φύσις

I origin, birth

origin, φ. οὐδενός ἐστιν ἁπάντων θνητῶν οὐδὲ . . τελευτή Emp. 8.1 (cf. Plu. Col. 2.1112a); φ. βούλονται λέγειν γένεσιν τὴν περὶ τὰ πρῶτα Pl. Lg. 892c; ἡ φ. ἡ λεγομένη ὡς γένεσις ὁδός ἐστιν εἰς φύσιν Arist. Ph. 193b12; φ. λέγεται ἡ τῶν φυομένων γένεσις Id. Metaph. 1014b16; freq. of persons, birth, φύσει νεώτερος S. OC 1295, cf. Aj. 1301, etc.; φύσι γεγονότες εὖ Hdt. 7.134; φύσει, opp. θέσει (by adoption), D.L. 9.25; φύσει Ἀμβρακιώτης, δημοποίητος δὲ Σικυώνιος Ath. 4.183d; so ὁ κατὰ φύσιν πατήρ, υ

2 growth

growth, τριχῶν, παιδίου, Hp. Nat.Puer. 20, 29, cf. 27: pl., γενειάσεις καὶ φύσεις κεράτων Plot. 4.3.13.

II the natural form, constitution, as the result of growth

the natural form or constitution of a person or thing as the result of growth (οἷον ἕκαστόν ἐστι τῆς γενέσεως τελεσθείσης, ταύτην φαμὲν τὴν φ. εἶναι ἑκάστου Arist. Pol. 1252b33): hence,

1 nature, constitution

nature, constitution, once in Hom., καί μοι φύσιν αὐτοῦ (sc. τοῦ φαρμάκου) ἔδειξε Od. 10.303; φ. τῆς χώρης Hdt. 2.5; τῆς Ἀττικῆς X. Vect. 1.2, cf. Oec. 16.2, D. 18.146, etc.; τῆς τριχός X. Eq. 5.5; αἵματος, ἀέρος, etc., Arist. PA 648a21, Mete. 340a36, etc.: pl., φύσεις ἐγγιγνομένας καρπῶν καὶ δένδρων Isoc. 7.74; αἱ φ. καὶ δυνάμεις τῶν πολιτειῶν Id. 12.134; ἡ τῶν ἀριθμῶν φ. Pl. R. 525c; ἡ τῶν πάντων φ. X. Mem. 1.1.11, etc.; ἡ ἰδία τοῦ πράγματος φ. IG 2(2).1099.28 (Epist.Plotinae).

2 outward form, appearance, outward form

outward form, appearance, μέζονας ἢ κατʼ ἀνθρώπων φύσιν Hdt. 8.38; ἢ νόον ἤτοι φύσιν either in mind or outward form, Pi. N. 6.5; οὐ γὰρ φ. Ὠαριωνείαν ἔλαχεν Id. I. 4(3).49(67) ; μορφῆς δʼ οὐχ ὁμόστολος φ. A. Supp. 496; τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν τίνʼ εἶχε φράζε S. OT 740 (read εἷρπε, taking φ. with ἔχων), cf. Tr. 379; δρακαίνης φ. ἔχουσαν ἀγρίαν prob. in E. Ba. 1358; τὴν ἐμὴν ἰδὼν φ. Ar. V. 1071 (troch.), cf. Nu. 503; τὴν τοῦ σώματος φ. Isoc. 9.75.

3 constitution, temperament

Medic., constitution, temperament, Hp. Aph. 3.2 (pl.), al.; ἡ φ. καὶ ἡ ἕξις Id. Acut. 43; φ. φύσιος καὶ ἡλικία ἡλικίης διαφέρει Id. Fract. 7; φύσιες νούσων ἰητροί Id. Epid. 6.5.1.

b natural place, position

natural place or position of a bone or joint, ἀποπηδᾶν ἀπὸ τῆς φ., ἐς τὴν φ. ἄγεσθαι, Id. Art. 61, 62, al.; ὀστέον μένον ἐν τῇ ἑωυτοῦ φ. Id. VC 5, al.; φύσιες τῶν ἄρθρων Id. Nat.Puer. 17.

