On the Making of Man 30
Greek text: PG 44.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 5 (1893), "On the Making of Man".
Chapter 30
30PG 44:240c–256d
’Θεωρία τις ζατρικωτέρα {rapi τῆς-τοῦ σώματος τῇιῶνάατιιάκευῆς διʼ ὀλίγων. Ἀλλά τὴν μὲν ἀκριβῆ τοῦσώματος ἡμῶν δια. σκευὴν διδάσκει μὲν ἕκαστος ἐαυτὸν, ἐξ ὧν δρᾷ τε καὶ ζῇ καὶ αἰσθάνεται, τὴν ἰδίαν ἑαυτοῦ cptiσιν διδάσκαλον ἔχων. Ἔξεστι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐν βίβλοις φιλοπονηθεῖσαν τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα σοφοῖς περὶ τούτων ἱστορίαν ἀναλαβόντι, πάντα διʼ ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν. Ὧν οἰ μὲν ὅπως ἔχει θέσεως τὰ καθέκαστον τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν, διὰ τῆς ἀνατομῆς ἐδιδάχθησαν ο οἱ δὲ καὶ πρὸς ὅ τι γέγονε πάντα τὰ τοῦ σώματος μόρια κατενόησάν τε καὶ διηγήσαντο, ὡς ἀρκοῦσαν ἐντεῦθεν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης κατασκευῆς τὴν γνῶσιν τοῖς cptioneνοις γενέσθαι. Εἰ δέ τις ἐπιζητοίη πάντων αὐτῶν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν διδάσκαλον γίνεσθαι, ὡς είς μηδὲν τῆς ἔξωθεν φωνῆς ἐπιδεῖσθαι (οὗτος γὰρ τῶν πνευματιο κῶν προβάτων δ νόμος, καθώς φησιν ὁ Κύριος, τὸ ἀλλοτρίας μὴ ἀκούειν φωνῆς), διὰ βραχέων καὶ τδν περὶτούτων λόγον διαληψόμεθα. Τρία περί τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἐνοήσαμεν φύσιν, ὧν χάριν τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστον τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν κατεσκεύασται. Τά μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὸ ζῇν, τὰ δὲ διὰ τὸ καλῶς ζῇν, ἕτερα δὲ πρὸς τὴν διαδοῂν τῶν ἐπιγινομένων ἐπιτηδείως ἔχει. Ὅσα μὲν οὖν ἐν ἡμῖν τοιαῦτά ἐστιν, ὧν ἄνευ συστῆναι τὴν ἀνθρωο η πίνην ζωὴν οὐκ ἐνδέχεται, ἐν τρισὶ μορίοις κατενοήσαμεν · ἐν ἐγκεφάλῳ, καὶ καρδίᾳ, καὶ ἥπατι. Ὅσα δὲ προσθήκη τίς ἐστι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ φιλοτιμία τῆς φύσεως, τὸ εὖ ζῇν διʼ ἐκείνων τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ χαριςο· μένης, τὰ περὶ τὴν αἴσθησίν εστιν ὄργανα. Τὰ γὰρ τοιαῦτα τὴν ζωὴν μὲν οὐ συνίστησιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ λιπόντων τινῶν πολλάκις, οὐδὲν ἦττον ἐν τῷ ζῇν ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλʼ ἀμήχανον δίχα τούτων τῶν ἐνεργειῶν, τῶν κατὰ τὴν ζωὴν ὴδέων τὴν μετουσίαν ἔχειν. 'U δὲ τρίτος σκοπὸς πρὸς τὸ ἐφεξῆς τε καὶ τὴν διαδοχὴν βλέπει. Ἐστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ παρὰ ταῦτα, ἃ πρὸς διαμονὴν κοινὰ τοῖς πᾶσιν ὑπόκειται, τὰς καταλλήλους προσθήκας διʼ ἑαυτῶν ἐπεισάγοντα, ὡς κοιλία καὶ πνεύμων, ὁ μὲν τῷ πνεύματι τὸ ἐγκάρδιον πῦρ ἀναρριπίζων, ἡ δὲ τοῖς σπλάγχνοις τὴν τροφὴν είσοικίζουσα. Οὕτω τοίνυν τῆς κατασκευῆς τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν διῃρημένης, ἐστιν ἀκριβῶς κατανοῆσαι, ὅτι ού μονοειδῶς ἡμῖν διʼ ἑνός τινος ὴ πρὸς τὸ ζῇν δύναμις διεξάγεται· ἀλλὰ πλείοσι μορίοις ἠ φύσις τὰς πρὸς τὴν σύστασιν ἡ μῶν ἀφορμὰς ἐπινείμασα, ἀναγκαίαν ποιεῖ πρὸς τὸ ὅλον τὴν παρʼ ἑκάστου συνο εισφοράν. Ὥστε καὶ ὅσα πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ κάλλος ἡ φύσις ὲπετεχνάσατο, πλείω τέ ἐστι ταῦτα, καὶ πολλὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα τὴν διαφορὰν ἔχει. Ἀλλʼ οἶμαι διελέσθαι πρότερον ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρῆναι τῶν πρὸς τὴν σύστασιν τῆς ζωῆς συντελούντων ἡμῖν τὰς πρώτας ἀρχάς. Ἠ μὲν οὖν τοῦ παντὸς σώματος ὕλη κοινὴ τοῖς καθʼ ἕκαστον μέλεσιν ὑποκειμένη, σιγάσθω τανῦνʼ οὐδὲν γάρ πρὸς τὸν ’σκοπὸν ἡμῖν συντελέσει ἠ καθόλου φυσιολογία πρὸς τὴν μερικὴν θεωρίαν. Ὀμολογουμένου τοίνυν παρὰ πᾶσι τοῦ πάντων ἐν ἡμῖν εἶναι τῶν στοιχειωδῶς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θεωρουμένων τὴν μοῖραν, τοῦ τε θερμοῦ καὶ τοῦ ψύχοντος, καὶ τῆς ἐτέρας συζυγίας τῆς κατὰ τὸ ὑγρόν τε καὶ ξηρὸν νοουμένης, τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστον ἡμῖν διαληπτέον. Ούκοῦν ὁρῶμεν τρεῖς τὰς διοικητικάς τῆς ζωῆς δυνάμεις, ὧν ἡ μὲν διαθάλπει τὸ πᾶν τῇ θερμότητι, ἡ δὲ ύπονοτίζει τῇ ἰκμάδι τὸ θερμαινόμενον, ὡς ἂν τῇ ίσοκρατεία τῆς τῶν ἐναντίων ποιότητος, ἐπὶ τοῦ μέσου ωντηροῖτο τὸ ζῶον, μήτε τοῦ ὑγροῦ καταφρυγομένου τῷ πλεονασμῷ τῆς θερμότητος, μήτε τοῦ θερμοῦ σβεννυμένου τῇ ἐπικρατείᾳ τοῦ καθυγραίνοντος. Ἠ δὲ τρίτη δύναμις συνέχει διʼ ἑαυτῆς κατά τινα συμόολήν τε καὶ ἁρμονίαν τά διακεκριμένα τῶν ἄρθρων τοῖς παρʼ εαυτῆς συνδέσμοις άρ· μόζουσα, καὶ πᾶσιν ἐπιπέμπουσα τὴν αὐτοκίνητόν τε aut προαιρετικὴν δύναμιν · ἦς ἐπιλειπούσης, πέρατον γίνεται, καὶ νεκρῶδες τὸ μέρος, τοῦ προαιρετικοῦ πνεύματος ἀμοιρῆσαν. Μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸ τούτων ἄξιον κατανοῆσαι τὸ τεχνικὸν τῆς φύσεως ήμῶν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ δημιουργίᾳ τοῦ σώματος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ σκληρόν τε καὶ ἀντίτυπον τὰς αίσθητικὰς ἐνεργείας ού κατα·δέχεται, ὡς ἐστιν ἰδεῖν ἐπί τε τῶν ἐν ήμίν ὀστέων, καὶτῶν ὲν τῇ γῇ φυτῶν, ὲν οἷς ζωῆς μέν τι κατανοοῦμεν εἶδος ἐν τῷ αὔξειν καὶ τρέφεσθαι, ού μὴν παρεδέξατο ἐναντίως ἡ ἀντιτυπία τοῦ ὑποκειμένου τὴν αἴσθησιν · τούτου χάριν ἔδει καθάπερ κη ροειδῆ τινα κατασκευὴν ὖποτεθῆναι ταῖς κατʼ αἴσθησιν ἐνεργείαις, δυναμένην τοῖς ἀντιληπτικοῖς τύποις ἐνσφραγισθῆναι, μήτε συγχεομένην διʼ ὑπερβαλλούσης ὑγρότητος· ού γὰρ ἂν διαμείιοι ἐν τῷ ὑγρῷ τὸ τυπούμενον · μήτε ἀντιτυποῦσαν ἐν τῇ ἀμετρία τῆς πήξεωςο ἀσήμαντον γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς τύπους ἐστὶ τὸ ἁνύπεικτον · ἀλλὰ μέσως ἔχουσαν μαλακότητος τε καὶ στερρότητος, ὡς ἂν μὴ τοῦ καλλίστου τῶν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ἐνεργημάτων, τῆς αίσθητικῆς λέγω κινήσεως, ἀμοιροίη τὸ ζῶον. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τὸ μαλακόν τε καὶ εὕεικτον μηδεμίαν τὴν ἐκ τῶν στεῤῥῶν ἔχον ἐνέργειαν, ἀκίνητον ἂν ἦν πάντως, καὶ ἀδιάρθρωτον, κατὰ τοὺς θαλασσίους πνεύμονας· διὰ τοῦτο καταμίγνυσιν ἠ φύσις τῷ σώματι τὴν τῶν ὀστέων στερρότητα, καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς ἄλληλα διὰ τῆς προσφυοῦς ἁρμονίας ἐνώσασα, τοῖς τε διὰ τῶν νεύρων συνδέσμοις τὰς συμβολὰς αὑτῶν ἐπισφίγξασα, οὕτως αὑτοῖς τὴν δεκτικὴν τῶν αἰσθήσεων περιέφυσε σάρκα, δυσπαθεστέραν τε καὶ εὐτονωτέραν τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ διειλημμένην. Ταύτῃ τοίνυν τῇ στερρᾷ τῶν ὀστέων φύσει, οἷον στύλοις τισὶν ἀχθοφόροις, ὅλον τοῦ σώματος ἐπιθεῖσα τὸ βάρος, οὑκ ἀδιαίρετον ἐνέφυσε τῷ παντὶ τὸ ὀστέον. Ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἀκίνητός τε καὶ ἀνενὲργητος ἔμεινεν, εἰ οὑτω κατασκευῆς εἶχεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καθάπερ τι δένδρον ἐφʼ ἐνὸς τόπου μένον, μήτε τῆς τῶν σκελῶν διαδοχῆς ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσω προαγούσης τὴν κίνησιν, μήτε τῆς τῶν χειρῶν ὑπουργίας χρησιμευούσης τῷβίῳ. Νυνὶ δὲ μεταβατικὸν εἶναι καὶ πρακτικὸν τὸ ὄργανον διὰ τῆς ἐπινοίας ταύτης ἐμηχανήσατο, τῷ προαιρετικιξ» πνεύματι τῷ διὰ τῶν νεύρων διήκοντι, τὴν πρὸς τὰς κινήσεις ὁρμήν τε καὶ δύναμιν ἐνθεῖσα τῷ σώματι. Ἐντεῦθεν ἡτῶν χειρῶν ὑπουργία, ἡ ποικίλη τε καὶ πολύστροφος, καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν ἐπίνοιαν ἐπιτηδεία. Ἐντεῦθεν αί τοῦ αὐχένος περιστροφαὶ, καὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἐπικλίσεις τε καί ἁνανεύσεις, καὶ ἡ κατὰ. τὴν γένην ἐνέργεια, καὶ η τῶν βλεφάρων διαστολὴ ἅμα νεύματι γινομένη, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἄρθρων αἱ κινήσεις ἐν νεύροις μέν τισιν ἀνασπωμένοιξ ἢ χαλωμένοις, καθάπερ ἐκ μηχανῆς τινος, ἐνεργοῦνται. 'H δὲ διὰ τούτων διεξιοῦσα δύναμις αὐτοκέλευστον ἔχει τινὰ τὴν ὁρμὴν, προαιρετικῷ πνεύματι κατά τινα φύσεως οἰκονομίαν ἐντοῖς καθέκαστον ἐνεργουμένη. Ῥίζα δέ πάντων ἀπεδείχθη καὶ ἁρχὴ τῶν κατὰ τὰ νεῦρα κινήσεων, ὁ τὸν ἐγκέφαλον περιέχων νευρώδης ὑμήν. Οὑκέτι οὖν ἡγούμεθα δεῖν πολυπραγμονεῖν περί τε τῶν ζωτικῶν μορίων, τὸ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ἐν τούτῳ δειχθείσης τῆς κινητικῆς ἐνεργείας. Ὅτιδέ μέγιστόν τι συντελεῖ πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν ὁ ἐγκέφαλος, ἐναργῶς τὸ ἐξ ἐναντίου συμβαῖνον δηλοῖ. El γάρ τινα τρῶσινῆ ῥῆξιν ὀ περὶ αὑτὸν ὑμὴν πάθοι, εὐθὺς ἐπηκολούθησε τῷ πάθει ὁ θάνατος, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀκαρὲς τῆς ’θύσεως ἀντισχούσης τῇ τρώσει, ὥσπερ θεμελίου τινὸς ὑποσπασθέντος ὅλον τὸ οἰκοδόμημα συγκατεσείσθη τῷ μέρει ' οὗ τοίνυν παθόντος πρόδηλός ἐστιν ἠ τοῦ παντὸς ζώου διαφθορὰ, τοῦτο κυρίως ἂν τῆς ζωῆς τὴν αἰτίαν ἔχειν ὁμολογοῖτο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τῶν παυσαμένων τοῦ ζῇν κατασβεσθείης τῆς ἐγκειμένης τῇ φύσει θερμότητος, τὸ νεκρωθέν καταψύχεται, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τῷ θερμῷ τὴν ζωτικὴη αἰτίαν κατενοήσαμεν. Οὗ γὰρ ἐπιλελοιπότος ἡνεκρό της ἐπηκολούθησεν, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα τῇ παρουσίᾳ τού-ι του συνεστάναι τὸ ζῶον ὁμολογεῖσθαι. Τῆς δὲ τοιαύτης δυνάμεως οἷον πηγήν τινα καὶ ἀρχὴν τὴν καρδίαε κατενοῆσαμεν, ἀφʼ ἦς αὐλοειδεῖς πόροι πολυσχιδῶς ἄλλος ἐξ ἄλλου διαφυόμενοι, παντὶ τῷ σώματι τε πυρῶδες καὶ θερμὸν διαχέουσι πνεῦμα. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πάντως καὶ τροφὴν ἔδει τινά τῷ θερμῷ συμπαρεῖνα παρὰ τῆς φύσεως · ού γάρ ἐνδέχεται τὸ πῦρ ἐφʼ ἐαυτοῦ μένειν, μὴ διὰ τοῦ καταλλήλου τρεφόμενον διὰ τοῦτο οἱ τοῦ αἵματος ὀχετοὶ, καθάπερ ἐκ πηγῆς τινος τού ἥπατος ἀφορμηθέντες τῷ θερμῷ πνεύματ πανταχῆ κατά τὸ σῶμα συμπαροδεύουσιν, ὡς ἂν μί μονωθὲν rufi ἐτέρου τὸ ἕτερον, διαφθείρῃ τὴν φύσιν πάθος γενόμενον. Παιδευέτω τοῦτο τοὺς ἀτακτοῦντας περὶ τὸ ἴσον, διδαχθέντας παρά τῆς φύσεως, ὅτιὶ πλεονεξία φθοροποιόν τι πάθος ἐστίν. