efficta_, moulded as by a potter
(see II. 77); the word was given by Turnebus for MSS. _effecta_. So Matter
is called an [Greek: ekmageion] in Plat. _Tim._ _Quae tota omnia_: these
words have given rise to needless doubts; Bentl., Dav., Halm suspect them.
_Tota_ is feminine sing.; cf. _materiam totam ipsam_ in 28; "which matter
throughout its whole extent can suffer all changes." For the word _omnia_
cf. II. 118, and Plat. _Tim._ 50 B ([Greek: dechetai gar ei ta panta]), 51
A ([Greek: eidos pandeches]). The word [Greek: pandeches] is also quoted
from Okellus in Stob. I. 20, 3. Binder is certainly wrong in taking _tota_
and _omnia_ both as neut.--"_alles und jedes_." Cic. knew the _Tim._ well
and imitated it here. The student should read Grote's comments on the
passages referred to. I cannot here point out the difference between
Plato's [Greek: hyle] and that of Aristotle. _Eoque interire_: so MSS.;
Halm after Dav. _eaque_. Faber was right in supposing that Cic. has said
loosely of the _materia_ what he ought to have said of the _qualia_. Of
course the [Greek: prote hyle], whether Platonic or Aristotelian, is
imperishable (cf. _Tim._ 52 A. [Greek: phthoran ou prosdechomenon]). _Non
in nihilum_: this is aimed at the Atomists, who maintained that infinite
subdivision logically led to the passing of things into nothing and their
reparation out of nothing again. See Lucr. I. 215--264, and elsewhere.
_Infinite secari_: through the authority of Aristotle, the doctrine of the
infinite subdivisibility of matter had become so thoroughly the orthodox
one that the Atom was scouted as a silly absurdity. Cf. _D.F._ I. 20 _ne
illud quidem physici credere esse minimum_, Arist. _Physica_, I. 1 [Greek:
ouk estin elachiston megethos]. The history of ancient opinion on this
subject is important, but does not lie close enough to our author for
comment. The student should at least learn Plato's opinions from _Tim._ 35
A sq. It is notable that Xenocrates, tripping over the old [Greek:
antiphasis] of the One and the Many, denied [Greek: pan megethos diaireton
einai kai meros echein] (R. and P. 245). Chrysippus followed Aristotle very
closely (R. and P. 377, 378). _Intervallis moveri_: this is the theory of
motion without void which Lucr. I. 370 sq. disproves, where see Munro. Cf.
also Sext. Emp. _Adv. Math._ VII. 214. Aristotle denied the existence of
void either within or without the universe, Strato allowed its possibility
within, while denying