De Sensu I.2(1)
Bernardo CDA Vasconcelos / Parva Naturalia
- Created on 2019-03-26 21:47:42
- Aligned by Bernardo CDA Vasconcelos
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Περὶ μὲν οὖν τῆς δυνάμεως ἣν ἔχει τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἑκάστη , πρότερον εἴρηται . τοῦ δὲ σώματος ἐν οἷς ἐγγίγνεσθαι πέφυκεν αἰσθητηρίοις , ἔνιοι μὲν ζητοῦσι κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τῶν σωμάτων · οὐκ εὐποροῦντες δὲ πρὸς τέτταρα πέντ᾽ οὔσας συνάγειν , γλίχονται περὶ τῆς πέμπτης . ποιοῦσι δὲ πάντες τὴν ὄψιν πυρὸς διὰ τὸ πάθους τινὸς ἀγνοεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν · θλιβομένου γὰρ καὶ κινουμένου τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ φαίνεται πῦρ ἐκλάμπειν · τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐν τῷ σκότει πέφυκε συμβαίνειν , ἢ τῶν βλεφάρων ἐπικεκαλυμμένων · γίγνεται γὰρ καὶ τότε σκότος .
ἔχει δ᾽ ἀπορίαν τοῦτο καὶ ἑτέραν . εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἔστι λανθάνειν ( μὴ ) αἰσθανόμενον καὶ ὁρῶντα , ἀνάγκη ἄρ᾽ αὐτὸν ἑαυτὸν ὁρᾶν τὸν ὀφθαλμόν . διὰ τί οὖν ἠρεμοῦντι τοῦτ᾽ οὐ συμβαίνει ; τὸ δ᾽ αἴτιον τούτου , καὶ τῆς ἀπορίας καὶ τοῦ δοκεῖν πῦρ εἶναι τὴν ὄψιν , ἐντεῦθεν ληπτέον .
τὰ γὰρ λεῖα πέφυκεν ἐν τῷ σκότει λάμπειν , οὐ μέντοι φῶς γε ποιεῖν , τοῦ δ᾽ ὀφθαλμοῦ τὸ καλούμενον μέλαν καὶ μέσον λεῖον . φαίνεται δὲ τοῦτο κινουμένου τοῦ ὄμματος διὰ τὸ συμβαίνειν ὥσπερ δύο γίγνεσθαι τὸ ἕν . τοῦτο δ᾽ ἡ ταχυτὴς ποιεῖ τῆς κινήσεως , ὥστε δοκεῖν ἕτερον εἶναι τὸ ὁρῶν καὶ τὸ ὁρώμενον . διὸ καὶ οὐ γίγνεται , ἐὰν μὴ ταχέως καὶ ἐν σκότει τοῦτο συμβῇ · τὸ γὰρ λεῖον ἐν τῷ σκότει πέφυκε λάμπειν ( οἷον κεφαλαὶ ἰχθύων τινῶν καὶ ὁ τῆς σηπίας θολός ) , καὶ βραδέως μεταβάλλοντος τοῦ ὄμματος οὐ συμβαίνει ὥστε δοκεῖν ἅμα ἓν καὶ δύο εἶναι τό θ᾽ ὁρῶν καὶ τὸ ὁρώμενον . ἐκείνως δ᾽ αὐτὸς αὑτὸν ὁρᾷ ὁ ὀφθαλμός , ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀνακλάσει ·
ἐπεὶ εἴ γε πῦρ ἦν , καθάπερ Ἐμπεδοκλῆς φησὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ Τιμαίῳ γέγραπται , καὶ συνέβαινε τὸ ὁρᾶν ἐξιόντος ὥσπερ ἐκ λαμπτῆρος τοῦ φωτός , διὰ τί οὐ καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει ἑώρα ἂν ἡ ὄψις ; τὸ δ᾽ ἀποσβέννυσθαι φάναι ἐν τῷ σκότει ἐξιοῦσαν , ὥσπερ ὁ Τίμαιος λέγει , κενόν ἐστι παντελῶς · τίς γὰρ ἀπόσβεσις φωτός ἐστιν ; σβέννυται γὰρ ἢ ὑγρῷ ἢ ψυχρῷ τὸ θερμὸν καὶ ξηρόν ( οἷον δοκεῖ τό τ᾽ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρακώδεσιν εἶναι πῦρ καὶ ἡ φλόξ ) , ὧν τῷ φωτὶ οὐδέτερον φαίνεται ὑπάρχον . εἰ δ᾽ ἄρα ὑπάρχει μὲν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἠρέμα λανθάνει ἡμᾶς , ἔδει μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν γε καὶ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι ἀποσβέννυσθαι τὸ φῶς καὶ ἐν τοῖς πάγοις μᾶλλον γίγνεσθαι σκότον · ἡ γοῦν φλὸξ καὶ τὰ πεπυρωμένα σώματα πάσχει τοῦτο · νῦν δ᾽ οὐδὲν συμβαίνει τοιοῦτον .
