water first and the wine above it.
24. Already now sixty-seven years my thoughts have been tossed restlessly
up and down Greece, but then it was twenty and five years from my birth,
if I know how to speak the truth about these things.[42]
25. Nor is this (an oath) an equal demand to make of an impious man as
compared with a pious man.
26. Much more feeble than an aged man.
27. Bacchic wands of fir stand about the firmly built house.
28. From the beginning, according to Homer, since all have learned
them.[43]
29. If the god had not made light-coloured honey, I should have said that
a fig was far sweeter.
30. Holy water trickles down in thy grottoes.
31. As many things as they have made plain for mortals to see!
SAYINGS OF XENOPHANES.
Arist. _Rhet._ ii. 23; 1399 b 6 (Karsten, _Fr._ 34). Xenophanes asserts
that those who say the gods are born are as impious as those who say that
they die; for in both cases it amounts to this, that the gods do not
exist at all.
_Ibid._ 1400 b 5 (K. 35). When the inhabitants of Elea asked Xenophanes
whether they should sacrifice to Leukothea and sing a dirge or not, he
advised them not to sing a dirge if they thought her divine, and if they
thought her human not to sacrifice to her.[44]
Plutarch, _de vit. pud._ p. 530 F (K. 36). When Lasos, son of Hermiones,
called that man a coward who was unwilling to play at dice with him,
Xenophanes answered that he was very cowardly and without daring in
regard to dishonourable things.
Diog. Laer. ix. 20 (K. 37). When Empedokles said to him (Xenophanes) that
the wise man was not to be found, he answered: Naturally, for it would
take a wise man to recognise a wise man.
Plut. _de comm. not._ p. 1084 E (K. 38). Xenophanes, when some one told
him that he had seen eels living in hot water, said: Then we will boil
them in cold water.
Diog. Laer. ix. 19 (K. 39). ‘Have intercourse with tyrants either as
little as possible, or as agreeably as possible.’
Clem. Al. _Strom._ vii. p. 841. And Greeks suppose the gods to be like
men in their passions as well as in their forms; and accordingly they
represent them, each race in forms like their own, in the words of
Xenophanes: Ethiopians make their gods black and snub-nosed, Thracians
red-haired and with blue eyes; so also they conceive the spirits of the
gods to be like themselves.[45]
A. Gellius, _Noct. Att._ iii. 11 (K. 31). Some writers have stated that
Homer antedated Hesiod, and among these were Philochoros and Xenophanes
of Kolophon; others assert that he was later than Hesiod.
(_b_) PASSAGES RELATING TO XENOPHANES IN PLATO AND ARISTOTLE.
Plato, _Soph._ 242 D. And the Eleatic group of thinkers among us,
beginning with Xenophanes and even earlier, set forth in tales how what
men call all things is really one.
_De Coelo_, ii. 13; 294 a 21. On this account some assert that there
is no limit to the earth underneath us, saying that it is rooted in
infinity, as, for instance, Xenophanes of Kolophon; in order that they
may not have the trouble of seeking the cause.[46]
_De mirac. oscult._ 38; 833 a 16. The fire at Lipara, Xenophanes says,
ceased once for sixteen years, and came back in the seventeenth. And he
says that the lava-stream from Aetna is neither of the nature of fire,
nor is it continuous, but it appears at intervals of many years.
_Metaph._ i. 5; 986 b 10. There are some who have expressed the opinion
about the All that it is one in its essential nature, but they have
not expressed this opinion after the same manner nor in an orderly or
natural way. 986 b 23. Xenophanes first taught the unity of these things
(Parmenides is said to have been his pupil), but he did not make anything
clear, nor did he seem to get at the nature of either of these things,
but looking up into the broad heavens he said: The unity is god. These,
as we have said, are to be dismissed from the present investigation, two
of them entirely as being rather more crude, Xenophanes and Melissos; but
Parmenides seems to speak in some places with greater care.[47]
(_c_) PASSAGES RELATING TO XENOPHANES IN THE ‘DOXOGRAPHISTS.’
