timaeu-第10章

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the　earth　is　called　snow；　and　when　upon　the　earth；　and　condensed

from　dew；　hoarfrost。　Then；　again；　there　are　the　numerous　kinds　of

water　which　have　been　mingled　with　one　another；　and　are　distilled

through　plants　which　grow　in　the　earth；　and　this　whole　class　is　called

by　the　name　of　juices　or　saps。　The　unequal　admixture　of　these　fluids

creates　a　variety　of　species；　most　of　them　are　nameless；　but　four

which　are　of　a　fiery　nature　are　clearly　distinguished　and　have

names。　First　there　is　wine；　which　warms　the　soul　as　well　as　the

body：　secondly；　there　is　the　oily　nature；　which　is　smooth　and

divides　the　visual　ray；　and　for　this　reason　is　bright　and　shining

and　of　a　glistening　appearance；　including　pitch；　the　juice　of　the

castor　berry；　oil　itself；　and　other　things　of　a　like　kind：　thirdly；

there　is　the　class　of　substances　which　expand　the　contracted　parts

of　the　mouth；　until　they　return　to　their　natural　state；　and　by

reason　of　this　property　create　sweetness；…these　are　included　under　the

general　name　of　honey：　and；　lastly；　there　is　a　frothy　nature；　which

differs　from　all　juices；　having　a　burning　quality　which　dissolves

the　flesh；　it　is　called　opos　（a　vegetable　acid）。

　　As　to　the　kinds　of　earth；　that　which　is　filtered　through　water

passes　into　stone　in　the　following　manner：…The　water　which　mixes

with　the　earth　and　is　broken　up　in　the　process　changes　into　air；　and

taking　this　form　mounts　into　its　own　place。　But　as　there　is　no

surrounding　vacuum　it　thrusts　away　the　neighbouring　air；　and　this

being　rendered　heavy；　and；　when　it　is　displaced；　having　been　poured

around　the　mass　of　earth；　forcibly　compresses　it　and　drives　it　into

the　vacant　space　whence　the　new　air　had　come　up；　and　the　earth　when

compressed　by　the　air　into　an　indissoluble　union　with　water　becomes

rock。　The　fairer　sort　is　that　which　is　made　up　of　equal　and　similar

parts　and　is　transparent；　that　which　has　the　opposite　qualities　is

inferior。　But　when　all　the　watery　part　is　suddenly　drawn　out　by

fire；　a　more　brittle　substance　is　formed；　to　which　we　give　the　name　of

pottery。　Sometimes　also　moisture　may　remain；　and　the　earth　which　has

been　fused　by　fire　becomes；　when　cool；　a　certain　stone　of　a　black

colour。　A　like　separation　of　the　water　which　had　been　copiously

mingled　with　them　may　occur　in　two　substances　composed　of　finer

particles　of　earth　and　of　a　briny　nature；　out　of　either　of　them　a　half

solid　body　is　then　formed；　soluble　in　water…the　one；　soda；　which　is

used　for　purging　away　oil　and　earth；　and　other；　salt；　which　harmonizes

so　well　in　combinations　pleasing　to　the　palate；　and　is；　as　the　law

testifies；　a　substance　dear　to　the　gods。　The　compounds　of　earth　and

water　are　not　soluble　by　water；　but　by　fire　only；　and　for　this

reason：…Neither　fire　nor　air　melt　masses　of　earth；　for　their

particles；　being　smaller　than　the　interstices　in　its　structure；　have

plenty　of　room　to　move　without　forcing　their　way；　and　so　they　leave

the　earth　unmelted　and　undissolved；　but　particles　of　water；　which

are　larger；　force　a　passage；　and　dissolve　and　melt　the　earth。

Wherefore　earth　when　not　consolidated　by　force　is　dissolved　by　water

only；　when　consolidated；　by　nothing　but　fire；　for　this　is　the　only

body　which　can　find　an　entrance。　The　cohesion　of　water　again；　when

very　strong；　is　dissolved　by　fire　only…when　weaker；　then　either　by　air

or　fire…the　former　entering　the　interstices；　and　the　latter

penetrating　even　the　triangles。　But　nothing　can　dissolve　air；　when

strongly　condensed；　which　does　not　reach　the　elements　or　triangles；　or

if　not　strongly　condensed；　then　only　fire　can　dissolve　it。　As　to

bodies　composed　of　earth　and　water；　while　the　water　occupies　the

