KLEOMHDOUS
KUKLIKHS YEVRIAS METEVRVN
PRVTON.
Kef. a'.
[Per to ksmou ka to jv ato keno, ka ti t mson
to ksmou ma ka ktv stn.]
To ksmou pollaxw legomnou nn mn lgow
nesthkw per to kat tn diaksmhsn stin, n
rzontai otv. Ksmow st ssthma j orano ka
gw ka tn n totoiw fsevn. Otow d pnta mn
t smata mperixei, odenw plw ktw ato p-
rxontow, w n troiw deknutai: o mn peirw ge,
ll peperasmnow stn, w toto dlon k to p
fsevw atn dioikesyai. Aperou mn gr odenw
fsin enai dunatn: de gr katakraten tn fsin,
otinw stin: ti d fsin xei tn dioikosan a-
tn, gnrimon prton mn k tw tjevw tn n
at mern, peita k tw tn ginomnvn tjevw,
trton k tw sumpayeaw tn n at mern prw
llhla, ttarton k to kasta prw ti pepoisyai,
ka loipn k to pnta megalvfelesttaw parxesyai
tw xreaw: per dia ka tn p mrouw fsen stin.
Vste fsin xvn tn dioikosan atw mn pepran-
tai nagkavw: t d ktw ato kenn stin p
pantw mrouw ew peiron dikon: totou d t mn
p smatow katexmenon tpow kaletai, t d m
katexmenon kenn n eh.
Oti d sti kenn, di braxvn pomnsomen.
Pn sma n tini enai nagkaon. Toto d n
sti, to katxontow at ka peplhrvktow teron
enai de, smaton n ka oon nafw. Tn on
toiathn pstasin, oan te osan dxesyai sma
ka katxesyai, kenn ena famen. Oti d n tini
toiot t smat sti, mlista p tn dtvn ka
pshw tw grw osaw prestin rn. Optan gr
k skeouw grn xontow ka steren ti n at
sma rvmen t steren, sumpptei t dvr p tn
to jhrmnou tpon, ka okti at jarsiw a-
to fanetai, ll tosot lttvn, son t to
jaryntow mgeyow n. Ka plin, n ew peplhrv-
mnon gro skeow steren ti mblhy, tosoton
perxetai to gro, sow stn to mblhyntow
stereo gkow, ok n totou sumbanontow, e m n
tini t grn prxe peplhrvmn p' ato ka o
te nti p smatow katxesyai. T d moion ka
p to row gnesyai polhpton. Ka gr otow
jvyetai k to katexomnou p' ato tpou, ptan
steren ti katalambn atn. Otan gon ew ti skeow
gxvmn ti, ntilambanmeya jintow to n at
pnematow, ka mlista, ptan stenn x t stma.
Ka mn ka tn ksmon atn dunmeya pinosai
kinomenon k to tpou, n nn tugxnei kateilhfw.
Tat d ato t metabsei sunepinosomen tn te
poleifynta tpon kenn nta, ka ew n metsth,
kateilhmmnon ka katexmenon p' ato: otow d' n
eh kenn peplhrvmnon. E d ka ew pr naletai
psa osa, w tow xariesttoiw tn fusikn doke,
ngkh plon murioplasona tpon atn katalam-
bnein, sper ka t ew tmn kyumimena tn ste-
ren svmtvn. O tonun n t kpursei p tw
osaw xeomnhw katalambanmenow tpow nn kenw
stin, odenw ge smatow atn peplhrvktow. E d
fsei tiw, m gnesyai kprvsin, odn prw t m
enai kenn nantiotai t toioton. Ka gr e m-
non pinosaimen xeomnhn tn osan ka p plon
kteinomnhn, oyenw at prw tn toiathn ktasin
mpodn gensyai dunamnou, at toto, ew t
pino& xvroh kat tn ktasin, kenn n eh: sper
mlei ka t nn katexmenon p' atw kenn sti
peplhrvmnon.
Oyen o lgontew jv to ksmou mhdn enai
fluarosin. At gr toto, mhyn kalosin, o-
dpou xeomn t os& mpodn dnatai stnai:
ste pilceta tinow xeomnh osa, ka t k-
stote kat tn xsin pilambanmenon p' atw
plhrvysetai p to pilambnontow ka gensetai
tpow ato, per st kenn p smatow katexme-
non ka peplhrvmnon. Toto on, plin sustellom-
nhw tw osaw ka ew lttona gkon sunagomnhw,
kenn gensetai. Vsper tonun sti ti t sma dej-
menon, otv ka t on te djasyai sma. Toto d'
per ka plhrvynai ka poleifynai p smatow
on te, kenn stin. Anagkaon tonun ena tina
pstasin keno. Esti d ploustth ato pnoia,
svmtou te ka nafow ntow, ka ote sxma xon-
tow ote sxhmatizomnou, ka ote ti psxontow ote
poiontow, plw d sma dxesyai oou te ntow.