Theophrastos, Fr. 5; Simpl. _Phys._ 5 v: 22, 36; _Dox._ 480. Theophrastos
says that Xenophanes of Kolophon, teacher of Parmenides, asserted that
the first principle is one, and that being is one and all-embracing, and
is neither limited nor infinite, neither moving nor at rest. Theophrastos
admits, however, that the record of his opinion is derived from some
other source than the investigation of nature. This all-embracing unity
Xenophanes called god; he shows that god is one because god is the most
powerful of all things; for, he says, if there be a multiplicity of
things, it is necessary that power should exist in them all alike; but
the most powerful and most excellent of all things is god.[48] And he
shows that god must have been without beginning, since whatever comes
into being must come either from what is like it or from what is unlike
it; but, he says, it is no more natural that like should give birth to
like, than that like should be born from like; but if it had sprung from
what is unlike it, then being would have sprung from not-being.[49] So
he showed that god is without beginning and eternal. Nor is it either
infinite or subject to limits; for not-being is infinite, as having
neither beginning nor middle nor end; moreover limits arise through the
relation of a multiplicity of things to each other.[50] Similarly he
denies to it both motion and rest; for not-being is immovable, since
neither could anything else come into it nor could it itself come
into anything else; motion, on the one hand, arises among the several
parts of the one, for one thing changes its position with reference
to another, so that when he says that it abides in the same state and
is not moved (Frag. 4.), ‘And it always abides in the same place, not
moved at all, nor is it fitting that it should move from one place
to another,’ he does not mean that it abides in a rest that is the
antithesis of motion, but rather in a stillness that is out of the sphere
of both motion and rest. Nikolaos of Damascus in his book _On the Gods_
mentions him as saying that the first principle of things is infinite
and immovable.[51] According to Alexander he regards this principle
as limited and spherical. But that Xenophanes shows it to be neither
limited nor infinite is clear from the very words quoted,—Alexander says
that he regarded it as limited and spherical because it is homogeneous
throughout; and he holds that it perceives all things, saying (Frag. 3)
‘But without effort he sets in motion all things by mind and thought.’[52]
Theophrast. Fr. 5 a; Galen, in Hipp. _d. n. h._ xv. 35 K.; _Dox._ 481.
Several of the commentators have made false statements about Xenophanes,
as for instance Sabinos, who uses almost these very words: ‘I say that
man is not air, as Anaximenes taught, nor water, as Thales taught, nor
earth, as Xenophanes says in some book;’ but no such opinion is found
to be expressed by Xenophanes anywhere. And it is clear from Sabinos’s
own words that he made a false statement intentionally and did not fall
into error through ignorance. Else he would certainly have mentioned by
name the book in which Xenophanes expressed this opinion. On the contrary
he wrote ‘as Xenophanes says in some book.’ Theophrastos would have
recorded this opinion of Xenophanes in his abridgment of the opinions of
the physicists, if it were really true. And if you are interested in the
investigation of these things, you can read the books of Theophrastos in
which he made this abridgment of the opinions of the physicists.
Hipp. _Philos._ i. 14; _Dox._ 565. Xenophanes of Kolophon, son of
Orthomenes, lived to the time of Cyrus. He was the first to say that all
things are incomprehensible, in the following verses: (Frag. 14) ‘For
even if one chances for the most part to say what is true, still he would
not know; but every one thinks he knows.’[53] And he says that nothing
comes into being, nor is anything destroyed, nor moved; and that the
universe is one and is not subject to change. And he says that god is
eternal and one, homogeneous throughout, limited, spherical, with power
of sense-perception in all parts. The sun is formed each day from small
fiery particles which are gathered together; the earth is infinite, and
is not surrounded by air or by sky; an infinite number of suns and moons
exist, and all things come from earth. The sea, he said, is salt because
so many things flow together and become mixed in it; but Metrodoros
assigns as the reason for its saltness that it has filtered through the
earth.[54] And Xenophanes believes that once the earth was mingled with
the sea, but in the course of time it became freed from moisture; and his
proofs are such as these: that shells are found in the midst of the land
and among the mountains, that in the quarries of Syracuse the imprints
of a fish and of seals had been found, and in Paros the imprint of an
anchovy at some depth in the stone, and in Melite shallow impressions of
all sorts of sea products. He says that these imprints were made when
everything long ago was covered with mud, and then the imprint dried in
the mud. Farther he says that all men will be destroyed when the earth
sinks into the sea and becomes mud, and that the race will begin anew
from the beginning; and this transformation takes place for all worlds.
