§3.6#2ἄνω μὲν οὖν ἐὰν γίγνηται καὶ ἐγγύς, διαλύσει ὁ ἥλιος· ἐὰν δὲ πόρρω, ἐλάττων ἡ ὄψις οὖσα ἢ ὥστε ποιεῖν ἀνάκλασιν οὐ προσπεσεῖται.
If, then, it arises above and near, the sun will dissolve it; but if far away, the sight being too weak to cause reflection will not reach it.
ἐν δὲ τῷ πλαγίῳ ἐστὶ τοσοῦτον ἀποστῆναι τὸ ἔνοπτρον, ὥστε μήτε τὸν ἥλιον διαλῦσαι, τήν τε ὄψιν ἀθρόαν ἐλθεῖν, διὰ τὸ πρὸς τὴν γῆν φερομένην μὴ διασπᾶσθαι ὥσπερ δι᾿ ἀχανοῦς φερομένην.
But on the side, it is possible for the mirror to be at such a distance that the sun does not dissolve it, and the sight arrives in a body, because when traveling towards the earth it is not dispersed as if traveling through an abyss.
ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν ἥλιον οὐ γίγνεται διὰ τὸ πλησίον μὲν τῆς γῆς διαλύεσθαι ἂν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου, ἄνω δὲ μεσουρανίου γιγνομένης συστάσεως τὴν ὄψιν διασπᾶσθαι.
But it does not arise below the sun, because if near the earth it would be dissolved by the sun, but if the constitution arises above in mid-heaven, the sight is dispersed.
καὶ ὅλως οὐδ᾿ ἐκ πλαγίου μεσουρανίου γίγνεται· ἡ γὰρ ὄψις οὐχ ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν φέρεται, ὥστε ὀλίγη ἀφικνεῖται πρὸς τὸ ἔνοπτρον, καὶ ἡ ἀνακλωμένη γίγνεται πάμπαν ἀσθενής.
And generally, it does not even arise on the side when the sun is in mid-heaven; for the sight is not carried near the earth, so that only a little reaches the mirror, and the reflected sight becomes entirely weak.
ὅσα μὲν οὖν ἔργα συμραίνει παρέχεσθαι τὴν ἔκκρισιν ἐν τοῖς τόποις τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς γῆς, σχεδόν ἐστι τοσαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα.
These, then, are almost all and of such kinds as the phenomena that the exhalation happens to produce in the regions above the earth.
ὅσα δ᾿ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ γῇ, ἐγκατακλειομένη τοῖς τῆς γῆς μέρεσιν, ἀπεργάζεται, λεκτέον.
But we must speak of all those things which the exhalation, being enclosed in the parts of the earth, produces within the earth itself.
ποιεῖ γὰρ δύο διαφορὰς σωμάτων διὰ τὸ διπλῆ πεφυκέναι καὶ αὐτή, καθάπερ καὶ ἐν τῷ μετεώρῳ· δύο μὲν γὰρ αἱ ἀναθυμιάσεις, ἡ μὲν ἀτμιδώδης ἡ δὲ καπνώδης, ὥς φαμεν, εἰσίν· δύο δὲ καὶ τὰ εἴδη τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ γιγνομένων, τὰ μὲν ὀρυκτὰ τὰ δὲ μεταλλευτά.
For it produces two different kinds of bodies because it is itself also twofold in nature, just as in the region above; for there are two exhalations, one vaporous and the other smoky, as we say; and there are also two kinds of things produced in the earth, namely, quarried materials and metals.
ἡ μὲν οὖν ξηρὰ ἀναθυμίασίς ἐστιν ἥ τις ἐκπυροῦσα ποιεῖ τὰ ὀρυκτὰ πάντα, οἷον λίθων τε γένη τὰ ἄτηκτα καὶ σανδαράκην καὶ ὤχραν καὶ μίλτον καὶ θεῖον καὶ τἆλλα τὰ τοιαῦτα.
Now the dry exhalation is that which by being heated produces all quarried materials, such as the types of stones that do not melt, realgar, ochre, red ochre, sulphur, and other such things.
τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα τῶν ὀρυκτῶν ἐστιν τὰ μὲν κονία κεχρωματισμένη, τὰ δὲ λίθος ἐκ τοιαύτης γεγονὼς συστάσεως, οἷον τὸ κιννάβαρι.
And most of the quarried materials are either colored dust or stone produced from such a constitution, such as cinnabar.
τῆς δ᾿ ἀναθυμιάσεως τῆς ἀτμιδώδους, ὅσα μεταλλεύεται, καὶ ἔστιν ἢ χυτὰ ἢ ἐλατά, οἷον σίδηρος, χρυσός, χαλκός.
On the other hand, from the vaporous exhalation arise all metals, which are either fusible or ductile, such as iron, gold, and bronze.
ποιεῖ δὲ ταῦτα πάντα ἡ ἀναθυμίασις ἡ ἀτμιδώδης ἐγκατακλειομένη, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς λίθοις, διὰ ξηρότητα εἰς ἓν συνθλιβομένη καὶ πηγνυοἷον ἢ δρόσος ἢ πάχνη, ὅταν ἀποκριθῇ.
And the vaporous exhalation produces all these when enclosed, and especially within stones, being squeezed into one and solidified because of dryness, just as dew or hoar-frost when they have separated.
ἐνταῦθα δὲ πρὶν ἀποκριθῆναι γεννᾶται ταῦτα.
But in the earth, these are generated before they separate.
διὸ ἔστι μὲν ὡς ὕδωρ ταῦτα, ἔστιν δ᾿ ὡς οὔ· δυνάμει μὲν γὰρ ἡ ὕλη ὕδατος ἦν, ἔστι δ᾿ οὐκέτι, οὐδ᾿ ἐξ ὕδατος γενομένου διά τι πάθος, ὥσπερ οἱ χυμοί· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω γίγνεται τὸ μὲν χαλκὸς τὸ δὲ χρυσός, ἀλλὰ πρὶν γενέσθαι παγείσης τῆς ἀναθυμιάσεως ἕκαστα τούτων ἐστίν.
Wherefore these are in a way water, and in a way not; for their matter was potentially water, but is so no longer, nor is it from water that has become so through some affection, like juices; for it is not in this way that one becomes bronze and another gold, but each of these exists by the solidification of the exhalation before it becomes water.
διὸ καὶ πυροῦται πάντα καὶ γῆν ἔχει· ξηρὰν γὰρ ἔχει ἀναθυμίασιν· ὁ δὲ χρυσὸς μόνος οὐ πυροῦται.
Wherefore they all melt when heated and contain earth, for they contain dry exhalation; but gold alone does not melt.
κοινῇ μὲν οὖν εἴρηται περὶ αὐτῶν ἁπάντων, ἰδίᾳ δὲ σκεπτέον προχειριζομένοις περὶ ἕκαστον γένος.
Generally, then, it has been spoken about all of them, but we must examine each kind individually by taking them up.