4 nature, character, of natural powers, of natural disposition, natural propensities

of the mind, oneʼs nature, character, ἦθος ἕκαστον, ὅπῃ φ. ἐστὶν ἑκάστῳ Emp. 110.5; εὐγενὴς γὰρ ἡ φ. κἀξ εὐγενῶν . . ἡ σή S. Ph. 874; τὴν αὑτοῦ φ. λιπεῖν, δεῖξαι, ib. 902, 1310; φ. φρενός E. Med. 103 (anap.); ἡ ἀνθρωπεία φ. Th. 1.76; φ. τῆς μορφῆς καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς X. Cyr. 1.2.2; ὀνόματι μεμπτὸν τὸ νόθον, ἡ φ. δʼ ἴση E. Fr. 168; φ. φιλόσοφος, τυραννική, etc., Pl. R. 410e, 576a, etc.; δεξιοὶ φύσιν A. Pr. 489; ἀκμαῖοι φύσιν Id. Pers. 441; τὸ γὰρ ἀποστῆναι χαλεπὸν φύσεος, ἣν ἔχοι τις Ar. V. 1458 (lyr.)

b instinct

instinct in animals, etc., Democr. 278; οὐκ ἐπιστήμῃ οὐδὲ τέχνῃ ἀλλὰ φύσει Herm. ap. Stob. 1.41.6; ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ζῴοις ἡ αἴσθησις τῇ φ. ἥνωται, ἐν δὲ ἀνθρώποις τῇ νοήσει Corp.Herm. 9.1, cf. 12.1.

5 natural

freq. in periphrases, καὶ γὰρ ἂν πέτρου φύσιν σύ γʼ ὀργάνειας, i.e. wouldʼst provoke a stone, S. OT 335; χθονὸς φ. A. Ag. 633; esp. in Pl., ἡ τοῦ πτεροῦ φ. Phdr. 251b; ἡ φ. τῶν σωμάτων Smp. 186b; ἡ φ. τῆς ἀσθενείας its natural weakness, Phd. 87e; ἡ τοῦ μυελοῦ φ. Ti. 84c; ἡ τοῦ δικαίου φ. Lg. 862d, al.; ἡ φ., with gen. understood, Smp. 191a, Phd. 109e.

III the regular order of nature, naturally, nature, natural term, by nature, naturally, natural, nature

the regular order of nature, τύχη . . ἀβέβαιος, φ. δὲ αὐτάρκης Democr. 176; κατὰ φύσιν Pl. R. 444d, etc.; τρίχες κατὰ φύσιν πεφυκυῖαι growing naturally, Hdt. 2.38, cf. Alex. 156.7 (troch.); κατὰ φύσιν νόμος ὁ πάντων βασιλεύς Pi. Fr. 169 (cf. Pl. Grg. 488b); κατὰ φ. ποιεῖν Heraclit. 112; opp. παρὰ φύσιν, E. Ph. 395, Th. 6.17, etc.; παρὰ τὴν φ. Anaxipp. 1.18; προδότης ἐκ φύσεως a traitor by nature, Aeschin. 2.165; πρὸ τῆς φ. ἥκειν εἰς θάνατον before the natural term, Plu. Comp.Dem.Cic. 5: freq. in

IV

in Philosophy:

1 nature as an originating power, principle of growth, Nature

nature as an originating power, φ. λέγεται . . ὅθεν ἡ κίνησις ἡ πρώτη ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν φύσει ὄντων Arist. Metaph. 1014b16; ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ ἡ φ. οὐδὲν μάτην ποιοῦσιν Id. Cael. 271a33; ἡ δὲ φ. οὐδὲν ἀλόγως οὐδὲ μάτην ποιεῖ ib. 291b13; ἡ μὲν τέχνη ἀρχὴ ἐν ἄλλῳ, ἡ δὲ φ. ἀρχὴ ἐν αὐτῷ Id. Metaph. 1070a8, cf. Mete. 381b5, etc.; φ. κρύπτεσθαι φιλεῖ Heraclit. 123; ἡ γοητεία τῆς φ. Plot. 4.4.44; φ. κοινή, the principle of growth in the universe, Cleanth.Stoic. 1.126; as Stoic t.t., the inner fire which causes