vacant　interstices　of　the　earth　in　them　which　are　compressed　by　force；

the　particles　of　water　which　approach　them　from　without；　finding　no

entrance；　flow　around　the　entire　mass　and　leave　it　undissolved；　but

the　particles　of　fire；　entering　into　the　interstices　of　the　water；

do　to　the　water　what　water　does　to　earth　and　fire　to　air；　and　are

the　sole　causes　of　the　compound　body　of　earth　and　water　liquefying　and

becoming　fluid。　Now　these　bodies　are　of　two　kinds；　some　of　them；

such　as　glass　and　the　fusible　sort　of　stones；　have　less　water　than

they　have　earth；　on　the　other　hand；　substances　of　the　nature　of　wax

and　incense　have　more　of　water　entering　into　their　composition。

　　I　have　thus　shown　the　various　classes　of　bodies　as　they　are

diversified　by　their　forms　and　combinations　and　changes　into　one

another；　and　now　I　must　endeavour　to　set　forth　their　affections　and

the　causes　of　them。　In　the　first　place；　the　bodies　which　I　have　been

describing　are　necessarily　objects　of　sense。　But　we　have　not　yet

considered　the　origin　of　flesh；　or　what　belongs　to　flesh；　or　of　that

part　of　the　soul　which　is　mortal。　And　these　things　cannot　be

adequately　explained　without　also　explaining　the　affections　which

are　concerned　with　sensation；　nor　the　latter　without　the　former：　and

yet　to　explain　them　together　is　hardly　possible；　for　which　reason　we

must　assume　first　one　or　the　other　and　afterwards　examine　the　nature

of　our　hypothesis。　In　order；　then；　that　the　affections　may　follow

regularly　after　the　elements；　let　us　presuppose　the　existence　of

body　and　soul。

　　First；　let　us　enquire　what　we　mean　by　saying　that　fire　is　hot；　and

about　this　we　may　reason　from　the　dividing　or　cutting　power　which　it

exercises　on　our　bodies。　We　all　of　us　feel　that　fire　is　sharp；　and

we　may　further　consider　the　fineness　of　the　sides；　and　the　sharpness

of　the　angles；　and　the　smallness　of　the　particles；　and　the　swiftness

of　the　motion…all　this　makes　the　action　of　fire　violent　and　sharp；

so　that　it　cuts　whatever　it　meets。　And　we　must　not　forget　that　the

original　figure　of　fire　＇i。e。　the　pyramid＇；　more　than　any　other

form；　has　a　dividing　power　which　cuts　our　bodies　into　small　pieces

（Kepmatizei）；　and　thus　naturally　produces　that　affection　which　we　call

heat；　and　hence　the　origin　of　the　name　（thepmos；　Kepma）。　Now；　the

opposite　of　this　is　sufficiently　manifest；　nevertheless　we　will　not

fail　to　describe　it。　For　the　larger　particles　of　moisture　which

surround　the　body；　entering　in　and　driving　out　the　lesser；　but　not

being　able　to　take　their　places；　compress　the　moist　principle　in　us；

and　this　from　being　unequal　and　disturbed；　is　forced　by　them　into　a

state　of　rest；　which　is　due　to　equability　and　compression。　But

things　which　are　contracted　contrary　to　nature　are　by　nature　at　war；

and　force　themselves　apart；　and　to　this　war　and　convulsion　the　name　of

shivering　and　trembling　is　given；　and　the　whole　affection　and　the

cause　of　the　affection　are　both　termed　cold。　That　is　called　hard　to

which　our　flesh　yields；　and　soft　which　yields　to　our　flesh；　and　things

are　also　termed　hard　and　soft　relatively　to　one　another。　That　which

yields　has　a　small　base；　but　that　which　rests　on　quadrangular　bases　is

firmly　posed　and　belongs　to　the　class　which　offers　the　greatest

resistance；　so　too　does　that　which　is　the　most　compact　and　therefore

most　repellent。　The　nature　of　the　light　and　the　heavy　will　be　best

understood　when　examined　in　connexion　with　our　notions　of　above　and

below；　for　it　is　quite　a　mistake　to　suppose　that　the　universe　is

parted　into　two　regions；　separate　from　and　opposite　to　each　other；　the

one　a　lower　to　which　all　things　tend　which　have　any　bulk；　and　an　upper