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὶ μόνον ἀπροσδεές ἐστι τὸ Θεῖον, ἡ δὲ ἀνθρωπίνη πτω χεία τῶν ἔξωθεν πρὸς τὴν ίδίαν σύστασιν ἐπιδέεται διὰ τοῦτο ταῖς τρισὶ ταύταις δυνάμεσι, διʼ ὧν ἔφαμει ἆπαν οἰκονομεῖσθαι τὸ σῶμα, ἐπίρρυτον ἕξιόθει ἐπεισάγει τὴν ὓλην, διαφόροις εἰσόδοις τὸ κατάλληλοι αὑταῖς είσοικίζουσα. Τῇ μὲν γὰρ πηγῇ τοῦ αἵματος ᾔτιῆς τὸ ἧπάρ ἐστι, τὴν διὰ τῆς τροφῆς χορηγία ὑπέθηκε. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπεισαγόμενον ἀεὶ διὰ ταύτης, τὰςʼτοὲ αἵματος πηγάς βρύειν διά τοῦ ἥπατος παρασκευάζει ἰιαθάπερ ή ἐπὶ τοῦ ὅρους χιὼν διὰ τῆς οίκείας ίκμά δος τὰς-κατά ὑπώρειαν αὔξει πηγὰς, διὰ τοῦ βάθου τὸ οίκείον ὑγρὸν ἐπὶ τὰς κάτω φλέβας συνθλίβουσα Τλ:1. 2....-.’._':.-.. __.-,-r η ι. ι.-.. Τὸ δὲ ἐγκάρδιον πνεῦμα διὰ τοῦ γείτονος ἐπεισἀτίται σπλάγχνου, ὂ καλεῖται μὲν πνεύμων ἐστὶ τοῦ ἀέρος δοχεῖον, διὰ τῆς ἐγκειμένη ἀρτηρίας τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα διηκούσης, τὸ ἔξωοέ, πνεῦμα ταῖς ἀναπνοαῖς ἐφελκόμενον. ᾯ κατὰ τι μέσον ἡ καρδία ἐνειλημμένη, κατά μίμησιν τῆς τοί ἀεικινήτου πυρὸς ἐνεργείας, ἀδιαλείπτώς καὶ-αύτέ κινουμένη, οἷόν τι ποιοῦσιν ἐν τοῖς χαλκείοις αἱ φύσαι ἕλκει τε πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἐκ τοῦ παρακειμένου πνεύμο νῡς πληροῦσα τῇ διαστολῇ τὰς κοιλότητας, καί τ‹ πμρῶδες ἑαυτῆς ἐκριπίζουσα, ταῖς ἐχομέναις ἀρτη ρίαις ἐμπνεί. Καὶ τοῦτο ποιοῦσα οὐ διαλείπει, τι μὲν ἔξωθεν διὰ τῆς διαστολῆς εἰς τὰς ἰδίας κοιλότη τας ἕλκουσα, τὸ δὲ παρʼ ἑαυτῆς διὰ τῆς συμπτώσεῷ ταῖς ἀρτηρίαις εἰσκρίνουσα. Ὅ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ τῆ αὐτομάτου ταύτης ἀναπνοῆς αίτιον ἡμῖν γίνεσθαί η ς,.. -. η μ ν partem; γὰρ ό μὲν νοῦς ἄσχολός ἐστι πρὸς ἑτέρου ἧριαὶ παντάπασιν ἠρεμεῖ, λυθέντος ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳʼ το ῗιῦμικτος, ἡ δὲ ἀναπνοὴ τοῦ ἀέρος ού διαλείπει, μηί ὁτιοῦν συνεργούσης εἰς τοῦτο τῆς προαιρέσεως. ’ ’ μένας ἔχων, συστελλόμενος μὲν καὶ συμπίπτων et ἐναπολειφθέν τοῖς κοίλοις πνεῦμα κατʼ ἀνάγκην ἐκπιέζων προΐεται. ’Υποχωρῶν δέ καὶ ἀνοιγόμενος, ἐπισπᾶται τῇ διαστάσει πρὸς τὸ κενούμενον δίὰ ὁλκῆς τὸν ἀέρα. Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶ τῆς ἀπροαιρέτου me. της ἀναπνοῆς αίτία, ἡ τοῦ ἀτρεμεῖν τὸ πυρῶδες ἀδυναμία. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦ θερμοῦ κατὲ τὴν κίνησιν ἐνέργεια, τούτου δὲ τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ κατενοήσαμεν, τὸ διηνεκὲς τῆς ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ κινήσεως τὴν ἀδιάλειπτον τοῦ ἀέρος ὁρμήν τε καὶ ἐμπνοὴν διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀπεργάζεται. Διὸ καὶ παρὰ φύσιν ἐπιταθέντος τοῦ πυρώδους, τὸ ἆσθμα τῶν διακαιομένων τῷ πυρετῷ συνεχέστερον γίνεται, ὥσπερ ἐπειγομένης τῆς καρδίας τὸν ἐγκείμενον ἐν αὐτῇ φλογμὸν τῷ νεαρωτέρῳ πνεύματι κατασβεννύειν. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ πενιχρά τίς ἐστιν ἡμῶν ἡ φύσις, καὶ τῶν πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν σύστασιν διὰ πάντων ἐπιδεὴς, οὐκ ἀέρος μόνον ἰδίου πτωχεύει, καὶ πνεύματος, τοῦτο θερμὸν διεγείροντος, ὅπερ ἔξωθεν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ {dm συντήρησιν διηνεκῶς ἐπεισάγεταιο ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ὑπερείδουσαν τὸν τοῦ σώματος ὄγκον τροφὴν ἐπίκτηο τον ἔχει. Διὰ τοῦτο σιτίοις τε καὶ ποτοῖς ἀναπληροῖ τὸ ἐνδέον, ἑλκτικήν τινα τοῦ λείποντος δύναμιν καὶ ἀπωστικὴν τοῦ περιττεύοντος ἐνθεῖσα τῷ σώματι. οὐδὲ πρὸς τοῦτο τοῦ ἐγκαρδίου πυρὸς μικρὰν παρεχομένου τῇ φύσει συνέργειαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ κυρώτατον τῶν ζωτικῶν μορίων κατὰ τὸν ἀποδοθέντα λά· γον ἡ καρδία ἐστίν, ἡ τῷ θερμῷ πνεύματι ζωπυροῦσι τὰ καθέκαστον μέρη, πανταχόθεν αὐτὴν ἐνεργὸν εἶναι τῷ δραστικῷ τῆς δυνάμεως. ὁ πλάστης ἡμῶν ἐποίησεν, ὡς ἂν μηδὲν αὐτῆς μέρος ἄπρακτόν τε καὶ ἀνόνητον πρὸς τὴν τοῦ παντὸς οἰκονομίαν καταλειφθείη. Διά τοῦτο κατόπιν μὲν ὑποθεῖσα τὸν πνεύμονα, διὰ τῆς διηνεκοῦς κινήσεως, καθέλκουσά τε πρὸς ἑαυτὴν τὸ σπλάγχνον, ἀνευρύνει πρὸς τὴν ὁλκὴν τοῦ ἀέρος toi»: πόρους, ἀνοχλίζουσά τε πάλιν ἐκπνεῖσθαι τὸ ἐναπειλη μμένον παρασκευάζει. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐαυτῆς προσφυεῖσα τῷ χωρήματι τῆς ἄνω γαστρὸς, ἐν· θερμον αὐτὴν, καὶ πρὸς τὰς ίδίας ἐνεργείας κινουμένην ποιεῖ · οὐκ εἰς πνεύματος ὁλκὴν ἀνεγείρουσα, ἀλλʼ είς ὑποδοχὴν τῆς καταλλήλου τροφῆς. Πλησίον μὲν γὰρ πεφύκασιν ἀλλήλων αἱ εἴσοδοι τοῦ πνεύματός τε καὶ τῆς τροφῆς· ἁντιπαρεξιοῦσαιδὲ mam πρόμηκες ἡ ἐτέρα πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν, καὶ τῷ ἴσῳ μέτρῳ κατὰ τὸ ἄνω συναπαρτίζονται, ὥστε καὶ συνεστομῶ· σθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλας, καὶ ένὶ στόματι τοὺς πόρους ἐναπολήγειν, ὅθεν τῷ μὲν τῆς τροφῆς, τῷ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος ἡ εἴσοδος γίνεται. Ἀλλʼ ἐπί τὸ βάθος οὐκέτι διαπαντὸς τὸ προσφυὲς παραμένει τῆς συζυγίας τῶν πόρων. Μέση γὰρ τῆς ἑκατέρων ἕδρας ή καρδία παρεμπεσοῦσα, τῷ μὲν πρὸς ἀναπνοὴν, τῷ δὲ πρὸς τροφὴν, τὰς δυνάμεις ἐντίθησιν. Πέφυκε γὰρ τὸ πυρῶδες ἐπιζητεῖν τὴν ὑπεκκαίουσαν ὓλην, ὃ δὴ καὶ περὶ τδ δοχεῖον τῆς τροφῆς κατʼ ἀνάγκην συμβαίνει. Ὀσῳ γὰρ ἔμπυρον διὰ τῆς γείτονος γίνεται θερμασίας, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐφέλκεται τὰ τὸ θερμὸν ὑποτρέφοντακτην δὲ τοιαύτην ὁρμὴν, ὅρεξιν ὀνομάζομεν. Et δὶ περιδράξαιτο τῆς ἀρκούσης ὑλης τὸ περιεκτικδν τῆς τροφῆς, οὐδὲ οὑτως ἠρεμεῖ τοῦ πυρὸς ἡ ἐνέργεια. Ἀλλὰ καθάπερ ὲν χωνευτηρίῳ σύντηξιν τινα τῆς ὑλης ποιεῖ, καὶ διαλὺ σασα τὰ συνεστῶτα καὶ ἀναχέασα, καθάπερ ἐκ χοάνης τινὸς μεταχεῖ πρὸς τοὺς ἐφεξῆς πόρους. Εἶτα τὸ παχυμερέστερον τοῦ εἰλικρινοῦς διακρίνασα, τὸ μὲν λεπτὸν διʼ ὀχετῶν τινων ἐπὶ τὰς τοῦ ἥπατος ἄγει πύλας τὴν δὲ ὑλώδη τῆς τροφῆς ὑποστάθμην, είς τοὺς εὑρυχωροτέρους τῶν ἐντέρων πόρους ἀπώσατο, καὶ τοῖς πολυτρόποις αὑτῶν ἑλιγμοῖς ἀναστρέφουσα χρόνῳ, παρακατέχει τὴν τροφὴν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις, ὡς ἂν μὴ διʼ εὐθύτητα τοῦ πόρου ῥᾳδίως ἀποβαλόμενον, εὐθὺς ἀνακινοίη τὸ ζῶον πρὸς ὄρεξιν, καὶ μηδέποτε παύοιτο τῆς τοιαύτης ἀσχολίας κατά τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων φύσιν ὀ ἄνθρωπος. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ τῷ ἥπατι μάλιστα τῆς τοῦ θερμοῦ συνεργίας ἦν χρεία πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὑγρῶν ἐξαιμάτωσιν, ἀφέστηκε δὲ τοῦτο τῆς καρδίας κατὰ τὴν θέσιν (οὑ γάρ ἦν, οἶμαι, δυνατὸν ἀρχήν τινα καὶ ῥίζαν ζωτικῆς οὖσαν δυνάμεως, περὶ τὴν ἑτέραν ἀρχὴν στενοχωρεῖσθαι), ὡς ἂν μή τι τῆς οἰκονομίας ὲν τῇ ἀποστάσει τῆς θερμαντικῆς οὐσίαςʼ παραβλαβείη · πόρος νευρώδης (ἀρτηρία δὲ τοῦτο παρά τῶν ταῦτα σοφῶν ὀνομάζεται) ἀναδεξάμενος τῆς καρδίας τὸ ἔμπυρον πνεῦμα, φέρει παρὰ τὸ ἧπαρ, αὑτοῦ που παρά τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν ὑγρῶν συνεστομωμένος, καὶ ἁναζέσας διὰ τῆς θερμότητος τὴν ὑγρασίαν, ἐναποτίθεταί τι τῷ ὑγρῴ τῆς τοῦ πυρὸς συγγενείας, τῇ πυροειδεί χρόᾳ τὸ τοῦ αἵματος εἶδος καταφοινίξας, Εἶτα ἐκεῖθεν ἀφορμηθέντες δίδυμοί τινες ὀχετοὶ, τὸ οἰκεῖον ἑκάτερος σωληνοειδῶς περιέχοντες πνεῦμά τε καὶ αἷμα, ὡς ἂν εὑπόρευτον εἴη, τὸ ὑγρόν τε τοῦ θερμοῦ κινήσει συμπαροδεῦον καὶ κουφιζόμενον, ἐφʼ eum τὸ σῶμα πολυσχιδῶς κατασπείρονται, είς μυρίας ὀχετῶν ἀρχάς τε καὶ διαφύσεις κατά πᾶν μέρος διασχιζόμενοι. Μιχθεῖσαι δὲ πρὸς ἀλλήλας τῶν ζωτικῶν δυνάμεων αἱ δύο ἀρχαὶ, ἦ τε τὺ θερμὸν πανταχῆ κατά τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἡ τὸ ὑγρὸν ἐπιπέμπουσα, καθάπερ τινά δανεισμὸν ἀναγκαῖον ὲκ τῶν οἰκείων τῇ ἀρχηγικωτέρᾳ τῆς ζωτικῆς οἰκονομίας δυνάμει δωροφοροῦσιν. Ἔστι δʼ αῦτηὴ κατά τὰς μήνιγγας καὶ τὸν ὲγκέςραλον θεωρουμένη, ἀφʼ ἧς πᾶσα μὲν ἄρθρου κίνησις, πᾶσα δὲ μυῶν συνολκὴ, πᾶν δὲ προαιρετικὸν πνεῦμα καὶ τοῖς κα- Oémwtov μορίοις ἐπιπεμπόμενον, ἐνεργόν τε καὶ κινούμενον τὸν γήϊνον ἡμῶν ἀνδριάντα, καθάπερ ὲκ μηχανῆς τινος ἀποδείκνυσι. Τοῦ τε γὰρ θερμοῦ τὸ καθαρώτατον, καὶ τοῦ ὑγροῦ τὸ λεπτότατον παρʼ ἑκατέρας δυνάμεως διά τινος μίξεώς τε καὶ ἀνακράσεως ἐνωθέντα, τρέφει τε καὶ συνίστησι διὰ τῶν ἀτμῶν τὸν ἐγκέφαλον. Ἀφʼ οὗ πάλιν ἐπὶ καθαρώτατον ἐκλεπτυνομένη ἡ ἀπʼ ἐκείνου ἀνάδοσις, ima.λείψει τὸν περιεκτικὸν τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου ὑμένα, ὃς ἄνωθεν ἐπὶ τὸ βάθος αὑλοειδῶς διήκων, διὰ τῶν καθεξῆς σπονδύλων, ἑαυτὸν δὲ καὶτὸν ἐγκείμενον αὑτῷ μυελὸν διεξάγων, τῇ βάσει συναπολήγει τῆς ῥάχεως* πάσαις ὀστέων τε καὶ ἁρμονιῶν συ μβοὶαῖς, καὶ μυῶν ἀρχαῖς οἷόν τις ἡνίοχος αὐτὸς ἐνδιδοὺς τῆς καθέκαστον ,κιιήσεώς τε καὶ στάσεως τὴν ὁρμὴν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν. Διὰ τοῦτό μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ἀσφαλεστέρας ἠξιῶσθαι φρουρᾶς, καὶ κατὰ μὲν τὴν κεφαλὴν διπλαῖς όστέων περιβολαῖς ὲν κύκλῳ διειλημμένος, ἐν δὲ τοῖς “mw δύλοις ταῖς τε τῶν ἀκανθῶν προβολαῖς καλ ταῖς πολυτρόποις κατὰ τὸ σχῆμα διαπλοκαῖς. διʼ ὧν ἐν ἁπα- Οεία πάσῃ φυλάττεται, διὰ τῆς περιεχούσης αὑτὸν φρουρᾶς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἔχων. Ὀμοίως δʼ ἄν τις καὶ περὶτῆς καρδίας στοχάσαιτο, ὅτι καθάπερ τις οἶκος ἀσφαλὴς αὕτη διὰ τῶν στερροτάτων περιηρμόσθη ταῖς τῶν ὀστέων ὲν κύκλῳ πει ριοχαῖς ὠχυρωμένη. Κατόπιν μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ῥάχις ταῖς ὡμοπλάταις ἑκατέρωθεν ὴσφαλισμένη. Καθʼ ἑκάτερον δὲ πλάγιονὴ τῶν πλευρῶν θέσις περιπτύσσουσα τὸ μέσον δυσπαθὲς ἀπεργάζεται. