevails, yet taste discerns the difference of the kinds.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius describes taste, its organs, and the simple and compound qualities of flavour.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the decorated initial; line number and OCR slip): Ἴ; μὲν ὄψιν ἐκ τοῖς → Τὴν μὲν ὄψιν ἐν τοῖς; κατὰ Ὑ20 τος ἄλλας → κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας.
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 9 (Matthaei, 195-197; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/9
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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 10
10Matthaei, 197-198
Ἡ δὲ ἀκοὴ τῶν φωνῶν καὶ τῶν ψόφων ἐστὶν αἰσθητική" διαγνώσκει δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν ὀξύτητα καὶ τὴν βαρύτητα, λειότητά τε καὶ τραχύτητα καὶ μέγεθος. ὄργανα δὲ καὶ ταύτῆς τὰ γεῦρα, τὰ ἐξ ἐγκεφάλου, τὰ μαλακὰ, καὶ τῶν ὦτων ἡ πατασκευή᾽ μάλιστα δὲ αὐτῶν τὸ χονδρῶδες γένος. πρὸς γὰρ ψόφους καὶ ἤχους ἐπιτήδειός ἐστιν ὁ εἸόνδρος. μόνος δὲ ἄνθρωπος καὶ πίθηκος οὐ κινοῦσι τὰ ὦτα, Τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ζώων, τῶν ἐχόντων ὦτα, κινούντων αὐτά,
Hē de akoē tōn phōnōn kai tōn psophōn estin aisthētikē" diagnōskei de autōn tēn oxytēta kai tēn barytēta, leiotēta te kai trachytēta kai megethos. organa de kai tautēs ta geura, ta ex enkephalou, ta malaka, kai tōn ōtōn hē pataskeuē᾽ malista de autōn to chondrōdes genos. pros gar psophous kai ēchous epitēdeios estin ho eIondros. monos de anthrōpos kai pithēkos ou kinousi ta ōta, Tōn allōn pantōn zōōn, tōn echontōn ōta, kinountōn auta,
Hearing perceives voices and sounds; it discerns their sharpness and depth, smoothness and roughness, and loudness. Its organs are the soft nerves from the brain and the structure of the ears, especially their cartilaginous part; for cartilage is suited to sounds and echoes. Man and the ape alone do not move their ears; all the other animals that have ears move them.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius briefly describes hearing and its organs.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost the initial letter): δὲ ἀκοὴ τῶν φωνῶν → Ἡ δὲ ἀκοὴ τῶν φωνῶν.
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 10 (Matthaei, 197-198; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/10
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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 11
11Matthaei, 199-200
Ἡ δὲ ὄσφρησις, γίνεται μὲν διὰ τῶν ἑνῶν, περαίνεται δὲ εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῶν προσθίων τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου κοιλιῶν. αὗται γὰρ ἀτμοειδέσταται τὴν Φύσιν οὖσαι τῶν ἀτμῶν ῥαδίως ἀἰντιλαμίβανονται. λέλεκται γὰρ καὶ πρόσθεν, ὡς ἕκαστον τῶν αἰσθητηρίων καθ' ὁμοιότητα τινα καὶ οἰκειότητα τῶν ἐδίων αἰσθητῶν ἀντιλαμβάνεται. οὐ αὴν, θπῳ τοῖς ἄλλοις αἰσθητηρίοις νεῦρον αἰσθητικὸν κατέπεμψεν ὁ ὁ ἐγκέφαλος; οὕτω "καὶ τὴ ὀσφρήσει" ἄλλὰ τοῖς πέρασιν ἑαυτοῦ τῶν νεύρων ἀναπληροῖ τὴν,Χρείαν, καὶ τὴν τῶν ατμῶν ἀνάδοσιν δέχεται. τῶν δὲ α ατμῶν αὶ γενικωτάτη διαφορὰ εὐωδία τέ οι ἐστι καὶ δυφωδία., καὶ τὸ μέσον τούτων, ὃ μήτε εὐῶδές ἐστι, μῆτε δυτῶδες. γύεται δὲ εὐωδίκ, τῶν ὑγρῶν τῶν ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν ἀκριβῶς πεφθέντων" μέσως δὲ, ἡὶ μέση διάθεσις" καταδεέστερον δὲ ἡ μηδόλως, δυςωδία,
Hē de osphrēsis, ginetai men dia tōn henōn, perainetai de eis ta perata tōn prosthiōn tou enkephalou koiliōn. hautai gar atmoeidestatai tēn Physin ousai tōn atmōn rhadiōs aintilamibanontai. lelektai gar kai prosthen, hōs hekaston tōn aisthētēriōn kath' homoiotēta tina kai oikeiotēta tōn ediōn aisthētōn antilambanetai. ou aēn, thpǭ tois allois aisthētēriois neuron aisthētikon katepempsen ho ho enkephalos? houtō "kai tē osphrēsei" alla tois perasin heautou tōn neurōn anaplēroi tēn,Chreian, kai tēn tōn atmōn anadosin dechetai. tōn de a atmōn ai genikōtatē diaphora euōdia te oi esti kai dyphōdia., kai to meson toutōn, ho mēte euōdes esti, mēte dytōdes. gyetai de euōdik, tōn hygrōn tōn en tois sōmasin akribōs pephthentōn" mesōs de, hēi mesē diathesis" katadeesteron de hē mēdolōs, dysōdia,
Smell takes place through the nostrils and is completed at the ends of the front ventricles of the brain; for these, being most vapour-like in nature, easily apprehend vapours. For it was said earlier that each sense organ apprehends its proper objects by a certain likeness and kinship. The brain did not send down a sensory nerve to smell, as it did to the other sense organs, but it supplies the need with the ends of its own ventricles and receives the rising of the vapours. The most general difference among vapours is fragrance and foul smell, and what is between, neither fragrant nor foul. Fragrance arises when the moisture in bodies is thoroughly concocted; the middle condition when it is moderately concocted; foul smell when less, or not at all.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius briefly describes smell, its organ, and the kinds of odour.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost the initial letter): δὲ ὄσφρησις, γίνεται → Ἡ δὲ ὄσφρησις, γίνεται.