to　which　things　only　ascend　against　their　will。　For　as　the　universe　is

in　the　form　of　a　sphere；　all　the　extremities；　being　equidistant　from

the　centre；　are　equally　extremities；　and　the　centre；　which　is

equidistant　from　them；　is　equally　to　be　regarded　as　the　opposite　of

them　all。　Such　being　the　nature　of　the　world；　when　a　person　says

that　any　of　these　points　is　above　or　below；　may　he　not　be　justly

charged　with　using　an　improper　expression？　For　the　centre　of　the　world

cannot　be　rightly　called　either　above　or　below；　but　is　the　centre

and　nothing　else；　and　the　circumference　is　not　the　centre；　and　has

in　no　one　part　of　itself　a　different　relation　to　the　centre　from

what　it　has　in　any　of　the　opposite　parts。　Indeed；　when　it　is　in

every　direction　similar；　how　can　one　rightly　give　to　it　names　which

imply　opposition？　For　if　there　were　any　solid　body　in　equipoise　at　the

centre　of　the　universe；　there　would　be　nothing　to　draw　it　to　this

extreme　rather　than　to　that；　for　they　are　all　perfectly　similar；　and

if　a　person　were　to　go　round　the　world　in　a　circle；　he　would　often；

when　standing　at　the　antipodes　of　his　former　position；　speak　of　the

same　point　as　above　and　below；　for；　as　I　was　saying　just　now；　to　speak

of　the　whole　which　is　in　the　form　of　a　globe　as　having　one　part

above　and　another　below　is　not　like　a　sensible　man。

　　The　reason　why　these　names　are　used；　and　the　circumstances　under

which　they　are　ordinarily　applied　by　us　to　the　division　of　the

heavens；　may　be　elucidated　by　the　following　supposition：…if　a　person

were　to　stand　in　that　part　of　the　universe　which　is　the　appointed

place　of　fire；　and　where　there　is　the　great　mass　of　fire　to　which

fiery　bodies　gather…if；　I　say；　he　were　to　ascend　thither；　and；

having　the　power　to　do　this；　were　to　abstract　particles　of　fire　and

put　them　in　scales　and　weigh　them；　and　then；　raising　the　balance；　were

to　draw　the　fire　by　force　towards　the　uncongenial　element　of　the

air；　it　would　be　very　evident　that　he　could　compel　the　smaller　mass

more　readily　than　the　larger；　for　when　two　things　are　simultaneously

raised　by　one　and　the　same　power；　the　smaller　body　must　necessarily

yield　to　the　superior　power　with　less　reluctance　than　the　larger；

and　the　larger　body　is　called　heavy　and　said　to　tend　downwards；　and

the　smaller　body　is　called　light　and　said　to　tend　upwards。　And　we

may　detect　ourselves　who　are　upon　the　earth　doing　precisely　the　same

thing。　For　we　of　separate　earthy　natures；　and　sometimes　earth

itself；　and　draw　them　into　the　uncongenial　element　of　air　by　force　and

contrary　to　nature；　both　clinging　to　their　kindred　elements。　But

that　which　is　smaller　yields　to　the　impulse　given　by　us　towards　the

dissimilar　element　more　easily　than　the　larger；　and　so　we　call　the

former　light；　and　the　place　towards　which　it　is　impelled　we　call

above；　and　the　contrary　state　and　place　we　call　heavy　and　below

respectively。　Now　the　relations　of　these　must　necessarily　vary；

because　the　principal　masses　of　the　different　elements　hold　opposite

positions；　for　that　which　is　light；　heavy；　below　or　above　in　one　place

will　be　found　to　be　and　become　contrary　and　transverse　and　every　way

diverse　in　relation　to　that　which　is　light；　heavy；　below　or　above　in

an　opposite　place。　And　about　all　of　them　this　has　to　be

considered：…that　the　tendency　of　each　towards　its　kindred　element

makes　the　body　which　is　moved　heavy；　and　the　place　towards　which　the

motion　tends　below；　but　things　which　have　an　opposite　tendency　we　call

by　an　opposite　name。　Such　are　the　causes　which　we　assign　to　these

phenomena。　As　to　the　smooth　and　the　rough；　any　one　who　sees　them　can

explain　the　reason　of　them　to　another。　For　roughness　is　hardness

mingled　with　irregularity；　and　smoothness　is　produced　by　the　join