and the outcome in things that happen by choice is secondary to the choice), how does it exist in eternal things that this particular thing is because that particular thing is, for instance, because the heaven exists it is necessary for the earth also to exist, and if the earth and heaven exist? This is the work of providence, which made this universe out of parts different in essence and in use. Or then are they not eternal, both the heaven and the earth and all the things in them, which contribute to one another for being and for acting and for being acted upon, or if they are eternal, it is not necessary for this to be this, because that is that. Aristotle, by positing one eternal necessity, made many other eternal necessities dependent upon the one posited. It is necessary, he says, for there to be an eternal motion. And if there is motion, it is necessary for there to be eternal time as well; for time is the number of motion. And if the motion is eternal, it is necessary for it to be continuous. And if the motion is continuous, it is necessary for there to be a simple body besides the bodies here, having neither heaviness nor lightness; for heavy and light bodies, since they move in a straight line, cannot move continuously. And if it moves continuously, it is necessary for it to have a spherical shape; for only with this shape is it possible for continuous motion to occur. And if it moves spherically, it is necessary for the earth to be always at rest in the middle, so that the motion of the sphere might occur around it. And if the earth, it is necessary also for the bodies between earth and fire. And if these, it is necessary for there to be generation, since these cannot be eternal. And if generation, it is necessary for there to be other circular bodies as well. But if the principle, 'if this is this, it is necessary for that to be that', has no place in ungenerated and eternal things, then the things mentioned are not eternal and ungenerated. And if these things are eternal and ungenerated, then this is not because of that, nor that because of this. Since if the earth exists, it is necessary for fire also to exist and the bodies between them, how, if the earth is ungenerated and eternal, is fire not eternal, being light and upward-moving? For if, as he says, of contraries if one exists by nature it is necessary for the other also to exist by nature, how is it not absurd for the earth to be eternal and ungenerated, but for fire not to be eternal, or for fire to be eternal, but the earth not to be eternal, things that exist on account of each other? If on account of generation it is necessary for there to be other circular bodies, how is generation not the cause of eternal things? For the circular bodies are eternal, and generation occurs according to their motion. And if this is absurd, then the circular bodies are not ungenerated; for those things whose being exists on account of other things coming to be, these are generated and not eternal. If it is possible for that which will exist in generated things to exist in eternal things—that this must be, since that is that—then ungenerated things do not differ at all from generated things; for, he says, in eternal things the possible differs in no way from the actual. 54. From the same discourse. Since it is possible to be moved on a circle in two ways, and these are not contrary. But if nothing happens by chance nor from
