Veazie, Walter B._The Word ΦΥΣΙΣ_1921_AGPh, 33, 1-2, pp. 3-22

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A r c h i v f r P h i l o s o p h i e .I. A b t e i l a n g

Archiv f r Geschichte der Philosophie,Neue Folge. XXVI. Band, 1. u. 2. Heft.

I.T he word

V on

Walter B . Veazie Columbia-Univers i ty, N e w - Yo r k .

Burnett i n t h e introduction o f h i s Ea r ly Greek Ph i losophy

(}.p. 12 ff .) writes thus: > :So far as I know, no historian o f Greek

p n h i J o s o p h y has clearly laid it down that the wqrd which was used

Iny the early co smolog i s t s to express this idea of a p e r m a n e n t and

p p r i m a r y substance was none other than ã.íóéò: and that the titleUh: > öýïåù^ so commonly given to philosophical works o f the sixth

aind f i f th centuries B. C., means simply Con c er n i n g the P r i m a r y

sn ibs t ance . Both Plato and Aristotle use the term in this sensewvhen they are discussing the earlier philosophy, and its history s h o w sciiearly enough what its or igional meaning must have been. In Greek

philosophical language öíïéò always means that which is primary,

fumdamental and persistent, as opposed to what is s e c o n d a r y, de r i -vntive, and transient; what is 'given V as opposed to that w h i c h is

imade or becomes. It is there to begin with."Also this passage h as already stood as a- text f o r one exami -

naaiion 1 ), it will serve again as a t e r m i n u s a quo for a discussion

ol i f some of the conceptions of the early Greek p h i l o s o p h e r s . In exegesis ,tlhree points should be noted in Burnett. ( ) that öíàéò means

•'[primary substance" with the early Greeks; (2) that Plato andAVris to t le use the term thus when speaking of t h i s philosophy;

(33) that the fundamental meaning of the term is so and so. I begin

writh the last.

Heidle, W. A ., Proc. o f the A mer. Academy o f Arts Sciences. 1910.1*

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4 Walter B. Ve a z i e ,

There are f ou r sources for the determination of the meaning o fthe term ößïéò in philosophical language, i. e., certain discussions

by Plato and Aristotle, aimed more or less directly at the p roblem:the use of the term in the remaining fragments; its use in Plato andAristotle \vhen no t discussing the earlier philosophy; and its use inthe general field o f Greek literature. In the examinat ion, however,o f these so u rces there are immer O I K pitfalls o f error to be guardedagainst. W e are to deal with a language, gro w ing, yo u th fu l, and ingood part unsophisticated and uncritical, over a period extending f rom

the seventh to the third centuries B. C. We mu s t recon with severaldifferent dialects from relatively distant qu arters and speak o f th o u g h t sand systems which probably never came in co ntact. There were noOxford Dictionaries fo r Plato with illustrations f rom the differentcenturies, and probably very little of the literature.

The most simple point of attack may be made u po n the generalliterary field and we shall, accordingly, in the next few pages m a k e

a more o r less detailed analysis of the use of this word ö Ã Ç å invarious classical authors f rom Homer on. Befor launching into theexamples, ho w ever, it might b e well to indicate by w ay o f hyp o -thesis, fo r what w e shall have ou r eyes open and for this purposewe turn to the classical discussion of öíïéò in the M e t a p h y s i c sof Aristotle (IV Ä 4; 1014b 16) After def ining and explaining thevarious uses o f cpvuigAristotle concludes thus:

fe ï/} ôùí åÉñçìåÌïí ç ðñþô öýàßò êáé ê íñßùò ëåãïìÝíçÉïôúí Þ ïé ï ßá Þ ô cor å÷ïíôß ïí áñ÷Þí êéíÞâåùò ßí áíôïÀò ? áíôý.(Ì. 4 Ä 4; 1015 a 13.) *

It is seen f rom what has been said that öüïéò p r i m a r i l y andin its prevailing u s a g e , is the very 'existenceness' itself of thosethings wrhich have the s o u r c e of m o t i o n in themselves.N o w, it has been proposed that we take this instead of Burne t t ' sstatement of uthe original and fu ndam ental m eaning o f öíïéò andsee whether it cannot be read out of the sources w e are to examine.

The word öíïéò occurs but once in H o m er, as ie well k n o w n ,but the passage w ill stand requ o ting. Ulysses's men have all beenturned to swine by Circe and Ulysses, himself, is w andering, distracted,in an enchanted w o o d. Hermes meets him there and, after tell inghim of the charms Circe is abou t to weave, profers him,a drug w i t hthe potency to overcome her magic. Then ,





•\The -word Ö Ã2É2 5

ß £ ò áñÜ öùíÞàáò ðüñå öÜñìáêïí ^Ëñãåéöüíôçò åê ãáßçò Ýñíàáò,êá] if ïé f f r o L r áíôïßß åüåéîå. ñ ß æ À ] ìåÀ' ìßëáí åàêå, ãÜëáêôéüå åúêåëïô áíûïò ìþëí ob ìéí êáëåïíàß freoi. ÷áëåðü í üåô? õñíàïåßí ÜíïñÜýé, ãå ÏôçôïÀàé' &åïé üå ôå ðÜíôá. üííáíôáé.^)

Why not in fiew of the preceeding context and Aristotle's d e-f ini t ion translate? —

Speaking thus, the slayer of Argus [i. e. Hermes] drew the d rugo ut of the ground and showed [or. explained] to me its potency. [Itë¥â8 a plant] with a black root and wilk white f lower which the godscall ìþëí. It is very hard for mortal men to dig, etc.

The co nventio nal translation has ho w ever been consideratelydifferent , as. e. g.. the comment to the above in Merry and Riddel 3).

' (f-vtuz is intend ed to describe the external characteristics,as the ewexegisis and as the w o r d åüåé&·· confirms. The w o r d öé'ïéòis used here l ike the more common öí//. The Scholia interpr ets byT O £ / < i O w.

