§3.34.1τοσαύτη γὰρ παραλλαγὴ τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀέρων πρὸς τοὺς ἱστορημένους ὥστε τὴν κατὰ μέρος διαφορὰν ἄπιστον εἶναι.
For there is such a variation of our climate in comparison with those recorded that the particular differences are incredible.
§3.34.2ὅπου μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τοῦ ψύχους πήγνυνται μὲν οἱ μέγιστοι ποταμοί, στέγοντος τοῦ κρυστάλλου διαβάσεις στρατοπέδων καὶ ἁμαξῶν καταγόμων ἐφόδους, πήγνυται δὲ ὁ οἶνος καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν χυμῶν ὥστε μαχαίραις ἀποτέμνεσθαι, καὶ τὰ τούτων θαυμασιώτερα, τὰ μὲν ἀκρωτήρια τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῆς ἐσθῆτος παρατριβούσης περιρρεῖ, τὰ δὲ ὄμματα ἀμαυροῦται, τὸ δὲ πῦρ ἀλεωρὰν οὐ ποιεῖ, καὶ χαλκοῖ μὲν ἀνδριάντες ῥήγνυνται, κατὰ δέ τινας καιροὺς διὰ τὴν πυκνότητα τῶν νεφῶν οὔτε ἀστραπὴν οὔτε βροντὴν γίνεσθαι περὶ τοὺς τόπους φασί· πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τούτων παραδοξότερα συντελεῖται, τοῖς μὲν ἀγνοοῦσιν ἄπιστα, §3.34.3τοῖς δὲ πεῖραν εἰληφόσιν ἀνυπομόνητα.
For in one region, because of the excess of cold, the greatest rivers are frozen, the ice supporting the crossings of armies and the passage of fully loaded wagons; and wine and other liquids freeze so that they are cut with knives. And what is more wonderful than these things, the extremities of men fall off as their clothing rubs against them, their eyes are dimmed, fire does not produce warmth, bronze statues crack, and at certain times, they say, because of the density of the clouds, neither lightning nor thunder occurs in those places; and many other things more paradoxical than these are brought about, incredible to those who do not know, but unendurable to those who have had experience of them.
περὶ δὲ τὰς ἐσχατιὰς τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ Τρωγλοδυτικῆς διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ἀφʼ ἡλίου θερμασίας κατὰ τὸν τῆς μεσημβρίας καιρὸν οὐδὲ συνορᾶν ἀλλήλους οἱ παρεστῶτες δύνανται διὰ τὴν παχύτητα τῆς περὶ τὸν ἀέρα πυκνώσεως, χωρὶς δὲ ὑποδέσεως πάντες ἀδυνατοῦσι βαδίζειν, ὡς ἂν τοῖς ἀνυποδήτοις παραχρῆμα φλυκτίδων γινομένων.
But in the extreme parts of Egypt and the Troglodyte country, because of the excess of heat from the sun, at the hour of midday those who stand near one another cannot even see each other because of the thickness of the condensation in the air; and everyone is unable to walk without footwear, since blisters immediately form on those who are unshod.
§3.34.4κατὰ δὲ τὸ ποτόν, ἐὰν μὴ τὴν ἔνδειαν ἑτοίμως ἀφαιρῆται, ταχέως τελευτῶσιν, ὡς ἂν τῆς θερμασίας τὴν τῶν ὑγρῶν ἐν τῷ σώματι φύσιν ὀξέως ἀναλισκούσης.
With respect to drink, if they do not readily remove their deficiency, they die quickly, since the heat rapidly consumes the natural moisture in the body.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, ὅταν τις εἰς χαλκοῦν ἀγγεῖον ἐμβαλὼν τῶν ἐδωδίμων ὁδηποτοῦν μεθʼ ὕδατος εἰς τὸν ἥλιον θῇ, ταχέως ἕψεται χωρὶς πυρὸς καὶ ξύλων.
And in addition to these things, when someone, having put any kind of food with water into a bronze vessel, places it in the sun, it quickly boils without fire and wood.
§3.34.5ἀλλʼ ὅμως οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἀμφοτέρας τὰς εἰρημένας χώρας οὐχ οἷον φεύγειν βούλονται τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν συμβαινόντων αὐτοῖς κακῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἑκουσίως προΐενται τὸ ζῆν ἕνεκα τοῦ μὴ βιασθῆναι διαίτης ἑτέρας καὶ βίου πειραθῆναι.
But nevertheless, those who inhabit both of the aforementioned countries, so far from wishing to flee the excess of the evils that happen to them, even on the contrary voluntarily give up their lives so that they may not be forced to try another way of life and livelihood.
§3.34.6οὕτως αὐτοφυὲς ἔχει τι φίλτρον πᾶσα συνήθης χώρα, καὶ περιγίνεται τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἀέρων κακοπαθείας ὁ χρόνος ὁ τὴν ἐκ νηπίου παραλαβὼν ἡλικίαν.
Thus every customary land has a certain natural charm, and time, having received their age from infancy, overcomes the hardship caused by the climate.
§3.34.7τὰς δὲ τηλικαύτας ἐπʼ ἀμφότερα διαφορὰς οὐ πολὺ διορίζει τόπου διάστημα.
And no great distance of space separates such differences in both directions.
ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς Μαιώτιδος λίμνης, ᾗ προσοικοῦσί τινες τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐν πάγει καὶ ψύχεσιν ὑπερβάλλουσι καθιδρυμένοι, πολλοὶ τῶν πλοϊζομένων οὐριοδρομούσαις ναυσὶ φορτίσιν εἰς μὲν Ῥόδον δεκαταῖοι καταπεπλεύκασιν, ἐξ ἧς εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν τεταρταῖοι καταντῶσιν, ἐκ δὲ ταύτης κατὰ τὸν Νεῖλον πλέοντες πολλοὶ δεκαταῖοι κατηντήκασιν εἰς Αἰθιοπίαν, ὥστε ἀπὸ τῶν κατεψυγμένων μερῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐπὶ τὰ θερμότατα μέρη μὴ πλέον εἴκοσι καὶ τεττάρων ἡμερῶν εἶναι τὸν πλοῦν τοῖς κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς κομιζομένοις.
For from Lake Maeotis, near which some of the Scythians dwell, established in extreme ice and cold, many of those who sail have reached Rhodes on the tenth day in merchant ships running with a favorable wind, from which they arrive at Alexandria on the fourth day, and sailing from there up the Nile, many have arrived in Ethiopia on the tenth day; so that the voyage from the frozen parts of the inhabited world to the hottest parts is not more than twenty-four days for those who travel continuously.
§3.34.8διόπερ τῆς διαφορᾶς τῆς τῶν ἀέρων ἐν ὀλίγῳ διαστήματι μεγάλης οὔσης οὐδὲν παράδοξον καὶ τὴν δίαιταν καὶ τοὺς βίους, ἔτι δὲ τὰ σώματα πολὺ διαλλάττειν τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν.
Therefore, since the difference in climate is great within a small distance, it is not at all strange that both their daily life and ways of living, and also their bodies, differ greatly from ours.