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, τὸ στέρνον καὶ ἡ τῆς κλειδὸς συζυγία προβέβληται, ὡς ἂν πανταχόθεν αὐτῇ τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν διοχλούντων φυλάσσοιτο. Οἷον δὲ κατά τὴν γεωργίαν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, τῆς ὲκ νεφῶν ἐπομβρίας, ἢ τῆς τῶν ὀχετῶν ἐπιρροῆς διάβροχον ποιούσης τὸ ὑποκείμενον. Κῆπος δέ τις ὑποκείσθω τῷ λόγῳ, μυρίας μὲν δένδρων διαφορὰς, παντοδαπάς δὲ τῶν ἐκ γῆς φυομένων ἰδέας ὲν ἐαυτῷ τρέφων, ὦν καὶ τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ ἠ ποιότης, καὶ ή τῆς χρόας ἰδιότης ὲν πολλῇ διαφορᾷ τοῖς καθέκαστον ὲνθεωρεϊται. Τοσούο των τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν ἕνα χῶρον τῷ ὑγρῷ τρεφομένων, ἡ μὲν ὑπονοτίζουσα τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστον δύναμις, μία τις κατὰ τὴν φύσιν ἐστίνʼ ἡ δὲ τῶν τρεφομένων ἰδιότης, εἰς διαφόρους τὸ ὑγρὸν μεταβάλλει ποιότητας. Τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ πικραίνεται μὲν ὲν τῇ ἀψίνθῳ· εἰς φθοροποιὸν δὲ χυμὸν ἐν τῷ κωνείῳ μεθίσταται καὶ ἄλλο ἐν ἄλλῳ γίνεται, ὲν κρόκῳ, ἐν βαλσάμῳ, ἐν μήκωνι. Τῷ μὲν γάρ ἐκθερμαίνεται, τῷ δὲ καταψύχεται, τῷ δὲ μέσην ἔχει ποιότητα. Καὶ ἐν δάφνῃ, καὶ ὲν σχοίνῳ, καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις εὔπνουν ἐστίν ὲν συκῇ δὲ καὶ ὄχνῃ κατεγλυκάνθη. Καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀμπέλου βότρυς καὶ οἰνος ὲγένετοʼ καὶ ὁ τού μήλου χυλὸς, καὶ τὸ τοῦ ῥόδου ἐρύθρημα, καὶ τὸ τοῦ κρίνου λαμπρὸν, καὶ τὸ κυανίζον τοῦ ἴου, καὶ τὸ πορφυραῖον τῆς ὑακίνθου βαφῆς, καὶ πάνθʼ ὅσα κατὰ τὴν γῆν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὲκ μιᾶς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἰκμάδος άναβλαυ στάνοντα, εἰς τοσαύτας διαφορὰς κατά τε τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ τὸ εἶδος, καὶ τὰς ποιότητας διακρίνεται. Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἔμψυχον ἡμῶν ἄρουραν θαυματοποιεῖται παρὰ τῆς φύσεως, μᾶλλον δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου φύσεως. Ὁστέα καὶ χόνδροι, φλέβες, ἀρτηρίαι, νεῦρα, σύνδεσμοι, σάρκες, δέρμα, πιμελαὶ, τρίχες, eam;, ὄνυχες, ὀφθαλμοὶ, μυκτῆρες, ὦτα, πάντα τά τοιαῦτα, καὶ μυρία πρὸς τού· τοις ἄλλα διαφόροις ἰδιότησιν ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων κεχωρισμένα, μιᾷ τῇ τῆς τροφῆς ἰδέα καταλλήλως τῇ ἑαυτῶν τρέφεται φύσει, ὡς ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὑποκειμένων τὴν τροφὴν προσεγγίσασαν, ᾧπερ ἂν ὲμπελάσῃ, κατʼ ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι, οἰκείαν καὶ συμφυῆ τῇ τού μέρους ἰδιότητι γινομένην. Εἰ γὰρ ’κατὰ τὶν ὀφθαλμὸν γένοιτο, τῷ ὁρατικῷ μορίῳ συγἓῖδ κατεκράθη, καὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν χιτώνων ταῖς διαφοραῖς οἰκείως είς ἕκαστον κατεμερίσθη. Ei δὲ τοῖς κατά τὴν ἀκοὴν μέρεσιν ἐπιρρυῇ, τῇ ἀκουστικῇ καταμίγνυται φύσει ο καὶ ἐν χείλει γενόμενον, χεῖλος ἐγένετο ° καὶ ὲν ὀστέῳ πήγνυται, καὶ ὲν μυελῷ ἀπαλύνεται, καὶ τονοῦται μετὰ τοῦ νεύρου, καὶ τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ συμπεριτείνεται, καὶ είς ὄνυχας διαβαίνει, καὶ είς τριχῶν γένεσιν λεπτοποιεῖταιτοίς καταλλήλοις ἀτμοῖς. Et μὲν διὰ σκολιῶν προάγοιτο πόρων, οὐλοτέρας τε καὶ κατηγκυλωμένας τάς τρίχας ὲκφύουσα, εί δὲ διʼ εὐθείας ή τῶν τριχοποιῶν ἀτμῶν γένοιτο πρόοδος, τεταμένας τε καὶ εὐθείας προάγουσα. Ἀλλά πολὺ τῶν προκειμένων ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν ἀποπεπλάνηται, τοῖς ἔργοις ἐμβαθύνων τῆς φύσεως, καὶ ὑπογράφειν ἐπιχειρῶν, ὅπως ἡμῖν καὶ ἐξ ὁποίων συνέστηκε τὰ καθέκαστον, τάτε πρὸς τὸ ζῇν, καὶ τά πρὸς τὸ εὖ ζῇν, καὶ εί τι μετὰ τούτων ἕτερον κατᾶ τὴν πρώτην διαίρεσιν ένοήσαμεν. Τὸ γὰρ προκείμενον ἦν δεῖξαι τὴν σπερματικὴν τῆς συστάσεως ήμῶν αἰτίαν, μήτε ἀσώματον εἶναι ψυχὴν, μήτε ἄψυχον σῶμα, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἐμψύχων τε καὶ ζώντων σωμάτων ζῶν καὶ ἔμψυχον παρά τὴν πρώτην ἀπογεννιῖωθαι ζῶον ° ὲκδεξαμένην δὲ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν, καθάπερ τινά τροφὸν ταῖς οἰκείαις δυνάμεσιν αὐτὴν τιθηνήσασθαι ο τὴν δὲ τρέο ’ςεσθαι κατʼ ἀμφότερα, καὶ καταλλήλως ὲν ἑκατέρῳ μέρει τὴν αῦξησιν ἐπίδηλον ἔχειν. Εὐθὺς μὲν γάρ διὰ τῆς τεχνικῆς ταύτης καὶ ὲπιστημονικῆς διαπλάσεως τὴν συμπεπλεγμένην αύτῇ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνδείκνυται δύναμιν, ἀμυδρότερον μὲν κατά τήν πρώτην ὲκφαινομένην, καθεξῆς δὲ τῇ τοῦ ὀργάνου τελειώσει συναναλάμπουσαν. Οἷον δὲ ἐπὶτῶν λιθογλύξων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Πρόκειται μὲν γὰρ τῷ τεχνίτῃ ζώου τινὸς εἷδος ὲν λίθῳ δεῖξαι· τοῦτο δὲ προθέμενος, πρῶτον μὲν τὸν λίθον τῆς συμφυοῦς ὕλης ἀπέρρηξεν ο εἶτα περικόψας αὑτοῦ τὰ περιττὰ, προήγαγέ πως διὰ τοῦ πρώτου σχήματος τῇ μιμήσει τῇ κατά πρόθεσιν, ὥστε καὶ τὸν ἄπειρον διὰ τῷν φαινομένων τοῦ σκοποῦ τῆς τέχνης καταστοχάσασθαι. Πάλιν έπεργασάμενος, προσήγγισε πλέον τῇ ὁμοιότητι τοῦ σπουδαζομένου. Εἶτα τὸ τέλειον καὶ ἀκριβὲς εἶδος ὲγχειρουργήσας τῇ ὕλῃ, είς πέρας τὴν τέχνην προήγαγε · καὶ ἐστι λέων, ἢ ὅ τι ἂν τύχῃ ποιρά τοῦ τεχνίτου γενόμενον, ὁ πρὸ βραχέος ἄσημος λίθος ο οὐ τῆς ὕλης πρὸς τὸ εἶδος ύπαμειφθείσης, ἀλλά τοῦ είδους ἐπιτεχνηθὲντος τῇ υ1.ῃ. Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆςὸ λογισάμενος, τοῦ εἰκότος οὑχ ἁμαρτήσεται. Τὴν γὰρ πάντα τε χνιτεύουσαν φύσιν ἐκ τῆς ὁμογενοῦς ὕλης λαβοῦσαν ὲν ἑαυτῇ τὺ ὲκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μέρος, δημιουργεῖν ἀνδριάντα φαμέν. Ὥσπερ δὲ τῇ κατʼ ὀλίγον ἐργασίᾳ τοῦ λίθου τὸ εἶδος ἐπηκολούθησεν, ἀμυδρότερον μὲν παρὰ τὴν πρώτην, τελειότερον δὲ μετά τήν τοῦ ἔργου συμπλήρωσιν ο οὕτω καὶ ὲν τῇ τοῦ ὀργάνου γλυφῇ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς εἶδος κατά τὴν ἀναλογίαν τοῦ ὑποκειμένου προφαίνεται. ἀτελὲς ὲν τῷ ἀτελεῖ, καὶ ἐν τῴ τελείῳ τέλειον. Ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἂν τέλειον ἦν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τῆς κακίας η φύσις ἐκολοβώθη. Διά τοῦτοή πρὸς τὴν ἐμπαθῆ καὶ ζωὼδη γένεσιν κοινωνία, οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐκ· λάμπειν τὴν θείαν εἰκόνα ἐν τῷ πλάσματι ἐποίησεν, ἀλλʼ ὀδῷ τινι καὶ ἀκολουθίᾳ διὰ τῶν ὑλικῶν καὶ ζωωδεστέρων τῆς ψυχῆς ἰδιωμάτων ἐπὶ τὸ τέλειον ἄγει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Τὸ δὲ τοιοῦτον δόγμα καὶ ὁ μέγας Ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους διδάσκει, λέγων ’ ι Ὅτε ἢμην νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος. Ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνὴρ, κατήργησα τά τοῦ νηπίου. ι Οὐκ ἄλλης ἐν τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπεισελθούσης, παρά τὴν ἐν τῷ μειρακίῳ νοουμένην, ή νηπιωδεστέρα καταργεῖται διάνοια, καὶ ἡ ἀν·δρὼδης ἐγγίνεται· ἀλλά τῆς αὐτῆς ἐν ἐκείνῳ μὲν τὸ ἀτελὲς, ἐν τούτῳ δέ διαδεικνυούσης τὸ τέλειον. Ὠσπερ γάρ τά φυόμενά τε καὶ αὐξάνοντα ζῇν λέγομεν, πάντα τε τά ἐν μετουσίᾳ ζωῆς καὶ φυσικῆς δντα κινήσεως, οὐκ ἄν τις ἀψυχα φήσειεν, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τελείας ψυχῆς μετέχειν τὴν τοιαύτην ζωὴν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. Γενομένη γάρ ἐν τοῖς φυτοῖς ψυχική τις ἐνέργεια, μέχρι τῶν κατʼ αἴσθησιν κινημάτων οὐκ ἔφθασε. Πάλιν δὲ κατά προσθήκην δύναμις τις ψ), χικὴ τοῖς ἀλόγοις ἐγγινομένη, οὐδὲ αύτὴ τοῦ τέλους ἐφίκετο, λόγου τε καὶ διανοίας χάριν ἐν ἑαυτῇ μὴ χωρήσασα. Διὰ τοῦτό φαμεν τὴν μὲν ἀληθῆ καὶ τελείαν ψυχὴν ἀνθρωπίνην εἶναι, διὰ πάσης ἐνεργείας γνωριζομένην. Εἰ δέ τι ἄλλο μετέχει ζωῆς, ἐν καταο χρήσει τινὶ συνηθείας ἔμψυχον λέγομεν, μὴ ὅτι τεο λεία ἐν τούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ ψυχὴ, ἀλλά τινα μέρη ψυχικῆς ἐνεργείας, ἃ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ κατά τὴν μυστικὴν τοῦ Μωΰσέως ἀνθρωπογονῖαν ἐπιγεγενῆσθαι, διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἐμπαθὲς οἰκειότητα μεμαθήκαμεν. Διά τοῦτο συμβουλεύων ὀ Παῦλος τοῖς ἀκούειν βουλομένοις τῆς τελειότητος ἔχεσθαι. καὶ τὸν τρόπον ὅπως ἂν τοῦ σπουδαζομένου τύχοιεν ὑποτίθεται, λέγων, ἀπεκδύσασθαι δεῖν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ ἐνδύσασθαι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος. Ἀλλʼ ἐπανέλθωμεν πάντες ἐπὶ τὴν θεοειδῆ χάριν ἐκείνην, ἐνῇ ἔκτισε τὸ κατʼ ἀρχὰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁ Θεὸς, εἰπών ο ὅτι ι Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατʼ εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν.» ᾯ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἱς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
