195. In this way, by the good favour of Tyche, all things have power of thought. 196. And in so far as what was least dense came together as they fell. 197. For water is increased by water, primeval fire by fire, and earth causes its own substance to increase, and air, air. 199. And the kindly earth in its broad hollows received two out of the eight parts of bright Nestis, and four of Hephaistos, and they became white bones, fitted together marvellously by the glues of Harmony. 203. And the earth met with these in almost equal amounts, with Hephaistos and Ombros and brightshining Aether (i.e. air), being anchored in the perfect harbours of Kypris; either a little more earth, or a little less with more of the others. From these arose blood and various kinds of flesh. ΠΕΡΙ ΦΥΣΕΩΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΣ 210 Εἰ δέ τί σοι περὶ τῶνδε λιπόξυλος ἔπλετο πίστις, 136 πῶς ὕδατος γαίης τε καὶ αἰθέρος ἠελίου τε κιρναμένων χροιαί τ' εἴδη τε γενοίατο θνητῶν τοῖς, ὅσα νῦν γεγάασι συναρμοσθέντ' Αφροδίτῃ. . πῶς καὶ δένδρεα μακρὰ καὶ εἰνάλιοι καμασῆνες. . 243 215 ὡς δὲ τότε χθόνα Κύπρις, ἐπεί τ ̓ ἐδίηνεν ἐν ὄμβρῳ αἰθέρ ̓ ἐπιπνείουσα θοῷ πυρὶ δῶκε κρατῦναι. τῶν δ' ὅσ ̓ ἔσω μὲν πυκνὰ, τὰ δ ̓ ἔκτοθι μανὰ 207 230 Κύπριδος ἐν παλάμῃς πλάδης τοιῆσδε τυχόντα. οὕτω δ' ᾠοτοκεῖ μακρὰ δένδρεα πρῶτον ἐλαίας. 245 220 οἵνεκεν ὀψίγονοί τε σίδαι καὶ ὑπέρφλοα μῆλα 246 οἶνος ὑπὸ φλοιῷ πέλεται σαπὲν ἐν ξύλῳ ὕδωρ. 247 210-213. Simpl. de caelo, Peyr. p. 28; Gaisf. Poet. Min. Gr. II. xliii. Brand. Schol. Arist. 507 a. 210. Α εἰ δ ̓ ἔτι σοι, Β εἰδέτι σοι, Taur. εἰ δέ τισι. 212. MS. εἴδη τε γενοίατο χροιάστε, corr. Ritschl. 214. Athen. viii. 334 B. 215-218. Simpl. de caelo a little after 213. 218. Simpl. Phys. 74 v 331, 9. ... 215. MS. ὡς δὲ ἔπειτ', corr. Karst.: 4 ἐδίῃνεν ἐν, Β ἐδείκνυεν ἐν, Taur. ἐδείκνυεν. 216. Α ἡ δέ ἀποπνέουσα, Β εἰ δὲ ἀποπνοίουσα, Taur. ἡ δὲ ἀποπνείουσα, Panz. ἡδὺ δ' ἐπιπνείουσα, corr. Stein. 217. Phys. Ε πλάσης, & πλάσιος, text from de caelo. 219. Arist. de gen. anim. i. 23; 731 a 5; cf. Philop. on this passage and Theophr. de caus. plant. i. 7, 1. Philop. and Arist. μικρὰ . . . ἐλαίας. ... 220. Plut. Quaest. conv. 683 D. 221. Plut. Quaest. nat. 912 c, 919 D; cf. Arist. Top. iv. 5; 127 & 18. ΜS. ἀπὸ φλοιον, corr. Meziriacus. Book II. 210. And if your faith be at all lacking in regard to these (elements), how from water and earth and air and sun (fire) when they are mixed, arose such colours and forms of mortal things, as many as now have arisen under the uniting power of Aphrodite. 214. How both tall trees and fishes of the sea (arose). 215. And thus then Kypris, when she had moistened the earth with water, breathed air on it and gave it to swift fire to be hardened. 217. And all these things which were within were made dense, while those without were made rare, meeting with such moisture in the hands of Kypris. 219. And thus tall trees bear fruit (lit. eggs), first of all olives. 220. Wherefore late-born pomegranates and luxuriant apples 221. Wine is water that has fermented in the wood beneath the bark. εἰ γάρ κέν σφ' ἀδινῇσιν ὑπὸ πραπίδεσσιν ἐρείσας ταῦτά τέ σοι μάλα πάντα δι' αἰῶνος παρέσονται, 225 ἄλλα τε πόλλ' ἀπὸ τῶνδε κεκτήσεαι· αὐτὰ γὰρ αὔξει ταῦτ ̓ εἰς ἦθος ἕκαστον, ὅπη φύσις ἐστὶν ἑκάστῳ. νας, †ζῆν ἄφαρ ἐκλείψουσι περιπλομένοιο χρόνοιο 230 σφῶν αὐτῶν ποθέοντα φίλην ἐπὶ γένναν ἵκεσθαι· † πάντα γὰρ ἴσθι φρόνησιν ἔχειν καὶ νώματος αἶσαν. 222-231. Hippolyt. Ref. haer. 251 Mill; Schneidewin, Philol. vi. p. 165. ... 222. ΜS. καὶ ἐν, corr. Mill. MS. σφαδίνησιν corr. Schneid. 223. MS. ἐποπτεύεις, corr. Schneid. 224. MS. ταῦτα δὲ, corr. Schneid. 225. MS. κτ. . . Schneid. κατερχόμεν', corr. Stein. 227. MS. τάλλ' οἱῶν ἐπιρέξεις, corr. Schneid. 228. MS. δῆλα πέλονται . . . μέριμναι, Schneid. δείλ ̓ ἀπάλαμνα . . . μερίμνας. 229. MS. σης, Schneid. σ'. 231. Cf. Sext. E. Math. viii. 286. MS. of Hippol. καὶ γνωματοσισον. ... 232. Plut. Quaest. conv. 745 D. 233-235. Plut. Quaest. conv. 618 B. 234-235. de fac. lun. 927 r. 234. Quaest. conv. καὶ μὴν, de fac. lun. καὶ τὴν, Stein μαινῶν, Diels καλχῶν, comparing Nicander, Alexipharm. 393 and Schol. Schneid. p. 98 for the interpretation of a fish furnishing a dye. Also Arist. Hist. anim. viii. 13; 599 & 10 πορφύραι καὶ κήρυκες. 222. For if thou shalt fix them in all thy close-knit mind and watch over them graciously with pure attention, all these things shall surely be thine for ever, and many others shalt thou possess from them. For these themselves shall cause each to grow into its own cha 1 racter, whatever is the nature of each. But if thou shalt reach out for things of another sort, as is the manner of men, there exist countless evils to blunt your studious thoughts; soon these latter shall cease to live as time goes on, desiring as they do to arrive at the longed-for generation of themselves.† For know that all things have understanding and their share of intelligence. 232. Favor hates Necessity, hard to endure. 233. This is in the heavy-backed shells found in the sea, of limpets and purple-fish and stone-covered tortoises .... there shalt thou see earth lying uppermost on the surface. 1 puois here seems to mean nature,' and not 'origin.' |