Il6 iv, 10. 



sitated a great increase in the length of the body ; and the 

 stomach moreover would have been removed too far from the 

 source of motion and of concoctiort^ The head, then, exists for 

 the sake of these three parts. 



The neck, again, exists for the sake of the windpipe. For it 

 acts as a defence to this and to the oesophagus, encircling them 

 and keeping them from injury. In all -other animals this neck 

 is flexible and contains several vertebrae ; but in wolves and lions 

 it contains only a single bone.^ For the object of nature was to 

 give these animals- an organ which should be serviceable in the 

 way of strength, rather than one that should be useful- for any 

 of the other purposes to which necks are subservient.''' 



Continuous with the head and neck is the trunk with the 

 anterior limbs. In man the fore-legs and fore-feet are replaced 

 by arms and by what we call hands. For of all animals man 

 alone stands erect, in accordance with his god-like nature and 

 essence. For it is the function of the god-like to 'think and to 

 be wise ; and no easy task were this under the burden of a heavy 

 body, pressing down from above and obstructing by its weight 

 the motions of the intellect and of the common sense. ^ When, 

 moreover, the weight and corporeal substance become excessive, 

 the body must of necessity incline towards the ground. In such 

 cases therefore nature, in order to give support to the body, has 

 replaced the arms and hands by fore-feet, and has thus converted 

 the animal into a quadruped. For, as every animal that walks must 

 of necessity have the two hinder feet, such an animal becomes a 

 quadruped, its body inclining downwards in front from the weight 

 which its soul cannot sustain. For all animals, man alone excepted, 

 are dwarf-like in form. For, as in a dwarf, their upper part is 

 large, while that which bears the weight and is used in walking 

 is comparatively small. ^ This upper part is what we call the 

 trunk, and reaches, from the mouth to the vent. In man it -is 

 duly proportionate to the part below, and diminishes much in its 

 comparative size as the man attains to full growth. But in his 

 infancy the contrary obtains, and the upper parts are large, the 

 lower small ; so that the infant can only crawl, and is unable to 

 walk ; nay, at first cannot even crawl, but remains without motion. 

 In fact all children are dwarfs in shape:, but cease to be so as they 

 become men, from the growth of their lower portion ; whereas 

 in quadrupeds the reverse occurs, their lower parts being larges,^ 

 686 b. 



