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to be shaped by the more irrational part of the soul according to what happens. For it happens of necessity that the soul, having been released from the senses through sleep, is also outside the activities of the mind. For through these the mind's commingling with the human being takes place; therefore, when the senses have ceased, the intellect must also be inactive. A proof is that the one dreaming often seems to be in absurd and impossible situations; which would not have happened, if the soul were then governed by reason and intellect. But it seems to me that when the more honorable powers of the soul are at rest (I mean the activities of the mind and sensation), only its nutritive part is active during sleep, and in this part, certain images of things that happened while awake, and echoes of things activated both by sensation and by thought, which were impressed upon it through the mnemonic part of the soul; these are depicted at random, some mnemonic echo having remained in such a part of the soul. In these, then, the person has fantasies, not led by any sequence toward an engagement with the phenomena, but wandering about in certain confused and inconsistent deceptions. And just as in bodily activities, 169 when one of the parts acts in its own way according to the power naturally inherent in it, there also occurs a certain disposition of the resting part in relation to the moving one; analogously also in the case of the soul, even if one part of it happens to be resting and another moving, the whole is disposed with the part. For it is not possible for the natural unity to be completely torn asunder, when one of its powers prevails in a part through its activity. But just as in those who are awake and active the mind prevails, sensation serves, and the power that governs the body is not left behind (for the mind procures the nourishment for the need, sensation received what was procured, and the nutritive power of the body appropriated what was given to itself); so also during sleep the leadership of these powers is somehow transposed in us; and when the more irrational part prevails, the activity of the others ceases, yet is not completely extinguished. But when the nutritive power is then intent on digestion during sleep, and occupies the whole nature with itself, the sensory power is neither completely separated from it (for it is not possible for what has once grown together to be cut apart), nor can its activity shine forth, being fettered by the inactivity of the sense-organs during sleep. And by the same token, since the mind is related to the sensitive part of the soul, it would be consistent to say that it is moved along with this when it is moved, and rests along with it when it is at rest. Something like what naturally happens with fire: when it is hidden on all sides by chaff, with no draft fanning the flame, it neither consumes what lies beside it, nor is it completely extinguished, but instead of a flame a kind of vapor passes through the chaff into the air, but if it should catch some draft, it makes the smoke a flame; in the same way the mind also, covered over by the inactivity of the senses during sleep, is neither able to shine forth through them, nor indeed is it completely extinguished; but it is moved in a smoke-like way, being active in one respect, but not able in another. And just as a musician, striking the plectrum on the loosened strings of a lyre, does not produce the melody in rhythm; for what is not tuned would not make a sound; but while the hand is often moved skillfully, bringing the plectrum to the local position of the notes, there is no sound, except insofar as some indistinct and disordered buzzing sounds softly in the movement of the strings; so through sleep, when the organic structure of the sense-organs has been loosened, either the craftsman is completely at rest, if the instrument should suffer a complete slackening from some fullness and weight, or he will act feebly and dimly, with the sensory organ not receiving the art with precision.
