§23.29Διὰ τί αἱ κυματωδέστεραι γαῖ στερραὶ γίνονται πολλάκις οὕτως σφόδρα ὥσπερ ἠδαφισμέναι;
Why is it that shores exposed to more waves often become so extremely hard, as though they were paved?
καὶ ἡ μὲν κυματώδης γῆ στερεά, ἡ δὲ ἄπωθεν χαῦνος.
And while the wave-beaten land is solid, that which is far away is loose.
ἢ διότι ἡ μικρὰ ἄμμος οὐ πόρρωθεν ἐκβάλλεται ὑπὸ τοῦ κύματος, ἀλλὰ ἡ μείζων μᾶλλον;
Or is it because fine sand is not cast up far by the wave, but the larger rather?
ὥσπερ καὶ τῇ χειρὶ βάλλειν πόρρω οὐ τὸ ἐλάχιστον μάλιστα δυνατόν.
Just as also when throwing far with the hand, it is not the smallest thing that is most possible.
ἔπειτα πολλῶν κυκωμένων τα ἐλάχιστα ἐμπίπτοντα πυκνοῖ.
Then, when many things are stirred up, the smallest particles falling in consolidate it.
ἡ δὲ τοῦ κύματος λωφῶντος κίνησις ἐδαφίζει, κινεῖ δὲ οὐκέτι.
And the motion of the subsiding wave levels it, but does not move it anymore.
διὰ μὲν οὖν τὸ μὴ τὰ μικρότατα πόρρω δύνασθαι πηδᾶν, ἐκ μικρῶν σφόδρα συντέθειται· διὰ δὲ τὸ πολλάκις κινεῖσθαι συνεχὲς γίνεται πιπτούσης ἄμμου, ἕως ἂν συναρμόσῃ· διὰ δὲ τὸ κῦμα τὸ τελευταῖον ἐδαφίζεται, καὶ τὸ ἠρέμα ὑγρὸν συγκολλᾷ.
Therefore, because the smallest things are not able to leap far, it is composed of very small particles; and because of being moved often, it becomes continuous as the sand falls, until it fits together; and by the last wave it is leveled, and being slightly wet glues it together.
ἡ δὲ πόρρω ξηρά τε οὖσα διίσταται, καὶ ἐκ μειζόνων ἐστὶ λιθιδίων καὶ ἀνεδάφιστος.
But that which is far away, being dry, falls apart, and consists of larger small stones, and is unleveled.
§23.30Διὰ τί τῆς θαλάσσης τὰ ἄνω τῶν ἐν τῷ βάθει ἁλμυρώτερα καὶ θερμότερα;
Why are the upper parts of the sea saltier and warmer than those in the depth?
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς φρέασι τοῖς ποτίμοις τὸ ἐπιπολῆς ἁλμυρώτερον τοῦ εἰς βάθος· καίτοι ἔδει τὸ κατωτέρω· βαρύτερον γὰρ τὸ ἁλμυρόν.
And likewise also in drinkable wells, the surface water is saltier than that in the depth; although the lower part ought to be, for the salty is heavier.
ἢ διότι ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ ἀνάγει ἀεὶ τὸ ἐλαφρότατον ἀπὸ τῶν ὑγρῶν;
Or is it because the sun and the air always draw up the lightest of the liquids?
τὸ δὲ ποτιμώτερον ἀεὶ κουφότερον, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀπάγει ἀπὸ τῶν ἐγγυτέρων τόπων.
And the more drinkable is always lighter, and they draw away more from the nearer places.
ὥστε καὶ τῆς θαλάττης ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιπολῆς καὶ τῶν ποτίμων ἀνάγκη τὸ λειπόμενον ἁλμυρώτερον εἶναι, ἀφ’ ὧν ἀνῆκται, ἢ ἀφ’ ὧν μηθὲν ἢ ἔλαττον τὸ γλυκύ.
So that both of the sea at the surface, and of drinkable waters, the remaining part must be saltier from which the sweet has been drawn up, than those from which nothing or less of the sweet has been drawn.
διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ θερμότερα τὰ ἄνω· τὸ γὰρ ἁλμυρὸν θερμότερον τοῦ ποτίμου.
And because of this the upper parts are also warmer; for the salty is warmer than the drinkable.
διὸ καὶ φασί τινες τῶν ἡρακλειτιζόντων ἐκ μὲν τοῦ ποτίμου ξηραινομένου καὶ πηγνυμένου λίθους γίνεσθαι καὶ γῆν, ἐκ δὲ τῆς θαλάττης τὸν ἥλιον ἀναθυμιᾶσθαι.
Wherefore also some of the Heracliteans say that from the drinkable water when dried up and solidified stones and earth are formed, while from the sea the sun is nourished by exhalation.
§23.31Διὰ τί τῆς θαλάττης τὰ πρὸς τῇ γῇ γλυκύτερά ἐστιν;
Why is the water of the sea near the land sweeter?
ἢ διότι ἐν τῇ κινήσει μᾶλλόν ἐστιν;
Is it because it is more in motion?
κινούμενον δὲ τὸ ἁλμυρὸν γλυκύτερον γίνεται.
And salty water when moved becomes sweeter.
ἢ ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ βάθει ἁλμυρώτερόν ἐστι τὸ ὕδωρ, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τῇ γῇ ἧττόν ἐστι βαθέα.