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 11 (Matthaei, 199-200; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/11
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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 12
12Matthaei, 200-201
Τοῦ δὲ διανοητικοῦ εἰσὶ γενικῶς μὲν, αἷ΄ τε κρίσεις καὶ συγκαταθέσεις καὶ ἀποφυγαὶ καὶ ὁρμαί" εἰδικῶς δὲ αἴ τε νοήσεις τῶν ὄντων καὶ αἱ ἀρεταὶ, καὶ ἐπιστῆμαι καὶ τῶν τεχνῶν οἱ λόγοι, καὶ τὸ βουλευτικὲν, καὶ προαιρετικόν" τοῦτο δέ ἐστι», τὸ καὶ διὰ τῶν ὀνείρων θέσπίζον ἡμῖν τὸ μέλλον, ἥνπερ μόνην ἀληθἢ μαντείαν οἱ πυθαγορειοι λέγουσιν εἶναι, τοῖς Ἑβραίοις ἀκολουθήσαντες" ὄργανον δὲ καὶ τούτου ἡ μέση κοιλία τοῦ ἐγκεφχλου, καὶ τὸ ψυχικὸν πνεῦμα τὸ ἐν αὐτῆ..
Tou de dianoētikou eisi genikōs men, hai΄ te kriseis kai synkatatheseis kai apophygai kai hormai" eidikōs de ai te noēseis tōn ontōn kai hai aretai, kai epistēmai kai tōn technōn hoi logoi, kai to bouleutiken, kai proairetikon" touto de esti», to kai dia tōn oneirōn thespizon hēmin to mellon, hēnper monēn alēthē manteian hoi pythagoreioi legousin einai, tois Hebraiois akolouthēsantes" organon de kai toutou hē mesē koilia tou enkephchlou, kai to psychikon pneuma to en autē..
To the power of thought belong, in general, judgments, assents, avoidances and impulses; in particular, the understanding of beings, the virtues, the sciences, the principles of the arts, deliberation and choice. This is also what foretells the future to us through dreams, which alone the Pythagoreans, following the Hebrews, say is true divination. Its organ too is the middle ventricle of the brain and the psychic breath in it.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius lists the activities of thought and places its organ in the middle ventricle of the brain.
- Matthaei's apparatus and Latin notes at the end of the chapter have been removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost the initial word; editor's apparatus, Latin notes, running heads or page numbers of Matthaei's printed page left in the OCR text; removed): ΑΚ. ΠΈσΥ. ἘΤ ΑΝΙΜΑΌν. τοῦ δὲ διανοητικοῦ νἱἃ. 10. ρ. τῇς. Β. «ἴτε κρίσεις κ᾿ τ᾿ Δ. Ὀοπο: αἰϊευτίος, αἰ ροπεΐοτιος., Ῥσο- [δηυυτίοπος εὐ ἔαραθ δῖᾳῦσο οοποϊεαιΐοηοβ δὴ δθθηάυμ,. Ϊπεριε' Ουδπιο ρτοδαυϊῖας μαεο σοθάϊάϊι ΕἸ! εθοάϊως ' καὶ σνγκαταθέσεις καὶ αἱ συγκαταθέσεις. Ὦ. τ. Α. τ. 3. Οοη[μαείοπες. ΝΑ}. Μία]ε! Νίοχ, καὶ αἱ ὁρμαί, ἰδικῶς. Ὁ. τ. ἀΔεϊπάε: ἰδικῶς δὲ αὔτε." Α. 3... ᾿ «τῶν ὄντων τῶν νοητῶν. Α΄. 2. αυσὰ να]ἀθ ρχο}»8}}}}6 νἱάδιυγ. δῖ εὐ ὕοῃμο. δε Ψ4|{4: δογιιν) σμαθ [μπί. Μοχ,, καὶ ἰρεταὶ καὶ ἐπιστῆμαι. Α. 2. αἱ, δηϊα ἐπιστῆμαι, οὐστος εἰΐδηὶ Ὦ. συ. Α. σ.Ἅ Ἶ καὶ προαιρετικὸν αὐίαπε, Ὁ. 1. καὶ τὸ προαιρετικόν. Α. 2. 3. Μιεοίεοείσασι. Οοπ. Αἰ ελῇο. Νὰ]. Ναυΐγυσα σσδθοο σοηίθηταυ ΠΊ. τοῦτο δέ ἐστι] Ἑοτιε, τούτου δέ ἐστι, ἰὰ εἴτ, τοῦ διανοης τικοῦ. δὶς ραν]]ο ἀτθ, τοῦ δὲ διανοητικοῦ εἰσί, 8ὶ τᾶγπθ ῥτο δίς τοῦτο, ἰπτο! σα άττα εἴς τὸ διανοητικόν, Νίδιη δὰ προαιρετικὸν ταίεττὶ πεαυῖς. Οοπο: Ηδαθο δτοῖῖ οἴϊῳ 4086 μὲν [οηγηΐδ πο ἷς [μτυγα ἀϊνίποταγ. Μ᾽ α]- 14: Ηοο εἴξ δεῖδιν, αυοά πο)ῖς ὑ6 νἱῆοτος ἀϊνῖπδ ὑσοὸ. ἔεσι, ἔπσάγαψυς ῥσαθάϊοῖε. καὶ τὸ δὲ ὀνείρων] τὸ καὶ διαὶ τῶν ὀνείρων. Ὁ, 1. Α. 1. Δ. 3. Νοχ, θεσπίζων. Α. 2. εῖπάε πυθαγορικοὶ δὲ ὄργανα δέ. Ὦ.1τ. ὄργανα Βαθεῖ οεἰαταὸ Οχ. Ργιλαρονίεἰ, Οοπι Ργελ5 αβονεῖ. Ναὶ. πυθαγόριοι, οιΕἰΠῸ χηοχ εἶναι, Α. 3. Ν5 δι --....-- “πτρρρ..θ---...... τ → ; δὲ διανοητικοῦ εἰσὶ → Τοῦ δὲ διανοητικοῦ εἰσὶ.
