23

motion. And water comes into being, itself being given its form by bluntness, density, and motion. Therefore, as sharpness is to bluntness, so is fire to air; and as rarity is to density, so is air to water; and as motion is to rest, so is water to earth. Therefore, as fire is to air, so is air to water; and as air is to water, so is water to earth. For planes are by nature held together by one mean, that is, a proportion; but solids by two means. In another way they say that the elements have qualities: for earth and water have heaviness by which they are naturally borne downwards, while air and fire have lightness by which they are naturally borne upwards. And the Stoics say that of the elements some are active and some are passive; active are air and fire; passive are earth and water. But Aristotle introduces a fifth body, the aetherial and circularly moving one, not wishing for the heaven to have been made from the four elements (and he calls the fifth body circularly moving because it is borne in a circle around itself), while Plato expressly stated that it was composed of fire and earth. And he speaks thus: "That which has come into being must be corporeal, and visible and tangible, and without fire nothing could ever become visible, nor tangible without something solid; and solid without earth it cannot be. Therefore, beginning from fire and earth, God was making the body of the universe to be composed. But it is not possible for two things alone to be well composed without a third, for there must be a bond in the middle of them to bring both together. And the most beautiful of bonds is that which makes itself and the things bound together as much as possible one; and proportion is by nature best suited to accomplish this." By "bond" he means the two middle elements taken by the aforementioned proportion. But those who advocate the Hebrew doctrines differ concerning the heaven and the earth. For nearly all the others assert that the heaven and the earth came into being from no pre-existing matter, since, they say, Moses [wrote], "In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth." But Apollinarius wishes that God made the heaven and the earth out of the abyss; for Moses did not mention the abyss in the genesis of the world as having come into being; but in Job it is said, "who made the abyss." From this, therefore, as from matter, he wishes that all other things came into being; not, however, that it is uncreated but created, having been laid down before all corporeal things by the Creator for the substance of the others; and the name of the abyss also indicates the infinity of the matter. But however this may be, it makes no difference. For in this way too God is shown to be the creator of all things and to have made all things out of non-beings. But against those who say there is only one element, whether fire or air or water, what was said by Hippocrates will suffice: "If man were one, he would never feel pain; for there would not be anything by which he could feel pain, being one; and if he did feel pain, the healing thing would be one." For that which is going to feel pain must undergo a change with perception; but if the element were only one, there would be nothing into which it could be changed; and not changing but remaining by itself, it would not feel pain, even if it were perceptible. And it is necessary that that which suffers, suffers from something; but if the element were only one, there would not be another quality besides that of the one element by which the living being could have suffered. But if it could neither be changed nor suffer, how could it feel pain? Having shown, therefore, this to be impossible, he adds by way of concession: "And if he did feel pain, the healing thing would be one." But as it is, the healing thing is not one but many. Therefore, man was not one. But also from the very things by which they themselves each try to establish their own doctrine, it is especially shown that the elements are four. For Thales, saying that water alone is an element, tries to show that the other three are generated by it. For its sediment becomes earth; its finer part, air; and the finer part of the air, fire. And Anaximenes, saying air alone is an element, he too likewise tries to show that the other elements are produced from air. And Heraclitus and Hipparchus of Metapontum, saying it is fire, have used these same proofs. From which things, therefore, these also say that fire is