’Theōria tis zatrikōtera {rapi tēs-tou sōmatos tę̄iōnaatiiakeuēs diʼ oligōn. Alla tēn men akribē tousōmatos hēmōn dia. skeuēn didaskei men hekastos eauton, ex hōn drą te kai zę̄ kai aisthanetai, tēn idian heautou cptisin didaskalon echōn. Exesti de kai tēn en biblois philoponētheisan tois ta toiauta sophois peri toutōn historian analabonti, panta diʼ akribeias mathein. Hōn oi men hopōs echei theseōs ta kathekaston tōn en hēmin, dia tēs anatomēs edidachthēsan o hoi de kai pros ho ti gegone panta ta tou sōmatos moria katenoēsan te kai diēgēsanto, hōs arkousan enteuthen tēs anthrōpinēs kataskeuēs tēn gnōsin tois cptionenois genesthai. Ei de tis epizētoiē pantōn autōn tēn ekklēsian didaskalon ginesthai, hōs eis mēden tēs exōthen phōnēs epideisthai (houtos gar tōn pneumatio kōn probatōn d nomos, kathōs phēsin ho Kyrios, to allotrias mē akouein phōnēs), dia bracheōn kai tdn peritoutōn logon dialēpsometha. Tria peri tēn tou sōmatos enoēsamen physin, hōn charin ta kathʼ hekaston tōn en hēmin kateskeuastai. Ta men gar dia to zę̄n, ta de dia to kalōs zę̄n, hetera de pros tēn diadoę̄n tōn epiginomenōn epitēdeiōs echei. Hosa men oun en hēmin toiauta estin, hōn aneu systēnai tēn anthrōo ē pinēn zōēn ouk endechetai, en trisi moriois katenoēsamen ; en enkephalǭ, kai kardią, kai hēpati. Hosa de prosthēkē tis esti tōn agathōn, kai philotimia tēs physeōs, to eu zę̄n diʼ ekeinōn tǭ anthrōpǭ chariso; menēs, ta peri tēn aisthēsin estin organa. Ta gar toiauta tēn zōēn men ou synistēsin, epei kai lipontōn tinōn pollakis, ouden ētton en tǭ zę̄n estin ho anthrōpos, allʼ amēchanon dicha toutōn tōn energeiōn, tōn kata tēn zōēn ēdeōn tēn metousian echein. 'U de tritos skopos pros to ephexēs te kai tēn diadochēn blepei. Esti de kai alla tina para tauta, ha pros diamonēn koina tois pasin hypokeitai, tas katallēlous prosthēkas diʼ heautōn epeisagonta, hōs koilia kai pneumōn, ho men tǭ pneumati to enkardion pyr anarripizōn, hē de tois splanchnois tēn trophēn eisoikizousa. Houtō toinyn tēs kataskeuēs tēs en hēmin dię̄rēmenēs, estin akribōs katanoēsai, hoti ou monoeidōs hēmin diʼ henos tinos ē pros to zę̄n dynamis diexagetai; alla pleiosi moriois ē physis tas pros tēn systasin hē mōn aphormas epineimasa, anankaian poiei pros to holon tēn parʼ hekastou syno eisphoran. Hōste kai hosa pros asphaleian tēs zōēs kai kallos hē physis epetechnasato, pleiō te esti tauta, kai pollēn pros allēla tēn diaphoran echei. Allʼ oimai dielesthai proteron en oligǭ chrēnai tōn pros tēn systasin tēs zōēs syntelountōn hēmin tas prōtas archas. Ē men oun tou pantos sōmatos hylē koinē tois kathʼ hekaston melesin hypokeimenē, sigasthō tanynʼ ouden gar pros ton ’skopon hēmin syntelesei ē katholou physiologia pros tēn merikēn theōrian. Omologoumenou toinyn para pasi tou pantōn en hēmin einai tōn stoicheiōdōs en tǭ kosmǭ theōroumenōn tēn moiran, tou te thermou kai tou psychontos, kai tēs eteras syzygias tēs kata to hygron te kai xēron nooumenēs, ta kathʼ hekaston hēmin dialēpteon. Oukoun horōmen treis tas dioikētikas tēs zōēs dynameis, hōn hē men diathalpei to pan tę̄ thermotēti, hē de yponotizei tę̄ ikmadi to thermainomenon, hōs an tę̄ isokrateia tēs tōn enantiōn poiotētos, epi tou mesou ōntēroito to zōon, mēte tou hygrou kataphrygomenou tǭ pleonasmǭ tēs thermotētos, mēte tou thermou sbennymenou tę̄ epikrateią tou kathygrainontos. Ē de tritē dynamis synechei diʼ heautēs kata tina symoolēn te kai harmonian ta diakekrimena tōn arthrōn tois parʼ eautēs syndesmois ar; mozousa, kai pasin epipempousa tēn autokinēton te aut proairetikēn dynamin ; ēs epileipousēs, peraton ginetai, kai nekrōdes to meros, tou proairetikou pneumatos amoirēsan. Mallon de pro toutōn axion katanoēsai to technikon tēs physeōs ēmōn en autę̄ tę̄ dēmiourgią tou sōmatos. Epeidē gar to sklēron te kai antitypon tas aisthētikas energeias ou kata;dechetai, hōs estin idein epi te tōn en ēmin osteōn, kaitōn en tę̄ gę̄ phytōn, en hois zōēs men ti katanooumen eidos en tǭ auxein kai trephesthai, ou mēn paredexato enantiōs hē antitypia tou hypokeimenou tēn aisthēsin ; toutou charin edei kathaper kē roeidē tina kataskeuēn ypotethēnai tais katʼ aisthēsin energeiais, dynamenēn tois antilēptikois typois ensphragisthēnai, mēte syncheomenēn diʼ hyperballousēs hygrotētos; ou gar an diameiioi en tǭ hygrǭ to typoumenon ; mēte antitypousan en tę̄ ametria tēs pēxeōso asēmanton gar pros tous typous esti to hanypeikton ; alla mesōs echousan malakotētos te kai sterrotētos, hōs an mē tou kallistou tōn kata tēn physin energēmatōn, tēs aisthētikēs legō kinēseōs, amoiroiē to zōon. Epeidē toinyn to malakon te kai heueikton mēdemian tēn ek tōn sterrhōn echon energeian, akinēton an ēn pantōs, kai adiarthrōton, kata tous thalassious pneumonas; dia touto katamignysin ē physis tǭ sōmati tēn tōn osteōn sterrotēta, kai tauta pros allēla dia tēs prosphyous harmonias enōsasa, tois te dia tōn neurōn syndesmois tas symbolas hautōn episphinxasa, houtōs hautois tēn dektikēn tōn aisthēseōn periephyse sarka, dyspathesteran te kai eutonōteran tę̄ epiphaneią dieilēmmenēn. Tautę̄ toinyn tę̄ sterrą tōn osteōn physei, hoion stylois tisin achthophorois, holon tou sōmatos epitheisa to baros, houk adiaireton enephyse tǭ panti to osteon. Ē gar an akinētos te kai anenergētos emeinen, ei houtō kataskeuēs eichen ho anthrōpos, kathaper ti dendron ephʼ enos topou menon, mēte tēs tōn skelōn diadochēs epi to prosō proagousēs tēn kinēsin, mēte tēs tōn cheirōn hypourgias chrēsimeuousēs tǭbiǭ. Nyni de metabatikon einai kai praktikon to organon dia tēs epinoias tautēs emēchanēsato, tǭ proairetikix» pneumati tǭ dia tōn neurōn diēkonti, tēn pros tas kinēseis hormēn te kai dynamin entheisa tǭ sōmati. Enteuthen hētōn cheirōn hypourgia, hē poikilē te kai polystrophos, kai pros pasan epinoian epitēdeia. Enteuthen ai tou auchenos peristrophai, kai tēs kephalēs epikliseis te kai hananeuseis, kai hē kata. tēn genēn energeia, kai ē tōn blepharōn diastolē hama neumati ginomenē, kai tōn loipōn arthrōn hai kinēseis en neurois men tisin anaspōmenoix ē chalōmenois, kathaper ek mēchanēs tinos, energountai. 'H de dia toutōn diexiousa dynamis autokeleuston echei tina tēn hormēn, proairetikǭ pneumati kata tina physeōs oikonomian entois kathekaston energoumenē. Rhiza de pantōn apedeichthē kai harchē tōn kata ta neura kinēseōn, ho ton enkephalon periechōn neurōdēs hymēn. Houketi oun hēgoumetha dein polypragmonein peri te tōn zōtikōn moriōn, to toiouton estin, en toutǭ deichtheisēs tēs kinētikēs energeias. Hotide megiston ti syntelei pros tēn zōēn ho enkephalos, enargōs to ex enantiou symbainon dēloi. El gar tina trōsinē rhēxin o peri hauton hymēn pathoi, euthys epēkolouthēse tǭ pathei ho thanatos, oude pros to akares tēs ’thyseōs antischousēs tę̄ trōsei, hōsper themeliou tinos hypospasthentos holon to oikodomēma synkateseisthē tǭ merei ' hou toinyn pathontos prodēlos estin ē tou pantos zōou diaphthora, touto kyriōs an tēs zōēs tēn aitian echein homologoito. Epeidē de kai tōn pausamenōn tou zę̄n katasbestheiēs tēs enkeimenēs tę̄ physei thermotētos, to nekrōthen katapsychetai, dia touto kai en tǭ thermǭ tēn zōtikēē aitian katenoēsamen. Hou gar epileloipotos hēnekro tēs epēkolouthēsen, anankē pasa tę̄ parousią tou-i tou synestanai to zōon homologeisthai. Tēs de toiautēs dynameōs hoion pēgēn tina kai archēn tēn kardiae katenoēsamen, aphʼ ēs auloeideis poroi polyschidōs allos ex allou diaphyomenoi, panti tǭ sōmati te pyrōdes kai thermon diacheousi pneuma. Epei de pantōs kai trophēn edei tina tǭ thermǭ sympareina para tēs physeōs ; ou gar endechetai to pyr ephʼ eautou menein, mē dia tou katallēlou trephomenon dia touto hoi tou haimatos ochetoi, kathaper ek pēgēs tinos tou hēpatos aphormēthentes tǭ thermǭ pneumat pantachē kata to sōma symparodeuousin, hōs an mi monōthen rufi eterou to heteron, diaphtheirę̄ tēn physin pathos genomenon. Paideuetō touto tous ataktountas peri to ison, didachthentas para tēs physeōs, hotii pleonexia phthoropoion ti pathos estin. Allʼ epeidi monon aprosdees esti to Theion, hē de anthrōpinē ptō cheia tōn exōthen pros tēn idian systasin epideetai dia touto tais trisi tautais dynamesi, diʼ hōn ephamei apan oikonomeisthai to sōma, epirryton hexiothei epeisagei tēn hylēn, diaphorois eisodois to katallēloi hautais eisoikizousa. Tę̄ men gar pēgę̄ tou haimatos ę̄tiēs to hēpar esti, tēn dia tēs trophēs chorēgia hypethēke. To gar epeisagomenon aei dia tautēs, tasʼtoe haimatos pēgas bryein dia tou hēpatos paraskeuazei iiathaper ē epi tou horous chiōn dia tēs oikeias ikma dos tas-kata hypōreian auxei pēgas, dia tou bathou to oikeion hygron epi tas katō phlebas synthlibousa Tl:1. 2....-.’._':.-.. __.-,-r ē i. i.-.. To de enkardion pneuma dia tou geitonos epeisatitai splanchnou, o kaleitai men pneumōn esti tou aeros docheion, dia tēs enkeimenē artērias tēs epi to stoma diēkousēs, to exōoe, pneuma tais anapnoais ephelkomenon. Hǭ kata ti meson hē kardia eneilēmmenē, kata mimēsin tēs toi aeikinētou pyros energeias, adialeiptōs kai-aute kinoumenē, hoion ti poiousin en tois chalkeiois hai physai helkei te pros heautēn ek tou parakeimenou pneumo nys plērousa tę̄ diastolę̄ tas koilotētas, kai t‹ pmrōdes heautēs ekripizousa, tais echomenais artē riais empnei. Kai touto poiousa ou dialeipei, ti men exōthen dia tēs diastolēs eis tas idias koilotē tas helkousa, to de parʼ heautēs dia tēs symptōseǭ tais artēriais eiskrinousa. Ho moi dokei kai tē automatou tautēs anapnoēs aition hēmin ginesthai ē s,.. -. ē m n partem? gar o men nous ascholos esti pros heterou hēriai pantapasin ēremei, lythentos en tǭ hypnǭʼ to ïiymiktos, hē de anapnoē tou aeros ou dialeipei, mēi hotioun synergousēs eis touto tēs proaireseōs. ’ ’ menas echōn, systellomenos men kai sympiptōn et enapoleiphthen tois koilois pneuma katʼ anankēn ekpiezōn proïetai. ’Ypochōrōn de kai anoigomenos, epispatai tę̄ diastasei pros to kenoumenon dia holkēs ton aera. Kai hautē esti tēs aproairetou me. tēs anapnoēs aitia, hē tou atremein to pyrōdes adynamia. Epeidē gar idion esti tou thermou kate tēn kinēsin energeia, toutou de tas archas en tę̄ kardią katenoēsamen, to diēnekes tēs en tǭ merei toutǭ kinēseōs tēn adialeipton tou aeros hormēn te kai empnoēn dia tou pneumatos apergazetai. Dio kai para physin epitathentos tou pyrōdous, to asthma tōn