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 12 (Matthaei, 200-201; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/12
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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 13
13Matthaei, 202-207
Τὸ δὲ μνημονευτικόν ἐστι μνήμης καὶ ἀναμνήσεως αἵτιόν τε καὶ ταμιεῖον" ἔστι δὲ μνήμη, ὡς μὲν ᾿Ωρεγένης Φηὶν, Φαντασία ἐγκαταλελειμμένη ἀπό τινος αἰσθήσεως τῆς κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν φαινομένης " ὡς δὲ Πλάτων, σωτηρία αἰσθήσεώς τε καὶ νοήσεως. ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ τῶν μὲν αἰσθητῶν δια τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἀντι) αμββάνεται, καὶ γίνεται δόξα" τῶν δὲ νοητῶν, διὰ τοῦ νοῦ, καὶ γίνεται νόησις. ὅταν οὖν τοὺς τύπους, ὧν τὸ ἐδόξασεν, ὧν τε ἐνοήσε διασώῤη, μνημονεύειν λέγεται. ἔοικα δὲ νόησιν λέγειν ὁ Πλάτων καὶ ἐν τούτοις, οὐ τὴν κυρίως νόησιν, ἀλλα τὴν διανόησιν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ αἰσθηταὰ μνημονεύεται καθ' ἑαυτὰ » τὰ ὶ δὲ νοητὰ κατα συμβεβηκὸς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τῶν διανοητῶν ἡ μνήμη ἐκ προλαβούσης Φαντασίας πεν ρνγίνεται " τὰ δὲ κυρίως νοητὰ ὅτι μὲν ἐμάθομεν ἢ ᾿ ἠκούσαμεν» μεμνήμεθα" τὸς δὲ οὐσίχς αὐτῶν μνήμην͵ οὐκ ἔχομεν" οὐ κε ἐκ προηγησαμένης Φαντασίας καὶ τῶν νοητῶν ἀνάληψις, λ᾽ ἐκ μωθήσεως ἢ Φυσικῆς ἐννοίας. εἰ δὲ μνημονεύειν λεγόμεθα, ὡὧ πρότερον εἴδομεν ἢ ᾿ ἡκούσαμεν ἥ ἄλλως πως ἔγνωμεν" τὸ δὲ πρότερον τὴν ἀναζοραν ἔχει πρὸς τὸν παρελθόντα “ρόνον, δῆλον, ὡς μνημονευτά ἐστι τοὶ γινόμενα καὶ φθειρόμενα, τὰ ἐν χρόνω συνισταίμενα" καὶ ἔστι μὲν τῶν ἀπόντων ἡ μνήμην. οὐ μὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπόντων γίνεται. εἰνώμνησις δὲ λέγεται» ὅταν λύήθη μεσο) αβήση τὸν μνήμην. ἔστι γὰρ ἀνάυνησις μνήμης ἐξιτήλου γενομένης ἀνάκτησις " γίνεται δὲ ἐξίτηλος ὑπὸ τῆς λήθης᾽ λήθη δέ ἐστι ᾿ μνήμης εἰποίβολή" ἄλλ᾽ ἡὶ μὲν δωνεκὴς» ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ ποσὸν, ἧς ἐστιν ἡ ἀνάμνησις. ἑτέρα δέ ἐστιν ἀνάμνησις» ἥτις οὐκ ἔστι λήῴθη τῶν ἐξ αἰσθήσεως καὶ νοήσεως, ἀλλὰ τῶν Φυσικῶν ἐννοιῶν" Φυσριὰς δὲ λέγομεν ἐννοίας, τὰς ἀδιδάκτως πᾶσι προζούσας, ὡς τὸν εἶναι Θεόν" ταύτην δὲ ὁ Πλάτων ἀνάμνησιν εἶναι λέγει τῶν ἰδεῶν" τί δέ ἐστιν καὶ ἰδέα, ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς ἐροῦμεν. τὸ μὲν οὖν Φανταστικὸν παραδίδωσι τῷ διανοητικῷ τὰ φαινόμενα" τὸ δὲ διανοητικὸν ἢ διαλογιστικὸν παραλαβὸν καὶ κρίναν παραπέμπει τῷ μνημονευτικῷ. ὄργανον δὲ καὶ τούτοὺ καὶ ὅπισθεν κοιλία τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου, ἣν καὶ παρεγκεῷαλίδα καὶ “ταρεγκρανίδα παλοῦσι, καὶ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ ψυχικὸν πνεῦμα. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν μὲν αἰσθήσεων. ἀρχὰς καὶ ῥίζας», τὰς ἔμπροσθεν εἶναι κοιλίας Φαμὲν τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου, τοῦ δὲ διανοητικοῦ, τὴν μέσην, τοῦ δὲ ᾿βνημονευτικοῦν πὴν ὄπισθεν, ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν ἐπιδεῖξαι, εἰ ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον», ΐνα μὴ δόξωμεν ἀλόγως πιστεύειν τοῖς λεγομέγοῖςζ. ἱκχανωτάτη δὲ ἀπόδειξις ἡ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς τῶν μορίων ἐνεργείας λαμβανομένη. τῶν μὲν γὰρ προσθίων ποιλιῶν καθ' ὄγτινα δήποτε τρόπον βλαβεισῶν, αἱ μὲν αἰσθήσεις “ταραποδίζονται γ) τὸ δὲ διανογτιιὸν ἔτι μένει σωζόμενον" τὴς δὲ μέσης κοῦ ίας μένης παθούσης., ἡ μὲν διάνοια σφάλλεται, τὰ δὲ αἰσθητήρια μένει φυλάττοντα τὴν κατὰ φύσιν αἴσθησιν" ἐὰν δὲ καὶ αἱ πρόσθιοι καὶ ἡ μέση κοιλία πάθωσιν, ὁ λογισμὸς ἅμα ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι παρακέπτει" τῆς δὲ σπταρεγο κεφαλίδος παθούσης, ἡ μνήμη μόνη παραπόλλυται, τὴς αἰσθύσεως καὶ τῆς διανοίας εἰς οὐδὲν καταβλαπτομένων " ἐὰν δὲ σὺν τοῖς προσθίοις καὶ ἡ μέση καὶ ἡ ὄπισθεν σπώθη τίς καἱ τὴν αἴσθησιν καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν καὶ τὴν μνήμην ὁμοῦ φᾳ πκραφθείρονται, πρὸς τῷ καὶ τὸ πᾶν κινδυνεύειν ἀπολέσθαι ζῶον. γίνεται δὲ τοῦτο δῆλον καὶ δ ἄλλων μὲν πολλῶν παν θῶν τε καὶ συμπτωμάτων, μάλιστα δὲ ἐκ τῆς Φρενίτιδος. τῶν γὰρ Φρενιτιζόντων, οἱ μὲν τὰς αἰσθήσεις διασώζουσι, τῆς διανοίας μόνης βλαβείσης. τοιοῦτον ἀναγράψει Γαληνὸς Φρενιτίσανται, ὃς, ἐριουργοῦ τινὸς ἐργαζομένου παρ αὐτῷ, διαναστὰς καὶ λαβὼν ὑέλινα σκεύη, ἐπί τε τὰς θυρίδας ὁρμήσας, ἠρώτα τοὺς παριόντας, ἕκαστον τῶν σκευῶν ἐξ ὀνὸματος ὧν, εἰ θέλουσιν αὐτὸ ῥιφῆναι κάτω" τῶν δὲ παρεστώτων βούλεσθαι φησάντων, πρῶτον ἠκόντισε τῶν σκευῶν ἕκαστον" εἶτα ἤρετο τοὺς παρόντας, εἰ καὶ τὸν ἐριουργὸν βούλοιντο ῥιφῆναι" τῶν δὲ, παιδιὰν νομισάντων εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θέλειν ζησάντων, λαβὼν ὥθησεν ἄνωθεν κάτω τὸν ἐριουργόν. οὗτος τὰς μὲν αἰσθήσεις ὑγίαἰνεν" ἥδει γὰρ.» ὅτι σκεύη ταῦτα καὶ ἐριουργὸς οὗτος" ἐνέσει δὲ τὴν διάνοιαν, ἄλλοι δὲ διώκενον ἕλκουσι (φαντασίαν, ὁρῶν οἰόμενοι τὰ μὴ ὁρώμενα" τὰ δὲ ἄλλα Φρονοῦσι κωτὼ λόγον", οὗτοι τὰς προσθίους μόνας κοιλίας ἐβλάβησαν, τῆς μέσης ἀπαθοῦς μεινάσης. ἐκ δὲ τῶν παθῶν τῶν παρακολουθούντῶν ἑκάστῳ μορίῳ τα τῆς ἐνεργείχς αὐτῶν ἐμποδίζεται" εἰς ἐκείνην γὰρ τὴν ἐνέργειαν καταβλάπτεται τὸ ζῶον, ἣν πέζυκεν ἐνεργεῖν τὸ πεπονθὸς μόριον, ὡἧς. καὶ τοῦ ποδὸς σταθόντος» εἰς τὸ περιπατεῖν ἐμποδιζόμεθα. ταύτην γὰρ ὁ ποὺς ἔχει τὴν ἐνέργειαν. ο
To de mnēmoneutikon esti mnēmēs kai anamnēseōs haition te kai tamieion" esti de mnēmē, hōs men ᾿Ōregenēs Phēin, Phantasia enkataleleimmenē apo tinos aisthēseōs tēs kat᾽ energeian phainomenēs " hōs de Platōn, sōtēria aisthēseōs te kai noēseōs. hē gar psychē tōn men aisthētōn dia tōn aisthētēriōn anti) ambbanetai, kai ginetai doxa" tōn de noētōn, dia tou nou, kai ginetai noēsis. hotan oun tous typous, hōn to edoxasen, hōn te enoēse diasōrē, mnēmoneuein legetai. eoika de noēsin legein ho Platōn kai en toutois, ou tēn kyriōs noēsin, alla tēn dianoēsin. ta men gar aisthētaa mnēmoneuetai kath' heauta » ta i de noēta kata symbebēkos, epeidē kai tōn dianoētōn hē mnēmē ek prolabousēs Phantasias pen rnginetai " ta de kyriōs noēta hoti men emathomen ē ᾿ ēkousamen» memnēmetha" tos de ousichs autōn mnēmēn͵ ouk echomen" ou ke ek proēgēsamenēs Phantasias kai tōn noētōn analēpsis, l᾽ ek mōthēseōs ē Physikēs ennoias. ei de mnēmoneuein legometha, hōō proteron eidomen ē ᾿ hēkousamen hē allōs pōs egnōmen" to de proteron tēn anazoran echei pros ton parelthonta “ronon, dēlon, hōs mnēmoneuta esti toi ginomena kai phtheiromena, ta en chronō synistaimena" kai esti men tōn apontōn hē mnēmēn. ou mēn hypo tōn apontōn ginetai. einōmnēsis de legetai» hotan lyēthē meso) abēsē ton mnēmēn. esti gar anaunēsis mnēmēs exitēlou genomenēs anaktēsis " ginetai de exitēlos hypo tēs lēthēs᾽ lēthē de esti ᾿ mnēmēs eipoibolē" all᾽ hēi men dōnekēs» hē de epi poson, hēs estin hē anamnēsis. hetera de estin anamnēsis» hētis ouk esti lēǭthē tōn ex aisthēseōs kai noēseōs, alla tōn Physikōn ennoiōn" Physrias de legomen ennoias, tas adidaktōs pasi prozousas, hōs ton einai Theon" tautēn de ho Platōn anamnēsin einai legei tōn ideōn" ti de estin kai idea, en tois hexēs eroumen. to men oun Phantastikon paradidōsi tǭ dianoētikǭ ta phainomena" to de dianoētikon ē dialogistikon paralabon kai krinan parapempei tǭ mnēmoneutikǭ. organon de kai toutou kai hopisthen koilia tou enkephalou, hēn kai parenkeǭalida kai “tarenkranida palousi, kai to en autǭ psychikon pneuma. epeidē de tōn