As the w o r d d o e s not occur in Hesiod, we turn next to Pindar.The fo l lowing four instances are cited by Eumpel's L e x i c o n P in -d a r i c u m4 ) :

ú,áôá f í ï é r Law is by its own p o w e rP4)uoc ï ðÜðùí ^á<çëåíò ^íáôùã king of all immortals andôå ê(Ü aftaraToiv· mortals.

(Frag. 151 [169]). (KB. Aristotle's definition.)

êáé öÝñåé ô áíÜãêçí Ý÷ïíôåò êáôÜ Ðßíüáñïí áëëüôñéá ìåñø-ôÜìáôá êáé êÝáñ áëëüôñéáò f í ï å ïé ò (Fr. 251 f rom TheodorusMet. C, LXXV).

That is, i; a heart which behaves differently (or feels differently) .7 V Üíüñþí. å é&£cov ãÝíïò * åê ìéáò üå ðãåïìåô ìáôñïò

áìöüôåñïé ü é å ß ñ ã å é üå ðáïá êåêñéìÝíá . ü r á ì é, ò, ùò ôï ìåíïíüåí, ï üå ÷Üëêåïò áóöáëÝò aiev åüïò ìÝíåé ïõñáíüò, áëëÜ ôéðñïò öÝñïìåí Éìðáô ç ééÝãáí íüïí Þôïé öíïé ñ áàáíÜôïéò(No . 6 1-6.)

One is the race o f men, another the race o f gods , tho both drawbreath f r o m o ne mother. In ability the two races are very distinct

-) Od. 10 303 .3) Homer's Od. Ï×^Ë 1886.4) Lipsiae 1883.





6 Walter B. V,eazie,

for one amounts to nothing while the brazen heaven remains a sureseat fo r ever. We do, however, ressemble the immortals somewhat,either in greatness o f intellect o r innate ability to act on ouro w n in i t ia t ive . ' - , · · · . .

or ãáñ fp v tr *&áñéùíåßáí åëá÷åí

áëë' üôïôïò ìåí ÉüÝï&áé,ýíìðåïåéí ü' Üêìá âáñýò. [Is. 3 (4) 67(84)].

For he did not have the 'make up' of an Orion, but tho no t'much to look at', he had can awfull wallop'. (Í. B. the languagebefits the personage.) W ithout do ubt personal appearanc was avery important element in the 'make up' o f Orion, but it was not all.

Now. Aeschylus-, In Dindorfs L e x i c o n A e s c h y l e u m5) wefind four instances of (/ôïéò:

. . . . . . åÀ'ïüßïíò ôå ïíìâüëïíòãáìøùôº^ã/ïÃ ôå ðôÞàéí ïéùíþí ïêåûñþòüéþñéï' , ïÀ ô é À ß ò ôå üå éïú ö í ï í.

åíáç>íìïíò ôå. êáé üßáéôáí çôôéíáú÷ïíï úêáïôïé. (Ñ. V. 495.) Chance omens of a journey and the flight of crooked taloned

birds, I clearly set forth, both those that were in their nature pro-pitious and those unpropitious; and I explained the kind of life eachleads.

Ðåñûþñ ïïïéðåñ Þ ar áêìáßïé ö rot í

øí÷Þí ô' áñéïôïé êåíãåíåéáí åêðñåðåÀò. (Pers. 441.). Such o f the Persians as were at the height o f their physical

d e v e l o p m e n t [in the very bloom o f life' Buckley6)], most bravein spirit and of noble extraction.

Ïíê older, ovoelc ùïô Üðáããåéëáé ðïñþò.ðëçí ôïí ôñÝöïôôïò ¹ëéïõ ãâïíüò <pvc>iv. (Ag. 633.)

uNone knows sufficiently to tell clearly except the sun whon u r tu r e s the l i f e g iv ing po w er o f the earth.

Ô á ìåí ãá ñ åê ãçò üíïöñüÀ'ïéí ìåéëßãìáôá (270)âñïôïßò ðéöáíïêïç* å ß ð å ôÜïüå íöí íüèïõò,âáñêþí åðáìâáôçñáò Ü ã ñ ß á é ò ãíÜûïéòëé÷Þíáò ßîÝïè-ïíôáò Üñ÷áßáí öíàéí (Gh. 276, Text Paley.)

5) Lipsiae 1876.€

) Trag, of Aesch. lit, tr. T.A.Buckley, 1885.





The word ÖÕ2É2

'(Paley. note ad id.) for while declaring to mortals earth-bornpropitiations of hostile powers, he foretold to us two the followingdeseases', leprous ulsers attacking' th e flesh with savage jaws andeating out the former (?) strength.

ìïñöÞò tf ïí÷ ïìýàôïëïò f c ï é òÁåÀëïò ãáñ or/ oitoior ºíéß÷ù ãir o z ôñÝöåé.

(Supp. 496 [490].) For we' are not the s a m e kind of p e o p l e [as you] for the

Nile nourishes a different race from th e Inachus.

Next we take from the classical period. Aristophanes, and giveTiere all the examples, in any form, of the word öÞ)Àò. as givenin Oaravellae. Index A r i s t o p h a n i c u s e x c o d i c e B o d l e i a n o .7)

ÇÅÓÌ II:8) MNH.or ou 9 Üêïíåéí: ÅÕ P. or/ á ã á í ìßëë^ò ïñáô.