23

κίνησις· καὶ γίνεται τὸ ὕδωρ εἰδοποιούμενον καὶ αὐτὸ ἀμβλύτητι πυκνότητι κινήσει· ἔστιν οὖν ὡς ὀξύτης πρὸς ἀμβλύτητα οὕτω πῦρ πρὸς ἀέρα· ὡς δὲ μανότης πρὸς πυκνότητα, οὕτως ἀὴρ πρὸς ὕδωρ· ὡς δὲ κίνησις πρὸς στάσιν, οὕτως ὕδωρ πρὸς γῆν. ὡς ἄρα πῦρ πρὸς ἀέρα, οὕτως ἀὴρ πρὸς ὕδωρ· καὶ ὡς ἀὴρ πρὸς ὕδωρ, οὕτως ὕδωρ πρὸς γῆν. πέφυκε γὰρ τὰ μὲν ἐπίπεδα ὑπὸ μιᾶς μεσότητος συνέχεσθαι, τουτέστιν ἀναλογίας· τὰ δὲ στερεὰ ὑπὸ δύο μεσοτήτων. κατ' ἄλλον δὲ τρόπον λέγουσι ποιότητας ἔχειν τὰ στοιχεῖα· τὴν μὲν γὰρ γῆν καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ βαρύτητα ἔχειν καθ' ἣν κάτω φύσει φέρονται, τὸν δὲ ἀέρα καὶ τὸ πῦρ κουφότητα καθ' ἣν ἄνω φύσει φέρονται. λέγουσι δὲ οἱ Στωϊκοὶ τῶν στοιχείων τὰ μὲν εἶναι δραστικὰ τὰ δὲ παθητικά· δραστικὰ μὲν ἀέρα καὶ πῦρ· παθητικὰ δὲ γῆν καὶ ὕδωρ. Ἀριστοτέλης δὲ καὶ πέμπτον εἰσάγει σῶμα τὸ αἰθέριον καὶ κυκλοφορικόν, μὴ βουλόμενος τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων στοιχείων γεγενῆσθαι (κυκλοφορικὸν δὲ λέγει τὸ πέμπτον σῶμα ὅτι ἐν κύκλῳ περὶ αὑτὸ φέρεται), τοῦ Πλάτωνος διαρρήδην φάσκοντος ἐκ πυρὸς καὶ γῆς αὐτὸν συνεστάναι. λέγει δὲ οὕτως· σωματοειδὲς δὲ καὶ ὁρατὸν ἁπτόν τε δεῖ τὸ γενόμενον εἶναι, χωρὶς δὲ πυρὸς οὐδὲν ἄν ποτε ὁρατὸν γένοιτο, οὐδὲ ἁπτὸν ἄνευ τινὸς στε ρεοῦ· στερεὸν δὲ οὐκ ἄνευ γῆς· ὅθεν ἐκ πυρὸς καὶ γῆς τὸ τοῦ παντὸς συνιστάναι σῶμα ὁ θεὸς ἀρχόμενος ἐποίει. δύο δὲ μόνα καλῶς συνίστασθαι τρίτου χωρὶς οὐ δυνατόν, δεσμὸν γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ δεῖ ἀμφοῖν συναγωγὸν γίνεσθαι· δεσμῶν δὲ κάλλιστος ὃς ἂν ἑαυτόν τε καὶ τὰ ξυνδούμενα ὅτι μάλιστα ἓν ποιῇ· τοῦτο δὲ πέφυκεν ἀναλογία κάλ λιστα ἀποτελεῖν. δεσμὸν λέγων τὰ μέσα δύο στοιχεῖα ἐξ ἀναλογίας εἰλημμένα τῆς προρρηθείσης. οἱ δὲ τὰ τῶν Ἑβραίων πρεσβεύοντες διαφέρονται περὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι σχεδὸν πάντες ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς προϋποκειμένης ὕλης φάσκουσι γεγενῆσθαι τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, ἐπειδὴ Μωϋσῆς φασιν ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν· Ἀπολινάριος δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου πεποιηκέναι τὸν θεὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν βούλεται· τῆς γὰρ ἀβύσσου Μωϋσῆς οὐκ ἐμνημόνευσεν ἐν τῇ γενέσει τοῦ κόσμου ὡς γενομένης· ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἰὼβ εἴρηται· ὁ ποιήσας τὴν ἄβυσσον· ἐκ ταύτης οὖν ὡς ἐξ ὕλης βούλεται τὰ ἄλλα πάντα γεγενῆσθαι· οὐ μὴν ἀγένητον ἀλλὰ γενητὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι, πρὸ πάντων τῶν σωματικῶν προκαταβεβλημένην ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἄλλων ὑπόστασιν· δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τοὔνομα τῆς ἀβύσσου τὸ τῆς ὕλης ἄπειρον. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὅπως ἂν ἔχοι οὐδὲν διαφέρει. καὶ οὕτως γὰρ πάντων ὁ Θεὸς δημιουργὸς δείκνυται καὶ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων πεποιηκὼς τὰ πάντα. πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἓν μόνον λέγοντας εἶναι στοιχεῖον, ἢ τὸ πῦρ ἢ τὸν ἀέρα ἢ τὸ ὕδωρ, ἀρκέσει τὰ παρὰ Ἱπποκράτους εἰρημένα· εἰ ἓν ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐδέ ποτε ἂν ἤλγεεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἦν ὑφ' οὗ ἀλγήσειεν ἂν ἓν ὄν· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἤλγεεν ἓν ἂν ἦν τὸ ἰώμενον. δεῖ γὰρ τὸ μέλλον ἀλγεῖν ἐν μεταβολῇ γενέσθαι μετ' αἰσθήσεως· εἰ δὲ ἓν μόνον ἦν τὸ στοιχεῖον οὐκ ἦν εἰς ὃ μεταβληθείη· μὴ τρεπόμενον δὲ ἀλλὰ μένον ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ ἂν ἤλγησεν, εἰ καὶ αἰσθητὸν ἦν· ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ τὸ πάσχον ὑπό τινος πάσχειν· εἰ δὲ μόνον ἓν ἦν τὸ στοιχεῖον οὐκ ἦν ἂν ἑτέρα ποιότης παρὰ τὴν τοῦ ἑνὸς στοιχείου ὑφ' ἧς ἔπαθεν ἂν τὸ ζῷον· εἰ δὲ μήτε μεταβληθῆναι μήτε παθεῖν ἐδύνατο, πῶς ἂν ἤλγησεν; δείξας οὖν τοῦτο ἀδύνατον κατὰ συγχώρησιν ἐπάγει· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἤλγεεν ἓν ἂν ἦν τὸ ἰώμενον· νῦν δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἓν τὸ ἰώμενον ἀλλὰ πολλά. οὐκ ἄρα ἓν ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ πειρῶνται τὸ ἴδιον ἕκαστος κατασκευάζειν δόγμα, ἐκ τούτων μάλιστα δείκνυται τέσσαρα ὄντα τὰ στοιχεῖα. καὶ γὰρ Θαλῆς τὸ ὕδωρ μόνον λέγων εἶναι στοιχεῖον πειρᾶται δεικνύναι τὰ ἄλλα τρία ὑπὸ τούτου γινόμενα. τὴν μὲν γὰρ ὑποστάθμην αὐτοῦ γῆν γίνεσθαι· τὸ δὲ λεπτομερέστερον ἀέρα· τοῦ δὲ ἀέρος τὸ λεπτομερέστερον πῦρ. Ἀναξιμένης δὲ ἀέρα μόνον λέγων καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμοίως πειρᾶται δεικνύναι τὰ ἄλλα στοιχεῖα ἐκ τοῦ ἀέρος ἀποτελούμενα· Ἡράκλειτος δὲ καὶ Ἵππαρχος ὁ Μεταποντῖνος τὸ πῦρ λέγοντες ταῖς αὐταῖς ταύταις ἀποδείξεσι κέχρηνται. ἐξ ὧν τοίνυν καὶ οὗτοί φασι τὸ πῦρ εἶναι