761b 



ARISTOTLE 



tprirelv Kalroi ^ovXerai ye tl Kara rrjv rod TTvpos 

 elvai rd^tv rovro yap reraprov apid p^elr ai roJv 

 (Ta>ixdroiv. dAAa ro fxev irvp del (jiaiver ai rrjv 



20 fxopcfyrjv ouk ISiav exov, aAA' ev erepco rcbv aco- 

 fidrcov rj yap drjp rj Karrvog rj yrj ^aiverai to 

 TTeTTvpojpievov. dAAa Set ro roiovrov yevo? ^Tjretv 

 €771 rrjs aeXijvrjg- avrr] yap cfyaiverai KOLVOivovaa 

 rrj? rerdpnrjg aTroardaeco? . dXkd rrepl pukv rovraiv 

 dXXos dv e'lr) Xoyos. 



H Se roJv oar paKohepp-cov ovvicrraTai (f>vaig rcov 



25 fxev avropbdrcjog, ivlwv he Trpo'Cepuevcov rivd hvvapiLV 

 dcf)' avrtov, TToXXdKis Se yLVOfxevoiv /cat rovrojv ano 

 avardaeois avroixdrrjs. Set Stj^ AajSetv rds yeveaeis 

 rdg Tojv <f)vra)V. rovrcov yap yiverai rd p-ev drro 

 (TTTepfxarog, rd 8' dird OTrapayfidrcov d7TO(f)vrevo- 

 fjievcov, evia 8e rco Trapa^Xaardveiv, otov ro rcbv 



30 Kpop,pLVCx)V yevog. rovrov piev ovv oi pLveg yivovrai 

 rov rpoTTOV TTapa<f)VovraL yap eXdrrov? aei -napa 

 1 hri Peck, coll. 762 b 6 : 8e vulg. 



" According to Aristotle, the " heavens " and the heavenly 

 bodies were composed of the " fifth element," aither, whose 

 natural movement is circular (see 736 b 35 if. and n., 

 and App. A § 2). As fire is the outermost of the sublunary 

 elements and is therefore in contact with the "heaven" 

 which is nearest to the earth, and as this " heaven " carries 

 the moon, it follows that the moon can be said to " have a 

 share in the fourth degree of remove," viz., fire. Aither 

 must be clearly distinguished from fire ; and, according to 

 G.A. 737 al (c/. Meteor. 382 a 7), fire generates no animal, 

 whereas aither, the " element of the stars," is a form of 

 depfiov which caii produce living creatures {noiei yoviyia 

 ra aneptxara ; see 736 b 30-35). But at H.A. 552 b 10 

 Aristotle speaks of a creature which is engendered in the 

 fire in places where ore is smelted ; and also mentions 



352 



