It is dubious, however, if place is what it is, whether it is a certain bulk of body, or some other nature: for in the first place its genus is to be investigated. It has, therefore, three intervals, length, breadth, and depth, by which everybody is bounded. It is, however, impossible that place should be body: for if it were there would be two bodies in the same. Again, if there is a place and receptacle of body, it is evident that there is also of superficies, and of the remaining boundaries; For the same reasoning applies to these: for where superficies of water were before, there will again be superficies of air. We have, however, no difference of a point, and the place of a point. So that if place is here not different from the point, neither will it be different from any one of the others, nor is place anything beside each of these. What then can we admit place to be? For possessing a nature of this kind, it can neither be an element, nor composed from elements, either corporeal or incorporeal: for it possesses, indeed, magnitude, but is not any body. But the elements of sensible bodies are bodies; and no magnitude is produced from intelligible elements. Further still; of what can anyone admit place to be the cause to beings? For no one of the four causes is present with it: for it is neither as the matter of beings; since nothing has its subsistence from it; nor is it as the form and reason of things, nor as the end, nor does it move beings. Again, if place is any being, where will it be? For the doubt of Zeno investigates a certain reason: for if every being is in place, it is evident that there will be a place of place, and this will proceed, to infinity. Further still; if as everybody is in place so also in every place there is body, what shall we say of things which are increased? For from what has been said, it is necessary that the place of them should be at the same time increased, if place is neither less nor greater than each of the things which it contains. Hence, therefore, it is necessary not only to doubt what place is, but also if it is.
