cording to accident. 8. Quantity, per se, has no contrary. Again, nothing is contrary to quantity,[1] for in the definite it is clear there is nothing contrary, as to "two cubits" or to "three," or to "superficies," or to any thing of this kind, for there is no contrary to them; except indeed a man should allege that "much" was contrary to "little," or the "great" to the "small." Of these however, none is a quantity, but rather belongs to relatives, since nothing, itself by itself, is described as great or small, but from its being referred to something else. 9. Reply to objection, founded upon the contrariety of great to small. A mountain, for instance, is called "little," but a millet seed "large," from the fact of the one being greater, but the other less, in respect of things of the same nature, whence the relation is to something else, since if each were called "small" or "great" of itself, the mountain would never have been called "small," nor the seed "large." We say also that there are "many" men in a village, but "few" at Athens, although these last are more numerous, and "many" in a house, but "few" in a theatre, although there is a much larger number in the latter. Besides, "two cubits," "three," and every thing of the kind signify quantity, but "great" or "small" does not signify quantity, but rather relation, for the "great" and "small" are viewed in reference to something else, so as evidently to appear relatives. 10. Whether however any one does, or does not, admit such things to be quantities, still there is no contrary to them, for to that which cannot of itself be assumed, but is referred to another, how can there be a contrary? 11. Yet more, if "great" and "small" be contraries, it will happen, that the same thing, at the same time, receives contraries, and that the same things are contrary to themselves, for it happens that the same thing at the same time is both "great" and "small." Something in respect of this thing is "small," but the same, in reference to another, is "large," so that the same thing happens at the same time to be both "great" and "small," by which at the same moment it receives contraries. 12. Simultaneous contrariety impossible. Nothing however appears to receive contraries simultaneously, as in the case of substance, for this indeed
- ↑ Ιδιον τοῦ ποσοῦ ἀπέδωκαν τινες τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν ἐναντίον, πρὸς ἀνατροπὴν δὲ τούτου οὐ χωρεῖ, διὰ τὸ προσεχῶς διδάξαι, ὅτι οὐδὲ τῇ οὐσίᾳ ἐστιν ἐναντιον.—Magent. Schol. ed. Waitz. Cf. Metaph. lib. ix. c. 4, 5, 6, and 7.