men aisthēseōn. archas kai rhizas», tas emprosthen einai koilias Phamen tou enkephalou, tou de dianoētikou, tēn mesēn, tou de ᾿bnēmoneutikoun pēn opisthen, anankaion estin epideixai, ei tauta touton echei ton tropon», ïna mē doxōmen alogōs pisteuein tois legomegoisz. hikchanōtatē de apodeixis hē ex autēs tēs tōn moriōn energeias lambanomenē. tōn men gar prosthiōn poiliōn kath' ogtina dēpote tropon blabeisōn, hai men aisthēseis “tarapodizontai g) to de dianogtiion eti menei sōzomenon" tēs de mesēs kou ias menēs pathousēs., hē men dianoia sphalletai, ta de aisthētēria menei phylattonta tēn kata physin aisthēsin" ean de kai hai prosthioi kai hē mesē koilia pathōsin, ho logismos hama tais aisthēsesi parakeptei" tēs de sptarego kephalidos pathousēs, hē mnēmē monē parapollytai, tēs aisthyseōs kai tēs dianoias eis ouden katablaptomenōn " ean de syn tois prosthiois kai hē mesē kai hē opisthen spōthē tis kai tēn aisthēsin kai ton logismon kai tēn mnēmēn homou phą pkraphtheirontai, pros tǭ kai to pan kindyneuein apolesthai zōon. ginetai de touto dēlon kai d allōn men pollōn pan thōn te kai symptōmatōn, malista de ek tēs Phrenitidos. tōn gar Phrenitizontōn, hoi men tas aisthēseis diasōzousi, tēs dianoias monēs blabeisēs. toiouton anagrapsei Galēnos Phrenitisantai, hos, eriourgou tinos ergazomenou par autǭ, dianastas kai labōn hyelina skeuē, epi te tas thyridas hormēsas, ērōta tous pariontas, hekaston tōn skeuōn ex onomatos hōn, ei thelousin auto rhiphēnai katō" tōn de parestōtōn boulesthai phēsantōn, prōton ēkontise tōn skeuōn hekaston" eita ēreto tous parontas, ei kai ton eriourgon boulointo rhiphēnai" tōn de, paidian nomisantōn einai to pragma, kai dia touto thelein zēsantōn, labōn hōthēsen anōthen katō ton eriourgon. houtos tas men aisthēseis hygiainen" hēdei gar.» hoti skeuē tauta kai eriourgos houtos" enesei de tēn dianoian, alloi de diōkenon helkousi (phantasian, horōn oiomenoi ta mē horōmena" ta de alla Phronousi kōtō logon", houtoi tas prosthious monas koilias eblabēsan, tēs mesēs apathous meinasēs. ek de tōn pathōn tōn parakolouthountōn hekastǭ moriǭ ta tēs energeichs autōn empodizetai" eis ekeinēn gar tēn energeian katablaptetai to zōon, hēn pezyken energein to peponthos morion, hōēs. kai tou podos stathontos» eis to peripatein empodizometha. tautēn gar ho pous echei tēn energeian. o
The power of memory is the cause and storehouse of memory and recollection. Memory, as Origen says, is an image left behind by some sensation that has appeared in actuality; as Plato says, it is the preservation of sensation and of understanding. For the soul apprehends perceptible things through the sense organs, and opinion arises; intelligible things through the mind, and understanding arises. When, then, it preserves the impressions of what it has opined and of what it has understood, it is said to remember. Plato seems to mean by understanding here not understanding in the strict sense but discursive thought. For perceptible things are remembered in themselves, intelligible things incidentally, since memory even of objects of thought comes from a preceding image. Things intelligible in the strict sense we remember to have learned or heard; but of their substance we have no memory; for the apprehension of intelligibles does not come from a preceding image, but from learning or natural notion. If we are said to remember what we earlier saw or heard or knew in some other way, and “earlier” refers to past time, it is clear that what is remembered is things that come to be and perish, things that exist in time. Memory is of things absent, but it does not arise from things absent. It