diakaiomenōn tǭ pyretǭ synechesteron ginetai, hōsper epeigomenēs tēs kardias ton enkeimenon en autę̄ phlogmon tǭ nearōterǭ pneumati katasbennyein. Allʼ epeidē penichra tis estin hēmōn hē physis, kai tōn pros tēn idian systasin dia pantōn epideēs, ouk aeros monon idiou ptōcheuei, kai pneumatos, touto thermon diegeirontos, hoper exōthen pros tēn tou {dm syntērēsin diēnekōs epeisagetaio alla kai tēn hypereidousan ton tou sōmatos onkon trophēn epiktēo ton echei. Dia touto sitiois te kai potois anaplēroi to endeon, helktikēn tina tou leipontos dynamin kai apōstikēn tou peritteuontos entheisa tǭ sōmati. oude pros touto tou enkardiou pyros mikran parechomenou tę̄ physei synergeian. Epeidē gar to kyrōtaton tōn zōtikōn moriōn kata ton apodothenta la; gon hē kardia estin, hē tǭ thermǭ pneumati zōpyrousi ta kathekaston merē, pantachothen autēn energon einai tǭ drastikǭ tēs dynameōs. ho plastēs hēmōn epoiēsen, hōs an mēden autēs meros aprakton te kai anonēton pros tēn tou pantos oikonomian kataleiphtheiē. Dia touto katopin men hypotheisa ton pneumona, dia tēs diēnekous kinēseōs, kathelkousa te pros heautēn to splanchnon, aneurynei pros tēn holkēn tou aeros toi»: porous, anochlizousa te palin ekpneisthai to enapeilē mmenon paraskeuazei. En de tois emprosthen eautēs prosphyeisa tǭ chōrēmati tēs anō gastros, en; thermon autēn, kai pros tas idias energeias kinoumenēn poiei ; ouk eis pneumatos holkēn anegeirousa, allʼ eis hypodochēn tēs katallēlou trophēs. Plēsion men gar pephykasin allēlōn hai eisodoi tou pneumatos te kai tēs trophēs; hantiparexiousaide mam promēkes hē etera pros tēn heteran, kai tǭ isǭ metrǭ kata to anō synapartizontai, hōste kai synestomō; sthai pros allēlas, kai eni stomati tous porous enapolēgein, hothen tǭ men tēs trophēs, tǭ de tou pneumatos hē eisodos ginetai. Allʼ epi to bathos ouketi diapantos to prosphyes paramenei tēs syzygias tōn porōn. Mesē gar tēs hekaterōn hedras ē kardia parempesousa, tǭ men pros anapnoēn, tǭ de pros trophēn, tas dynameis entithēsin. Pephyke gar to pyrōdes epizētein tēn hypekkaiousan hylēn, ho dē kai peri td docheion tēs trophēs katʼ anankēn symbainei. Osǭ gar empyron dia tēs geitonos ginetai thermasias, tosoutǭ mallon ephelketai ta to thermon hypotrephontaktēn de toiautēn hormēn, horexin onomazomen. Et di peridraxaito tēs arkousēs hylēs to periektikdn tēs trophēs, oude houtōs ēremei tou pyros hē energeia. Alla kathaper en chōneutēriǭ syntēxin tina tēs hylēs poiei, kai dialy sasa ta synestōta kai anacheasa, kathaper ek choanēs tinos metachei pros tous ephexēs porous. Eita to pachymeresteron tou eilikrinous diakrinasa, to men lepton diʼ ochetōn tinōn epi tas tou hēpatos agei pylas tēn de hylōdē tēs trophēs hypostathmēn, eis tous heurychōroterous tōn enterōn porous apōsato, kai tois polytropois hautōn heligmois anastrephousa chronǭ, parakatechei tēn trophēn tois splanchnois, hōs an mē diʼ euthytēta tou porou rhądiōs apobalomenon, euthys anakinoiē to zōon pros orexin, kai mēdepote pauoito tēs toiautēs ascholias kata tēn tōn alogōn physin o anthrōpos. Epei de kai tǭ hēpati malista tēs tou thermou synergias ēn chreia pros tēn tōn hygrōn exaimatōsin, aphestēke de touto tēs kardias kata tēn thesin (hou gar ēn, oimai, dynaton archēn tina kai rhizan zōtikēs ousan dynameōs, peri tēn heteran archēn stenochōreisthai), hōs an mē ti tēs oikonomias en tę̄ apostasei tēs thermantikēs ousiasʼ parablabeiē ; poros neurōdēs (artēria de touto para tōn tauta sophōn onomazetai) anadexamenos tēs kardias to empyron pneuma, pherei para to hēpar, hautou pou para tēn eisodon tōn hygrōn synestomōmenos, kai hanazesas dia tēs thermotētos tēn hygrasian, enapotithetai ti tǭ hygrǭ tēs tou pyros syngeneias, tę̄ pyroeidei chroą to tou haimatos eidos kataphoinixas, Eita ekeithen aphormēthentes didymoi tines ochetoi, to oikeion hekateros sōlēnoeidōs periechontes pneuma te kai haima, hōs an heuporeuton eiē, to hygron te tou thermou kinēsei symparodeuon kai kouphizomenon, ephʼ eum to sōma polyschidōs kataspeirontai, eis myrias ochetōn archas te kai diaphyseis kata pan meros diaschizomenoi. Michtheisai de pros allēlas tōn zōtikōn dynameōn hai dyo archai, ē te ty thermon pantachē kata to sōma, kai hē to hygron epipempousa, kathaper tina daneismon anankaion ek tōn oikeiōn tę̄ archēgikōterą tēs zōtikēs oikonomias dynamei dōrophorousin. Esti dʼ autēē kata tas mēningas kai ton enkesralon theōroumenē, aphʼ hēs pasa men arthrou kinēsis, pasa de myōn synolkē, pan de proairetikon pneuma kai tois ka- Oemwtov moriois epipempomenon, energon te kai kinoumenon ton gēïnon hēmōn andrianta, kathaper ek mēchanēs tinos apodeiknysi. Tou te gar thermou to katharōtaton, kai tou hygrou to leptotaton parʼ hekateras dynameōs dia tinos mixeōs te kai anakraseōs enōthenta, trephei te kai synistēsi dia tōn atmōn ton enkephalon. Aphʼ hou palin epi katharōtaton ekleptynomenē hē apʼ ekeinou anadosis, ima.leipsei ton periektikon tou enkephalou hymena, hos anōthen epi to bathos hauloeidōs diēkōn, dia tōn kathexēs spondylōn, heauton de kaiton enkeimenon hautǭ myelon diexagōn, tę̄ basei synapolēgei tēs rhacheōs* pasais osteōn te kai harmoniōn sy mboiais, kai myōn archais hoion tis hēniochos autos endidous tēs kathekaston ,kiiēseōs te kai staseōs tēn hormēn kai tēn dynamin. Dia touto moi dokei kai asphalesteras ēxiōsthai phrouras, kai kata men tēn kephalēn diplais osteōn peribolais en kyklǭ dieilēmmenos, en de tois “mw dylois tais te tōn akanthōn probolais kal tais polytropois kata to schēma diaplokais. diʼ hōn en hapa- Oeia pasę̄ phylattetai, dia tēs periechousēs hauton phrouras to asphales echōn. Omoiōs dʼ an tis kai peritēs kardias stochasaito, hoti kathaper tis oikos asphalēs hautē dia tōn sterrotatōn periērmosthē tais tōn osteōn en kyklǭ pei riochais ōchyrōmenē. Katopin men gar estin hē rhachis tais hōmoplatais hekaterōthen ēsphalismenē. Kathʼ hekateron de plagionē tōn pleurōn thesis periptyssousa to meson dyspathes apergazetai. En de tois emprosthen, to sternon kai hē tēs kleidos syzygia probeblētai, hōs an pantachothen autę̄ to asphales apo tōn exōthen diochlountōn phylassoito. Hoion de kata tēn geōrgian estin idein, tēs ek nephōn epombrias, ē tēs tōn ochetōn epirroēs diabrochon poiousēs to hypokeimenon. Kēpos de tis hypokeisthō tǭ logǭ, myrias men dendrōn diaphoras, pantodapas de tōn ek gēs phyomenōn ideas en eautǭ trephōn, ōn kai to schēma, kai ē poiotēs, kai ē tēs chroas idiotēs en pollę̄ diaphorą tois kathekaston entheōreïtai. Tosouo tōn toinyn kata ton hena chōron tǭ hygrǭ trephomenōn, hē men hyponotizousa ta kathʼ hekaston dynamis, mia tis kata tēn physin estinʼ hē de tōn trephomenōn idiotēs, eis diaphorous to hygron metaballei poiotētas. To gar auto pikrainetai men en tę̄ apsinthǭ; eis phthoropoion de chymon en tǭ kōneiǭ methistatai kai allo en allǭ ginetai, en krokǭ, en balsamǭ, en mēkōni. Tǭ men gar ekthermainetai, tǭ de katapsychetai, tǭ de mesēn echei poiotēta. Kai en daphnę̄, kai en schoinǭ, kai tois toioutois eupnoun estin en sykę̄ de kai ochnę̄ kateglykanthē. Kai dia tēs ampelou botrys kai oinos egenetoʼ kai ho tou mēlou chylos, kai to tou rhodou erythrēma, kai to tou krinou lampron, kai to kyanizon tou iou, kai to porphyraion tēs hyakinthou baphēs, kai panthʼ hosa kata tēn gēn estin idein, ek mias kai tēs autēs ikmados anablau stanonta, eis tosautas diaphoras kata te to schēma, kai to eidos, kai tas poiotētas diakrinetai. Toiouton ti kai kata tēn empsychon hēmōn arouran thaumatopoieitai para tēs physeōs, mallon de para tou Despotou physeōs. Hostea kai chondroi, phlebes, artēriai, neura, syndesmoi, sarkes, derma, pimelai, triches, eam?, onyches, ophthalmoi, myktēres, ōta, panta ta toiauta, kai myria pros tou; tois alla diaphorois idiotēsin apʼ allēlōn kechōrismena, mią tę̄ tēs trophēs idea katallēlōs tę̄ heautōn trephetai physei, hōs hekastǭ tōn hypokeimenōn tēn trophēn prosengisasan, hǭper an empelasę̄, katʼ ekeino kai alloiousthai, oikeian kai symphyē tę̄ tou merous idiotēti ginomenēn. Ei gar ’kata tin ophthalmon genoito, tǭ horatikǭ moriǭ sygeid katekrathē, kai tōn peri ton ophthalmon chitōnōn tais diaphorais oikeiōs eis hekaston katemeristhē. Ei de tois kata tēn akoēn meresin epirryę̄, tę̄ akoustikę̄ katamignytai physei o kai en cheilei genomenon, cheilos egeneto ° kai en osteǭ pēgnytai, kai en myelǭ apalynetai, kai tonoutai meta tou neurou, kai tę̄ epiphaneią symperiteinetai, kai eis onychas diabainei, kai eis trichōn genesin leptopoieitaitois katallēlois atmois. Et men dia skoliōn proagoito porōn, ouloteras te kai katēnkylōmenas tas trichas ekphyousa, ei de diʼ eutheias ē tōn trichopoiōn atmōn genoito proodos, tetamenas te kai eutheias proagousa. Alla poly tōn prokeimenōn ho logos hēmin apopeplanētai, tois ergois embathynōn tēs physeōs, kai hypographein epicheirōn, hopōs hēmin kai ex hopoiōn synestēke ta kathekaston, tate pros to zę̄n, kai ta pros to eu zę̄n, kai ei ti meta toutōn heteron kata tēn prōtēn diairesin enoēsamen. To gar prokeimenon ēn deixai tēn spermatikēn tēs systaseōs ēmōn aitian, mēte asōmaton einai psychēn, mēte apsychon sōma, allʼ ex empsychōn te kai zōntōn sōmatōn zōn kai empsychon para tēn prōtēn apogenniiōthai zōon ° ekdexamenēn de tēn anthrōpinēn physin, kathaper tina trophon tais oikeiais dynamesin autēn tithēnēsasthai o tēn de treo ’sesthai katʼ amphotera, kai katallēlōs en hekaterǭ merei tēn auxēsin epidēlon echein. Euthys men gar dia tēs technikēs tautēs kai epistēmonikēs diaplaseōs tēn sympeplegmenēn autę̄ tēs psychēs endeiknytai dynamin, amydroteron men kata tēn prōtēn ekphainomenēn, kathexēs de tę̄ tou organou teleiōsei synanalampousan. Hoion de epitōn lithoglyxōn estin idein. Prokeitai men gar tǭ technitę̄ zōou tinos heidos en lithǭ deixai; touto de prothemenos, prōton men ton lithon tēs symphyous hylēs aperrēxen o eita perikopsas hautou ta peritta, proēgage pōs dia tou prōtou schēmatos tę̄ mimēsei tę̄ kata prothesin, hōste kai ton apeiron dia tǭn phainomenōn tou skopou tēs technēs katastochasasthai. Palin epergasamenos, prosēngise pleon tę̄ homoiotēti tou spoudazomenou. Eita to teleion kai akribes eidos encheirourgēsas tę̄ hylę̄, eis peras tēn technēn proēgage ; kai esti leōn, ē ho ti an tychę̄ poira tou technitou genomenon, ho pro bracheos asēmos lithos o ou tēs hylēs pros to eidos ypameiphtheisēs, alla tou eidous epitechnēthentos tę̄ y1.