Plut. _Strom._ 4; _Dox._ 580. Xenophanes of Kolophon, going his own way
and differing from all those that had gone before, did not admit either
genesis or destruction, but says that the all is always the same. For if
it came into being, it could not have existed before this; and not-being
could not come into existence nor could it accomplish anything, nor
could anything come from not-being. And he declares that sensations
are deceptive, and together with them he does away with the authority
of reason itself. And he declares that the earth is constantly sinking
little by little into the sea. He says that the sun is composed of
numerous fiery particles massed together. And with regard to the gods he
declares that there is no rule of one god over another, for it is impious
that any of the gods should be ruled; and none of the gods have need of
anything at all, for a god hears and sees in all his parts and not in
some particular organs.[55] He declares that the earth is infinite and is
not surrounded on every side by air; and all things arise from earth; and
he says that the sun and the stars arise from clouds.
Galen, _Hist. Phil._ 3; _Dox._ 601. Xenophanes of Kolophon is said to
be the chief of this school, which is ordinarily considered aporetic
(skeptical) rather than dogmatic. 7; _Dox._ 604. To the class holding
eclectic views belongs Xenophanes, who has his doubts as to all things,
except that he holds this one dogma: that all things are one, and that
this is god, who is limited, endowed with reason, and immovable.
Aet. _Plac._ i. 3; _Dox._ 284. Xenophanes held that the first principle
of all things is earth, for he wrote in his book on nature: ‘All things
come from earth, and all things end by becoming earth.’[56]
Aet. ii. 4; _Dox._ 332. Xenophanes et al.: The world is without
beginning, eternal, imperishable. 13; 343. The stars are formed of
burning cloud; these are extinguished each day, but they are kindled
again at night, like coals; for their risings and settings are really
kindlings and extinguishings. 18; 347. The objects which appear to those
on vessels like stars, and which some call Dioscuri, are little clouds
which have become luminous by a certain kind of motion. 20; 348. The
sun is composed of fiery particles collected from the moist exhalation
and massed together, or of burning clouds. 24; 354. Eclipses occur
by extinction of the sun; and the sun is born anew at its risings.
Xenophanes recorded an eclipse of the sun for a whole month, and another
eclipse so complete that the day seemed as night. 24; 355. Xenophanes
held that there are many suns and moons according to the different
regions and sections and zones of the earth; and that at some fitting
time the disk of the sun comes into a region of the earth not inhabited
by us, and so it suffers eclipse as though it had gone into a hole; he
adds that the sun goes on for an infinite distance, but it seems to turn
around by reason of the great distance. 25; 356. The moon is a compressed
cloud. 28; 358. It shines by its own light. 29; 360. The moon disappears
each month because it is extinguished. 30; 362. The sun serves a purpose
in the generation of the world and of the animals on it, as well as in
sustaining them, and it drags the moon after it.
Aet. iii. 2; 367. Comets are groups or motions of burning clouds. 3; 368.
Lightnings take place when clouds shine in motion. 4; 371. The phenomena
of the heavens come from the warmth of the sun as the principal cause.
For when the moisture is drawn up from the sea, the sweet water separated
by reason of its lightness becomes mist and passes into clouds, and
falls as rain when compressed, and the winds scatter it; for he writes
expressly (Frag. 11): ‘The sea is the source of water.’
Aet. iv. 9; 396. Sensations are deceptive.
Aet. v. 1; 415. Xenophanes and Epikouros abolished the prophetic art.
VI.
_THE ELEATIC SCHOOL: PARMENIDES._
Parmenides, the son of Pyres (or Pyrrhes), of Elea, was born about 515
B.C.; his family was of noble rank and rich, but Parmenides devoted
himself to philosophy. He was associated with members of the Pythagorean
society, and is himself called a Pythagorean by later writers. In the
formation of his philosophic system however he was most influenced by
his aged fellow-townsman, Xenophanes; the doctrines of Xenophanes he
developed into a system which was embodied in a poetic work ‘On Nature.’
The statement that he made laws for the citizens may have reference to
some connection with the Pythagorean society.
Literature: The fragments of Parmenides have been collected by
Peyron, Leipzig 1810; Karsten, Amsterdam 1830; Brandis, _Comm.
Eleat._ Altona 1813; Vatke, Berlin 1864; Stein, _Symb. philol.
Bonn._ Leipzig 1867; V. _Revue Phil._ 1883, 5: 1884, 9. Berger,
_Die Zonenlehre d. Parm._ München, 1895.
(_a_) FRAGMENTS OF PARMENIDES.