ÌÁÇ. ïíü Üñ ïñáÃ üåú ì ; ÅÕÑ. ï*;÷ á ã áí axovsir Ë'·?/. ÌÁÇ. ðþò ìïé ðáñáéôåßò: üå^éþò ìßíôïé ëÝãåéò:

ïí öçò or ãñÞíáß ì 9 ïßô ctxovtiv ov-f l ·ïñÜô.ÅÕÑ. ãùñßò ãáñ áíôïÀí å÷áôÝñïí ¼ôúí ö í Ï ß æ .Ì. ulsn't it necessary for me to hear?E. Not what you are about to see.M . Is it not then necessary for me to see?E. N ot wha t you should hear.M . How's this you say? You certainly talk cleverly. You say

it is necessary I neither see nor hearE. T he f u n c t i o n of each of these is different.The translation might be power or nature in one sense and

even origin as the next lines would indicate, i.e.M . Of not seeing and not hearing?E. Know thas for a surity.M . How distinct?E. Why they were thus made distinct at one time for when

th e ..aether, was first distintegrated and conceived in itself movinganimals,, it t hen , m anufactured, first an eye for \vhat ought to see,imitated from the suns disk, and bored funnelshaped ears for hearing.

7) O x. 1822.8) Teubner text.





W a l t e r B . Ve a z i e ,

ËÕÓ. 543:å^åëù ü å ð ß ðá rUrai ìåôÜ ô ùí ff Üäåôçò åíå÷ á ßò

tm ö í Ï ic 7 Im ÷Üñéò,åí é 0å fl-ñÜïïò, Àíé üå ïïöüí åíé öéëüðïëéòáñåôÞ öñüíéìïò.

"I am willing to go into anything for the sake of virtue withthose who have c h a ra c te r [f rt. 'intellect' so Hickie, Bohn Lib.],kindness (?) boldness, wisdom, and wise patriotism/"

×ÅÖ. 352:

ÓÔÑ. ô ßãáñ. çí Üñðáãá ôùí tiijtiooiftv êáôßüùïÀ Óéìùíá,ôé üñþ<ÇÃ:2ß£. áðïöáßíïíôáé ôçí ö é : ï t í áõôüí ëíêïé åîáßöíçò

åã åí ï íôï.ST. What do they [i. e. the clouds] do if they See Simon the

robber of the state?SO. "They immediately display his character [or. nature] and

become wolves [in shape].ÍÅÖ. 503:ÓÔÑ. å ß ð å üÞ íõí ìïé ôïüß.

çí åðéìåëÞò þ êáé ðñïû-íìùò é/áíÏ·Üíù 7

ôù ôùí ìá çôþí åìöåñÞò ãåíçïïìáé:Óßß. ïíüåí üéïßàåéò ×áéñåöþíôïò ôçí öíýéí

2ÔÑ. ïúìïé êá÷ïüáßìïéí, ÞìéßúíÞò ãåíÞàïìáé.

STE. If I am careful and learn well, which of yo ur pu pils wil lI come to resemble.

SO. You'll not differ at all from Chaerophon ô é ] í ö í ï é í[rather i nt ran sl at abl e tho we might say . onditiono r chancier ] .

STE. "Alas, wretched m e I shall become half dead " [The"half dead" explains the significance of öíïéò.]

ÍÅÖ. 515. ×ÏÑ.áëë Wi ãëÜñùí ôçò áíäñåßáò "Go rejoicing in this manly spiritåßíå÷á ôáíôçò. and may there be good for tune

åíôí÷ßá ãÝíïéôï ôÜíàñþðù, üôé for the man who, tho grown, o l d

ðñïÞêùí åò âáà-í ôçò Þëé- applies his s t r e n g h t far along*/rtc, íåïðåñïéò ôçí öíïéí in life to the deeds of you th . "av —

ôïí ðñÜãìáàéí ÷ñùôßæåôáé.





The word Ö I2f2.

Å Ö. 960: ë Ï P.÷.úëë ' þ ðïëëïßò ôïíò ðñåè<úõôÝñïíò Þ ú å < ~ > é ÷(>çïôïÔòïÞ^ïÃ ywrijt' ß/ôéíé ÷áßñåéò, êáé ôç r ïáíôïí ö í ïé r áðÝ,

The Chorus addressing Justice, p e r s o n i f i e d , and exhortingM m to defend himself in the oncoming debate with Injustice, says,

But you , who crowned ou r ancestors with many good (pbr.profitable) customs, speak with whatever voice you please and tellw h a t you a r e good fo r / '

×ÅÖ. 1187:ÖÅ1. ï 2õëù·Ã ï ðáëáéüò çí ãéëýüçìïò ôç r ö ro t r.

Solon, who of old was by n a t u r e a lover of the people/ 'i. e.. in his r e a l character, not affectedly so.

×ÅÖ. 1075 - j- 1078:ðÜñåéì' åíôåí åí åò ô Ü ò ôçò öíâåùò ÜíÜãêáò çìá(>ôåò,

/ / / f t #//c. åìïß÷åíàÜò ôé . êáô åëçö çò Üðüëùëáò ' áàííáôïò ãáñå é ëÝãåéí, åìïß ï9 ïìéëþí, ÷ñù ôç öéâåé. õêßñôá, ãåëÜ. íüìéæå

"But I turn from these [side pleasu res] to the necessities ofn a t u r e [i.e. the circumstance into which ou r na tu re is sure tobring us] . Yourhave erred, loved and committed some adultery.When caught you are undone for you cannot speak [i. e. defendyourself in court]. If. however, you become m y companion and usey o u r na t ive abi l i ty you m ay do what you please and 'get awaywith if Ã

2ÚÅÖ. 486. Socrates, examining the man to see what he can do,how good his memory is , etc., asks,Àíåïôé ýçôÜ ïïé ëÝãåéí å í ôç ö í ï å ß :

ivHave you, then, by your o w n na t ive abil i ty, readinesso f speech?'' [i. e. not an aquired or learned ability].

×ÅÖ. 037. Speaking f Electra, the Chorus says,ï)ò ol ( J O J c p Q o J T ß - â ô ú öíÏåé ïêÝøáïß)·'.