Toioton d prxon t kenn n mn ksm od'
lvw sti. Dlon d k tn fainomnvn. E gr
m di' lou sumfuw prxen tn lvn osa, ot'
n p fsevw on t' n sunxesyai ka dioikesyai
tn ksmon, ote tn mern ato sumpyei tiw n
n prw llhla, ote, m f' nw tpou sunexomnou
ato ka to pnematow m di' lou ntow sumfuow,
on t' n n mn rn koein. Metaj gr n-
tvn kenvmtvn nepodzonto n p' atn a asy-
seiw. T te stenstoma tn skeun peritrepmena n
tow dasin nepmplato n, di tn kenvmtvn to
datow parempptontow. Nun d o gnetai toto di
t plrh enai row at, ka toton m dnasyai
kylibnai di t p to datow perixesyai t st-
mata atn. Esti d mura tera, di' n toto de-
knutai, per n nn lgein ok nagkaon. En mn
on ksm kenn enai dnaton.
Aristotlhw d ka o p tw arsevw od' jv
to ksmou kenn polepousi. De gr, fasn, t
kenn ggeon enai smatow: jv d to ksmou sma
odn stin, ste od kenn. Toto d' stn ehyew
ka moitaton w e tiw lgoi, pe n tow jhrow
ka ndroiw tn tpvn dvr enai ox on te, d-
naton enai ka skeow dvr djasyai dunmenon.
Ednai on xr, ti ggeon smatow dixw lgetai,
t mn xon sma ka peplhrvmnon p' ato, t
d' on te djasyai sma. All, fasn, e n jv
to ksmou kenn, freto n di' ato ksmow,
odn xvn t sunxein te ka peredein atn du-
nmenon. Fsomen d, ti dnaton at fresyai
di to keno: nneuke gr p t auto mson ka
toto xei ktv, pou nneuken. E gr m t at
mson exen ksmow ka ktv, freto n ksmow
ktv di to keno, w deixysetai n t lg t
per tw p t mson forw.
Lgetai kkeno p' atn, w e n jv to
ksmou kenn, xeomnh di' ato osa p' peiron
dieskedsyh n ka dieskorpsyh. All fsomen, w
mhd toto dnatai payen: jin gr xei tn sun-
xousan atn ka sunthrosan. Ka t mn perixon
atn kenn odn poie: at d' perballos dun-
mei xrvmnh sunthre autn, sustellomnh te ka
plin xeomnh n at kat tw fusikw atw meta-
bolw, llote mn ew pr xeomnh, llote d ka p
kosmogonan rmsa.
Ehyew d ka t lgein atow, ti, eper jv
to ksmou kenn sti, toto peiron enai desei: e
d peirn sti t jv to ksmou kenn, ka sma
peiron enai desei. O gr kolouye t to keno
peir& ka sma peiron enai. H mn gr to ke-
no pnoia odamo katalgei: n d t to sma-
tow pino& eyw ka t peperasmnon perixetai.
Ka od dnatai jevw perou enai. Pw gr n
dnait ti peiron n p tinow xesyai; Lgetai d
ka ter tina p' atn moia.
Oti d jv to ksmou kenn enai nagkaon,
gnrimon di tn proapodedeigmnvn: ti d toto
p pantw mrouw ato ew peiron dikein nagkai-
tatn sti, di totvn n katamyoimen. Pn t
peperasmnon ew terogenw peratotai [ka stin
teron to peperasmnou]. Oon eyw n tow loiw
r peratomenow ew terogen katalgei, tn te
ayra ka t dvr: ka movw ayr ew te tn
ra [ka tn orann, ka oranw ew te tn a-
yra] ka t kenn, ka t dvr ew te tn gn ka
tn ra, ka g ew t dvr . Ka
movw t mtera smata ew terogenw peratotai,
tn pifneian, osan smaton. Anagkaon tonun
ka, e t perixon tn ksmon kenn peratotai, ll
m peirn stin, ew terogenw katalgein at.
Odn d nestin terogenw pinosai to keno, ew
katalgei: peiron ra stn. E gr ka pino-
saimn ti terogenw to keno, ew peratvysetai,
desei toto peplhrvmnon enai, ka t peplhrvkw
gensetai sma. Ka otvw jv to ksmou sma
enai desei: per fusikw ox pagoreei lgow,
pntvn ge svmtvn p to ksmou periexomnvn.