Ἵπποι ταί με φέρουσιν, ὅσον τ’ ἐπὶ θυμὸς ἱκάνοι,
πέμπον, ἐπεί μ’ ἐς ὁδὸν βῆσαν πολύφημον ἄγουσαι
δαίμονος ἣ κατὰ πάντ’ αὐτὴ φέρει εἰδότα φῶτα.
τῇ φερόμην· τῇ γάρ με πολύφραστοι φέρον ἵπποι
ἅρμα τιταίνουσαι· κοῦραι δ’ ὁδὸν ἡγεμόνευον. 5
ἄξων δ’ ἐν χνοιῇσιν <ἵει> σύριγγος ἀυτὴν
αἰθόμενος (δοιοῖς γὰρ ἐπείγετο δινωτοῖσιν
κύκλοις ἀμφοτέρωθεν), ὅτε σπερχοίατο πέμπειν
Ἡλιάδες κοῦραι, προλιποῦσαι δώματα νυκτός,
εἰς φάος, ὠσάμεναι κρατῶν ἄπο χερσὶ καλύπτρας. 10
ἔνθα πύλαι νυκτός τε καὶ ἤματός εἰσι κελεύθων,
καί σφας ὑπέρθυρον ἀμφὶς ἔχει καὶ λάινος οὐδός,
αὐταὶ δ’ αἰθέριαι πλῆνται μεγάλοισι θυρέτροις.
τῶν δὲ Δίκη πολύποινος ἔχει κληῖδας ἀμοιβούς.
τὴν δὴ παρφάμεναι κοῦραι μαλακοῖσι λόγοισιν 15
πεῖσαν ἐπιφραδέως, ὥς σφιν βαλανωτὸν ὀχῆα
ἀπτερέως ὤσειε πυλέων ἄπο. ταὶ δὲ θυρέτρων
χάσμ’ ἀχανὲς ποίησαν ἀναπτάμεναι, πολυχάλκους
ἄξονας ἐν σύριγξιν ἀμοιβαδὸν εἱλίξασαι,
γόμφοις καὶ περόνῃσιν ἀρηρότε· τῇ ῥα δι’ αὐτῶν 20
ἰθὺς ἔχον κοῦραι καθ’ ἁμαξιτὸν ἅρμα καὶ ἵππους.
καί με θεὰ πρόφρων ὑπεδέξατο, χεῖρα δὲ χειρὶ
δεξιτερὴν ἕλεν, ὧδε δ’ ἔπος φάτο καί με προσηύδα·
ὦ κοῦρ’ ἀθανάτοισι συνήορος ἡνιόχοισιν,
ἵπποις ταί σε φέρουσιν ἱκάνων ἡμέτερον δῶ, 25
χαῖρ’, ἐπεὶ οὔτι σε μοῖρα κακὴ προύπεμπε νέεσθαι
τήνδ’ ὁδόν· ἦ γὰρ ἀπ’ ἀνθρώπων ἐκτὸς πάτου ἐστίν·
ἀλλὰ θέμις τε δίκη τε. χρέω δέ σε πάντα πυθέσθαι,
ἠμὲν ἀληθείης εὐπειθέος ἀτρεμὲς ἦτορ,
ἠδὲ βρότων δόξας τῇς οὐκ ἔνι πίστις ἀληθής. 30
ἀλλ’ ἔμπης καὶ ταῦτα μαθήσεαι, ὡς τὰ δοκοῦντα
χρὴ δοκίμως κρῖναι· διὰ παντὸς πάντα περῶντα.
τὰ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν.
εἴ δ’ ἄγ’, ἐγὼν ἐρέω, κόμισαι δὲ σὺ μῦθον ἀκούσας,
αἵπερ ὁδοὶ μοῦναι διζήσιός εἰσι νοῆσαι.
ἡ μὲν ὅπως ἔστιν τε καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔστι μὴ εἶναι 35
πειθοῦς ἐστι κέλευθος, ἀληθείη γὰρ ὀπηδεῖ·
ἡ δ’ ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν τε καὶ ὡς χρεών ἐστι μὴ εἶναι
τὴν δή τοι φράζω παναπειθέα ἔμμεν ἀταρπόν·
οὔτε γὰρ ἂν γνοίης τό γε μὴ ἐόν· οὐ γὰρ ἀνυστόν·
οὔτε φράσαις. τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ νοεῖν ἐστίν τε καὶ εἶναι. 40
ξυνὸν δέ μοί ἐστιν,
ὁππόθεν ἄρξωμαι, τόθι γὰρ πάλιν ἵξομαι αὖθις.