is called recollection when forgetting has interrupted memory. For recollection is the recovery of a memory that has faded; it fades through forgetting; and forgetting is the loss of memory, either lasting or for a time, and of the latter there is recollection. There is another recollection, which is not of things forgotten from sensation and understanding, but of natural notions. By natural notions we mean those present in all without teaching, such as that God exists. Plato says this is recollection of the Ideas; what an Idea is we shall say later.
The power of imagination hands over appearances to the power of thought; the power of thought or reasoning receives them, judges them, and passes them on to the power of memory. Its organ is the back ventricle of the brain, which they call the cerebellum and parencranis, and the psychic breath in it. Since we say that the front ventricles of the brain are the beginnings and roots of the senses, the middle one of thought, and the back one of memory, we must show that this is so, lest we seem to believe what is said without reason. The most sufficient proof is the one taken from the activity of the parts themselves. When the front ventricles are harmed in any way, the senses are impeded, but thought remains intact. When the middle ventricle alone is affected, thought fails, but the sense organs keep their natural sensation. If both the front and the middle ventricles are affected, reason goes astray together with the senses. When the cerebellum is affected, memory alone is lost, while sensation and thought are not harmed at all. If the middle and back ventricles are affected together with the front ones, sensation, reason and memory are destroyed together, and besides the whole creature is in danger of perishing. This becomes clear from many other affections and symptoms, but especially from phrenitis. Of those with phrenitis, some keep their senses, and only thought is harmed. Galen records such a patient: when a wool-worker was working in his house, he got up, took glass vessels, rushed to the windows, and asked the passers-by, naming each vessel, whether they wanted it thrown down. When those standing there said yes, he first hurled each of the vessels; then he asked those present whether they wanted the wool-worker thrown too. They, thinking it a jest, said yes, and he took the wool-worker and pushed him down from above. This man was sound in his senses, for he knew that these were vessels and this a wool-worker; but he was affected in his thought. Others draw empty images, thinking they see what is not seen, but otherwise think rationally; these were harmed only in the front ventricles, the middle one remaining unaffected. From the affections that befall each part, its activity is hindered; for the creature is harmed in the activity which the affected part naturally performs, as when the foot is affected we are hindered in walking, for that is the foot's activity.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius defines memory and recollection, places imagination, thought and memory in the front, middle and back ventricles of the brain, and proves it from injuries and from a case of phrenitis recorded by Galen.
- The definition of memory attributed to “Origen” is often taken to be Aristotle's (cf. Mem. 1, 450a); Matthaei prints Ὠριγένης. Plato: Phileb. 34a; recollection of the Ideas: Meno 81c–d, Phaed. 72e–76e. Galen, On Affected Parts 4.2 (the patient with phrenitis).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the decorated initial): Τ; δὶ μνημονευτικόν ὕστε → Τὸ δὲ μνημονευτικόν ἐστι.
