De odoribus

XIV. Τί δή ποτε Δημόκριτος τοὺς μὲν χυμοὺς πρὸς τὴν γεῦσιν ἀποδίδωσι, τὰς δ᾿ ὀσμὰς καὶ τὰς χρόας οὐχ ὁμοίως πρὸς τὰς ὑποκειμένας αἰσθήσεις; ἔδει γὰρ ἐκ τῶν σχημάτων. ἢ τοῦτό γε πρὸς ἅπαντας κοινόν; ἅπαντες γὰρ οἱ μὲν μόνης [*](¹ i.e. to form a ‘crust.’ ² τὰ ins. Sch.) [*](³ cf. H.P. 1. 6. 7.) [*](⁴ i.e. when the fat of the living bear becomes abnormally developed. Plin. 8. 128. expresses his surprise at T. ’s credulity )

Ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐν φωναῖς, ὀξὺ καὶ βαρύ. ἔτι δὲ τὰ μὲν μικτὰ τὰ δ᾿ ἄμικτα. ἄμικτοι χυλοὶ οἱ μὲν τῷ μὴ καταμερίζεσθαι ὥστ᾿ ἐξ ἀμφοῖν, οἷον ὕδωρ ἔλαιον φλέγμα αἷμα, ὅλως πᾶν τὸ ἐπινέον ἢ τὸ διαιροῦν, ὥσπερ τὸ ὄξος καὶ τὸ γάλα. τὸ γὰρ τῇ πιέσει καὶ τρίψει μιγνύμενον ἕτερον εἶδος. ἄλλον δὲ τρόπον οἱ μὴ εὔμικτοι πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἢ καὶ λυμαινόμενοι ἀλλήλους, οἷον ἡ θάλαττα καὶ τὰ νιτρώδη καὶ πικρὰ ὕδατα τοὺς οἴνους καὶ τὰ πότιμα, ἐὰν μὴ εὐθὺς χρῆταί τις.

Ὀσμαὶ δὲ αἱ μὲν οὕτως ἄμικτοι πλείους καὶ ὥστε καθόλου λαβεῖν αἱ κακώδεις ταῖς κακώδεσι. ὡς δὲ βέλτιόν τι τὸ ἐξ ἀμφοῖν ἔργον εὑρεῖν εἰ [*](¹ i.e. taste.) [*](² There seems to be some confusion here, as in the first sentence of the section T. complained that colours are not classified. The following passage is unusually elliptical, and the text is probably defective T.’a complaint seems to be that sense-experiences in general have been inadequately classified (cf. 2); and in 66 foll. he specially mentions smells.)