χρὴ τὸ λέγειν τε νοεῖν τ’ ἐὸν ἔμμεναι. ἔστι γὰρ εἶναι,
μηδὲν δ’ οὐκ εἶναι, τά σ’ ἐγὼ φράζεθαι ἄνωγα,
πρώτης γάρ σ’ ἀφ’ ὁδοῦ ταύτης διζήσιος <εἴργω> 45
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ’ ἀπὸ τῆς, ἣν δὴ βροτοὶ εἰδότες οὐδὲν
πλάζονται δίκρανοι· ἀμηχανίη γὰρ ἐν αὐτῶν
στήθεσιν ἰθύνει πλαγκτὸν νόον· οἱ δὲ φορεῦνται
κωφοὶ ὁμῶς τυφλοί τε τεθηπότες ἄκριτα φῦλα,
οἷς τὸ πέλειν τε καὶ οὐκ εἶναι τὠυτὸν νενόμισται 50
κοὐ τὠυτόν, πάντων δὲ παλίντροπός ἐστι κέλευθος.
οὐ γὰρ μή ποτε τοῦτο δαμῇ, φησιν, εἶναι μὴ ἐόντα
ἀλλὰ σὺ τῆσδ’ ἀφ’ ὁδοῦ διζήσιος εἶργε νόημα·
μηδέ σ’ ἔθος πολύπειρον ὁδὸν κατὰ τήνδε βιάσθω
νωμᾶν ἄσκοπον ὄμμα καὶ ἠχήεσσαν ἀκουήν 55
καὶ γλῶσσαν, κρῖναι δὲ λόγων πολύδηριν ἔλεγχον
ἐξ ἐμέθεν ῥηθέντα. μόνος δ’ ἔτι μῦθος ὁδοῖο
λείπεται, ὡς ἔστιν. ταύτῃ δ’ ἐπὶ σήματ’ ἔασι
πολλὰ μάλ’, ὡς ἀγένητον ἐὸν καὶ ἀνώλεθρόν ἐστιν,
οὖλον μουνογενές τε καὶ ἀτρεμὲς ἠδ’ ἀτέλεστον. 60
οὐδέ ποτ’ ἦν οὐδ’ ἔσται ἐπεὶ νῦν ἔστιν ὁμοῦ πᾶν,
ἕν, ξυνεχές· τίνα γὰρ γένναν διζήσεαι αὐτοῦ;
πῇ πόθεν αὐξηθέν; οὔτ’ ἐκ μὴ ἐόντος ἐάσω
φάσθαι σ’ οὐδὲ νοεῖν· οὐ γὰρ φατὸν οὐδὲ νοητὸν
ἐστὶν ὅπως οὐκ ἔστι. τί δ’ ἄν μιν καὶ χρέος ὦρσεν, 65
ὕστερον ἢ πρόσθεν τοῦ μηδενὸς ἀρξάμενον φῦν;
οὕτως ἢ πάμπαν πέλεναι χρεών ἐστιν ἢ οὐχί.
οὐδέ ποτ’ ἔκ πῃ ἐόντος ἐφήσει πίστιος ἰσχύς
γίνεσθαί τι παρ’ αὐτό· τοῦ εἵνεκεν οὔτε γενέσθαι
οὔτ’ ὄλλυσθαι ἀνῆκε Δίκη χαλάσασα πέδῃσιν 70
ἀλλ’ ἔχει.
[ἡ δὲ κρίσις περὶ τούτων ἐν τῷδ’ ἔνεστιν]
ἔστιν ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν. κέκριται δ’ οὖν ὥσπερ ἀνάγκη,
τὴν μὲν ἐᾶν ἀνόητον, ἀνώνυμον· οὐ γὰρ ἀληθὴς
ἐστὶν ὁδός· τὴν δ’ ὥστε πέλειν καὶ ἐτήτυμον εἶναι.
πῶς δ’ ἂν ἔπειτ’ ἀπόλοιτο ἐόν; πῶς δ’ αὖ κε γένοιτο; 75
εἰ γὰρ ἐγέντ’ οὐκ ἔστ’ οὐδ’ εἴ ποτε μέλλει ἔσεσθαι.
τὼς γένεσις μὲν ἀπέσβεσται καὶ ἄπυστος ὄλεθρος.
