Hearing, he holds, is produced by sound outside, when the air moved by
the voice sounds inside the ear; for the sense of hearing is a sort of
bell sounding inside the ear, which he calls a “fleshy sprout.” When
the air is set in motion it strikes upon the solid parts and produces
a sound.[635] Smell, he holds, arises from respiration, and that is
why those smell most keenly whose breath has the most violent motion,
and why most smell comes from subtle and light bodies.[636] As to
touch and taste, he does not lay down how nor by means of what they
arise, except that he gives us an explanation applicable to all, that
sensation is produced by adaptation to the pores. Pleasure is produced
by what is like in its elements and their mixture; pain, by what is
opposite. R. P. _ib._
And he gives a precisely similar account of thought and ignorance.
Thought arises from what is like and ignorance from what is unlike,
thus implying that thought is the same, or nearly the same, as
perception. For after enumerating how we know each thing by means of
itself, he adds, “for all things are fashioned and fitted together out
of these, and it is by these men think and feel pleasure and pain”
(fr. 107). And for this reason we think chiefly with our blood, for in
it of all parts of the body all the elements are most completely
mingled. R. P. 178.
All, then, in whom the mixture is equal or nearly so, and in whom the
elements are neither at too great intervals nor too small or too
large, are the wisest and have the most exact perceptions; and those
who come next to them are wise in proportion. Those who are in the
opposite condition are the most foolish. Those whose elements are
separated by intervals and rare are dull and laborious; those in whom
they are closely packed and broken into minute particles are
impulsive, they attempt many things and finish few because of the
rapidity with which their blood moves. Those who have a
well-proportioned mixture in some one part of their bodies will be
clever in that respect. That is why some are good orators and some
good artificers. The latter have a good mixture in their hands, and
the former in their tongues, and so with all other special capacities.
R. P. _ib._
Footnote 634:
That is, watery vapour, not the elemental air or αἰθήρ (§ 107). It is
identical with the “water” mentioned below. It is unnecessary,
therefore, to insert καὶ ὕδωρ after πῦρ with Karsten and Diels.
Footnote 635:
Beare, p. 96, n. 1.
Footnote 636:
_Ibid._ p. 133.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account