§1.7#2χρόαν, ἐκεῖ δʼ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν τὸ χρῶμα φαινόμενόν ἐστιν.
color, while in the other case the color is that which appears on the stars themselves.
ὅταν μὲν οὖν κατʼ ἀστέρα γένηται ἡ τοιαύτη σύγκρισις, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀνάγκη φαίνεσθαι φορὰν κινούμενον τὸν κομήτην ἥνπερ φέρεται ὁ ἀστήρ·
Therefore, when such a condensation occurs in connection with a star, the comet must necessarily appear to be moved with the same motion with which the star is carried.
ὅταν δὲ συστῇ καθʼ αὐτόν, τότε ὑπολειπόμενοι φαίνονται.
But when it is compiled by itself, then they appear to be left behind.
τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ φορὰ τοῦ κόσμου τοῦ περὶ τὴν γῆν.
For such is the motion of the world around the earth.
τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα μηνύει μὴ εἶναι ἀνάκλασίν τινα τὸν κομήτην, ὡς ἄλω ἐν ὑπεκκαύματι καθαρῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν ἀστέρα γιγνομένην, καὶ μὴ ὡς λέγουσιν οἱ περὶ Ἱπποκράτην, πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον, ὅτι καὶ καθʼ αὑτὸν γίγνεται κομήτης πολλάκις καὶ πλεονάκις ἢ περὶ τῶν ὡρισμένων τινὰς ἀστέρων.
For this especially indicates that the comet is not some reflection, like a halo produced in a pure fuel-source in relation to the star itself, nor, as those around Hippocrates say, in relation to the sun; since a comet also arises by itself often, and even more frequently than around certain of the determined stars.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τῆς ἅλω τὴν αἰτίαν ὕστερον ἐροῦμεν·
So, we shall speak of the cause of the halo later.
περὶ δὲ τοῦ πυρώδη τὴν σύστασιν αὐτῶν εἶναι τεκμήριον χρὴ νομίζειν ὅτι σημαίνουσι γιγνόμενοι πλείους πνεύματα καὶ αὐχμοὺς·
But regarding their composition being fiery, one must consider it a proof that when they appear in greater numbers, they signify winds and droughts.
δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι γίγνονται διὰ τὸ πολλὴν εἶναι τὴν τοιαύτην ἔκκρισιν, ὥστε ξηρότερον ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τὸν ἀέρα, καὶ διακρίνεσθαι καὶ διαλύεσθαι τὸ διατμίζον ὑγρὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῆς θερμῆς ἀναθυμιάσεως, ὥστε μὴ συνίστασθαι ῥᾳδίως εἰς ὕδωρ.
For it is clear that they arise because such secretion is abundant, so that the air is necessarily drier, and the evaporating moisture is separated and dissolved by the abundance of the hot exhalation, so that it does not easily condense into water.
σαφέστερον δʼ ἐροῦμεν καὶ περὶ τούτου τοῦ πάθους, ὅταν καὶ περὶ πνευμάτων λέγειν ἦ καιρός.
We shall speak more clearly of this affection too when the time comes to speak of winds.
ὅταν μὲν οὖν πυκνοὶ καὶ πλείους φαίνωνται, καθάπερ λέγομεν, ξηροὶ καὶ πνειυματώδεις γίγνονται οἱ ἐνιαυτοὶ ἐπιδήλως· ὅταν δὲ σπανιώτεροι καὶ ἀμαυρότεροι τὸ μέγεθος, ὁμοίως μὲν οὐ γίγνεται τὸ τοιοῦ τον, οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ γίγνεταὶ τις ὑπερβολὴ πνεύματος ἢ κατὰ χρόνον ἢ κατὰ μέγεθος, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὅτε ὁ ἐν Aἰγὸς ποταμοῖς ἔπεσε λίθος ἐκ τοῦ ἀέρος, ὑπὸ πνεύματος ἀρθεὶς ἐξέπεσε μεθʼ ἡμέραν· ἔτυχε δὲ καὶ τότε κομήτης ἀστὴρ γενόμενος ἀφʼ ἐσπέρας.
When, therefore, they appear dense and more numerous, as we say, the years become manifestly dry and windy; but when they are rarer and dimmer in size, such a thing does not happen in the same way, yet for the most part there occurs some excess of wind, either in time or in magnitude, since also when the stone at Aegospotami fell from the air, it fell after being lifted up by a wind during the day; and it happened that at that time too a comet star had arisen from evening.
καὶ περὶ τὸν μέγαν ἀστέρα τὸν κομήτην ξηρὸς ἦν ὁ χειμὼν καὶ βόρειος, καὶ τὸ κῦμα διʼ ἐναντίωσιν ἐγένετο πνευμάτων· ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ κόλπῳ βορέας κατεῖχεν, ἔξω δὲ νότος ἔπνευσε μέγας.
And around the time of the great comet, the winter was dry and northerly, and the wave arose because of the opposition of winds; for in the gulf the north wind held sway, but outside a great south wind blew.
ἔτι δʼ ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος Νικομάχου ἐγένετο ὀλίγας ἡμέρας κομήτης περὶ τὸν ἰσημερινὸν κύκλον, οὐκ ἀφʼ ἐσπέρας ποιησάμενος τὴν ἀνατολήν, ἐφʼ ᾧ τὸ περὶ Κόρινθον πνεῦμα γενέσθαι συνέπεσεν.
And again, under the archonship of Nicomachus, a comet appeared for a few days around the equatorial circle, not making its rising from evening, in connection with which it happened that the wind around Corinth arose.
τοῦ δὲ μὴ γίγνεσθαι πολλοὺς μηδὲ πολλάκις κομήτας, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐκτὸς τῶν τροπικῶν ἢ ἐντός, αἴτιος ἡ τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀστέρων κίνησις, οὐ μόνον ἐκκρίνουσα τὸ θερμόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διακρίνουσα τὸ συνιστάμενον.
The cause of comets not being many nor appearing frequently, and being more outside the tropics than inside, is the motion of the sun and the stars, which not only secretes the heat but also dissolves what is condensing.
μάλιστα δʼ αἴτιον ὅτι τὸ πλεῖστον εἰς τὴν τοῦ γάλακτος ἀθροίζεται χώραν.
And the greatest cause is that most of it is gathered into the region of the Milky Way.