οὐδὲ διαίρετόν ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ πᾶν ἐστιν ὁμοῖον·
οὐδέ τι τῇ μᾶλλον, τό κεν εἴργοι μιν συνέχεσθαι,
οὐδέ τι χειρότερον, πᾶν δ’ ἔμπλεόν ἐστιν ἐόντος. 80
τῷ ξυνεχὲς πᾶν ἐστιν, ἐὸν γὰρ ἐόντι πελάζει.
αὐτὰρ ἀκίνητον μεγάλων ἐν πείρασι δεσμῶν
ἔστιν, ἄναρχον, ἄπαυστον, ἐπεὶ γένεσις καὶ ὄλεθρος
τῆλε μάλ’ ἐπλάγχθησαν, ἀπῶσε δὲ πίστις ἀληθής.
τωὐτόν τ’ ἐν τωὐτῷ τε μένον καθ’ ἑωυτό τε κεῖται, 85
χοὕτως ἔμπεδον αὖθι μένει· κρατερὴ γὰρ ἀνάγκη
πείρατος ἐν δεσμοῖσιν ἔχει, τό μιν ἀμφὶς ἐέργει.
οὕνεκεν οὐκ ἀτελεύτητον τὸ ἐὸν θέμις εἶναι·
ἐστὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐπιδευές, ἐὸν δ’ ἂν παντὸς ἐδεῖτο.
λεῦσσε δ’ ὅμως ἀπεόντα νόῳ παρεόντα βεβαίως· 90
οὐ γὰρ ἀποτμήξεις τῇ ἐὸν τῇ ἐόντος ἔχεσθαι
οὔτε σκιδνάμενον πάντῃ πάντως κατὰ κόσμον οὔτε συνιστάμενον.
τωὐτὸν δ’ ἐστὶ νοεῖν τε καὶ οὕνεκέν ἐστι νόημα.
οὐ γὰρ ἄνευ τοῦ ἐόντος, ἐν ᾧ πεφατισμένον ἐστίν, 95
εὑρήσεις τὸ νοεῖν. οὐδὲν χρέος ἔστιν ἢ ἔσται
ἄλλο πάρεξ τοῦ ἐόντος, ἐπεὶ τό γε μοῖρ’ ἐπέδησεν
οὖλον ἀκίνητόν τ’ ἔμεναι. τῷ πάντ’ ὄνομ’ ἔσται
ὅσσα βροτοὶ κατέθεντο, πεποιθότες εἶναι ἀληθῆ,
γίνεσθαί τε καὶ ὄλλυσθαι, εἶναί τε καὶ οὐκί, 100
καὶ τόπον ἀλλάσσειν διά τε χρόα φανὸν ἀμείβειν.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πεῖρας πύματον, τετελεσμένον ἐστὶ
πάντοθεν, εὐκύκλου σφαίρης ἐναλίγκιον ὄγκῳ,
μεσσόθεν ἰσοπαλὲς πάντῃ· τὸ γὰρ οὔτε τι μεῖζον
οὔτε τι βαιότερον πέλεναι χρεών ἐστι τῇ ἢ τῇ. 105
οὔτε γὰρ οὐκ ἐόν ἐστι, τό κεν παύοι μιν ἱκνεῖσθαι
εἰς ὁμόν, οὔτ’ ἐὸν ἔστιν ὅπως εἴη κεν ἐόντος
τῇ μᾶλλον τῇ δ’ ἧσσον, ἐπεὶ πᾶν ἐστιν ἄσυλον.
εἰ γὰρ πάντοθεν ἶσον ὁμῶς ἐν πείρασι κύρει.
τὰ πρὸς δόξαν.
ἐν τῷ σοι παύσω πιστὸν λόγον ἠδὲ νόημα 110
ἀμφὶς ἀληθείης· δόξας δ’ ἀπὸ τοῦδε βροτείας
μάνθανε, κόσμον ἐμῶν ἐπέων ἀπατηλὸν ἀκούων.
μορφὰς γὰρ κατέθεντο δύο γνώμαις ὀνομάζειν
τῶν μίαν οὐ χρεών ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ πεπλανημένοι εἰσίν.
ἀντία δ’ ἐκρίναντο δέμας καὶ σήματ’ ἔθεντο 115
χωρὶς ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων, τῇ μὲν φλογὸς αἰθέριον πῦρ
ἤπιον ἔμμεν ἀραιὸν, ἑαυτῷ πάντοσε τωὐτόν,
τῷ δ’ ἑτέρῳ μὴ τωὐτόν· ἀτὰρ κἀκεῖνο κατ’ αὐτοῦ
ἀντία νύκτ’ ἀδαῆ, πυκινὸν δέμας ἐμβριθές τε.
