Stephanus 88

88a than the body, clings to it with overmuch eagerness, it shakes the whole thing from within and fills it with diseases; and when it presses hard into studies and inquiries, it melts away; while teachings, and battles in argument, public and private, born of wrangling and rivalry, set it ablaze and unsteady it, and bringing on fluxes they deceive most of the so-called physicians and make them blame the innocent causes. And when, again, a body grows great and out beyond its soul, joined to a small and weak intelligence—since there are by nature two cravings among humankind, 88b for food by way of the body, and for understanding by way of the divinest thing in us—then the motions of the stronger prevail, swelling their own and making the soul's dull, slow to learn, and forgetful, and so fasten upon us the greatest disease, ignorance. One salvation there is for both: to move the soul apart from the body never, nor the body apart from the soul, so that each, guarding against the other, may grow proportioned and 88c sound. The one who works mathematics, or any other intense study, upon the mind owes the body its counter-motion, by taking up gymnastic; and the one who molds the body with care owes the soul its counter-motions, by using music and all philosophy, if anyone is to deserve to be called, rightly, both beautiful and good. And on the same principle the parts too must be tended, each imitating 88d the form of the whole. For the body is burned and chilled within by what enters it, and dried and moistened again from outside, and undergoes all that follows upon these, under both kinds of motion; if one keeps quiet and hands the body over to those motions, it is overpowered and destroyed; but if one imitates what we named the nurse and foster-mother of the universe, and lets the body never keep still, but moves it and sets some trembling always working in it, he wards off, by motions according to nature, 88e both those from within and those from without; and shaking it in due measure, he brings the wandering affections and parts of the body into order with one another by their kinship—as in the earlier account we gave of the universe—and, setting friend beside friend instead of enemy against enemy, he will not let the body breed wars and diseases, but health

88a than the body and holds it in a passion, it shakes the whole thing and fills it with diseases from inside; and when it goes intensely into some kinds of learning and inquiry, it wears the body down; and when it gives lessons and argues in words, in public and in private, in disputes and rivalries, it sets the body on fire and shakes it; and bringing on flows of fluid, it deceives most of the so-called doctors and makes them blame the innocent things. And again, when a body that is big and overgrown with soul is joined with a small and weak mind—for by nature humans have two 88b sets of desires, through the body a desire for food, through the most divine part in us a desire for understanding—the motions of the stronger element take over, increasing their own side and making the soul's part dull, slow to learn, and forgetful, and so they produce the greatest disease, ignorance. There is one safeguard for both: do not exercise the soul without the body, nor the body without the soul, so that the two may defend each other, keep their balance, and be 88c healthy. So the person who works at mathematics or at some other very demanding study of the mind must also give the body its movement, by taking exercise; and the person who carefully shapes the body must in turn give the soul its movements, making use of music and of all philosophy, if someone is to be rightly called both fine and good at once. In the same way the parts too must be cared for, copying the form of the whole 88d. For the body is burned and cooled inside by what comes in, and again dried and wetted from outside, and suffers what follows from these under both motions; and when a person keeps the body idle and hands it over to these motions, it is overpowered and ruined. But if someone imitates what we called the nurse and caretaker of the universe, and never lets the body stay idle but keeps it moving, always giving it some kind of shaking, then through 88e all of it he wards off the motions inside and outside according to nature; and shaking it in due measure he sets in order toward one another the experiences that wander around the body and its parts, according to their kinship, following the account we gave earlier about the universe. He will not set enemy next to enemy and let them breed wars and diseases in the body, but setting friend next to friend he will produce health

88a and is in a very passionate state, it shakes up the whole body from within and fills it with maladies; and whenever the soul ardently pursues some study or investigation, it wastes the body; and again, when the soul engages, in public or in private, in teachings and battles of words carried on with controversy and contention, it makes the body inflamed and shakes it to pieces, and induces catarrhs; and thereby it deceives the majority of so-called physicians and makes them ascribe the malady to the wrong cause.

And, on the other hand, when a large and overbearing body is united to a small 88b and weak intellect, inasmuch as two desires naturally exist amongst men, —the desire of food for the body’s sake, and the desire of wisdom for the sake of the most divine part we have,—the motions of the stronger part prevail and augment their own power, but they make that of the soul obtuse and dull of wit and forgetful, and thereby they produce within it that greatest of diseases, ignorance.

From both these evils the one means of salvation is this—neither to exercise the soul without the body nor the body without the soul, so that they may be evenly matched and sound of health. Thus the student of mathematics, 88c or of any other subject, who works very hard with his intellect must also provide his body with exercise by practising gymnastics; while he who is diligent in molding his body must, in turn, provide his soul with motion by cultivating music and philosophy in general, if either is to deserve to be called truly both fair and good.

The various parts, likewise, must be treated in the same manner, in imitation of the form of the Universe. For as the body 88d is inflamed or chilled within by the particles that enter it, and again is dried or moistened by those without, and suffers the affections consequent on both these motions, whenever a man delivers his body, in a state of rest, to these motions, it is overpowered and utterly perishes; whereas if a man imitates that which we have called the nurturer and nurse of the Universe, and never, if possible, allows the body to be at rest but keeps it moving, and by continually producing internal vibrations defends it in nature’s way against the inward and outward motions, and by means of moderate vibrations 88e arranges the affections and particles which stray about in the body in their due reciprocal order, according to their affinities,—as described in the previous account which we have given of the Universe—then he will not suffer foe set beside foe to breed war in the body and disease, but he will cause friend to be set beside friend so as to produce sound health.