The first philosophers of Greece : $b An edition and translation of the remaining fragments of the pre-Sokratic philosophers, together with a translation of the more important accounts of their opinions contained in the early epitomes of their worksFairbanks, Arthur
Philosophy
The first philosophers of Greece : $b An edition and translation of the remaining fragments of the pre-Sokratic philosophers, together with a translation of the more important accounts of their opinions contained in the early epitomes of their works
Fairbanks, Arthur
Philosophy, Ancient
Simpl. _de Coelo_, 137 r; Schol. Aristot. 509 b 18; cf. Aristokl. Euseb.
_Pr. Ev._ xiv. 17. (Fr. 17.) μέγιστον μὲν οὖν σημεῖον οὗτος ὁ λόγος ὅτι
ἓν μόνον ἐστίν. ἀτὰρ καὶ τάδε σημεῖα· εἰ γὰρ ἦν πολλὰ, τοιαῦτα χρῆν αὐτὰ
εἶναι, οἷόν περ ἐγώ φημι τὸ ἓν εἶναι. εἰ γὰρ ἔστι γῆ καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ ἀὴρ
καὶ σίδηρος καὶ χρυσὸς καὶ πῦρ καὶ τὸ μὲν ζῷον τὸ δὲ τεθνηκὸς καὶ μέλαν
καὶ λευκὸν καὶ τὰ ὅσα φασὶν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι ἀληθῆ,—εἰ δὴ ταῦτα ἔστι
καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀρθῶς ὁρῶμεν καὶ ἀκούομεν, εἶναι χρὴ ἕκαστον τοιοῦτον οἷόν περ
τὸ πρῶτον ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν, καὶ μὴ μεταπίπτειν μηδὲ γίνεσθαι ἑτεροῖον, ἀλλ’
αἰεὶ εἶναι ἕκαστον οἷόν περ ἔστιν. νῦν δέ φαμεν ὀρθῶς ὁρᾷν καὶ ἀκούειν
καὶ συνιέναι, δοκεῖ δὲ ἡμῖν τό τε θερμὸν ψυχρὸν γίνεσθαι καὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν
θερμὸν καὶ τὸ σκληρὸν μαλθακὸν καὶ τὸ μαλθακὸν σκληρὸν, καὶ τὸ ζῷον
ἀποθνήσκειν καὶ ἐκ μὴ ζῶντος γίνεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἑτεροιοῦσθαι, καὶ
ὅ τι ἦν τε καὶ ὃ νῦν οὐδὲν ὅμοιον εἶναι, ἀλλ’ ὅ τε σίδηρος σκληρὸς ἐὼν
τῷ δακτύλῳ κατατρίβεσθαι † ὁμοῦ ῥέων καὶ χρυσὸς καὶ λίθος καὶ ἄλλο ὅ τι
ἰσχυρὸν δοκεῖ εἶναι πᾶν, ὥστε συμβαίνει μήτε ὁρᾷν μήτε τὰ ὄντα γινώσκειν·
ἐξ ὕδατός τε γῆ καὶ λίθος γίνεσθαι. οὐ τοίνυν ταῦτα ἀλλήλοις ὁμολογεῖ·
φαμένοις γὰρ εἶναι πολλὰ καὶ ἀίδια καὶ εἴδη τε καὶ ἴσχυν ἔχοντα, πάντα
ἑτεροιοῦσθαι ἡμῖν δοκεῖ καὶ μεταπίπτειν ἐκ τοῦ ἑκάστοτε ὁρωμένου· δῆλον
τοίνυν ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἑωρῶμεν οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνα πολλὰ ὀρθῶς δοκεῖ εἶναι. οὐ γὰρ
ἂν μετέπιπτεν εἰ ἀληθῆ ἦν, ἀλλ’ ἦν οἷόν περ ἐδόκει ἕκαστον τοιοῦτον· τοῦ
γὰρ ἐόντος ἀληθινοῦ κρεῖσσον οὐδέν. ἢν δὲ μεταπέσῃ, τὸ μὲν ἐὸν ἀπώλετο,
τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἐὸν γέγονεν. οὕτως οὖν εἰ πολλὰ εἴη, τοιαῦτα χρὴ εἶναι οἷόν περ
τὸ ἕν.
_Sources and Critical Notes._
Fr. 1-5. The passage giving these fragments, as they have been called,
contains little that is not found in the remaining fragments, and in
spite of the fact that it is given as a direct quotation, it seems best
to regard it as a condensed statement of the opinions of Melissos. V.
Zeller, _Vorsokr. Phil._ 607, n. 1, and Pabst, _de Meliss. Fragmentis_,
Bonn 1889.
Fr. 7. _D_ omits καὶ ... γινόμενον. Simplicius writes γινόμενον, Diels
would restore γενόμενον regularly, and compares Spengel ad Eudem. fr. p.
18, 18. _DE_ ἔχει, a_F_ ἔχον.
Fr. 15. a_F_ ἅμα, _E_ ἀλλὰ.
Fr. 16. a_D_ ὂν εἴη, _EF_ οὖν εἴη, Brandis suggests ὂν ἔστι. _F_ δὲ μὴ
ὂν· Cf. 19 r 87, 6.
Fr. 11. a_F_ γίγνοιτο. _E_ οὐκέτι, omits ἂν. _E_ omits δὲ after τὸ. a_D_
(_F_) τριχὶ μιῆ, _E_ τριᵡ μὴ ἦ. Vulg. from Brandis εἰ τοίνυν τρισμυρίοισι
ἔτεσι. _F_ παρόντι for παντί.
Fr. 12. _D_ μετὰ τὸ κοσμηθῆναι: a ἀπολεῖται: _DF_ μετακοσμηθέντων ἐόντων:
a γάρ, _DFE_ γε: a ἀλγεινόν (twice): _D_ οὐκ for κοὐκ: _DF_ ὠυτὸς, a_E_ ὁ
αὐτὸς.
Fr. 14. Cf. Simpl. 40, 12. _E_ πλέον et passim, Text follows a_D_: _DF_
κενώτερον, _E_ κοινότερον: a omits οὖν.
Fr. 6. _E_ εἰ τύχοι νῦν, _D_ εἰ τύχη, a_F_ εἰ τοίνυν. Diels suggests ὅτε
τοίνυν; cf. 109, 20. _DE_ οὐδὲν, a_F_ μηδὲν.
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