Chapter 53

Position is the having of a certain position in respect to another position, as, for example, the body which is in a certain position in relation to such another position, whether this last be lying, sitting, or standing. Position has three species, which are standing, sitting, and lying prone. Being erect constitutes standing. Partly lying and partly standing constitute sitting. And lying completely down constitutes lying prone. Position does not indicate either the thing in position or the place, but it does show the position itself of the thing in relation to the place.

Some of the things that have position have it naturally, as do the elements in their proper places—earth, for example; water, air, fire, and the like. Others have their position from being placed that way according to the rules of art, as a statue, a column, and the like. A further classification is that which says that some of the things having position are stationary, as the earth, while others are in motion, as the heavenly bodies. Still again, some of them are in position potentially, as, for example, things which are capable of moving to another place; while others are actually so, as those which are located somewhere.

[40] {Περὶ τοῦ κεῖσθαι.} Κεῖσθαί ἐστι τὸ ἔχον θέσιν πως πρὸς ἕτερον οἷον τὸ σῶμα τὸ κείμενόν πως πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην θέσιν ἢ πρὸς ἀνάκλισιν ἢ καθέδραν ἢ στάσιν. Εἴδη δὲ τοῦ κεῖσθαι τρία: τὸ ἵστασθαι, τὸ καθῆσθαι, τὸ ἀνακλίνεσθαι: τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὀρθὸν εἶναι τὸ ἵστασθαι ποιεῖ, τὸ δὲ κατὰ μέρος μὲν κεῖσθαι, κατὰ μέρος δὲ ἵστασθαι ποιεῖ τὸ καθῆσθαι, τὸ δὲ παντελῶς κεῖσθαι ποιεῖ τὸ ἀνακλίνεσθαι. Οὐ δηλοῖ δὲ τὸ κεῖσθαι οὐδὲ τὸ κείμενον οὐδὲ τὸν τόπον ἀλλὰ αὐτὴν τὴν θέσιν τοῦ κειμένου πρὸς τὸν τόπον. Τῶν δὲ κειμένων τὰ μὲν κατὰ φύσιν κεῖνται ὡς τὰ στοιχεῖα ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις τόποις οἷον γῆ, ὕδωρ, ἀήρ, πῦρ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, τὰ δὲ κατὰ θέσιν καὶ τέχνην ὡς ἀνδριάς, κίων καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. Λοιπὸν ἐπιδιαίρεσις ἡ λέγουσα, ὅτι τῶν κειμένων τὰ μὲν στάσιμα ὡς γῆ, τὰ δὲ κινούμενα ὡς τὰ οὐράνια σώματα. Ἔτι τῶν κειμένων τὰ μὲν δυνάμει κεῖνται ἤγουν τὰ δυνάμενα μετέρχεσθαι, τὰ δὲ ἐνεργείᾳ, ὡς ὅπου κεῖνται.