ę̄. Toiouton ti kai epi tēs psychēso logisamenos, tou eikotos houch hamartēsetai. Tēn gar panta te chniteuousan physin ek tēs homogenous hylēs labousan en heautę̄ ty ek tou anthrōpou meros, dēmiourgein andrianta phamen. Hōsper de tę̄ katʼ oligon ergasią tou lithou to eidos epēkolouthēsen, amydroteron men para tēn prōtēn, teleioteron de meta tēn tou ergou symplērōsin o houtō kai en tę̄ tou organou glyphę̄ to tēs psychēs eidos kata tēn analogian tou hypokeimenou prophainetai. ateles en tǭ atelei, kai en tǭ teleiǭ teleion. Allʼ ex archēs an teleion ēn, ei mē dia tēs kakias ē physis ekolobōthē. Dia toutoē pros tēn empathē kai zōōdē genesin koinōnia, ouk euthys ek; lampein tēn theian eikona en tǭ plasmati epoiēsen, allʼ odǭ tini kai akolouthią dia tōn hylikōn kai zōōdesterōn tēs psychēs idiōmatōn epi to teleion agei ton anthrōpon. To de toiouton dogma kai ho megas Apostolos en tę̄ pros Korinthious didaskei, legōn ’ i Hote ēmēn nēpios, elaloun hōs nēpios, elogizomēn hōs nēpios. Hote de gegona anēr, katērgēsa ta tou nēpiou. i Ouk allēs en tǭ andri tēs psychēs epeiselthousēs, para tēn en tǭ meirakiǭ nooumenēn, ē nēpiōdestera katargeitai dianoia, kai hē an;drōdēs enginetai; alla tēs autēs en ekeinǭ men to ateles, en toutǭ de diadeiknyousēs to teleion. Ōsper gar ta phyomena te kai auxanonta zę̄n legomen, panta te ta en metousią zōēs kai physikēs dnta kinēseōs, ouk an tis apsycha phēseien, ou mēn oude teleias psychēs metechein tēn toiautēn zōēn estin eipein. Genomenē gar en tois phytois psychikē tis energeia, mechri tōn katʼ aisthēsin kinēmatōn ouk ephthase. Palin de kata prosthēkēn dynamis tis ps), chikē tois alogois enginomenē, oude autē tou telous ephiketo, logou te kai dianoias charin en heautę̄ mē chōrēsasa. Dia touto phamen tēn men alēthē kai teleian psychēn anthrōpinēn einai, dia pasēs energeias gnōrizomenēn. Ei de ti allo metechei zōēs, en katao chrēsei tini synētheias empsychon legomen, mē hoti teo leia en toutois estin hē psychē, alla tina merē psychikēs energeias, ha kai en tǭ anthrōpǭ kata tēn mystikēn tou Mōÿseōs anthrōpogonian epigegenēsthai, dia tēn pros to empathes oikeiotēta memathēkamen. Dia touto symbouleuōn o Paulos tois akouein boulomenois tēs teleiotētos echesthai. kai ton tropon hopōs an tou spoudazomenou tychoien hypotithetai, legōn, apekdysasthai dein ton palaion anthrōpon, kai endysasthai ton neon, ton anakainoumenon katʼ eikona tou ktisantos. Allʼ epanelthōmen pantes epi tēn theoeidē charin ekeinēn, enę̄ ektise to katʼ archas ton anthrōpon ho Theos, eipōn o hoti i Poiēsōmen anthrōpon katʼ eikona kai homoiōsin hēmeteran.» Hǭ hē doxa kai to kratos heis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. Amēn.
A brief, more medical contemplation of the construction of the body. The exact construction of our body each person teaches himself from what he does, how he lives, and what he perceives, having his own nature as his teacher. It is also possible to learn everything exactly by taking up the inquiries on these matters laboriously set down in books by those wise in such things. Some of them were taught by dissection how each of the parts in us is placed; others also considered and described the purpose for which all the parts of the body came to be, so that from this a sufficient knowledge of the human constitution has come to those who study it. But if anyone wants the Church to be his teacher in all these things, so as to need nothing from the voice outside (for this is the law of the spiritual sheep, as the Lord says, not to listen to a stranger’s voice), we will also treat the account of these things briefly. We have noticed three things about the nature of the body for whose sake each of the parts in us has been constructed. Some are for living, some for living well, and others are fitted for the succession of offspring. All the things in us without which human life cannot exist we have noticed in three parts: in the brain, the heart, and the liver. Those that are a kind of addition of goods and a generosity of nature, which grants man to live well by them, are the organs of sense. For such things do not constitute life, since a man often goes on living no less when some of them have failed; but without these activities it is impossible to share in the pleasures of life. The third aim looks to what follows and to succession. There are also certain other things besides these, which underlie all in common for the continuance of life, bringing in suitable supplies by themselves, such as the stomach and the lung: the one fanning the fire of the heart with breath, the other bringing nourishment into the inner organs. Since, then, the construction in us is divided in this way, one can clearly see that the power of living is not carried on in us in a single way through one thing; rather, nature has distributed the means of our constitution among several parts and makes the contribution of each necessary to the whole. So too the things that nature contrived for the security and beauty of life are more numerous and differ greatly from one another. But I think we must first distinguish briefly the first principles of the things that contribute to the constitution of our life. Let the matter of the whole body, which underlies all the limbs in common, be passed over in silence for now; for the general science of nature will contribute nothing to our purpose in this particular inquiry. Since it is agreed by all, then, that there is in us a share of all the things seen in the world as elements, the hot and the cold, and the other pair conceived as the moist and the dry, we must treat the particulars. We see, then, three powers that govern life: one warms the whole with heat; another moistens with fluid what is warmed, so that the living creature may be preserved in the middle by the equal strength of the opposite qualities, neither the moist being parched by an excess of heat nor the heat quenched by the prevalence of the moistening; and the third power holds together by itself, in a kind of joining and harmony, the separate joints, fitting them with its own ligaments and sending into all the self-moving and voluntary power; when it fails, the part becomes paralysed and deadened, having no share in the voluntary breath. But before these it is worth considering the skill of our nature in the very making of the body. Since what is hard and resistant does not admit the activities of sense, as can be seen in the bones in us and in the plants in the earth (in which we perceive a form of life in growing and being nourished, yet the resistance of the subject did not admit sense), for this reason a kind of wax-like construction had to underlie the activities of sense, able to be sealed with the impressions of perception, neither so confused by excessive moisture (for the impression would not remain in what is liquid) nor resisting by excessive solidity (for what does not yield takes no impressions), but midway between softness and firmness, so that the living creature might not lack the finest of nature’s activities, I mean the movement of sense. But since what is soft and yielding, having none of the activity of firm things, would certainly be motionless and without joints, like the sea-lungs (jellyfish), for this reason nature mixes into the body the firmness of the bones; and having united these to one another by a natural fitting, and bound their joinings tight with the ligaments of the sinews, it then grew around them the flesh that receives the senses, enclosed by a surface less easily hurt and of greater tension. On this firm nature of the bones, then, as on load-bearing pillars, it set the whole weight of the body; but it did not make the bone undivided through the whole. For man would have remained motionless and inactive if he had been so constructed, like a tree remaining in one place, with neither the alternation of the legs bringing his motion forward nor the service of the hands being of use to life. But as it is, by this device it contrived that the instrument should be able to move about and act, putting into the body the impulse and power for motions by the voluntary breath that passes through the sinews. From this comes the service of the hands, varied and versatile and fitted for every device; from this the turnings