Or because in the depth also the water is saltier, whereas the parts near the land are less deep?
διὸ καὶ τἀγχιβαθῆ ἁλμυρά ἐστι καὶ οὐχ ὁμοίως γλυκέα.
Wherefore also deep-water shores are salty and not similarly sweet.
τούτου δ’ αἴτιον, ὅτι βαρὺ ὂν τὸ ἁλμυρὸν φέρεται μᾶλλον εἰς βάθος.
And the cause of this is that the salty, being heavy, is carried more into the depth.
§23.32Διὰ τί ἡ θάλαττα μόνον τῶν ὑδάτων κάεται, τὰ δὲ πότιμα καὶ ποτάμια οὔ;
Why does the sea alone of waters burn, but drinkable and river waters do not?
πότερον ὅτι γῆν πολλὴν ἔχει;
Is it because it contains much earth?
δηλοῦσι δὲ οἱ ἅλες.
This is shown by the salt.
ἢ διότι λιπαρά;
Or because it is fatty?
δηλοῖ δὲ τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἅλασιν ὑφιστάμενον ἔλαιον.
This is shown by the oil that underlies in the salt.
§23.33Διὰ τί ἐν ταῖς λίμναις ἄμμος οὐ γίνεται ἢ ἧττον ἢ ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ καὶ τοῖς ποταμοῖς;
Why does sand not form in lakes, or less so than in the sea and in rivers?
ἢ ὅτι ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ πέτραι γίνονται, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐκκέκαυται μάλιστα;
Is it because rocks are formed in the sea, and the earth is extremely burnt?
ἡ δὲ ἄμ μος ἐστὶ πέτρα ἐψηγμένη εἰς μικρὰ καὶ ἐλάχιστα μόρια.
And sand is rock ground down into small and extremely minute particles.
ψήχεται δὲ διὰ τὴν πληγὴν τῶν κυμάτων.
And it is ground down by the beating of the waves.
ἐν δὲ ταῖς λίμναις οὐ γίνονται ὁμοίως πέτραι καθαραί, οὐδὲ θραύονται ὁμοίως διὰ τὸ μὴ γίνεσθαι κύματα ὁμοίως.
But in lakes, pure rocks are not formed in the same way, nor are they broken up in the same way because waves are not formed in the same way.
ἐν δὲ τοῖς ποταμοῖς μᾶλλον, ὅτι τὴν μὲν γῆν καταφέρουσιν, τὰς δὲ πέτρας τῇ πληγῇ θραύουσιν.
But in rivers rather, because they carry down the earth, and break the rocks by the impact.
§23.34Διὰ τί, ὅταν ἡ λίμνη ἢ κοπάσῃ ἢ ξηρὰ γένηται, ἀποκάεται ὁ σῖτος ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ μᾶλλον;
Why, when a lake either subsides or becomes dry, are the crops in the plain blighted more?
πότερον ὅτι τὸ ὑγρὸν τὸ ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ ἀπατμίζον τῇ ἀτμίδι θερμαίνει τὸν ἀέρα, ὥστε ἐλάττους καὶ ἀσθενεστέρους ποιεῖ τοὺς πάγους ἢ ἐν τοῖς κοίλοις καὶ προσελώδεσι τόποις;
Is it because the moisture in the lake, evaporating, warms the air with its vapor, so that it makes the frosts less and weaker than in hollow and marshy places?
ἢ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ὥσπερ λέγεται, τὰ ψύχη ἄρχεται καὶ λανθάνει εἰσδυόμενα ξηρᾶς οὖν οὔσης τῆς λίμνης, διὰ πλείονος τόπου ἡ ψυχρότης πλείων προσπίπτουσα πήγνυσι καὶ ἀποκάει μᾶλλον.
Or because, as is said, colds begin from the earth and creep in unnoticed? Therefore, when the lake is dry, the cold, falling in greater quantity through a wider space, freezes and blights the crops more.
ἐν δὲ ταῖς τοιαύταις χώραις τὰ ψύχη κάτωθεν γίνεται, ὥσπερ καὶ δοκεῖ.
And in such places, the cold comes from below, as indeed it seems.
καίτοι ἡ γῆ θερμὴ τοῦ χειμῶνος· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἔφυγρον εἶναι κατέψυκται τὸ ἐπιπολῆς θερμὸν τὸ ἐν τῇ γῇ.
And yet the earth is warm in winter; but because of being damp, the surface heat in the earth is cooled down.
τὸ γὰρ ὑγρὸν οὔτε οὕτω πόρρω ἐστὶν ὥστε μὴ ψύχεσθαι, διὰ τὴν ἐνοῦσαν θερμότητα ἐν τοῖς ὑγροῖς, οὔτε οὕτως ὀλίγον ὥστε μηθὲν ἰσχύειν, διὰ τὸ διάβροχον εἶναι τὴν γῆν.
For the moisture is neither so far away as not to be cooled, owing to the heat inherent in liquids, nor on the other hand is it so little as to have no effect, because the earth is thoroughly soaked.
οἷον οὖν διά τὴν ψύξιν αὐτοῦ συμβαίνει ἐπὶ κρυστάλλου περιπατεῖν καὶ οἰκεῖν.
So that, as it were, because of its freezing, it happens that one walks and lives upon ice.