See that she is na tura l ly sei restraining. "[In. essence andaim B cheier.]Í ÅÖ. 877. Speaking of Phidippides, his father says to Socrates,

áìåëåß , üéüáïêå ' íìüïïöüò åàôéí (pro å é '"Don't heed him, teach him He is naturally quick-witted.9).

y) The »Scholia to íìü(úïöïò is here interesting, 1 ôïí t ïßïí íì,ïí





K ) W a l t e r B . V e a z i e ,

B T 541:ôï üú ìåôáïôñÝöåï-û-áé ðñïò ôï But to roll into a soft birth isìáëà-á÷ùôåñïí üåîéïí ðñïò the part of a crafty man amdÜ À ü ñ üò åïôÀ êáé r/t-oei èÞñá- of one who is a Theramenes byìåíïíò. nature.

Â A T. 700. Addressing the A thenian a u d i e n c e the Chorus sing,þ ïïöþôáôïé, ö í G å é.

"Oh, you mos t wise by n a t u r e 5 'B T 1183.EYP çí Ïßüßðïôò ôï ðñþôïí åíüáßìùí ÜíÞñ,•ÁÉÓ. ìá- ôïí Äé ïí ïÞô , Üëëá êáêïüáßìùí - ö í ï å ß . ,

ïíôéíÜ ãå, ðñßí öíí é ìåí, áðïëëùí À öçÜðï÷ôåíåúí ô or ðáôÝñá ÷. ô. /

E U K . 'Oedipus at first was a well favored man. ' 'AES. "Not so, by Zeus Rather he was n a t u r a l l y [or, in

origin] ill fated, of whom, before he was born, Apollo said that he

should kill his father etc.O P N 37. Speaking of Athens,áíôçô ìåí ïí ìéûïííô åêåßíç í r//r ðïëéíôï ìç ïí ìåãÜëçí - åß íáé ö í ï å ß wtäáßìïíá÷áú ðáïé ÷ïéíÞí åôáðïôÀïáé ÷ñÞìáôá.

k tNot hating the city herself, nor blaming her "polity'10) as notgreat or in the v e r y nature of things happy. [L e. by her very

constitution.]ÈÅÓÌ 167:xcd Öñííé÷ïò, rovror ãáñ ïíí á÷Þêïáò,áõôüò ôå êáëüò çí êáé êáëþò Þìðßï÷åôï 'üéÜ ôïíô áñ' áíô,ïí êáé ê Ü ë * çí ôá ïñÜìáôáüìïéá ãáñ ðïéåúô áíÜãêç ôç íïåß.

uY ou have heard, no doub t , of Phrynichos, he who was beautiful

and beautifully d ressed. H is dramas were for that reason beautiful,for it is necessary to act according to ones nature.

ÈÅÓÌ 531:áëë ' ïí ãáñ ßïôé. ôùí áíáéï ;ííôïúí öé,ûåéïíüåí êáêþí å éò áðáíôÜ ðëçí áñ' ç ãííáÀ÷åò.11)

10 ) Hodges. . ' . SchoJ. f ì·Þ Üëëç ãííÞ. , · · · . . . -





The word ÖÕ2/Ó 11

'Tor there is nothing worse than w omen n a t u r a l ly shamelessexcept w o m e n [in general].

ËÕÓ 1037. Of a woman ,ùò ßïôß ûùðéêáÀ öýàåé,

Since y o u a r e n a t u r a l l y a flatterer.ÈÅÓÌ 752. To a mother,

öéëüôå÷íïò ôéò ei öíõåé. You are by nature fond o f progeny.BAT. 810. Of the Athenian populace,

ë-ß /ñüô ôå ôÜëë' çãåßôï ôïí ãíþíáé ðåñß öýïåùò ðïéçôþÀ' â [i. e. Aeschylus] thought them [the A then ians] very in-

competent judges of the a b i l i t i e s o f poets.BAT. 1115.

åïôñáôåíìßíïé ãáñ å ß û é ,ß^éâëß ïÀô' ÷ïÞ* å÷áïôïò ìáôàÜôåé ôá ü å ^ é Ü 'á ú öé,ýåéò Ã Üëëïéò êñÜôéàôáé,rvr oi êáé ðìñç÷üÀ'çíôáé.

They have been soldiers, and each o f them with a book haslearned the tricks of the trade. Besides their nat ive abilities[or, wits] are first rate and they have by now been in addition shar-pened.

E PUKH 607.aha ÐåñéêëÝçò öïâç ý,ò ìç ìåôÜï÷ïé ôçò ôý÷çòôá ò ö í ï åéò éøþã üåüïé÷þò êáé ôïí áíôïüÜî ôñüðïí ê. ô. /

' 'Then Pericles, fearing lest he might share th e same misfortune,jand dreading your t empermen tg and pas s iona t e habit, etc.

Lastly, the stray instance.ÍÅÖ 276.

áÝíáïé ÍåöÝëáé,Üöà-þìåí öáíåñáú üñïüåñÜí öíï ô æéÜãçôïô,ðáôñüò áð ÷åáíïí âáñíáãÝïòíéñçëþí ïñÝïí êïñíöáò À ð éüåíüñï÷üìïíò,

u Ye everlasting clouds, let us, shining, raise our dewy, shiningf o r m s from fathe r Oceanus' re so un d ing caves to the wooded topso f lofty mountains. We might, h ow eve r, almo st translate öíïéíby selves .

'We will now pause and summerise th e literary material befor us.





12 Walter B. Veazie,

The word öíàéò in the thirty four examples cited is used i:napplication to .