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phileb. 34a (Plato (works); allusion); Galen, Loc. aff. 4.2 (Galen (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 13 (Matthaei, 202-207; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/13
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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 14
14Matthaei, 208-210
ἐν τοῖς ᾿ ὀνείροις διαλεγόμεθα" κατὰ τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα λογία κοὶ πάντες ἐσμέν. οὐ Ὑ οὕτω κατα τὸν προφορικὸν λόγον, ὡς κατὰ τοῦτον. καὶ γαρ οἱ ἐκ γενετὸς κωφοὶ καὶ οἱ διοὲ πάθος ἢ ἥ νόσημα τὴν (φωνὴν ἀποβαλόντες, οὐδὲν ἢ ἧττον λογικοί εἰσν. ὁ δὲ προζορικὸς λόγος ἐν τὴ Φωνῇ καὶ ταῖς δια» λέκτοις τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἔχει" ὄργανα δὲ τῆς φωνῆς πολλά. οἵ τε γὰρ ἐν τοῖς μεσοπλεύροις ἔσωθεν μύες καὶ ὁ θώραξ καὶ ὁ πνεύμων ἦτε τραχεῖα ἀρτηρία καὶ ὁ λάρυγξ καὶ τούτων μάλιστα τὸ χονδρῶδες, καὶ τὰ παλινδρομοῦντα νεῦρα καὶ ἡ γλωττὶς καὶ πάντες οἱ κινοῦντες ταῦτα τὰ μόρια ΘΝ τῆς ἐκφωνήσεως εἰσιν ὄργανα" τῆς δὲ διαλέκτου, τὸ ἣν στόμα. ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ διαπλάττεται καὶ σχηματίζεται καὶ οἱονεὶ μορῷφοῦται ἡ διάλεκτος" τὴς μὲν γλώσσης καὶ τοῦ γαργαρεῶνος πλήκτρου λόγον ἐπεχόντων᾽ τῆς δὲ ὑπερώας, ἠἐχείου" τῶν δὲ ὀδόντων καὶ τῆς ποιᾶς τοῦ στόματος διανοἰξεως» ὡς ἐν λύρα, τὴν τῶν χορδῶν αναπληρούντων χρείαν»
en tois ᾿ oneirois dialegometha" kata touto de malista logia koi pantes esmen. ou Hy houtō kata ton prophorikon logon, hōs kata touton. kai gar hoi ek genetos kōphoi kai hoi dioe pathos ē hē nosēma tēn (phōnēn apobalontes, ouden ē hētton logikoi eisn. ho de prozorikos logos en tē Phōnę̄ kai tais dia» lektois tēn energeian echei" organa de tēs phōnēs polla. hoi te gar en tois mesopleurois esōthen myes kai ho thōrax kai ho pneumōn ēte tracheia artēria kai ho larynx kai toutōn malista to chondrōdes, kai ta palindromounta neura kai hē glōttis kai pantes hoi kinountes tauta ta moria ThN tēs ekphōnēseōs eisin organa" tēs de dialektou, to hēn stoma. en toutǭ gar diaplattetai kai schēmatizetai kai hoionei morǭphoutai hē dialektos" tēs men glōssēs kai tou gargareōnos plēktrou logon epechontōn᾽ tēs de hyperōas, ēecheiou" tōn de odontōn kai tēs poias tou stomatos dianoixeōs» hōs en lyra, tēn tōn chordōn anaplērountōn chreian»
… [inner speech, by which] we converse in dreams; and it is chiefly by this that we are all rational, not so much by uttered speech as by this. For those deaf from birth, and those who have lost their voice through some affection or disease, are no less rational. Uttered speech has its activity in the voice and in dialects. The organs of the voice are many: the muscles inside between the ribs, the chest, the lungs, the windpipe, the larynx and especially its cartilage, the recurrent nerves, the glottis, and all the muscles that move these parts are organs of utterance; the organ of articulate speech is the mouth. For in it speech is moulded, shaped, and as it were given form: the tongue and the uvula hold the place of the plectrum, the palate that of the sounding-board, and the teeth and the particular opening of the mouth fill the need of the strings, as in a lyre.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius distinguishes inner from uttered speech and lists the organs of voice and articulation.
- The beginning of the chapter, which distinguished inner speech (λόγος ἐνδιάθετος) from uttered speech (λόγος προφορικός), is lost in the OCR; the first words are supplied in square brackets by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray marks, numerals or sigla of the printed page left in the OCR text): Μ ’., ᾿ Ϊ → .
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 14 (Matthaei, 208-210; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/14
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nemesius-natura-hominis-14) · 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 15
15Matthaei, 211-213