ἔχει δ᾽ ἀπορίαν τοῦτο καὶ ἑτέραν . εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἔστι λανθάνειν ( μὴ ) αἰσθανόμενον καὶ ὁρῶντα , ἀνάγκη ἄρ᾽ αὐτὸν ἑαυτὸν ὁρᾶν τὸν ὀφθαλμόν . διὰ τί οὖν ἠρεμοῦντι τοῦτ᾽ οὐ συμβαίνει ; τὸ δ᾽ αἴτιον τούτου , καὶ τῆς ἀπορίας καὶ τοῦ δοκεῖν πῦρ εἶναι τὴν ὄψιν , ἐντεῦθεν ληπτέον .
τὰ γὰρ λεῖα πέφυκεν ἐν τῷ σκότει λάμπειν , οὐ μέντοι φῶς γε ποιεῖν , τοῦ δ᾽ ὀφθαλμοῦ τὸ καλούμενον μέλαν καὶ μέσον λεῖον . φαίνεται δὲ τοῦτο κινουμένου τοῦ ὄμματος διὰ τὸ συμβαίνειν ὥσπερ δύο γίγνεσθαι τὸ ἕν . τοῦτο δ᾽ ἡ ταχυτὴς ποιεῖ τῆς κινήσεως , ὥστε δοκεῖν ἕτερον εἶναι τὸ ὁρῶν καὶ τὸ ὁρώμενον . διὸ καὶ οὐ γίγνεται , ἐὰν μὴ ταχέως καὶ ἐν σκότει τοῦτο συμβῇ · τὸ γὰρ λεῖον ἐν τῷ σκότει πέφυκε λάμπειν ( οἷον κεφαλαὶ ἰχθύων τινῶν καὶ ὁ τῆς σηπίας θολός ) , καὶ βραδέως μεταβάλλοντος τοῦ ὄμματος οὐ συμβαίνει ὥστε δοκεῖν ἅμα ἓν καὶ δύο εἶναι τό θ᾽ ὁρῶν καὶ τὸ ὁρώμενον . ἐκείνως δ᾽ αὐτὸς αὑτὸν ὁρᾷ ὁ ὀφθαλμός , ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀνακλάσει ·
ἐπεὶ εἴ γε πῦρ ἦν , καθάπερ Ἐμπεδοκλῆς φησὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ Τιμαίῳ γέγραπται , καὶ συνέβαινε τὸ ὁρᾶν ἐξιόντος ὥσπερ ἐκ λαμπτῆρος τοῦ φωτός , διὰ τί οὐ καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει ἑώρα ἂν ἡ ὄψις ; τὸ δ᾽ ἀποσβέννυσθαι φάναι ἐν τῷ σκότει ἐξιοῦσαν , ὥσπερ ὁ Τίμαιος λέγει , κενόν ἐστι παντελῶς · τίς γὰρ ἀπόσβεσις φωτός ἐστιν ; σβέννυται γὰρ ἢ ὑγρῷ ἢ ψυχρῷ τὸ θερμὸν καὶ ξηρόν ( οἷον δοκεῖ τό τ᾽ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρακώδεσιν εἶναι πῦρ καὶ ἡ φλόξ ) , ὧν τῷ φωτὶ οὐδέτερον φαίνεται ὑπάρχον . εἰ δ᾽ ἄρα ὑπάρχει μὲν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἠρέμα λανθάνει ἡμᾶς , ἔδει μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν γε καὶ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι ἀποσβέννυσθαι τὸ φῶς καὶ ἐν τοῖς πάγοις μᾶλλον γίγνεσθαι σκότον · ἡ γοῦν φλὸξ καὶ τὰ πεπυρωμένα σώματα πάσχει τοῦτο · νῦν δ᾽ οὐδὲν συμβαίνει τοιοῦτον .
Of
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But as to the nature of the sensory organs , or parts of the body in which each of [ 20 ] the senses is naturally implanted , some inquire into them with reference to the elements of bodies . Not , however , finding it easy to coordinate five senses with four elements , they are at a loss respecting the fifth sense . They all hold the organ of sight to consist of fire , being prompted to this view by a certain affection of whose true cause they are ignorant . This is that , when the eye is pressed and moved , fire [ 25 ] appears to flash from it . This naturally takes place in darkness , or when the eyelids are closed-for then , too , darkness is produced .