of the neck, the bending and raising of the head, the activity of the jaw, the opening of the eyelids at a nod, and the movements of the other joints, which are worked by certain sinews drawn tight or relaxed as by some machine. And the power passing through these has a kind of self-commanded impulse, working by a voluntary breath, by some economy of nature, in each part. The membrane of sinew that encloses the brain was shown to be the root and beginning of all movements of the sinews. We do not think we need busy ourselves further, then, about which vital part is of this kind, since the power of motion has been shown to be in it. That the brain contributes something very great to life is clearly shown by what happens in the opposite case. For if the membrane around it suffers some wound or rupture, death at once follows the injury, nature not holding out against the wound even for an instant; as when a foundation is pulled away the whole building is shaken down along with the part. That, then, whose injury plainly brings the destruction of the whole living creature would properly be acknowledged to hold the cause of life. And since, in those who have ceased to live, the heat that lay in their nature is quenched and the dead body grows cold, for this reason we have recognized the cause of life in heat too. For it is entirely necessary to acknowledge that the living creature is constituted by the presence of that whose failure was followed by deadness. Of such a power we recognized the heart as a kind of spring and beginning, from which pipe-like passages branch out in many directions, one from another, and pour a fiery and hot breath through the whole body. And since some nourishment had certainly to be provided by nature together with the heat (for fire cannot remain by itself unless it is nourished by what suits it), for this reason the channels of blood, starting from the liver as from a spring, travel together with the hot breath everywhere through the body, so that neither, isolated from the other, may destroy the nature by becoming a disorder. Let this teach those who do not keep to equality, being taught by nature that greed is a destructive disorder. But since only the divine needs nothing, while human poverty needs things from outside for its own constitution, for this reason nature brings in flowing matter from outside to these three powers by which, we said, the whole body is governed, admitting what suits them by different entrances. To the spring of blood, which is the liver, it has supplied provision by food. For what is continually brought in by food makes the springs of blood gush forth through the liver, as the snow on the mountain increases the springs at its foot by its own moisture, pressing its proper fluid down through the depth into the veins below. … The breath of the heart is brought in through the neighbouring organ, which is called the lung and is the receptacle of the air, drawing in the outer air by breathing through the windpipe that lies in it and reaches to the mouth. In the middle of it the heart is enclosed, and, imitating the activity of ever-moving fire, it too moves without ceasing, as the bellows do in forges: it draws to itself from the lung beside it, filling its hollows by expansion, and fanning its own fiery element, it breathes it into the arteries attached to it. And it does not cease doing this, drawing from outside into its own hollows by expansion, and sending what is its own into the arteries by contraction. This seems to me also to be the cause of this involuntary breathing of ours. … For the mind is occupied with other things, or is wholly at rest when it is relaxed in sleep, yet the breathing of air does not cease, though choice contributes nothing to it. … contracting and collapsing, it necessarily presses out and sends forth the breath left in its hollows; and drawing back and opening, it draws the air by suction into the emptied space through its expansion. And this is the cause of this involuntary breathing: the inability of the fiery element to be at rest. For since activity in motion is proper to heat, and we recognized its beginnings in the heart, the continual motion in this part produces the unceasing rush and inflow of air through the breath. For this reason too, when the fiery element is intensified against nature, the breathing of those burning with fever becomes more frequent, as if the heart were hastening to quench the blaze within it with fresher breath. But since our nature is poor and in need in every way of what is required for its own constitution, it is not only poor in air of its own, and in the breath that rouses the heat, which is continually brought in from outside for the preservation of the living creature, but also has as something acquired the nourishment that supports the bulk of the body. For this reason it fills up what is lacking with food and drink, nature having put into the body a power that draws in what is lacking and expels what is superfluous. And for this too the fire of the heart provides no small cooperation to nature. For since the heart is the most important of the vital parts, according to the account given, enkindling each of the parts with the hot breath, our Fashioner made it active on every side by the effectiveness of its power, so that no part of it might be left idle and useless for the economy of the whole. For this reason, having placed the lung behind it, by its continual motion it draws that organ toward itself, widening the passages for the drawing in of air, and, lifting it up again, causes what is held in it to be breathed out. And in front, grown against the space of the upper stomach, it makes it warm and moves it to its own activities, rousing it not to draw in breath but to receive suitable nourishment. For the entrances of breath and of food lie near each other; they run alongside each other lengthwise and end at the top in equal measure, so as to open into one another and end their passages in one mouth, from which the entrance is made, by the one for food and by the other for breath. But toward the depth the close joining of the pair of passages does not remain throughout; for the heart, falling in the middle between the seats of the two, gives to the one the power for breathing and to the other the power for nourishment. For it is the nature of the fiery to seek the matter that feeds it, which necessarily happens with the receptacle of food. For the more it is fired by the neighbouring heat, the more it draws in what feeds the heat; and such an impulse we call appetite. And when the container of food has grasped sufficient matter, not even so is the activity of the fire at rest; but as in a melting pot it makes a kind of fusion of the matter, and having dissolved and liquefied what was solid, pours it out as from a funnel into the passages that follow. Then, separating the coarser from the pure, it leads the fine part through certain channels to the gates of the liver, and pushes the material sediment of the food into the wider passages of the intestines, and by turning it about for a time in their many windings it keeps the food in the inward parts, so that it may not, being easily discharged through a straight passage, at once rouse the living creature to appetite, and man never cease from such occupation, like the nature of the irrational creatures. And since the liver especially needed the cooperation of heat for turning the fluids into blood, and it stands apart from the heart in position (for it was not possible, I think, for one beginning and root of vital power to be crowded beside the other), so that nothing in the economy might be harmed by its distance from the warming substance, a sinewy passage (those wise in these matters call it an artery), receiving the fiery breath of the heart, carries it to the liver, opening into it somewhere near the entrance of the fluids; and, boiling up the moisture by its heat, it deposits in the fluid something of its kinship with fire, staining the form of the blood red with its fiery colour. Then twin channels, starting from there, each enclosing in its tube its own content, breath and blood, so that the fluid may travel easily, being carried along and lightened by the motion of the heat, are spread in many branches over the whole body, dividing into countless beginnings and branchings of channels in every part. And the two beginnings of the vital powers, mixed with each other, the one that sends heat everywhere through the body and the one that sends moisture, bring from their own resources, as a necessary loan, an offering to the more principal power of the vital economy. This is the power seen in the meninges and the brain, from which comes every movement of the joints, every contraction of the muscles, every voluntary breath sent into the individual parts, which shows our earthy statue active and moving, as if by some machine. For the purest of the heat and the finest of the moisture from each power, united by a kind of mixture and blending, nourish and sustain the brain through their vapours. From it in turn the exhalation, refined to its purest, anoints the membrane that encloses the brain, which, extending like a pipe from