2 elementary substance, atoms

elementary substance, κινδυνεύει ὁ λέγων ταῦτα πῦρ καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ γῆν καὶ ἀέρα πρῶτα ἡγεῖσθαι τῶν πάντων εἶναι καὶ τὴν φ. ὀνομάζειν αὐτὰ ταῦτα Pl. Lg. 891c, cf. Arist. Fr. 52 (defined as τὴν πρώτην οὐσίαν . . ὑποβεβλημένην ἅπασι τοῖς γεννητοῖς καὶ φθαρτοῖς σώμασι Gal. 15.3); τῶν φύσει ὄντων τὰ στοιχεῖά φασιν εἶναι φύσιν Arist. Metaph. 1014b33: pl., Epicur. Ep. 1p.6U., al.; ἄτομοι φ. atoms, Democr. ap. Diog.Oen. 5, Epicur. Ep. 1p.7U.; ἄφθαρτοι φ. Phld. Piet. 83.

3 creation, ‘Nature’

concrete, the creation, ‘Nature’, ἀθανάτου . . φύσεως κόσμον ἀγήρων E. Fr. 910 (anap.); περὶ φύσεώς τε καὶ τῶν μετεώρων ἀστρονομικὰ ἄττα διερωτᾶν Pl. Prt. 315c; περὶ φύσεως, title of works by Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Gorgias, Epicurus, etc.; [σοφία] ἣν δὴ καλοῦσι περὶ φύσεως ἱστορίαν Pl. Phd. 96a; περὶ φ. ἀφοριζόμενοι διεχώριζον ζῴων τε βίον δένδρων τε φύσιν λαχάνων τε γένη Epicr. 11.13 (anap.); so later, ἡ φ. τὸ ὑπὸ ψυχῆς τῆς πάσης ταχθέν Plot. 2.2.1; τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς φ. Corp.Herm. 1.8; αἱ δύο φ.

4 two

Pythag. name for two, Theol.Ar. 12.

V creature, kind, creatures, kind, creatures

as a concrete term, creature, freq. in collect. sense, θνητὴ φ. mankind, S. Fr. 590 (anap.), cf. OT 869 (lyr.); πόντου εἰναλία φ. the creatures of the sea, Id. Ant. 345 (lyr.); ὃ πᾶσα φ. διώκειν πέφυκε Pl. R. 359c, cf. Plt. 272c; ἡ τῶν θηλειῶν φ. woman-kind (opp. τὸ ἄρρεν φῦλον) X. Lac. 3.4: also in pl., S. OT 674, Pl. R. 588c, Plt. 306e, X. Oec. 13.9; in contemptuous sense, αἱ τοιαῦται φ. such creatures as these, Isoc. 4.113, cf. 20.11, Aeschin. 1.191.

b substances

of plants or material substances, φ. εὐώδεις καρποφοροῦσαι D.S. 2.49; ὑγράν τινα φ. καπνὸν ἀποδιδοῦσαν Corp.Herm. 1.4.

VI kind, sort, species, species, natural group, class

kind, sort, species, ταύτην . . ἔχειν βιοτῆς . . φύσιν S. Ph. 165 (anap.); ἐκλέγονται ἐκ τούτων χρημάτων μίαν φ. τὴν τῶν λευκῶν Pl. R. 429d; φ. [ἀλωπεκίδων] species, X. Cyn. 3.1; natural group or class of plants, Thphr. HP 6.1.1 (pl.).

VII sex

sex, θῆλυς φῦσα (prob. for οὖσα) κοὐκ ἀνδρὸς φύσιν S. Tr. 1062, cf. OC 445, Th. 2.45, Pl. Lg. 770d, 944d: hence,

2 the characteristic of sex

the characteristic of sex, = αἰδοῖον, Tab.Defix. 89a6 (iv B.C.), Nic. Fr. 107, D.S. 32.10, S.E. M. 1.150, etc.: esp. of the female organ, Hp. Mul. 2.143, Ant.Lib. 41, Artem. 5.63, PMag.Osl. 1.83,324, Horap. 1.11: pl., τῶν δύοφ., of the testes, Sch. Ar. Lys. 92, cf. PMag.Par. 1.318.