Name: On the Generation of Man and Seed
Author: Anonymous

Library › Greek: Science & Medicine › On the Generation of Man and Seed

On the Generation of Man and Seed is an anonymous Greek medical text, printed by J. L. Ideler in Physici et medici Graeci minores (I, 1841). It is a paraphrase of the Hippocratic treatises On Generation and On the Nature of the Child. It explains the origin of seed in both parents, conception, and the growth and articulation of the embryo by breath and heat. It also explains why children are male or female and resemble one or both parents. It closes with a count of the body's bones.

The Hippocratic works on generation were among the most influential ancient accounts of reproduction, and paraphrases like this one kept their theories in circulation long after classical times. The text shows how later readers simplified and adapted the older doctrine of two seeds, and it offers a clear introduction to ancient ideas about embryology and inheritance.

About this edition. The Greek text comes from the Eulogikon open corpus of public-domain editions (standard reference: Ideler, Physici et medici Graeci minores I (1841)). Every word has been analyzed with odyCy, a neural language model for Ancient Greek — click or tap any word for its dictionary form, part of speech, and complete morphology, together with the full entry from the Liddell–Scott–Jones Greek–English Lexicon (LSJ).

Ancient Greek · Science & Medicine

On the Generation of Man and Seed

Anonymous · every word parsed

1
ἡ δὲ γονὴ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἄρχεται ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ ὑγροῦ τοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι, ὄντος τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἰσχυρότατον ὑπὸ κάτωθεν. Ἔχει δὲ νεῦρα καὶ φλέβας ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος τεινούσας εἰς τὸ αἰδοῖον, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τριβομένου καὶ διαθερμαινομένου, ὡς ἐξ ἀκοντίου ῥίπτει τὸ σπέρμα ἔξω οὐχ ὅπου τὸ οὖρον, ἀλλʼ ὅπου ἡ ὁδός ἐστι τῶν ὄρχεων, νεῦρα καὶ φλέβες εἰς αἰδοῖον τηροῦσαι. [5] 
Καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἀνδρὸς ἡ γονὴ ἰσχυροτέρα ἐστί, τῆς δὲ γυναικὸς ἀσθενεστέρα. Εἰσὶ δὲ τέσσαρες ἰδέαι τοῦ σώματος, αἵματος, φλέγματος, χολῆς ξανθῆς καὶ χολῆς μελαίνης. 
5