καὶ τὸ συμβαῖνον ἐν τοῖς κατὰ προαίρεσιν γινομένοις δεύ τερόν ἐστι τῆς προαιρέσεως), πῶς ὑπάρχει ἐν τοῖς ἀϊδίοις τὸ εἶναι τόδε τι διὰ τὸ εἶναι ἄλλο τόδε τι, οἷον ἐπειδὴ ὁ οὐρανός ἐστιν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι καὶ τὴν γῆν, εἰ δὲ γῆ καὶ οὐ ρανός ἐστι; Τοῦτο δὲ προνοίας ἐστὶν ἔργον, τῆς τόδε τὸ πᾶν ἐκ διαφόρων κατ' οὐσίαν τε καὶ χρείαν μερῶν ποιησά σης. Ἢ ἄρα οὐκ ἀΐδια ὅ τε οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς πάντα, τὰ πρὸς τὸ εἶναί τε καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ πάσχειν ἀλλήλοις συντελοῦντα, ἢ εἰ ἀΐδια, οὐκ ἀνάγκη τόδε τόδε εἶναι, ἐπειδὴ τόδε τόδε ἐστίν. Μίαν ἀΐδιον ἀνάγκην ὑποθέμενος ὁ Ἀριστοτέλης πολλὰς ἄλλας ἀϊδίους ἀνάγκας ἐκ τῆς ὑπο τεθείσης ἐξήρτησεν. Ἀνάγκη, φησίν, εἶναι κίνησιν ἀΐδιον. Eἰ δὲ κίνησις, ἀνάγκη εἶναι καὶ χρόνον ἀΐδιον· ἀριθμὸς γὰρ κινήσεως ὁ χρόνος. Eἰ δὲ ἀΐδιος ἡ κίνησις, ἀνάγκη ταύτῃ εἶναι συνεχῆ. Eἰ δὲ συνεχὴς ἡ κίνησις, ἀνάγκη εἶναι σῶμα ἁπλοῦν παρὰ τὰ ἐνταῦθα σώματα, μήτε βαρύτητα μήτε κου φότητα ἔχον· τὰ γὰρ βαρέα καὶ κοῦφα σώματα, ἐπειδὴ κατ' εὐθεῖαν κινεῖται, συνεχῶς κινεῖσθαι οὐ δύναται. Eἰ δὲ συνε χῶς κινεῖται, ἀνάγκη σφαιρικὸν ἔχειν σχῆμα· τούτῳ γὰρ τῷ σχήματι ἐνδέχεται μόνῳ τὴν συνεχῆ γενέσθαι κίνησιν. Eἰ δὲ σφαιρικῶς κινεῖται, ἀνάγκη τὴν γῆν εἶναι ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἀεὶ ἠρεμοῦσαν, ἵνα περὶ αὐτὴν γίνηται τῆς σφαίρας ἡ κίνησις. Eἰ δὲ ἡ γῆ, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὰ μεταξὺ γῆς τε καὶ πυρὸς σώματα. Eἰ δὲ ταῦτα, ἀνάγκη εἶναι τὴν γένεσιν, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἀΐδια εἶναι οὐ δύναται. Eἰ δὲ ἡ γένεσις, ἀνάγκη εἶναι καὶ ἄλλα ἐγκύκλια σώματα. Ἀλλ' εἰ, εἰ τόδε τόδε ἐστίν, ἀνάγκη τόδε τόδε εἶναι ἐν τοῖς ἀγενήτοις τε καὶ ἀϊδίοις χώραν οὐκ ἔχει, οὐκ ἄρα ἀΐδιά τε καὶ ἀγένητα τὰ ·ηθέντα. Eἰ δὲ ἀΐδια ταῦτα καὶ ἀγένητα, οὐκ ἄρα τοῦτο δι' ἐκεῖνο οὔτε ἐκεῖνο διὰ τοῦτο. Ἐπειδὴ εἰ ἡ γῆ ἐστιν, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸ πῦρ εἶναι καὶ τὰ μεταξὺ αὐτῶν σώματα, πῶς, εἰ ἡ μὲν γῆ ἀγένητός τε καὶ ἀΐδιος, τὸ πῦρ οὐκ ἀΐδιον, τὸ ὑπάρχον κοῦφόν τε καὶ ἀνωφερές; Eἰ γάρ, ὥς φησιν, ὧν ἐναντίων τὸ θάτερον φύσει καὶ τὸ θάτερον ἀνάγκη φύσει εἶναι, πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον τὸ τὴν γῆν εἶναι ἀΐδιόν τε καὶ ἀγένητον, τὸ δὲ πῦρ μὴ εἶναι ἀΐδιον, ἢ τὸ πῦρ εἶναι ἀΐδιον, τὴν δὲ γῆν μὴ εἶναι ἀΐδιον, τὰ δι' ἄλληλα ὄντα; Eἰ διὰ τὴν γένεσιν ἀνάγκη εἶναι ἄλλα ἐγκύκλια σώματα, πῶς οὐχ ἡ γένεσίς ἐστιν αἰτία τῶν ἀϊδίων; Ἀΐδια γὰρ τὰ ἐγκύκλια σώματα, καὶ ἡ γένεσις κατὰ τὴν τούτων κίνησιν. Eἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἄτοπον, οὐκ ἄρα τὰ ἐγκύκλια σώματα ἀγένητα· ὧν γὰρ τὸ εἶναι διὰ τὸ ἄλλα γενέσθαι ἐστί, γενητὰ ταῦτα καὶ οὐκ ἀΐδια. Eἰ ἐνδέχεται ἐν τοῖς ἀϊ δίοις ὑπάρξειν τὸ ὑπάρξον ἐν τοῖς γενητοῖς, τόδε ἀνάγκη εἶναι, ἐπεὶ τόδε ἐστὶ τόδε, οὐδὲν ἄρα διαφέρει τὰ ἀγένητα τῶν γενητῶν· ἐν γάρ, φησί, τοῖς ἀϊδίοις τὸ ἐνδεχόμενον οὐδὲν διαφέρει τοῦ εἶναι. νδ. Ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λόγου. Ἐπειδὴ ἔστι διχῶς ἐπὶ τοῦ κύκλου κινηθῆναι, καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐναντίαι αὗται. Ἀλλὰ εἰ μηθὲν ὡς ἔτυχε μηδ' ἀπὸ