§1.99 περὶ δὲ τοῦ τῇ θέσει μὲν δευτέρου τόπου μετὰ τοῦτον, πρώτου δὲ περὶ τὴν γῆν, λέγωμεν· οὗτος γὰρ κοινὸς ὕδατός τε τόπος καὶ ἀέρος καὶ τῶν συμβαινόντων περὶ τὴν ἄνω γένεσιν αὐτοῦ, ληπτέον δὲ καὶ τούτων τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς αἰτίας πάντων ὁμοίως.
But let us speak of the region which is second in position after this, but first around the earth; for this is the common region of water and air, and of the things happening around its upper generation, and we must grasp the principles and causes of all of these likewise.
ἡ μὲν οὖν ὡς κινοῦσα καὶ κυρία καὶ πρώτη τῶν ἀρχῶν ὁ κύκλος ἐστίν, ἐν ᾧ φανερῶς ἡ τοῦ ἡλίου φορὰ διακρίνουσα καὶ συγκρίνουσα τῷ γίγνεσθαι πλησίον ἢ πορρώτερον αἰτία τῆς γενέσεως καὶ τῆς φθορᾶς ἐστι.
Now the principle which is active, sovereign, and first among the principles is the circle, in which the motion of the sun, clearly separating and combining by becoming near or further away, is the cause of generation and decay.
μενούσης δὲ τῆς γῆς, τὸ περὶ αὐτὴν ὑγρὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκτίνων καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἄλλης τῆς ἄνωθεν θερμότητος ἀτμιδούμενον φέρεται ἄνω·
But while the earth remains stationary, the moisture around it, evaporated by the rays and by the other warmth from above, is carried upward.
τῆς δὲ θερμότητος ἀπολιπούσης τῆς ἀναγούσης αὐτό, καὶ τῆς μὲν διασκεδαννυμένης πρὸς τὸν ἄνω τόπον, τῆς δὲ καὶ σβεννυμένης διὰ τὸ μετεωρίζεσθαι πορρώτερον εἰς τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς γῆς ἀέρα, συνίσταται πάλιν ἡ ἀτμὶς ψυχομένη διά τε τὴν ἀπόλειψιν τοῦ θερμοῦ καὶ τὸν τόπον, καὶ γίγνεται ὕδωρ ἐξ ἀέρος· γενόμενον δὲ πάλιν φέρεται πρὸς τὴν γῆν.
But when the warmth that carried it up leaves it, partly dispersing into the upper region, and partly also being extinguished because of being raised too far into the air above the earth, the vapor, being cooled both because of the departure of the warmth and because of the region, condenses again and becomes water from air; and having become water, it is carried back toward the earth.
ἔστι δʼ ἡ μὲν ἐξ ὕδατος ἀναθυμίασις ἀτμίς, ἡ δʼ ἐξ ἀέρος εἰς ὕδωρ νέφος· ὁμίχλη δὲ νεφέλης περίττωμα τῆς εἰς ὕδωρ συγκρίσεως.
Now the exhalation from water is vapor, but that from air into water is cloud; and mist is the residue of the condensation of cloud into water.
διὸ σημεῖον μᾶλλόν ἐστιν εὐδίας ἢ ὑδάτων· οἶον γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ὁμίχλη νεφέλη ἄγονος.
Therefore it is a sign of fair weather rather than of rain; for mist is, as it were, an unproductive cloud.
γίγνεται δὲ κύκλος οὗτος μιμούμενος τὸν τοῦ ἡλίου κύκλον· ἄμμα γὰρ ἐκεῖνος εἰς τὰ πλάγια μεταβάλλει καὶ οὗτος ἄνω καὶ κάτω.
And this circle arises in imitation of the sun's circle; for at the same time as that one changes to the sides, this one changes up and down.
δεῖ δὲ νοῆσαι τοῦτον ὥσπερ ποταμὸν ῥέοντα κύκλῳ ἄνω καὶ κάτω, κοινὸν ἀέρος καὶ ὕδατος· πλησίον μὲν γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ ἡλίου ὁ τῆς ἀτμίδος ἄνω ῥεῖ ποταμός, ἀφισταμένου δὲ ὁ τοῦ ὕδατος κάτω.
And we must conceive this as a river flowing in a circle up and down, common to air and water; for when the sun is near, the river of vapor flows upward, and when it recedes, the river of water flows downward.
καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐνδελεχὲς ἐθέλει γίγνεσθαι κατά γε τὴν τάξιν· ὥστʼ εἴπερ ἠνίττοντο τὸν ὠκεανὸν οἱ πρότερον, τάχʼ ἂν τοῦτον τὸν ποταμὸν λέγοιεν τὸν κύκλῳ ῤέοντα περὶ τὴν γῆν.
And this is accustomed to happen continuously according to order; so that if the ancients spoke of Ocean in riddles, they might perhaps mean this river that flows in a circle around the earth.
ἀναγομένου δὲ τοῦ ὑγροῦ αἰεὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ θερμοῦ δύναμιν καὶ πάλιν φερομένου κάτω διὰ τὴν φύξιν πρὸς τὴν γῆν, οἰκείως τὰ ὀνόματα τοῖς πάθεσιν κεῖται καί τισιν διαφοραῖς αὐτῶν· ὅταν μὲν γὰρ κατὰ μικρὰ φέρηται, ψακάδες, ὅταν δὲ κατὰ μείζω μόρια, ὑετὸς καλεῖται.
And as the moisture is always carried up through the power of warmth, and carried down again to the earth through cooling, names are appropriately applied to the affections and to certain differences of them; for when it is carried down in small drops, it is called drizzle, but when in larger portions, rain.