Humain beings 25 timesPlants . . . 1 -Birds 1 -Seeing and hearing 1T h e heart . . . Ã 1 -Personifications 34'Life giving power of the earth . . 1Clouds (i. e. N. 276) . . 1 -

total 34 times.It must strike the reader at once that with the possible ex-

ception of the last instance12), öý ò is applied solely to animateobjects o r, shall w e not say those things which have the sourceof mot ion in themselves.' '

The translations have been thus,

Potency·1 1

times. ow n power 1 strength 2 - inate ability to act on our ow n initiative 1 wha t you are good for . . . . . . 1 ability . . . . . . 2 - · native ability . . . . . . ^ . . . . 2 - physical

development(of

you th) . . 1

. kind (of people) / 1 - temperment 1 by nature 3 - in the very nature of things . . . 1 function . . 1 - life giving power (of earth) . . . . 1 make up . . . ' . . . . . . . . . 1 -'•character . 3 - nature ( o f persons) 4

naturally ' . . . . ä behaves 1 - forms (Neph. 276) . . 1 -

12): It will be noted in this case that the c louds a re ta lk ing to t h e m -

selves.





The word ÖÕ2/2 J3

If m y translations have been correct, as I think on the wholethey have been , this w ill ' appear as an alm os t exclusive ar ray of

n a t i v e , l i v i n g p o w e r s . B ut more o f that hereafter.Plato, in the Tenth Book of the L a w s, gives a very interestingcontroversial account of antecedent and contemporary physicalphilosophy, and . as the term cfi otc is here of frequent occurence,w e will examine this book.

The conversation is on atheism and the part we are interested inon m a t e r i a l i s t i c a theism .

There are among us certain w ritings som e in verse, some[886 C] in prose \vhi$i speak concerning the gods . The most ancienttells that the first birth (öí(Çò) w as of Uranius 13 ) and of variousothers (ôþñ ô å Üëëùí). Continuing, they recount in detail thegeneration of the [other] g o d s (èåïãïíßá) not long after this be-ginning [or birth] (áñ÷Þ) and tell how that they fell in love withea&h other.

These personages, however, are in direct contrast to the youngerones mentioned later who make the stars to be stone, etc. instead ofg o d s .

Some persons say how that all-things which were, are, and will[888E4] be, exist, some by virtue of their ow n p ow er, someby (mere ) chance , some by art. -(ôá / /er öíïåé, ôá üå ôí÷ ,̂ôá ü ß ü é Ü ôßãíçí}. It seems, they say, that the most beautiful andgreatest things are brought to perfection by their own p o w e r toIncome and by chance öíýéí êáÀ ôíãíç) while the smaller are||oduced by art which receives from nature [the self producing] theprimary great things and then proceeds to mould and form the lesserwhich we call artificial

They say that f i r e , w a t e r , e a r t h and a i r , a l l exist becau sef tf their ow n p o w e r to b e c o m e (öíïåé) and by chance, bu t none these things by art. The bodies [coining] after these, i. e. theearth, the sun, the moon, and the stars have come to be entirelyt h ru t h e se , [i.e. fire, water etc.] being themselves without souls}i. e. power of motion] 14) severally moved by chance and some in-herent influence14), to where they fall together, fitting in some con-

13) Cf. here Orphic frag; ed. G. Murray, append. J. Harrison, Prolog, to£r. relig.; Finder, Ne. 6 (p. 4 of this paper); Hesiod, Th. 126ff.

4 t r Jowett for ôí÷À] üå öåñüìåíá ôÔ ôçò üííÜìåùò å÷í,óôá





14 Wa l te r B. Veazie,

genial manner, the hot with the cold, the clry with the moist, the s o > f twith the hard, [so that] all things have necessarily united by chanace

in a mixture of opposites. In this way the whole heavens came ttobe and everything in them, and all plants and animals in turn, tSieseasons coming to be from these [conditions] not thru intelligence n < o rsome god, nor thru art, but as we have said by their own p o w < e r öíïåé) and by chance.

We pause to note that what Plato is getting at is the oppositiono f opinions as to the sources of power. The atheists say that air,

earth fire and water, one or all have' this source in themselves öíïåé);Plato goes on to prove or attempt to prove that this is foolishness;that these materials cannot be the source of their own motion, butthat this lies in some exterior öí÷Þ.

Afterwards art coming into being, last, thru these, being itselfmortal from mortal sources, produced certain amusements withlittle truth to them, certain semblences åßäùëá)15) allied to each

other15

) e. g., [the imitations or images] \vhich the art of paintingproduces, and music and the other like arts. Such of the arts as pro-duce any serious work are those which add their force to the inner,i n n a t e , natural m o t iv e f o r c e öýóéò) of the things themselves,as for example theraputics, agriculture and gymnastics,

N o w he continues,ÁÔÇ. But tell me again, Kleinias, for you must be my partner

in [891C] this conversation, does not the one who says these things[about the gods] probably consider f i r e , w a t e r , earth, and airto be the first of everything ðñþôá). To these he gives the nameöí'ïéò, while he considers that soul comes from these later

KLE. Yes indeed.

ÁÔÇ. Then, by Zeus, we have discovered the source of thisunreasonable opinion of these men who to some extent have dealt

with inquires. concerning öíâéò ð å ñ ß öíïåïéò (Í. Â. Singular)æçôçìÜôùí].Á Ô Ç . I will tell, then, the not entirely ordinary argument which

is as follows. These reasonings ëüãïé) which15) make souls without . .

any divine element16), indicate what is really the f i r s t cause ' of

16

1â ) for ôçí ôù óåâþí øí÷Þí.





The word ÖÕÓ 2< 5

g e n e r a t i o n and d e c a y as a later production wherefor they errin their opinion as to what are gods.

RLE. I do not quite see.[892 A.]ÁÔÇ. They all seem to be ignorant of what the soul is like,

of its power and that it originated among the first of bodies, befor allof them and is the STAETFE ra ther than any [of the b o d i e s ]of change and r e a r r angemen t . If this is so and the soul isolder than the body, will not the things akin to the soul come to bebefor these which pertain to the body.