τῶν σοι ἐγὼ διάκοσμον ἐοικότα πάντα φατίζω, 120
ὡς οὐ μή ποτέ τίς σε βροτῶν γνώμη παρελάσῃ.
αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ πάντα φάος καὶ νὺξ ὀνόμασται
καὶ τὰ κατὰ σφετέρας δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τοῖσί τε καὶ τοῖς,
πᾶν πλέον ἐστὶν ὁμοῦ φάεος καὶ νυκτὸς ἀφάντου,
ἴσων ἀμφοτέρων, ἐπεὶ οὐδετέρῳ μέτα μηδέν. 125
αἱ γὰρ στεινότεραι πλῆνται πυρὸς ἀκρήτοιο,
αἱ δ’ ἐπὶ ταῖς νυκτὸς, μετὰ δὲ φλογὸς ἵεται αἶσα,
ἐν δὲ μέσῳ τούτων δαίμων, ἣ πάντα κυβερνᾷ.
πάντῃ γὰρ στυγεροῖο τόκου καὶ μίξιος ἄρχει
πέμπουσ’ ἄρσενι θῆλυ μιγὲν τό τ’ ἐνάντιον αὖθις 130
ἄρσεν θηλυτέρῳ.
πρώτιστον μὲν Ἔρωτα θεῶν μητίσατο πάντων.
εἴσῃ δ’ αἰθερίαν τε φύσιν τά τ’ ἐν αἰθέρι πάντα
σήματα καὶ καθαρᾶς εὐαγέος ἠελίοιο
λαμπάδος ἔργ’ ἀίδηλα καὶ ὁππόθεν ἐξεγένοντο, 135
ἔργα τε κύκλωπος πεύσῃ περίφοιτα σελήνης
καὶ φύσιν. εἰδήσεις τε καὶ οὐρανὸν ἀμφὶς ἔχοντα,
ἔνθεν ἔφυ τε, καὶ ὥς μιν ἄγουσ’ ἐπέδησεν Ἀνάγκη
πείρατ’ ἔχειν ἄστρων.
πῶς γαῖα καὶ ἥλιος ἠδὲ σελήνη 140
αἰθήρ τε ξυνὸς γάλα τ’ οὐράνιον καὶ Ὄλυμπος
ἔσχατος ἠδ’ ἄστρων θερμὸν μένος ὡρμήθησαν
γίνεσθαι.
νυκτιφαὲς περὶ γαῖαν ἀλώμενον ἀλλότριον φῶς
αἴει παπταίνουσα πρὸς αὐγὰς ἠελιοῖο 145
ὡς γὰρ ἑκάστοτ’ ἔχει κρᾶσις μελέων πολυκάμπτων,
τὼς νόος ἀνθρώποισι παρέστηκεν· τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ
ἔστιν ὅπερ φρονέει μελέων φύσις ἀνθρώποισιν
καὶ πᾶσιν καὶ παντί· τὸ γὰρ πλέον ἐστὶ νόημα.
δεξιτεροῖσιν μὲν κούρους, λαοῖσι δὲ κούρας. 150
οὕτω τοι κατὰ δόξαν ἔφυν τάδε νῦν τε ἔασι,
καὶ μετέπειτ’ ἀπὸ τοῦδε τελευτήσουσι τραφέντα.
τοῖς δ’ ὄνομα ἄνθρωποι κατέθεντ’ ἐπίσημον ἑκάστῳ.
Kars. 150
Femina virque simul Veneris cum germina miscent
unius in formam diverso ex sanguine virtus
temperiem servans bene condita corpora fingit.
at si virtutes permixto semine pugnent
nec faciant unam permixto in corpore dirae
nascentem gemino vexabunt semine sexum.
Simpl. _Phys._ 7, v. 31, 4. ἐπὶ τῷδέ ἐστι τὸ ἀραιὸν καὶ τὸ θερμὸν καὶ τὸ
φαὸς καὶ τὸ μαλθακὸν καὶ τὸ κουφὸν, ἐπὶ δὲ πυκνῷ ὠνόμασται τὸ ψυχρὸν καὶ
ὁ ζόφος καὶ σκληρὸν καὶ βαρύ· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀπεκρίθη ἑκατέρως ἑκατέρα.
