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What a dramatic story I have heard. {ANT.} Many kinds of birds, Polycrates, do not require coupling with males for gestation. but while among 24 the others wind-eggs are infertile, the laws of nature command vultures to give birth without coupling. It is not possible, then, to see a male vulture, but the nature of the female has carried off their whole species; knowing this, and fearing a lack of children, the whole species campaigns for offspring, like the Lemnian women watching the fleet of heroes setting sail. Then the vultures perform a certain intricate trick: they fly head-on into the south wind. But if there is no south wind, they spread their wings to the kindred east wind; then they gape open and are filled by the in-rushing wind, and they give birth to living creatures, not wind-eggs. For this reason, nature requires a very long time for the perfecting of the creature, Polycrates; for it is difficult and very laborious for nature to give substance to the wind, and to fashion the most subtle thing into the perfection of a living creature. {POL.} I, for my part, thought the Corinthian was telling marvelous tales, Antisthenes. But we have been caught and are leaping into the net of truth. So, shall my school of philosophy be only up to this point? No, indeed, no, indeed; for I shall not depart having acquired know25 ledge half-finished. They say that fish are native to the Pontus, but that the octopus is not found in the northern gulf. {ANT.} And very reasonably so, Polycrates; for the Pontus is bereft of the octopus. For some fish require coldness, as many as also pursue drinkable streams; but others love heat and return to the sea; for this has become hotter than other waters. The octopus, at any rate, detests the Pontic sea; for the northern sea is by nature colder, and also sweeter than the rest of the sea; for it is fed by many great rivers. But both the cold and the sweet are contrary to the octopus. I will tell you something sufficient for proof. An octopus, having entwined itself with a rock, holds on so that it is difficult to detach; for this reason, those skilled in the hunt pour fresh water on the rock. And so they get the prey they seek, while it unwillingly rises from its own base. 26 Beginning of the second discourse Dionysus, son of Semele, or rather of Zeus—for the birth of Dionysus from Zeus was twofold—Dionysus, then, son of Zeus, when the mortal woman aborted him half-formed, and the mythical god was a half-finished child, the father perfected the offspring in his thigh; and the son of Semele was again gestated as Dionysus. Perfect for me these half-spoken words, you teachers, in whom there is completeness; for you do not tolerate the unfulfilled birth pangs of reason. Pan was in love. But Pan was in love with himself, and the desired thing was the echo of his voice, even if the trick escaped Pan's notice. He would speak and be aware of his beloved; he would cease his song and the desired thing would vanish. I, then, shall sing as well; for the assembly will echo back, I know, and I shall be aware of the beloved applause, even if the praise is beyond the worth of what is said. {POL.