27. Ἀναβήσομαι δ’ αὖθις ὀπίσω οὗ εἵνεκά μοι λόγου τάδε ἀμφὶ
τῶνδε εἴρηται. Φημὶ γὰρ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ φυόμενα πάντα ζῇν ἀπὸ τῆς
γῆς τῆς ἰκμάδος, καὶ ὅκως ἂν ἡ γῆ ἔχῃ ἱκμάδος ἐν ἑωυτῇ, οὕτω
καὶ τὰ φυόμενα ἔχειν· οὕτω καὶ τὸ παιδίον ζῇ ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ἐν
τῇσι μήτρῃσι, καὶ ὅκως ἂν ἡ μήτηρ ὑγιείης ἔχῃ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ παιδίον
ἔχει. Ἢν δέ τις βούληται ἐννοεῖν τὰ ῥηθέντα ἀμφὶ τούτων ἐξ
ἀρχῆς ἐς τέλος, εὑρήσει τὴν φύσιν πᾶσαν παραπλησίην ἐοῦσαν τῶν
τε ἐκ τῆς γῆς φυομένων καὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ταῦτά μοι ἐς
τοῦτο εἴρηται.
τῶνδε εἴρηται. Φημὶ γὰρ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ φυόμενα πάντα ζῇν ἀπὸ τῆς
γῆς τῆς ἰκμάδος, καὶ ὅκως ἂν ἡ γῆ ἔχῃ ἱκμάδος ἐν ἑωυτῇ, οὕτω
καὶ τὰ φυόμενα ἔχειν· οὕτω καὶ τὸ παιδίον ζῇ ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ἐν
τῇσι μήτρῃσι, καὶ ὅκως ἂν ἡ μήτηρ ὑγιείης ἔχῃ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ παιδίον
ἔχει. Ἢν δέ τις βούληται ἐννοεῖν τὰ ῥηθέντα ἀμφὶ τούτων ἐξ
ἀρχῆς ἐς τέλος, εὑρήσει τὴν φύσιν πᾶσαν παραπλησίην ἐοῦσαν τῶν
τε ἐκ τῆς γῆς φυομένων καὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ταῦτά μοι ἐς
τοῦτο εἴρηται.
De natura pueri. Hippocrates. ed. Émile Littré. Paris. 1851.
Funding provided by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.