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ἀλογωτέρῳ τῆς ψυχῆς εἴδει κατὰ τὸ συμβὰν διαπλάττεσθαι. Τῶν γὰρ αἰσθήσεων τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολυθεῖσαν διὰ τοῦ ὕπνου, καὶ τῶν κατὰ νοῦν ἐνεργειῶν ἐκτὸς εἶναι κατ' ἀνάγκην συμβαίνει. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τούτων πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἡ τοῦ νοῦ συν ανάκρασις γίνεται· τῶν οὖν αἰσθήσεων παυσαμένων, ἀργεῖν ἀνάγκη καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν. Τεκμήριον δὲ τὸ καὶ ἐν ἀτόποις καὶ ἐν ἀμηχάνοις πολλάκις δοκεῖν εἶναι τὸν φανταζόμενον· ὅπερ οὐκ ἂν ἐγένετο, λογισμῷ καὶ διανοίᾳ τῆς ψυχῆς τηνικαῦτα διοικουμένης. Ἀλλά μοι δοκεῖ ταῖς προτιμοτέραις τῶν δυνάμεων τῆς ψυ χῆς ἠρεμούσης (φημὶ δὲ ταῖς κατὰ τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν ἐνεργείαις) μόνον τὸ θρεπτικὸν αὐτῆς μέρος ἐνεργὸν κατὰ τὸν ὕπνον εἶναι, ἐν δὲ τούτῳ τῶν καθ' ὕπαρ γενομένων εἴδωλά τινα, καὶ ἀπηχήματα τῶν τε κατ' αἴσθησιν, καὶ τῶν κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐνεργουμέ νων, ἅπερ αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ μνημονευτικοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς εἴδους ἐνετυπώθη· ταῦτα καθὼς ἔτυχεν ἀναζωγρα φεῖσθαι, ἀπηχήματός τινος μνημονικοῦ τῷ τοιούτῳ εἴδει τῆς ψυχῆς παραμείναντος. Ἐν τούτοις οὖν φαντασιοῦται ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὐχ εἱρμῷ τινι πρὸς τὴν τῶν φαινομένων ὁμιλίαν ἀγόμενος, ἀλλὰ πεφυρμέναις τισὶ καὶ ἀνακολούθοις ἀπάταις περιπλα νώμενος. Καθάπερ δὲ κατὰ τὰς σωματικὰς ἐνεργείας, 169 τῶν μερῶν ἰδιαζόντως τι κατὰ τὴν ἐγκειμένην αὐτῷ φυσικῶς δύναμιν ἐνεργοῦντος, γίνεταί τις καὶ τοῦ ἠρεμοῦντος μέρους πρὸς τὸ κινούμενον συνδιάθεσις· ἀναλόγως καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, κἂν τὸ μὲν αὐτῆς ἠρε μοῦν, τὸ δὲ κινούμενον τύχῃ, τὸ ὅλον τῷ μέρει συν διατίθεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνδέχεται συνδιασπασθῆναι πάντη τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἑνότητα, κρατούσης ἐν μέρει τινὸς τῶν κατ' αὐτὴν δυνάμεων διὰ τῆς ἐνεργείας. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐγρηγορότων τε καὶ σπουδαζόντων ἐπικρατεῖ μὲν ὁ νοῦς, ὑπηρετεῖ δὲ ἡ αἴσθησις, οὐκ ἀπολείπεται δὲ τούτων ἡ διοικητικὴ τοῦ σώματος δύναμις (ὁ μὲν γὰρ νοῦς πορίζει τὴν τροφὴν τῇ χρείᾳ, ἡ δὲ αἴσθη σις τὸ πορισθὲν ὑπεδέξατο, ἡ δὲ θρεπτικὴ τοῦ σώμα τος δύναμις ἑαυτῇ τὸ δοθὲν προσῳκείωσεν)· οὕτω καὶ κατὰ τὸν ὕπνον ἀντιμεθίσταταί πως ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ τῶν δυνάμεων τούτων ἡγεμονία· καὶ κρατοῦντος τοῦ ἀλογωτέρου, παύεται μὲν ἡ τῶν ἑτέρων ἐνέργεια, οὐ μὴν παντελῶς ἀποσβέννυται. Ἐπειγομένης δὲ τηνι καῦτα διὰ τοῦ ὕπνου πρὸς τὴν πέψιν τῆς θρεπτικῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν φύσιν πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἀσχο λούσης, οὔτε παντελῶς διασπᾶται ταύτης ἡ κατ' αἴσθησιν δύναμις (οὐ γὰρ ἐνδέχεται τὸ ἅπαξ συμ πεφυκὸς διατέμνεσθαι), οὔτε ἀναλάμπειν ἡ αὐτῆς ἐνέργεια δύναται, τῇ τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἀργίᾳ κατὰ τὸν ὕπνον ἐμπεδηθεῖσα. Κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ λόγον καὶ τοῦ νοῦ πρὸς τὸ αἰσθητικὸν εἶδος τῆς ψυ χῆς οἰκειουμένου, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη καὶ κινουμένου τούτου, συγκινεῖσθαι λέγειν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἠρεμοῦντος συγκαταπαύεσθαι. Οἷον δέ τι περὶ τὸ πῦρ γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν, ὅταν μὲν ὑποκρυφθῇ τοῖς ἀχύροις ἁπανταχόθεν, μηδεμιᾶς ἀναπνοῆς ἀναῤῥιπιζούσης τὴν φλόγα, οὔτε τὰ προσπαρακείμενα νέμεται, οὔτε παντελῶς κατασβέννυται, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ φλογὸς ἀτμός τις διὰ τῶν ἀχύρων ἐπὶ τὸν ἀέρα διέξεισιν, εἰ δέ τινος λάβοιτο διαπνοῆς, φλόγα τὸν καπνὸν ἀπεργάζεται· τὸν αὐ τὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ νοῦς τῇ ἀπραξίᾳ τῶν αἰσθήσεων κατὰ τὸν ὕπνον συγκαλυφθεὶς, οὔτε ἐκλάμπειν δι' αὐτῶν δυνατῶς ἔχει, οὔτε μὴν παντελῶς κατασβέν νυται· ἀλλ' οἷον καπνοειδῶς κινεῖται, τὸ μέν τι ἐνερ γῶν, τὸ δὲ οὐ δυνάμενος. Καὶ ὥσπερ τις μουσικὸς κεχαλασμέναις ταῖς χορδαῖς τῆς λύρας ἐμβαλὼν τὸ πλῆκτρον, οὐ κατὰ ῥυθμὸν προάγει τὸ μέλος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τὸ μὴ συντεταμένον ἠχήσειεν· ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν χεὶρ τεχνικῶς πολλάκις κινεῖται, πρὸς τὴν τοπικὴν θέσιν τῶν τόνων τὸ πλῆκτρον ἄγουσα, τὸ δὲ ἠχοῦν οὐκ ἔστιν, εἰ μὴ ὅσον ἄσημόν τινα καὶ ἀσύντακτον ἐν τῇ κινήσει τῶν χορδῶν ὑπηχεῖ τὸν βόμβον· οὕτω διὰ τοῦ ὕπνου τῆς ὀργανικῆς τῶν αἰσθητηρίων κατασκευῆς χαλασθείσης, ἢ καθόλου ἠρεμεῖ ὁ τεχνίτης, εἴπερ τελείαν λύσιν ἐκ πληθώρας τινὸς καὶ βάρους πάθοι τὸ ὄργανον, ἢ ἀτόνως τε καὶ ἀμυδρῶς ἐνεργήσει, οὐχ ὑποδεχομένου τοῦ αἰσθητικοῦ ὀργάνου δι' ἀκριβείας τὴν τέχνην.