KLE. Necessarily.[892B]ÁÔÇ. '' Then thoughts, attention, reaspn, art and law will be

prior to the hard, soft, heavy and light. So the greatest and mostprimitive accomplishments and activities will arise thru art. Theseworks of art will be first, while [the so called] works of nature ôá üöíáåé) and öíàßò itself — for the term öíáéò is wrongfu lyu s e d in this sense — will be later and have their beginning in

art and reason. (Not in them selves.)KLE. How is the termö í á é ò incorrectly used?[892C]ÁÔÇ. W h y, they wish to say that ö âéò is1*7) the

f i r s t c rea t ive power1 7) , but i f the sou l appears to be f i r s tinstead o f f i re o r air, and to have o r ig ina ted among thevery f i r s t things, t hen in the truest s ense i t may beespecial ly sa id to exis t by i ts own p o w e r o f ex is tence öíïåß)

18). This is t rue if the soul is s h o w n to be b e f o r e

the b o d y in time but not o therwise .According to Plato then, there is a problem as to where the

primary motive force in the universe lies. Some have said that it liesin the material elements themselves and therefore in so far as thesem aterial elem ents have this p rimary motive porce of their own, theym ay be said to have a öíâéò, to be öé,ïåé. or even to be öýïéò. Öíïéò

is the first creative power , but these philosophers err in speakingof air, earth, etc. as this öíïéò or first creative poweraccording toPlato, for ke says the sou l alone can be a first creative power

é — s aig 0 jowett.18 ) Jowett trans, but if the soul turn out to be the primeval element

and not fire or air, then in the truest sense and beyond other things the soulmay be said to have a natural or creative power. '





16 Wa l ter B. Veaz i e ,

and therefor truly a ößïéò. It will, fo r this reason, also be first int ime and deprive the elements of all priority.

In Aristotle we have , first of all, the classic division of the mean-ings of öíïéò which, according to Metaph. 4 Ä 4, 1014b 16. a re :(1) uth e genesis o f growing things 19 ); (2) the immanent e lement ina thing from wh ich its grow th pro cee ds'': (3) the source fro m wh ichthe primary mo veme nt in each natural object is present in it. invirtue of its ow n essence ; (4) the primary matter of which anynon-natural object consists5'; (5 ) the essence o f objects, as with

those who say that nature is th e primary mode o f composition20

).But turning to Bonitz Index21), we find but 14 instances cited inthe entire works of Aristotle where öíïéò equals 'substance' (íëç)and an examination of these m ay give some supprising results. I tak ethem in my own o rder :

M. 7 g 7. (1032 a 22).19 ) Of things that come to be, some come to be by nature,

some by art some spontane o usly.. . (1032a 15) Now natural com ingsto be are the comings to be o f those things which* come to be bynature ; and that out o f which the y come to be is wh at we call matter(ôï ï Ý ï í ãßãíåôáé, çã ëßãïìåí Àëçí * and that by which theycome to be is something which exists naturally; (ôï ü íö ïõ, ôùíößïúÀ T L üíôùí ) and the something which they come to be is aman or a plant or any of the things of this kind, which we say are

substances, if anything is. All things pro duce d either by natureor by art have ma t te r ; for each of t hem is capable both of being andno t be ing, and in this capacity is the m atter in each. A nd , ing e n e r a l , both that f rom which they are produced (÷á·9·üëïí ü÷áú £ g o v öíàßò xal xafr ï öíïßò), and the type according towhich they are produced is nature, etc.

M. 4 A 26 (1024a 4).1ä

) These are the things whose nature remains the same aftertransposition, but whose form does not, e. g. wax o r a coat; theyare called both wholes and totals.

D e A n . 2 / 9 7 (418b31).

19) Ox. trans.20) c f . p . 3 . , . .

21) Index Aristotelicus. Berlin 1870. ar t. ößóéò 3c. p. 83 8 b ad fin. see.





The word ÖÕÓÉÓ 7

S2 ) It is that \vhich is colorless which is receptive of color. s it is that which is soundless which is receptive of sound. Andithe transparent is colorless, and so is the invisible or the dimly visible^vhich is our idea of the dark. Such is the transparent medium, notiindeed when it is in actuality, but when potentially transparent. For t .is the s a m e natural - a t t r i b u t e which is at one time darkness« n d at another time light. (ç ãáñ áé,ôÞ öíïéò äôå ìåí üêüôïæ< ï ô ß üå öùò åïôßí.)

De Rep . 14. (477b 16—17).ôùí ìåí ãáñ Ýîåùí ôÜò íðåñâïëÜò Ý÷ïíôáò ïú åíÜíôéïé

ôüðïé êáé þñáé ûþæïíûÀí, Þ üå öíï ò å í ôïéò ï ß ê å ß ï é ò ìÜëéàôá< ï < ü æ å ô á é ôüðïéò ïí ãáñ ô áõôü í Þ ' Æ ë ç ôùí æïÀïí å î çò åàôéô÷êáýôïí ê. ô. /

23 ) Excess in a bodily state is cured by a situation or season of«opposite character, bu t t he cons t i tu t ion (öíïéò) is best main-tained by environment akin to it. There is a difference between thematerial of which any animal is constituted and the states and dispo-

sitions of that material. For example, if nature were to constitutea thing of wax or of ice, she would not preserve it by putting it inallot place, for the opposing quality would quickly destroy it , etc.

I do not see here how that öíïéò in the first instance is synono-mous 'with íëç as Bonitz, fo r Aristotle is talking about animalsand their health and „constitution or bodily condition , as in theOxford translation given.

D e Part. A n i m . 2 / 9 1 (646a33).ðÜí ãáñ ôï ãéíüìåíïí åê ôßíïò êáú å ú ò ôé ðïéåßôáé ôçí ãÝíåàéô,êáÀ áð áñ÷Þò åð áñ÷Þ í, áðü ôçò ðñþôçò ê LV O V àç ò êáéå÷ï ßïçò çüç ôéíÜ öíï í åðß ôßíá ìïñöÞí ç ôïßïíôïí Üëëï ôÝëïò.

