Against those who say the soul is breath
Others call the soul breath or air. Air is a body — spread out and shoved about. If soul were only that rush of air, life would last only while breathing lasts. The soul is not the air that enters and leaves. So the soul is not pneuma.
Greek
πνεῦμα ο ταΐπως Ίαπιθη Πῖς 1η πε ηπαεἆαπι ]]σ)ὲ οοπῖτα εοῦ, ηΏὶ απὶππλτη ορίπαπταγ πνεῦμα αΏξ ἀέρα. ξωογονοῦν Φαίνεται Ἱ ζωογονεῖν Φαίνεται. Ὁ.1. Φαίνεται Φωαγονοῦν. Ν. αἰὀδύνατον, πολλὰ] αἀὀύνατονποτὲ πολλα. Ν. Ηαιὰ ἀυρῖο Βε ἀἸ χωρὶς τροφῆς ἔὴν οἰόντε. Ὁ. τ. Α.3. τροφῆς χωεὶς δὲν οἷών τε. Α. 1. ῃ πῶ Ν ἔπειτα πολλοὶ τῶν ἑώων ἐστὶ μὴ πίνοντα, ὡς ἐπί τινων ἀετῶν ἱστόρηται. καὶ πέρδιξ δὲ δύναται ἦν χωρὶς τοῦ πένειν. δατί δὲ μᾶλλον τὸ ὕδωρ ψυχὴ καὶ μὴ ὁ ἀὐρ; ὕδατος μὲν γαρ καὶ ἐπητολιὸ δυνατὸν ἀπεσχέσϑαι᾽ τοῦ δὲ ἀναπνεῖν τὸν ἀέρα, οὐδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον" ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὁ ἀν Ψυχή. πολλα ᾽ Ὑάρ ἐστι, ζῶντα μὲν, μὴ ἀναπνέοντα δὲ τὸν ἀέρα, ὡς ταὶ ἕντομα πάντα, οἷον μέλιτται καὶ σφῆκες καὶ μύρμηκες καὶ τὰ ἄναιμα, καὶ τῶν ϑαλασσίων ταὶ πολλαὶ, καὶ πάντα, ὅσα οὐκ ἔχει πνεύμονα. οὐδὲν γαρ, μὴ ἔχεν πνεύμονα, ἀναπνεῖ τὸν ἀέρα" καὶ ἀντιστρέφει, οὐδὲν, μὴ ἀναπνέον τὸν ἀἔρα, πνεύμονα ἔχει.
About this text
Nemesius of Emesa, On Human Nature: the arguments on the soul.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.