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τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ἐκ δὲ τῆς Ἑλλάδος καρπῶν χρῆσιν τοῖς ἐπέκεινα τῆς θαλάσσης ἔδωκεν, ἐκ Φοινίκης δὲ γράμματα μνημόσυνα λήθης ἐκόμισεν, ἄοινον δὲ καὶ ἄκαρπον καὶ ἀπαίδευτον ἐκώλυσεν εἶναι τὸ πλεῖστον ἀνθρώπων γένος. πῶς οὖν οὐ χρησιμώτερον ὕδωρ στοιχείῳ περιττεῦον;
ἢ πρὸς τοὐναντίον ἄν τις ἐντεῦθεν ἔχων λέγοι; διότι τέτταρα μὲν στοιχεῖα θεῷ καθάπερ τεχνίτῃ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὅλων ἐργασίαν ὑποκείμενα, τούτων δ̓ αὖ πάλιν ἀλλήλοις διαφορά, πλὴν γῆ μὲν καὶ ὕδωρ ὑποβέβληται δίκην ὕλης ποιούμενα καὶ [p. 6] πλαττόμενα καὶ μετέχοντα κόσμου καὶ τάξεως καὶ τοῦ φύειν γε, φασί, καὶ γεννᾶν, ὅσον ἂν μεταλάβῃ παρ᾽ ἑτέρων, πνεῦμά μὲν καὶ πῦρ ποιούντων καὶ δημιουργούντων
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