This raises another puzzle ; for , unless a man can perceive [ 1 ] and see without being aware of it , the eye must see itself . But then why does the above affection not occur also when the eye is at rest ? The true explanation of this affection , which will [ 30 ] contain the answer to our question , and account for the current notion that the eye consists of fire , must be determined in the following way :
Things which are smooth have the natural property of shining in darkness , without , however , producing light . Now , the part of the eye called the black , i . e . its central part , is smooth . The phenomenon of the flash occurs only when the eye is [ 437b1 ] moved , because one object then becomes as it were two . The rapidity of the movement has the effect of making that which sees and that which is seen seem different from one another . Hence the phenomenon does not occur unless the motion is rapid and takes place in darkness . For it is in the dark that that which is [ 5 ] smooth , e . g . the heads of certain fishes , and the sepia of the cuttle-fish , naturally shines , and , when the movement of the eye is slow , it is impossible that that which sees and that which is seen should appear to be simultaneously two and one . The eye sees itself in the above phenomenon as it does so in reflexion . [ 10 ]
If the visual organ were fire , which is the doctrine of Empedocles , a doctrine taught also in the *Timaeus* , and if vision were the result of light issuing from the eye as from a lantern , why should the eye not have had the power of seeing even in the dark ? It is totally idle to say , as the *Timaeus* does , that the visual ray coming forth [ 15 ] in the darkness is quenched . What is a quenching of light ? That which , like a fire of coals or an ordinary flame , is hot and dry is , indeed , quenched by the moist or cold ; but heat and dryness are not evidently attributes of light . And if they are attributes of it , but belong to it in a degree so slight as to be imperceptible to us , we should have expected that in the daytime the light of the sun should be quenched when rain [ 20 ] falls , and that darkness should prevail in frosty weather . After all , flame and ignited bodies are subject to such extinction , but experience shows that nothing of this sort happens to the sunlight .
But as to the nature of the sensory organs , or parts of the body in which each of [ 20 ] the senses is naturally implanted , some inquire into them with reference to the elements of bodies . Not , however , finding it easy to coordinate five senses with four elements , they are at a loss respecting the fifth sense . They all hold the organ of sight to consist of fire , being prompted to this view by a certain affection of whose true cause they are ignorant . This is that , when the eye is pressed and moved , fire [ 25 ] appears to flash from it . This naturally takes place in darkness , or when the eyelids are closed-for then , too , darkness is produced .
This raises another puzzle ; for , unless a man can perceive [ 1 ] and see without being aware of it , the eye must see itself . But then why does the above affection not occur also when the eye is at rest ? The true explanation of this affection , which will [ 30 ] contain the answer to our question , and account for the current notion that the eye consists of fire , must be determined in the following way :
Things which are smooth have the natural property of shining in darkness , without , however , producing light . Now , the part of the eye called the black , i . e . its central part , is smooth . The phenomenon of the flash occurs only when the eye is [ 437b1 ] moved , because one object then becomes as it were two . The rapidity of the movement has the effect of making that which sees and that which is seen seem different from one another . Hence the phenomenon does not occur unless the motion is rapid and takes place in darkness . For it is in the dark that that which is [ 5 ] smooth , e . g . the heads of certain fishes , and the sepia of the cuttle-fish , naturally shines , and , when the movement of the eye is slow , it is impossible that that which sees and that which is seen should appear to be simultaneously two and one . The eye sees itself in the above phenomenon as it does so in reflexion . [ 10 ]
If the visual organ were fire , which is the doctrine of Empedocles , a doctrine taught also in the *Timaeus* , and if vision were the result of light issuing from the eye as from a lantern , why should the eye not have had the power of seeing even in the dark ? It is totally idle to say , as the *Timaeus* does , that the visual ray coming forth [ 15 ] in the darkness is quenched . What is a quenching of light ? That which , like a fire of coals or an ordinary flame , is hot and dry is , indeed , quenched by the moist or cold ; but heat and dryness are not evidently attributes of light . And if they are attributes of it , but belong to it in a degree so slight as to be imperceptible to us , we should have expected that in the daytime the light of the sun should be quenched when rain [ 20 ] falls , and that darkness should prevail in frosty weather . After all , flame and ignited bodies are subject to such extinction , but experience shows that nothing of this sort happens to the sunlight .