24) For generation is a process from a something to a som ething;that which is generated having a cause in which it originates and acause in w hich it ends. The originating cause is the p rimary efficientcause, which is something already endowed with a tangib le existen-ce, while the final cause is some definate form or similar end .

Öíàéò is here applied to the cause of motion and may possiblybe synonomous with ovoia but by no means with ýëç.

2 2) Hick's trans.23 ) Ox. trans. ·24 ) Ox. trans.

Archiv f r Geschichte der Philosophie. XXXI11. l u. 2. 2





18 Wa l t e r B . V e a z i e ,

D e G e n . e t C o r. a (322b 1 9 ) ·

ov ãáñ Þ åñìüôçò ìåôáâÜëëåé êáé Þ øí÷ñüôçò elc Üëëçëá:,Üëëá äÞëïí üôé ôï õðïêåßìåíïé), ùàôå åí ïéò ôï ðïéåÀí åïôÉ êáðôï ðÜï÷åéí, áíÜãêç ôïýôùí ìßáí åßíáé ôçí íðïêåéìÝíçí ö í â r..

L translate: For the heat [or. hotness] and the cold do no^tchange into one another [of themselves] but it is evident that there issome underlying thing [which is hot or cold and changes]. So in tinecase of things which act and are acted upon, it is necessary that there

be one [common] basic n a t u r e of these.1 Here öíàéò seems to me to

mean ovoia and not

íëç.In P h y s i c s a 1 191a 8 we have again this õðïêåßìåíç öíï ^åðéïôçôç êáô9 Üíáëïãßáí.

The other instances cited by Bonitz, i. e. M. 4zf 4 . 1014b 26, 33;1015a 7 ; 1A 8. 988 b 22 and Phy. la 8. 191b 34; 2/91.193a9, are caseswhere Aristotle is treating of the e a r l i e r G r e e k p h i l o s o p h e r sthemselves, so that following Bonitz we have but seven possibleinstances where Aristotle on his own behalf em ployes öíïéò = ß ///,but when the examples, as given above, are considered it will appearthat in all instances with the possible exception of M. 7 g 7. 1032a 22öíáéò is employed rather as ïíàßá in an extended use to be sure, orsomething related to ovota as constitution in De Eep. 14 . 4 77b 16.Even, however, should it be successfully maintained that öíïéò = íëç·in these seven instances, they would be but the exceptions that provethe rule when brough t into contrast with the very extensive use of theword thruout Aristotle and would still uphold our contention, which is:

The early Greek-philosophers postulated matter in m o t i o n .The granted no power except what this matter possessed in its ownright (öýïÝú). This matter in motion, however, being a first postulate,becomes the öíàéò of things in general. Plato was unable to see howthe matter could, shall we say. possess any motion or power of motionin its own right and so postulated a öõñ? to which, I fear, the afore-mentioned philosophers would have retorted that he was making amere squable over words, this property of matter being the same s hisøý÷ç only he had abstracted it a little more. Now Aristotle comes onthe scene with his categories and Causes and this is w hat happened.The earlier philosophers, he said, have called air, earth, fire and water,one o r all, öýâéò. Air, earth, fire and water are (to him).matter '(ûëç).Therefore, öíïéò = íëç. I think the historical transition is blear.





T he w o r d Ö/Ï/Ó 19

Öíàéò apparently does not mean matter in classical Greek, even in-cluding Aristotle; it applies to things—we should say—living, having

th e source of motion in themselves . T o be sure it shades o ff intavarious related sense s, de rived as Aristotle himself says (Metap.4J4.1015al5 seq.) from this primary meaning, but he does not use it to meanmatter except where he has-preformed th e logical fallacy abovegiven.

In conclusion: These physists , then, were not seeking any''primary substance , qua substance, when they examined into theöíâéò

But the thinkers are, after all, at home only in argumentsabout generation and destruction and movement (Arist. MetapL989b-22.), and instead of „lazily neglecting * the cause of motionthey recognised it primarily and put it where it probably belongs,i. e. in the moving thing. And this is w hy some indentified soul withfire, this being the element w hich is made up o f the finest particlesand is most nearly incorporeal, while further it is preeminentlyan element w h i c h both m o v e s and sets other things inçéáöß^ç. 25 ) If Heraclitus called fire, öß àéòhe understood fire to beJbte most mobile factor, Jhe factor in the world which had th e power motion in itself; No one of the gods or men made this ordereduniverse which is the same for all, but it always was, is and will bean ever-living fire, kindling and being extinguished according to rule.Here; w e sho uld also no te Aristotle, M . 984b 5. 26 ) But for those w homake m ore elements it is mo re possible to state the second cause, e. g.

fo r those w ho make not and cold, or fire and earth, the elements; fo rthey treat fire as having a nature which fits it to move things andwater and earth and such they treat in a contrary way.

T he explanation applies most beautifully to the earliest Greeks.Thales w ould perhaps have w ater the mobile element, getting theaotion , as Aristotle himself surmises, perhaps from seeing that th elutriment of all things (i. e. w hat makes them grow ) is mo ist and that

leat itself is generated from moist and kept alive by it. The windrf Anaximines is the breath of the world. It drove about the ships;it hurled do w n houses and made a plaything of Thales' ocean. It w asHie öíïéò for it surely moved of its own power and moved the rest

*5) Arist. Be aiiima A 2. 105 a 5.^26) Ox. trans, and so all· if'. . . ;

2*





20 Walter B. Veazie,

o the universe. To Anaxamander the source of motion lay in th(eÜðåéñïí, the limitless, the falling everyth ing. He seems to have beem

a/young Democritus.In the metaphysical Parmenides, we have no mo tion, no birth,,no death and so no öíïéò. In the physical Parmenides, we have agaima search for the movables in the hot and the cold, not for ''primarysubstance .