_Sources and Critical Notes._
1-30. (Followed without break by 53-58) Sext. Emp. _Math._ vii. 111. Cf.
Porphyrius, _de antro nymph._ ch. 22. 28-32. Simpl. _de coelo_ 557, 25.
28-30. Laer. Diog. ix. 22. 29-30. Plut. _adv. Colot._ 1114 D. Prokl.
_Tim._ p. 105 B; Clem. Al. _Strom._ v. p. 682.
Vv. 6-8 Karsten transfers to a position after v. 10 (order: 5, 9, 10,
6, 7, 8, 11), comma at end of v. 5 and period at end of v. 8. Stein
transfers vv. 4-8 to a position after v. 21, and changes δαίμονος of v.
3 to δαίμονες in apposition with Ἡλιάδες κοῦραι. Order: 3, 9, 10 ... 20,
21, 4, 5 ... 7, 8, where a break occurs, and v. 22 begins a new section.
V. 2: SV ζησαν. V. 3: MSS. πάντα τῆ φέρει, Karst. πάντ’ ἀδαῆ
φ., Hermann καὶ πάντ’ αὐτὴ, Stein πάντα μάθη. Diels compares
v. 32 and Verg. _Aen._ vi. 565. V. 4: _C_ φερομένην, _G_
φέρομαι. V. 6: Karsten inserts ἵει. V. 7: _G_ αἰσθόμενος, Stein
ἀχθόμενος: _GR_ ἐπήγετο, _C_ ἐπήγετος V. 10: MSS. κρατερῶν,
except _G_ κρατεραῖς, corr. Karsten. V. 12: MSS. καὶ σφᾶς. V.
14: _CRV_ δίκην. V. 17: _FG_ ταῖς. V. 20: MSS. _CGRV_ ἀρηρότα
τῆ, Hermann ἀρηρότας ᾗ. V. 25: _V_ ἵπποι: _R_ τε, other MSS.
ταὶ. V. 26: _CR_ οὔτοι, _G_ οὔτε. V. 27: Stein τηλοῦ for
ἐκτὸς. V. 28: _CR_ πείθεσθαι. V. 29: Prokl. εὐφέγγεος, Simpl.
εὐκυκλέος: Plut., Diog., Sext. _L_ ἀτρεκές; text follows Prokl.
and other MSS. of Sext. Stein compares Sextus’s explanation
ἀμετακίνητον 215 6. V. 31: Stein suggests τοῦτο. V. 32: MSS.
εἶναι, corr. Karsten.
33-40. Prokl. _Tim._ 105 B. 35-40. Simpl. _Phys._ 25 r 116, 28. 40 b.
Plot. _Ennead._ v. 1, 8, p. 489; Clem. Al. _Strom._ 749.
V. 33: MSS. ἄγε τῶν, corr. Karsten. V. 34: MSS. μοῦσαι, corr.
Brandis. V. 38: Prokl. δ’ ἤτοι: Simpl. παναπευθέα, Stein
παναπειθῆ, text follows Prokl. V. 39 Prokl. ἐφικτὸν, text
follows Simpl. Stein compares Simpl. D 109, 24; 111, 25.
41-42. Prokl. _Parm._ ii. 120; Vulg. ἄρξομαι corr. Karst.
43-51. Simpl. _Phys._ 25 r 117, 4. 43-44. _Ibid._ 19 r 86, 27. 45. Cf.
_Ibid._ 17 r 78, 6. 50. _Ibid._ 17 r 78, 3.
V. 43: _F_ τέον, a_DE_ (19: 86) τὸ ὄν. V. 44: MSS. (19: 86)
and a (25: 117): _D_ μὴ δὲ οἵδ’, _F_ οἶδ’, _E_ μὴ δέοι δ’: f
εἶναι, _DEF_ (25: 117) ἔστι. V. 45: Diels supplies εἴργω, Stein
concludes the line like v. 52. V. 47 _DEF_ πλάττονται, text
follows a. Vv. 50, 51: Diels ταὐτόν.
53-58a follow 1-32 in Sext. Emp. 52-53. Plato, _Soph._ 237 A, 258 D;
Arist. _Met._ xiii. 1089 a; Simpl. _Phys._ 29 v 135, 21; 31 r 143, 31;
53 v 244, 1. 53. Simpl. _Phys._ 11 r 78, 6; 152 v 650, 13. 54-56. Diog.
Laer. ix. 22.