} For souls fond of inquiry, there is no satiety of knowledge. Therefore, to the turning-post with the discourse, Antisthenes; for my ears are more insatiable than my eyes. 27 The Corinthian said that the diamond is softened by goat's blood. And this thing seems to be divine and a secret. Come then, let the beginning and end of this discussion be the words concerning the diamond. {ANT.} We have already assumed for you, Polycrates, a certain dry, cold, and moistureless nature for the diamond; whence the diamond reasonably becomes subject to its opposites. But the nature of blood is somewhat hot and moist; therefore, the dry and moistureless is subdued by the moist, and the cold is softened by the heat. {POL.} And why then is the diamond not subdued by every kind of blood? {ANT.} Goat's blood is the hottest; hence it somehow masters even the diamond. Indeed, some also soften the diamond with lion's blood, overcoming its unyielding nature by the excess of heat. {POL.} There is, at any rate, some difference also in the

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τι ἀκήκοα δραματούργημα. {ΑΝΤ.} Πολλὰ γένη τῶν ὀρνίθων, Πολύκρατες, οὐ δεῖται τῆς τῶν ἀρρένων συμπλοκῆς πρὸς τὴν κύησιν. ἀλλ' ἐν μὲν τοῖς 24 ἄλλοις τὰ ὑπηνέμια καθέστηκεν ἄγονα, τοὺς δὲ γῦπας ἀσυνδυάστως τίκτειν παρακελεύονται φύσεως νόμοι. γῦπα τοίνυν οὐκ ἔστι θεάσασθαι ἄρρενα, ἀλλὰ πᾶν τὸ γένος αὐτοῖς ἡ τοῦ θήλεος ἀπηνέγκατο φύσις· ὅπερ ἐπιστάμενοι γῦπες καὶ τὴν ἐρημίαν δεδιότες τῶν τέκνων, εἰς ἐπιγονὴν ἅπαν τὸ γένος στρατεύεται, οἷα Λημνιάδες γυναῖκες, ἡρώων ἀναγόμενον στόλον θεώμεναι. εἶτα δρῶσί τι σόφισμα ποικίλον οἱ γῦπες· τῷ νότῳ ἀντίπρωροι πέτονται. εἰ δὲ μὴ νότος εἴη, τῷ συγγενεῖ εὔρῳ ἁπλοῦσι τὰς πτέρυγας· εἶτα κεχήνασι καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐμφοροῦνται εἰσρέοντος, καὶ τίκτουσι ζῷα, οὐκ ᾠὰ ὑπηνέμια. διὸ πλείστου χρόνου δεῖται ἡ φύσις πρὸς ζῴου τελεσιουργίαν, Πολύκρατες· χαλεπὸν γὰρ καὶ λίαν ἐργῶδες τῇ φύσει οὐσιῶσαι τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ πρὸς ζῴου τελεσιουργίαν πλαστουργεῖν τὸ λεπτότατον. {ΠΟΛ.} ᾿Εγὼ μὲν ᾤμην τερατολογεῖν, ᾿Αντίσθενες, τὸν Κο-ρίνθιον. ἑάλωμεν δὲ καὶ τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφαλλόμεθα κύρτῳ. ῏Αρα μέχρι τούτου τὸ φιλοσοφίας εἴη μοι φροντιστήριον; οὐ δῆτα οὐ δῆτα· οὐ γὰρ ἡμίεργον ἄπειμι τὴν ἐπιστή25 μην κτησάμενος. περὶ τὸν Πόντον τοὺς ἰχθύας φασὶν ἐνδημεῖν, πολύποδα δὲ περὶ τὸν βόρειον κόλπον μὴ γίνεσθαι. {ΑΝΤ.} Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως, Πολύκρατες· ἔστι γὰρ χῆρος ὁ Πόντος πολύποδος. τὰ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἰχθύων ψύξεως δεῖται, ὅσα που καὶ τὰ πότιμα ἐπιδιώκουσι νάματα· τὰ δὲ θερμότητος ἐρᾷ καὶ πρὸς τὴν θάλατταν ἀναστρέφεται· θερμοτέρα γὰρ αὕτη τῶν ἄλλων ὑδάτων καθέστηκεν. ὁ γοῦν πολύπους τῇ Ποντικῇ θαλάττῃ ἀπεχθάνεται· ψυχρότερον γὰρ τὸ βόρειον πέφυκε πέλαγος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς θαλάττης γλυκύτερον· ὑπὸ πολλῶν γὰρ καὶ μεγάλων ποταμῶν ἐπιρρεῖται. ἐναντία δὲ τῷ πολύποδι τό τε ψυχρὸν καὶ γλυκύ. ἱκανὸν δ' ἐρῶ σοί τι πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν. πέτρᾳ συμπλακεὶς ὁ πολύπους δυσαποσπάστως ἔχεται· διὸ γλυκὺ ἐπιχέουσιν ὕδωρ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἱ πρὸς ἄγραν δεινοί. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔχουσι τὸ ζητούμενον θήραμα, ὁ δὲ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἄκων ἐξανίσταται βάσεως. 26 ᾿Αρχὴ τῆς δευτέρας διαλέξεωσ Τὸν Σεμέλης ∆ιόνυσον, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν ∆ιός-διπλῆ γὰρ ἦν ἐκ ∆ιὸς τῷ ∆ιονύσῳ ἡ γένεσις-, τὸν ∆ιὸς τοίνυν ∆ιόνυσον, ὅτε που ἡμίεργον ἐξήμβλου ἡ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ παῖς ἡμιτέλεστος ὁ μυθικὸς ὑπῆρχε θεός, ὑπὸ τὸν μηρὸν ὁ πατὴρ ἐτελεσιούργει τὸ γέννημα· καὶ ὁ Σεμέλης αὖθις ἐνεκυμονεῖτο ∆ιόνυσος. τοὺς ἡμιλέκτους τελεσιουργεῖτέ μοι λόγους, ἄνδρες διδάσκαλοι, παρ' οἷς ἔνεστιν ἡ ἐντέλεια· οὐ γὰρ ἀτελεσφορήτων λογικῶν ὠδίνων ἀνέχεσθε. ῎Ερως ἦν τῷ Πανί. ἤρα δὲ ὁ Πὰν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ φωνῆς ὑπῆρχεν ἡ ποθουμένη ἀπήχησις, εἰ καὶ τὸν Πᾶνα τὸ σόφισμα διελάνθανεν. ἐφθέγγετο καὶ τῆς ἐρωμένης ᾐσθάνετο, ἐπέπαυτο τῆς ᾠδῆς καὶ ἦν ἀφανὲς τὸ ποθούμενον. ᾄσομαι τοίνυν κἀγώ· ἀντηχήσει γάρ, οἶδα, ὁ σύλλογος καὶ τῶν ἐρωμένων κρότων αἰσθήσομαι, εἰ καὶ παρ' ἀξίαν τῶν λεγομένων ὁ ἔπαινος. {ΠΟΛ.} Ταῖς φιλοπευθέσι ψυχαῖς κόρος οὐκ ἔνεστι γνώσεως. οὐκοῦν ἐπὶ τὴν νύσσαν ὁ λόγος, ᾿Αντίσθενες· ὦτα γάρ μοι ὀφθαλμῶν ἀπληστότερα. 27 Τῷ τραγείῳ ὑπομαλάττεσθαι αἵματι ὁ Κορίνθιος ἔφησε τὸν ἀδάμαντα. καὶ θεῖον τουτὶ χρῆμα καὶ ἀπόρρητον εἶναι δοκεῖ. φέρε δὴ ἀρχὴ καὶ πέρας τῆσδε τῆς συνουσίας. οἱ περὶ ἀδάμαντος ἔστωσαν λόγοι. {ΑΝΤ.} ῎Ηδη πού σοι, Πολύκρατες, ξηράν τινα καὶ ψυχρὰν καὶ ἄνικμον τὴν ἀδάμαντος ὑπεθέμεθα φύσιν· ὅθεν τοῖς ἐναντίοις εἰκότως ὁ ἀδάμας ὑπήκοος γίνεται. αἵματος δὲ φύσις θερμή τις ἔνεστι καὶ ὑγρά· διὸ τῷ μὲν ὑγρῷ τὸ ξηρόν τε καὶ ἄνικμον ὑποτάττεται· τὸ δὲ ψυχρὸν ὑπομαλάττεται τῇ θερμότητι. {ΠΟΛ.} Καὶ τί δῆτα ὁ ἀδάμας μὴ παντὶ ὑποτάττεται αἵματι; {ΑΝΤ.} Θερμότατον τὸ τράγειον ἔνεστιν αἷμα· ἐντεῦθέν πως κρατεῖ καὶ ἀδάμαντος. ἤδη δέ τινες καὶ λεοντείῳ αἵματι ὑπομαλάττουσι τὸν ἀδάμαντα ταῖς ὑπερβολαῖς τῆς θερμότητος ὑπερνικῶντες αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀμείλικτον. {ΠΟΛ.} ῎Ενεστι γοῦν τις διαφορὰ καὶ τοῖς