Ἐν δὲ τῷ καιρῷ τῆς συνουσίας εἰς τὴν μῖξιν τῶν αἰδοίων παρατριβομένων καὶ διαθερμαινομένων ἐμπίπτει ἡ ἡδονὴ καὶ θερμαίνει τὸ αἰδοῖον, καὶ πληροῦται τοῦ σπέρματος. Καὶ ἡ μὲν γονὴ ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἐμπεσοῦσα μέση εἰς τὴν μήτραν ἔσω, καὶ εἰ μὴ ἀπορήει τῶν ἔξω, ἀλλὰ φυλαχθῇ τῇ μήτρᾳ, ἀθροίζεται καὶ παχύνεται, καὶ θερμαινομένη καὶ ἐμφυσωμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος δίοδος ἔστω καὶ ἔξοδος γίνεται καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὑμένος, κἀκεῖ πρῶτον ταύτην ἕλκει εἰς ἑαυτόν. [5] 
Ὅταν δὲ ὅδος γένηται τοῦ πνεύματος, ἔξω τοῦ θερμοῦ ὄντος, αὖθις ἕτερον ψυχρὸν ἐπισπᾶται διʼ αὐτῆς μήτρας καὶ τοῦτο ποθεῖ διὰ παντός. Καὶ τὸ μὲν αἷμα μιγνύμενον τῇ γονῇ σὰρξ γίνεται, καὶ θερμαινομένη ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος αὔξει καθʼ ἡμέραν καὶ πληθύνεται. 
ἅμα γὰρ ἡ γονή, ἅμα τὸ πνεῦμα ἐμπίπτει εἰς τὴν μήτραν καὶ αὔξει καὶ πληθύνεται. Τὸ γὰρ ἄψυχον οὔτε αὔξει οὔτε πληθύνεται· ἡ δὲ γονὴ αὔξει καὶ πληθύνεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ ἄρχεται ἕκαστον εἰς τὸν ἴδιον τόπον, τὸ ὅμοιον εἰς τὸ ὅμοιον, καὶ τὸ πυκνὸν εἰς τὸ πυκνόν, καὶ τὸ ἀραιὸν εἰς τὸ ἀραιόν, καὶ ἕκαστον κατὰ τὸ ὅμοιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ διορίζονται καὶ διαρθροῦνται ἔνδοθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν τοῦ σώματος. [5] 
10
Καὶ ἡ μὲν κεφαλὴ γίνεται ἀφεστηκυῖα ἀπὸ τῶν ὤμων, καὶ οἱ βραχιόνες καὶ οἱ πήχυες ἀπὸ τῶν πλευρῶν· καὶ τὰ σκέλεα καὶ αἱ κνῆμαι διΐστανται ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων καὶ τὰ νεῦρα καὶ αἱ φλέβες εἰλήσονται καὶ ἀμφοῖν τὰς φύσιας τῶν ἄρθρων καὶ τὰ ἔνδον κοιλαίνεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος, τὰ ἔντερα γίνονται, καὶ ἕκαστον κατὰ τὸ ὅμοιον. Καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄρρεν τὴν πρώτην πύξιν ποιεῖται διʼ ἡμερῶν λʹ, τὸ δὲ θῆλυ διʼ ἡμερῶν μβʹ. [5] 
Ὅταν δὲ τὸ παιδίον τελείως διαρθρωθῇ, τότε δὴ τῶν μελέων αὐξανομένων αὐτῷ, διαζωοῦται καὶ ἀνατομοῦται καὶ τὰ ὀστέα σκληροῦνται καὶ κοιλαίνονται ὑπὸ τῆς θέρμης πηγνύμενα, καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος γίνεται καὶ κοιλαίνεται. Κοῖλα δὲ ὄντα τὰ ὀστέα ἑλκοῦσιν εἰς αὑτὰ ἀπὸ τῶν σαρκῶν τὸ αἷμα. [5] 
λοιπὸν τὸ ποιότατον τοῦ μυελοῦ διαζωοῦται καὶ διαρθροῦται, αὖθις τὰ ἄκρα τῶν ὀστέων, καὶ διΐστανται ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων οἱ δάκτυλοι τῶν χειρῶν καὶ τῶν ποδῶν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ ἄκρου αὐτοῦ οἱ ὄνυχες φύονται, τελευτῶσι δὲ πᾶσαι αἱ φλέβες πρὸς τοὺς δακτύλους τῶν ποδῶν καὶ τῶν χειρῶν. [5] 
15
Ὅταν δὲ τὸ παιδίον τελείως διαζωωθῇ καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι καὶ οἱ ὄνυχες ῥιγωθῶσιν, τότε δὴ καὶ τὴν κίνησιν ποιεῖται. ὁ δὲ χρόνος τῆς κινήσεως αὐτοῦ γίνεται τὸ μὲν ἄρρεν μηνῶν τριῶν, τὸ δὲ θῆλυ τεσσάρων. Ὅταν δὲ κινηθῇ τὸ παιδίον, τότε δὴ σημαίνῃ τῇ μητρί. 