Διαιροῦσι δὲ καὶ ἄλλως εἰς δυνάμεις ἢ εἴδη ἢ μέρη τὴν ψυχὴν, εἷς τε τὸ Φυτριὸν, ὃ καὶ θρεπτικὸν καὶ παθητικὸν καλεῖται, καὶ εἰς τὸ αἰσθητικὸν καὶ εἰς τὸ λογικόν, τῶν δὲ ὀγγάνων ἑκάστου τούτων τοὶ μὲν εἴρηται, τὰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς ᾧ;θήσεται.- Ζήνων δὲ ὁ στωϊαὸς ὀκταμερὴ Φγυσὶν εἶναι τὴν ψυχὴν, διαιρῶν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ τὸ ἐγεμονικὸν, καὶ εἰς “ὡς πέντε αἰσθήσεις, καὶ εἰς τὸ Φωνητικὸν καὶ τὸ σπερματικόν. Παναίτιος δὲ ὃ φιλόσοζος τὸ μὲν ζωνντικὸν τῆς καθ' ἑρμὴν κινήσεως μέρος ἔλα βούλεται" λέγων ἐορβότοσ τὸ δὲ σπερματικὸν, οὐ τὴς ψυχῆς μέρος, ἀλλὰ τῆς Φύσεως. ᾿Αριστοτέλης δὲ, ἐν μὲν τοῖς φυσικοῖς πέντε εἶναι λέγει τὼ μέρη τῆς ψυχῆς» τό τὸ φυτικὸν καὶ τὸ αἰσθητικὸν καὶ τὸ κινητικὸν ματὰ τέπον, καὶ τὸ ὁρεκτριὸν καὶ τὸ διανοητικόν. Φυτικὸν λέγων τὸ τρέφειν καὶ αὐξεῖν καὶ γεννᾷν ποιοῦν καὶ, ᾿ ".» ΑΙ ᾿ " διαπλάσσον τὰ σώμχτα᾽ καλεῖ δὲ τὸ ζυτικοὸν καὶ θρεστι- ΙῚ “- κὸν, τὸ πᾶν ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου μέρους καλῶν, τοῦ τρέ- "ὦν ἢ νὺΝ τῆν ᾧοντος, ἀφ᾽ οὐ καὶ τὰ ἀλλὰ μέρη τοῦ ζυτικοὺ τὴν ὑταρἔν ἔχει. οὕτω μὲν ἐν τοῖς Φυσικοῖξ" ἐν δὲ τοῖς γθικοῖς ΙΝ -, ΨῬ εἰς δύο τὰ πρῶτα καὶ γενικώτατα διχιρεῖ τὴν ψυχὴν, εἰς, σε τὸ λογικὸν καὶ τὸ ἀλογον" ὑποδικιρεῖ δὲ τὸ ἀλογον» εἰς ΑΞ.., Ω σε τὸ ἱἐπιπειθὲς λόγῳ, καὶ εἰς τὸ μὴ κατήκοον λόγου. ΤΩΝ Ψ' “ “ΜΠ περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ λογικοῦ ἐν τοῖς πτρολχίφουσιν εἰρηταν" πτερι δὲ τοῦ ἀλόγου νῦν διαληψόμεθα.
Diairousi de kai allōs eis dynameis ē eidē ē merē tēn psychēn, heis te to Phytrion, ho kai threptikon kai pathētikon kaleitai, kai eis to aisthētikon kai eis to logikon, tōn de onganōn hekastou toutōn toi men eirētai, ta de en tois hexēs hǭ?thēsetai.- Zēnōn de ho stōïaos oktamerē Phgysin einai tēn psychēn, diairōn auton eis to to egemonikon, kai eis “hōs pente aisthēseis, kai eis to Phōnētikon kai to spermatikon. Panaitios de ho philosozos to men zōnntikon tēs kath' hermēn kinēseōs meros ela bouletai" legōn eorbotos to de spermatikon, ou tēs psychēs meros, alla tēs Physeōs. ᾿Aristotelēs de, en men tois physikois pente einai legei tō merē tēs psychēs» to to phytikon kai to aisthētikon kai to kinētikon mata tepon, kai to horektrion kai to dianoētikon. Phytikon legōn to trephein kai auxein kai gennąn poioun kai, ᾿ ".» AI ᾿ " diaplasson ta sōmchta᾽ kalei de to zytikoon kai thresti- II “- kon, to pan apo tou kratistou merous kalōn, tou tre- "ōn ē nyN tēn hǭontos, aph᾽ ou kai ta alla merē tou zytikou tēn hytaren echei. houtō men en tois Physikoix" en de tois gthikois IN -, PsRh eis dyo ta prōta kai genikōtata dichirei tēn psychēn, eis, se to logikon kai to alogon" hypodikirei de to alogon» eis AX.., Ō se to hiepipeithes logǭ, kai eis to mē katēkoon logou. TŌN Ps' “ “MP peri men oun tou logikou en tois ptrolchiphousin eirētan" pteri de tou alogou nyn dialēpsometha.
They divide the soul in another way too, into powers or kinds or parts: into the vegetative, which is also called nourishing and passive, the sensitive, and the rational. Of the organs of each of these, some have been spoken of, and others will be spoken of in what follows. Zeno the Stoic says the soul has eight parts, dividing it into the ruling part, the five senses, the power of speech and the generative power. Panaetius the philosopher holds that the power of speech is part of movement by impulse, and rightly; and the generative power not a part of the soul but of nature. Aristotle, in his works on nature, says the parts of the soul are five: the vegetative, the sensitive, the power of moving from place to place, the appetitive, and thought; by vegetative he means what makes the bodies nourish, grow and reproduce, and shapes them; he calls the vegetative also nourishing, naming the whole from its most important part, that which nourishes, from which the other parts of the vegetative have their existence. So in his works on nature; but in his ethical works he divides the soul into two first and most general parts, the rational and the irrational, and subdivides the irrational into what is obedient to reason and what does not listen to reason. Of the rational we have spoken earlier; now we shall discuss the irrational.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius reports the divisions of the soul of Zeno, Panaetius and Aristotle and turns to the irrational part.
- Aristotle, De an. 2.3, 414a–b; Eth. nic. 1.13, 1102a–1103a.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; stray marks, numerals or sigla of the printed page left in the OCR text): Διιρον δὲ καὶ ἄλλως → Διαιροῦσι δὲ καὶ ἄλλως; " “Ὁ ““ ν. → ; μ ᾿" Η - Ὁ - -", → ; ᾿ Ν, Ι'. Ν. " → ; - Ω," » Φ ) → .
Extrabiblical texts: Zeno of Citium, Zeno (Zeno of Citium; allusion); Aristotle, Eth. nic. 1.13 (Aristotle (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 15 (Matthaei, 211-213; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/15
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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.