§3.1#2γίγνεται μὲν οὖν τυφῶν, ὅταν ἐκνεφίας γιγνόμενος μὴ δύνηται ἐκκριθῆναι τοῦ νέφους· ἔστι δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀντίκρουσιν τῆς δίνης, ὅταν ἐπὶ γῆν φέρηται ἡ ἕλιξ συγκατάγουσα τὸ νέφος, οὐ δυναμένη ἀπολυθῆναι.
Therefore, a typhon occurs when an eknephias, in forming, is unable to be excreted from the cloud; and this is due to the resistance of the vortex, when the spiral, carrying down the cloud with it, is carried to the earth, being unable to be released from it.
ᾗ δὲ κατʼ εὐθυωρίαν ἐκπνεῖ, ταύτῃ τῷ πνεύματι κινεῖ, καὶ τῇ κύκλῳ κινήσει στρέφει καὶ ἀναφέρει ἂν προσπέσῃ βιαζόμενον.
In whichever direction it blows in a straight line, in that direction it moves things by its wind, and by its circular motion it rotates them, and lifts them up if it falls upon them with violence.
ὅταν δὲ κατασπώμενον ἐκπυρωθῇ (τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶν ἐὰν λεπτότερον τὸ πνεῦμα γένηται), καλεῖται πρηστήρ· συνεκπίμπρησι γὰρ τὸν ἀέρα τῇ πυρώσει χρωματίζων.
But when, while being dragged down, it is ignited (and this occurs if the wind becomes finer), it is called a prester; for it burns up the surrounding air along with it, coloring it by its ignition.
ἐὰν δʼ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ νέφει πολὺ καὶ λεπτὸν ἐκθλιφθῇ πνεῦμα, τοῦτο γίγνεται κεραυνός, ἑὰν μὲν πάνυ λεπτόν, οὐκ ἐπικάων διὰ λεπτότητα, ὃν οἱ ποιηταὶ ἀργῆτα καλοῦσιν, ἐὰν δʼ ἦττον, ἐπικάων, ὃν ψολόεντα καλοῦσιν·
But if a large and fine wind is squeezed out within the cloud itself, this becomes a thunderbolt; if indeed it is extremely fine, it does not scorch because of its fineness, which the poets call "gleaming"; but if it is less so, it is scorching, which they call "sooty".
ὁ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὴν λεπτότητα φέρεται, διὰ δὲ τὸ τάχος φθάνει διιὼν πρὶν ἢ ἐκπυρῶσαι καὶ ἐπιδιατρίψας μελᾶνοι· ὁ δὲ βραδύτερος ἔχρωσε μέν, ἔκαυσε δʼ οὔ, ἀλλʼ ἔφθασε.
For the former, because of its fineness, is carried along, and because of its speed, succeeds in passing through before it can ignite and, by lingering, blacken things; while the slower one colors indeed, but does not burn, yet succeeds in passing through.
διὸ καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀντιτυπήσαντα πάσχει τι, τὰ δὲ μὴ οὐδέν, οἶον ἀσπίδος ἤδη τὸ μὲν χάλκωμα ἐτάκη, τὸ δὲ ξύλον οὐδὲν ἔπαθεν· διὰ γὰρ μανότητα ἔφθασε τὸ πνεῦμα διηθηθὲν καὶ διελθόν· καὶ διʼ ἱματίων ὁμοίως οὐ κατέκαυσεν, ἀλλʼ οἷον τρῦχος ἐποίησεν·
Wherefore those things which resist suffer somewhat, but those which do not suffer nothing; as, for example, the bronze part of a shield has before now been melted, while the wood suffered nothing; for because of its porosity, the wind succeeded in filtering through and passing across; and likewise through garments it does not burn them up, but makes them like a tattered rag.
ὥστε ὅτι γε πνεῦμα ταῦτα πάντα, δῆλον καὶ ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων.
So that it is clear from such cases too that all these are wind.
ἔστι δʼ ἐνίοτε καὶ τοῖς ὄμμασιν θεωρεῖν, οἷον καὶ νῦν ἐθεωροῦμεν περὶ τὸν ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ναὸν καόμενον· πολλαχῇ γὰρ ἡ φλὸξ ἐφέρετο συνεχής, ἀποσπωμένη χωρίς.
And it is sometimes possible to observe this even with our eyes, as, for instance, we observed recently concerning the temple in Ephesus being burned; for in many places the flame was carried along continuously, being torn away separately.
ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ὅ τε καπνὸς πνεῦμα καὶ κάεται ὁ καπνός, φανερόν, καὶ εἴρηται ἐν ἑτέροις πρότερον· ὅταν δʼ ἀθρόον χωρῇ, τότε φανερῶς δοκεῖ πνεῦμα εἶναι.
For that smoke is wind and that smoke burns is clear, and has been stated in other works before; but when it moves in a mass, then it clearly appears to be wind.
ὅπερ οὖν ἐν ταῖς μικραῖς πυρκαϊαῖς φαίνεται, τοῦτο καὶ τότε πολλῆς ὕλης καομένης ἐγίγνετο πολλῷ ἰσχυρότερον.
What therefore appears in small fires, this also happened then on a much stronger scale, as much matter was burning.
ῥηγνυμένων οὖν τῶν ξύλων, ὅθεν ἡ ἀρχὴ τοῦ πνεύματος ἦν, πολὺ ἐχώρει ἀθρόον, ᾗ ἐξέπνει, καὶ ἐφέρετο ἄνω πεπυρωμένον.
So when the timber was splitting, from where the source of the wind was, a great amount of it moved in a mass where it breathed out, and was carried upwards ignited.
ὥστʼ ἐφαίνετο ἡ φλὸξ φέρεσθαι καὶ εἰσπίπτειν εἰς τὰς σἰκίας.
So that the flame appeared to be carried along and to fall into the houses.
ἀεὶ γὰρ οἴεσθαι δεῖ ἐπακολουθεῖν τοῖς κεριυνοῖς πνεῦμα καὶ προϊέναι· ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὁρᾶται, διὰ τὸ ἀχρωμάτιστον εἶναι.
For one must always think that a wind follows and precedes thunderbolts; but it is not seen because it is colorless.
διὸ καὶ μέλλει πατάξειν, κινεῖται πρὶν πληγῆναι, ἅτε πρότερον προσπιπτούσης τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ πνεύματος.
Wherefore also, when it is about to strike, the object moves before being hit, since the beginning of the wind strikes it beforehand.
καὶ αἱ βρονταὶ δὲ διιστᾶσιν οὐ τῷ ψόφῳ, ἀλλʼ ὅτι ἄμμα συνεκκρίνεται τὸ τὴν πληγὴν ποιῆσαν καὶ τὸν ψόφον πνεῦμα· ὃ ἐὰν πατάξῃ, διέστησεν, ἐπέκαυσε δʼ οὔ.
And thunderclaps also split things, not by their noise, but because the wind which produced the blow and the noise is excreted at the same time; which, if it strikes, splits, but does not burn.
περὶ μὲν οὖν βροντῆς καὶ ἀστραπῆς καὶ ἐκνεφίου, ἔτι δὲ πρηστήρων τε καὶ τυφώνων καὶ κεραυνῶν, εἴρηται, καὶ ὅτι ταὐτὸ πάντα, καὶ τίς ἡ διαφορὰ πάντων αὐτῶν.
Concerning thunder, therefore, and lightning and eknephias, and further presteres, typhones, and thunderbolts, it has been spoken, both that they are all the same thing, and what the difference among them all is.