οἱ γὰρ μαζοὶ αἵρονται καὶ θηλαὶ ῥαγῶσι, καὶ τὸ γάλα γίνεται ἀπὸ τῶν πομάτων καὶ βρωμάτων καὶ πιεζόμενον ἀποπηδᾷ· ἐπὶ τὸ ἔπιπλον τῶν τιτθῶν, καὶ θερμαινόμενον γίνεται λευκὸν καὶ γλυκύ. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέρων τὸ σπέρμα ἰσχυρὸν ἔλθοι, ἄρρεν γίνεται τὸ παιδίον, καὶ εἰ μὲν ἡ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς γονὴ πλέον ἔλθοι, τῷ πατρὶ ὅμοιον ἔοικε τὸ παιδίον. [5] 
Ἢν δὲ γονὴ τῆς γυναικὸς πλεονάσῃ, τῇ μητρὶ ἔοικεν ὅμοιον, καὶ εἰ μὲν πάλιν ἐπʼ ἀμφότερον ἡ γονὴ ἰσχυρὰ ὑπέλθοι, ἀμφοτέρων ἔοικεν ὅμοιον. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἡ μήτρα ᾖ στεγνὴ καὶ μὴ εὐρύχωρος, ἀσθενέστερον καὶ λεπτὸν τὸ παιδίον γίνεται· εἰ δὲ πλατεῖα ᾖ καὶ εὐρύχωρος, ἰσχυρὸν καὶ παχὺ γίνεται. 
20
Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἡ γονὴ εἰς δύο κόλπους τῆς μήτρας ἐμπέσῃ, δίδυμα ἔσονται τὰ παιδία, καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς τῆς ὑστέρας ἐμπέσῃ ἄρρενα τὰ δύο. εἰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀριστεροῖς θηλέα τὰ δύο. ὡσαύτως καὶ τρία καὶ τέσσαρα παιδία γίνονται, ὅταν ἡ γονὴ ἐμπέσῃ εἰς τεσσάρους κόλπους τῆς μήτρας. Ἱστορεῖται ἐν ταῖς ἀνατομαῖς τῶν ὑστέρων, ὅτι καὶ πέντε γίνονται παιδία, τοῦ σπέρματος εἰς τοὺς εʹ κόλπους τῆς ὑστέρας ἐμπεσούσης. [5] 
Τὸ οὖν παιδίον αὐξεῖ καὶ μεγεθύνεται καὶ καθʼ ἡμέραν κατὰ βραχὺ τρέφεται ἐκ τῶν αἱμάτων τῶν κατερχομένων τῶν καταμηνίων τῆς μήτρας, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἱπποκράτης. γυνὴ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα καὶ φλεβοτομηθεῖσα ἀντιτρώσκει, γνοὺς ὅτι τὸ αἷμα τροφή ἐστι τοῦ παιδίου, καὶ μᾶλλον τὸ ἔμβρυον διὰ στέρησιν τροφῆς ἐκτιτρώσκεται. Ὁ δὲ χρόνος τῆς γεννήσεως αὐτοῦ ἐστὶ καφοὶ τρεῖς ἤγουν μῆνες θʹ τουτέστι διακοσίαι ἑβδομήκοντα ἡμέραι καὶ μόνον καὶ πέντε. [5] 
Εἰσὶ δὲ ἐν ἡμῖν ὀστέα 𐅹 κθ . οὕτως ἡ κεφαλὴ ἔχει ῥαφὰς ε . ἔστι δὲ καὶ μονόραφος κεφαλὴ καὶ ἄραφον ( ἀνου ?) κράνιον, ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο ὑγιῆ. ὀδόντες λβʹ. σιαγόνες βʹ. ἔχει ἡ ῥάχη σπονδύλους κδʹ ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς μέχρι τοῦ ἱεροῦ ὀστέου. εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ πλευρὰ κδʹ, κατακλεῖδες βʹ, ὦμοι βʹ, πλάτες βʹ, βραχίονες βʹ, πήχεις καὶ καρκίδες βʹ, τοῦ καρποῦ ὀστέα ηʹ, τοῦ μεσοκάρπου δʹ. σύγκεινται δὲ οἱ δάκτυλοι εἷς ἕκαστος ἐκ γʹ σκυταλίδων, μόνον δὲ οὐ ἀντίχειρος. [5] 

Click or tap any word for its parse and dictionary entry.

Text: Perseus Digital Library, licensed CC BY-SA. Dictionary: Liddell, Scott & Jones (Perseus, CC BY-SA). Morphology: odyCy — machine parsing, corrected against the AGDT & PROIEL treebanks and Morpheus.