[49] (1) Platō philosophus in illō praeclārissimō Tīmaeō caelestī quādam fācundiā ūniversum mundum mōlītur. (2) Igitur postquam dē nostrī quoque animī trīnīs potestātibus sollertissimē disseruit, et cūr quaeque membra nōbīs dīvīnā prōvidentiā fabricāta sint aptissimē docuit, causam morbōrum omnium trifāriam percēnset. (3) Prīmam causam prīmōrdiīs corporis attribuit, sī ipsae elementōrum quālitātēs, ūvida et frīgida, et hīs duae advorsae nōn congruant. Id adeō ēvenit, cum quaepiam eārum modō excessit aut locō dēmigrāvit. (4) Sequēns causa morbōrum inest in eōrum vitiō, quae iam concrēta ex simplicibus elementīs ūnā tamen speciē coaluērunt, ut est sanguinis speciēs et viscēris et ossī et medullae, porrō illa quae ex hīsce singulāribus mixta sunt. (5) Tertiō in corpore concrēmenta variī fellis et turbidī spīritūs et pinguis hūmōris novissima aegritūdinum incitāmenta sunt.
notes
According to Plato's Timaeus, the causes of diseases can be put into three categories: when elements exceed or are deficient in the proper amount, when a defect occurs, and when there is a combination of various elements.
(1)
illō praeclārissimō Tīmaeō: Plato's influential dialogue Timaeus presents an account of the formation of the universe and an explanation of its impressive order and beauty.
ūniversum mundum: "a holistic (model of the) universe."
mōlītur: "constructs," LS molior II.A.3.
(2)
igitur: "so then," "accordingly."
quoque: "also," in addition to the other topics of the dialogue, which include the nature and function of the universe.
animī trīnīs potestātibus: Platonic doctrine divided the soul into three parts: (1) the appetitive (seat of desires, which can be for good or bad things); (2) the rational (which restrains and direct the soul); and (3) the spirited part (the seat of honor and shame).
cūr: "why (it is evident that)," "how we can know (that)...," introducing indirect question.
(3)
prīmōrdiīs: "the foundational elements."
ūvida et frīgida: elementa.
et hīs duae adversae: "and the two (qualities) opposite to these." Since hīs must refer to the wet and cold elements, this phrase refers to the dry and hot elements.
adeo: this word gives added emphasis to the preceding id: "indeed" (OLD adeo 8).
quaepiam eārum: "any one of these (qualities)."
modō: "its proper measure."
locō: "its proper place."
(4)
Sequēns: "the next."
inest in ... vitiō: "lies in (some) flaw."
eōrum ... quae: "of those (parts of the body) which."
simplicibus elementīs: wet, cold, dry, or hot.
ūnā tamen speciē: "at least under one identifiable appearance," i.e., a material, such as "bone," as opposed to any particular bone.
ut est: "for example," "such as."
speciēs: "material," or "substance" (Jones).
porrō: “furthermore,” LS porro II.B.
illa quae ex hīsce singulāribus mixta sunt: individual bones and organs. See Plato, Timaeus 82c ff.
hīsce singulāribus: blood, gut, bone, marrow.
(5)
Tertiō: "thirdly," "in third place."
concrēmenta: "combinations." The word occurs only here in extant ancient Latin.
turbidī spīritūs: "turbulent gas" (Jones).
pinguis: "thick," "viscous."
novissima aegritūdinum incitāmenta: "the last precipitators of illness" (Jones), rounding off the list of three main types.
Vocabulary
(1)
Platō –ōnis m.: Plato, a celebrated Greek philosopher, the disciple of Socrates, the instructor of Aristotle, and founder of the Academic philosophy
philosophus -ī m.: a philosopher
praeclārus –a –um: very famous, distinguished
Tīmaeus –ī m.: A Pythagorean philosopher and character in two of Plato's dialogues, Timaeus and Critias
fācundia –ae f.: eloquence, fluency, command of language
ūniversus –a –um: entire, all
mōlior mōlīrī mōlītus: to work at, devise
(2)
trīnus –a –um: 3 each, 3, threefold
sollers sollertis: skilled, expert
dissero, dissere, -rui, -rtum: teach about, discuss
dīvīnus –a –um: divine, of a deity/god, godlike; sacred
prōvidentia –ae f.: foresight; divine providence
fabricō fabricāre fabricāvī fabricātus: to construct, frame, build (> fabrica, structure)
trifāriam: three-fold, triple
percēnseō –cēnsēre –cēnsuī: to enumerate, review, consider (thoroughly)
(3)
prīmōrdium –ī n.: foundational element
attribuō attribuere attribuī attribūtus: to assign, allot
elementum –ī n.: simple substance, element
quālitās –ātis f.: a quality, property, nature, state, condition
ūvidus –a –um: moist, wet
frīgidus –a –um: cold, cool
congruō –gruere –gruī: to coincide, agree; to be in balance
ēveniō ēvenīre ēvēnī ēventus: to happen, turn out
quispiam quaepiam quidpiam: any, some
excēdō excēdere excessī excessus: to exceed
dēmigrō dēmigrāre dēmigrāvī dēmigrātus: to go away (to a new home)
(4)
īnsum inesse īnfuī: to be in
concrēscō –ere –crēvī –crētus: to grow together; grow thick; stiffen, coalesce; (ptc) concretus, a, um: amassed, composed
simplex –icis: simple, unitary
elementum –ī n.: simple substance, element
coalēscō coalēscere coaluī coalitum: to grow together, coalesce
vīscus vīsceris n.: the soft, fleshy parts of the body (as distinct from skin, bone, etc.)
medulla –ae f.: marrow
porrō: furthermore
-ce: intensifying demonstrative particle (equivalent to γέ)
singulāris –is –e: single, primary
(5)
concrēmentum –ī n.: a mixture; mass
fel fellis n.: bile, secretion of the liver
turbidus –a –um: confused; mingled, foul; dismal, dark; whirling; of the mind, sad, troubled; startled, in alarm; furious (> turbo)
pinguis –is –e: fat, thick, viscous
hūmor –oris m.: moisture; humor in the body
aegritūdō –inis f.: sickness
incitāmentum –ī n.: incitement, cause, instigation