Af' n gnrimon, w ok ndxeta pou peratosyai
t jv kenn: peiron ra stn. Ka mn sper
pn t peperasmnon p tinow periexmenon pono-
etai, e d m, od' n eh peperasmnon, otv ka,
e t kenn peprantai, p tinow at perixesyai
nagkaon. T n on eh toto; Sma; O dnatai: pe
mhdn jv to ksmou sma. E d ka eh ti, plin
toto peperasmnon p keno perixesyai desei. Ka
toto plin t kenn, e m stai peiron, p t-
rou smatow n perixoito: per ka at plin p
trou keno perixoito n, ka at ge prata xein
felon. Ka toto mxriw perou. Ka otv s-
mata gensetai ka kat plyow ka kat mgeyow
peira: n odn sti dunatn. Vste e peprantai
t jv to ksmou kenn ka pntvw p tinow peri-
xetai, p smatow d o perixetai, p svmtou
n perixoito. T n on eh toto; Xrnow; Epi-
fneia; Lekton tern ti tn paraplhsvn; All'
ok elogon p tinow totvn perixesyai t kenn.
Desei tonun llo kenn enai t perixon at: ka
toto f' trou perixesyai desei, ok n peiron:
ka toto f' trou mxriw perou. Ka otv m
ylontew peiron polipen t jv to ksmou kenn,
ew ngkhn peristhsmeya to perouw terthtaw
polaben kenn: per sxthw topaw xmenn stin.
Anagkaon tonun mologen mw, peiron enai t
jv to ksmou kenn.
Apeiron tonun ma ka smaton n, ote nv
ti n xoi ote ktv, ote mprosyen ote pisyen,
ote k dejin ote j evnmvn ote mson: atai
gr a sxseiw pt osai per smata yevrontai.
Vste per mn t kenn odema atn prxei, a-
tw d ksmow, sma n, xei ti ka nv ka ktv,
ka tw loipw sxseiw nagkavw. Emprsyia mn
on t prw t dsei fasn enai ato, peid w
p dsin xei tn rmn, psyia d t prw t
natol: p totvn gr p t mprosyen preisin.
Oyen deji mn ato t prw rkton, enuma d
t prw meshmbran gensetai. Ka atai mn a
sxseiw ato odn xousin safw. A d loipa
sxseiw polln parsxon taraxn tow palaiotroiw
tn fusikn, ka plesta ggone kat tn tpon
diaptmata, o dunhyntvn pistsai, ti n t
ksm, sfairik t sxma nti, ktv mn p pan-
tw ato t mesataton enai nagkaon, nv d t
p pantw to msou p t prata ka tn pif-
neian atn tw sfaraw dikon, sumpiptousn tn
do sxsevn n tat, ka to ato msou te ka
ktv prxontow, p mn tn pomemhkusmnvn kat
t sxma svmtvn diistamnvn totvn, p d tn
sfairikn odamw, ll sumpiptousn tn do sx-
sevn. Neein gr nagkaon p tw pifaneaw p
t autn mson taw sfairikaw tn jevn, ka otv
ktv atw xein tata, ew nenekasi. Tatn on
ka t ksm sumbbhke, sfairik kat t sxma
nti: ka t at gnetai ktv ka mson ato, ew
tatn tn sxsevn totvn sumpiptousn n at.
Toto d prohgoumnvw mn pideixysetai n t
per tw p t mson forw lg: nn d' p' atn
tn kat tn asyhsin fantazomnvn mn plo-
steron pidejomen. Pntew tonun safw rmen, n
n klmati men tw gw, perkemenon tw korufw
mn tn orann: t d kkl ato pnta mn
pokeklimna fantzetai. Epeita proosin f' poa
dhpoton tn klimtvn tw gw t tvw n pokl-
sei fantazmena kat korufn gnetai mn, ok n
totou sumbanontow, e m p pantw mrouw per-
keito tw gw oranw, ka at t mesataton to
ksmou ktv n, t d p totou w p tn ora-
nn dikon nv. Ka ptan plagow plvmen, n
ox rtai g, kkl kat tn rzonta fant-
zetai mn oranw cavn to datow. Epn d
paragenmeya ew tn tpon toton, nya cavn
tw yaltthw oranw mn fantzetai, plin per-
kemenow rtai. Ka prontvn kstote kat tn
plon toto sumbanei. Vste ka e on te n k-
kl psan kperiplesai llvw perielyen tn gn,
mhyenw atw oiktou ntow, katemyomen n safw,
ti pantw atw mrouw prkeitai oranw. Ka
otv t mson to ksmou ma ka ktv ka mson
stn. All toto mn didaskala tw p t mson
forw tn barvn svmtvn mllon parastsei.
Copyright 2000 Giovanni Ferrero