above into the depth through the successive vertebrae, conducting itself and the marrow lying within it, ends together with the base of the spine; and it itself, like a charioteer, gives the impulse and power of each movement and rest to all the junctions of bones and joints and the beginnings of the muscles. For this reason it seems to me to have been thought worthy of a safer guard: in the head it is enclosed all round by a double wall of bones, and in the vertebrae by the projections of the spines and the various interlacings of their shape, by which it is guarded in all freedom from injury, having its safety from the guard that surrounds it. One might suppose the same about the heart too: that it has been fitted as a safe house, fortified all around by the hardest enclosures of bones. For behind is the spine, secured on either side by the shoulder blades; on each side the position of the ribs, enfolding the middle, makes it hard to injure; and in front the breastbone and the pair of collarbones are set as a defence, so that its safety may be guarded on every side from things troubling it from outside. And as can be seen in farming, when rain from the clouds or the flow of channels makes the ground beneath soaked through (let a garden be supposed for the argument, nourishing in itself countless varieties of trees and every form of plants that grow from the earth, whose shape and quality and particular colour are seen in each with great difference), while so many things are nourished by moisture in the one place, the power that moistens each is one in nature, but the property of the things nourished changes the moisture into different qualities. For the same moisture becomes bitter in wormwood, changes into a deadly juice in hemlock, and becomes one thing in one plant and another in another, in saffron, in balsam, in the poppy: in one it is heated, in another cooled, in another it has a middle quality. In the bay and the rush and the like it is fragrant; in the fig and the pear it is sweetened; through the vine it became grape and wine; and the juice of the apple, the red of the rose, the brightness of the lily, the dark blue of the violet, the purple of the hyacinth’s dye, and everything that can be seen on earth, sprouting from one and the same moisture, is distinguished into so many differences of shape, form, and quality. Something of this kind is worked wonderfully by nature, or rather by the Lord of nature, in our living field too. Bones and cartilage, veins, arteries, sinews, ligaments, flesh, skin, fat, hair, glands, nails, eyes, nostrils, ears, all such things and countless others besides, separated from one another by different properties, are nourished by one form of food suitably to their own nature, so that the food, when it comes near each of the subjects, is altered according to whatever it approaches, becoming proper and natural to the property of the part. For if it comes to the eye, it is blended with the part that sees and distributed suitably to each of the differences of the coats of the eye. If it flows to the parts of hearing, it is mixed with the nature of hearing; in the lip it becomes lip; in bone it solidifies, in marrow it softens; it is strengthened with the sinew, stretched with the surface, passes into nails, and is made fine by suitable vapours for the generation of hair: if it is carried through crooked passages, producing curlier and twisted hair, if the progress of the hair-making vapours is straight, producing straight and long hair. But our argument has wandered far from the subject, plunging into the works of nature and trying to sketch how and of what each of our parts has been constituted, both those for living and those for living well, and whatever else we noticed besides these in the first division. For our purpose was to show that the seminal cause of our constitution is neither an incorporeal soul nor a soulless body, but that from animate and living bodies a living and animate creature is generated at the first; and that human nature receives it and nurses it like a nurse with her own powers; and that it is nourished in both respects, and shows its growth suitably in each part. For at once, through this skilful and knowing formation, it shows the power of the soul interwoven with it, appearing more dimly at first, then shining out together with the perfecting of the instrument. It is as one can see with sculptors. The artist sets out to show the form of some animal in stone; having proposed this, he first breaks the stone from the material it is joined to; then, cutting away what is superfluous, he advances it in a way, by the first outline, toward the imitation he intends, so that even one without experience can guess from what appears the aim of the art. Working on it again, he brings it nearer to the likeness of what he is labouring at. Then, having worked the perfect and exact form into the material, he brings his art to its end; and the stone that was shapeless a little before is a lion, or whatever the artist happens to have made: not because the material has been changed into the form, but because the form has been wrought upon the material. One who reckons something like this about the soul will not miss what is probable. For we say that nature, the artisan of all things, taking the part from the man out of matter of the same kind, fashions a statue within itself. And as the form followed the gradual working of the stone, more dimly at first, more perfectly after the completion of the work, so too in the carving of the instrument the form of the soul appears in proportion to its subject, imperfect in the imperfect and perfect in the perfect. But it would have been perfect from the beginning, had not our nature been mutilated by vice. For this reason the fellowship with passionate and animal generation did not allow the divine image to shine forth at once in what was formed, but brings man to perfection by a certain road and sequence through the more material and animal properties of the soul. The great Apostle too teaches such a doctrine in his letter to the Corinthians, saying, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away the things of the child.” Not that another soul entered the man besides the one perceived in the boy; rather, the more childish understanding is done away and the manly one arises, the same soul showing imperfection in the one and perfection in the other. For as we say that things that grow and increase live, and no one would call lifeless all those that share in life and natural motion, yet one cannot say that such life shares in a perfect soul either. For a certain activity of soul arising in plants did not reach as far as the movements of sense. And again, a certain power of soul arising by addition in the irrational creatures did not itself reach the end either, not containing in itself the gift of reason and understanding. That is why we say that the true and perfect soul is the human one, recognized through every activity. And if anything else shares in life, we call it animate by a certain misuse of customary speech, not because the soul in these is perfect, but because there are certain parts of the activity of soul, which, we have learned, were added in man too, according to Moses’ mystical account of man’s making, through his kinship with the passionate. That is why Paul, counselling those willing to listen to hold to perfection, also sets out the way they may attain what they are earnest for, saying that one must put off the old man and put on the new, which is being renewed according to the image of the one who created him. But let us all return to that godlike grace in which God created man in the beginning, when he said, “Let us make man according to our image and likeness.” To him be the glory and the power to the ages of ages. Amen.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 10:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 3:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Col 3:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 4:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 1:26 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Gregory sketches the body’s structure and physiology (brain, heart, liver, nerves, breathing, digestion) to show that soul and body grow together from one beginning, the soul’s powers appearing as the body is perfected, and ends by calling all to return to the image of God.
- The chapter heading is partly garbled in the scan and translated by sense. The physiology follows the medicine of Gregory’s time (Galen and others), including the heart as source of vital heat, the liver as source of blood, and the brain’s membrane as source of movement. Lines are lost in the scan at three places (marked …): after the comparison with mountain snow, after “involuntary breathing of ours,” and before the description of the lung’s contraction. References: John 10:5 (“a stranger’s voice”); 1 Cor 13:11; Col 3:9–10 (Eph 4:22–24); Gen 1:26.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Hom. opif. 30 (PG 44:240c–256d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-hominis-opificio/30/#p-30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.