When these men and the principles of this kind had had theirday, as the latter were found inadequate to generate the nature o t

things, men w ere again forced by the truth itself, as we said, to inquineinto the next kind of cause. (M. 984b 8.) W hat they did was topartially abstract and give a name to certain factors, Empedoclesdiscovered matter. Together with Anaxago ras he began to think ofcertain forces as ab stracted and to th ese they applied th e terms love 'and hate and íïíò,-but as the atomic philosophy grew it forgotthis distinction and again assumed m atter in m otion as its fund am enta l

postulate ·Ü ÷Þí ðïéçâÜìåíïé êáôÜ öíïéí çðåñ ßâôßí. ThisDemocritianisni w as the physical philosophy contem perary with Platoand the one which he attacked so vigorously. M atter and energy arehere at a minimum of seperation. Matter in motion has the powero motion in itself; it is öíâéò, self sufficient and needing no Platonicøõ÷Þ to wheelbarrow it aro und into cosmic heaps. The öíïéïëüãïßw e r e interested in öí éò, that w h i c h h a s t h e s o u r c e o fm o t i o n i n itself . . . · - ·

The naivete of such a viewpoint is.astounding. We are onlyjust com ing to b e able to think thus plainly. From the time of Platoor before, we have been receeding from this 'naturalness' and thencehas accumulated upon the grow ing languages the increasing difficultyo expressing the idea of the word öíüéò, whose connotation we havelost. W e have no word which m ay be .applied to gods, men, plantsand atoms to attribute to them as a common property a source ofmotion in themselves. 'Nature' will do at times, but a mere glancein Webster will show that its am biguity is profound and its rangeby no means comprehensive enough. When we say, Art imitatesnature, we mean that the productions o artists resemble naturalproductions in appearance et aL ; when a Greek said, Art imitatesnature (öíàéò), he meant that both produced something, whethertheir productions were alike or not being entirely irrelevant. Further,





The word Ö Õ2É2 2

that of which öíàéò is the source is not one in our thinking. We haveno common term like ÷ßíçâéò to express, generation, decay, augu-mentation, diminution, qualitive change and locomotion (Arist.Catag. 14.15al3.) Obviously, then, in translating öíïéò we are throw nupon various makeshifts and circumlocutions according to context..and have as much need to take care in avoiding subsequent meaningsof words as to bring out the full significiance of the Greek.

The application of this interpretion given to öýóéò to the fewinstances of the word in the fragments is not difficult.)27)

Herac l i tus Fr. 2 (Diels)üéáéñÝáéí åêáâôïí êáôÜ öýïéò xca öñÜîùí ïêïéò Ý ÷ å é

Determining each thing according to- i t s power in thenatura l wo r ld and deciding how this is. or, perhaps better,

descriminatingthings according totheir innatemovabil i ty(fire having a great deal, earth little, etc.) 28) and deciding how this is.

Herac l i tus Fr. 10.öíûéò êñíðåü&áé öéëåÀ. / T he p o w e r of motion in things loves to hide.P a r m e n i d e s Fr. 10.

åúàç ü ' áß&åñßçí ôå öíàéí ôá ô iváÉ&Ýñé ðÜíôáïÞìáôá êáé êá&áñÞò åíáãÝïò ÞåëßïéïëáìðÜäïò åñã' áúïçëá êáÀ äððü åé> åîåãÝíïôéôïÝñãá ôå êíêëùðïâ ðåíâç ðåñßöïéôá ïåëÞíçò êáú ö í ò.

You will know the aether and i t s p o w e r t o move and all thesigns in the aether and the destructive works of the pure bright fireof the sun and its source o f power.

NB. relation between öí á é ò and Ýñãá. ·P a r m e n i d e s Fr. 16.

·. ôï ãáñ áíôüåïôéí üðåñ öñïí é ìåëÝùí öíïéò Üí&ñïéðïéâé,íêáÀ ðáïéí êáÀ ðáíôé '· ô ï ãáñ ðëÝïí åûôú íïÞìá.

That which thinks in men is in all the same, i e. a power [ofmotion in the Greek sense] in the members, etc.

We would expect some kind of a power to do thinking.

Of. Woodbridge, PJ l. Eev. º£01.Of. Arist. M. 984 b 5.





£> Walter B . Ve a z i e .

E m p e d o c l e s Fr. 8.Üëëï üå ôï åñÝù' öíàéò ïíüåíüò åïôéí áðÜíôùí íçôþí, ïíüÝ ôéò ïíëïìÝíïí èÜíáôï ßï ôåëåíôÞ,Üëëá ìüíïí ìßîéò ô s üéÜëëáîßò ôå ìéãÝíôùíåïôß, ö í à t ò ü ' å ð ôïéò ïíïìÜæåôáé, Üí ñþðïéâßí.

There is no power of growth 29 ) in mortal things nor is therean end in destructive death but only [chance] mixture and seperatiomof mixture. Men have however given this the name growth.

Empedocles Fr. 110. 114áõôÜ ã á ñ áíîåé

ôáíô' å ò Þ ïò (Ý÷áïôïí, ïðÞ öíàß,ò åàôßí å÷Üüôù. For these cause each to grow after its own character, whatever

is the power o f growth in each.' 1

Empedocles Fr. 63.Üëëá üéÝàðáâôáé ìåëÝùí öíïéò ç ìåí åí áíäñüò.

uBut the growing principle o f the members [of the child] is divided,part in the man , [part in the woman].

29 Note »Growth4 is a kind of jinotion* to the Greek. Cf. Arist.C.l.ag. 14. 15 a 13.

Veazie, Walter B._The Word ΦΥΣΙΣ_1921_AGPh, 33, 1-2, pp. 3-22

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