§25.8Διὰ τί, ὅταν διαχυθῇ τὸ ὑγρὸν εἰς ἀσκούς, οὐ μόνον τὸ ὑγρὸν δέχεται ὁ πίθος μετὰ τῶν ἀσκῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλο προσλαμβάνει;
Why is it that, when liquid is distributed into skins, the jar not only receives the liquid along with the skins, but also takes in something more?
ἢ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὑγρῷ ἐνυπάρχει ὁ ἀήρ;
Or is it because air is present in the liquid?
οὗτος οὖν ὅταν μὲν ἐν τῷ πίθῳ ἐνῇ, οὐ δύναται ἐκκρίνεσθαι διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πίθου· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ μείζονος χαλεπώτερον ἐκθλῖψαι ὁτιοῦν καὶ ὑγρὸν καὶ πνεῦμα, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐκ τῶν σπόγγων.
Now, when this air is in the jar, it cannot be separated because of the size of the jar; for it is more difficult to squeeze anything, whether liquid or breath, out of a larger vessel, just as it is from sponges.
ὅταν δὲ μερίζηται εἰς μικρά, ἐκθλίβεται ἐκ τοῦ ἀσκοῦ μετὰ τοῦ ἐνόντος, ὥσθ’ ἡ τοῦ ἀέρος χώρα κενὴ γίνεται.
But when it is divided into small portions, it is squeezed out of the skin along with what is inside, so that the space of the air becomes empty.
διὸ καὶ τοὺς ἀσκοὺς καὶ ἔτι ἄλλο ὑγρὸν δέχεται ὁ πίθος.
Therefore, the jar receives both the skins and still more liquid.
καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦτο γίνεται, ὅτι πλείων ἀὴρ ἐν τῷ οἴνῳ ἔνεστιν ἢ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι.
And this happens more with wine, because there is more air in wine than in water.
ὅμοιον δὲ τούτῳ καὶ τὸ ταὐτὸ ἀγγεῖον τήν τε κονίαν καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ χωρεῖν ἅμα. ὅσον ἑκάτερον χωρὶς ἐγχεόμενον.
Similar to this is the fact that the same vessel contains both lye and water together, as much as each would hold when poured in separately.
ἔοικεν γὰρ πολλὰ εἶναι τὰ διάκενα τῆς τέφρας.
For the empty spaces in the ashes seem to be many.
ἅτε οὖν λεπτότερον τὸ ὕδωρ διαδύνει μᾶλλον καὶ συσσάττει ἤδη, ὥστε πυκνοῦσθαι, καὶ διὰ τὸ παρ’ ἕκαστον τῶν μερῶν εἶναι τὴν σάξιν (μᾶλλον γὰρ σάττεται κατὰ μικρὸν σαττόμενον ἅπαν ἢ ἀθρόον), τούτου δὲ γινομένου ὑποκαταβαίνειν τὴν κονίαν· ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἡ τέφρα εἰς αὑτὴν δέχεται τὸ ὑγρὸν διὰ τὸ ἔχειν κοιλίας.
Since, then, water is finer, it penetrates more and already packs things together, so that they condense, and because the packing occurs at each of the parts (for everything is packed better when packed little by little than all at once), when this happens, the lye seems to settle down; and at the same time the ashes receive the liquid into themselves because they have cavities.
ἡ δὲ βαλλομένη τέφρα εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ θερμὴ οὖσα τέμνει αὐτὸ καὶ ἐξαεροῖ.
But the ashes thrown into the water, being hot, cut it and drive out the air.
καὶ πρότερον δὲ ὕδατος ἐγχυθέντος καὶ ὕστερον κονίας ἐμπιπτούσης τὸ αὐτὸ γίνεται, ὥστε καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἔχοι ἂν κοιλίας καὶ διάκενα αὐτὸ ἐν αὑτῷ.
And the same thing happens when water is poured in first and ashes fall in later, so that the water itself would also have cavities and empty spaces in itself.
ἢ οὐ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ δεχόμενον τὴν κονίαν, ἀλλ’ ἡ κονία τὸ ὕδωρ;
Or is it not the water that receives the ashes, but the ashes that receive the water?
τὸ γὰρ λεπτομερέστερον εἰκὸς εἶναι τὸ εἰσιόν.
For it is reasonable that the thing entering is made of finer parts.
ἔτι καὶ ἐκ τῆς πείρας δῆλον.
Furthermore, it is clear from experience.
ὅταν γὰρ ἐπιπάττηται ἡ τέφρα, καθ’ ὃν ἂν τόπον ἐπιπάττηται, εἰς τοῦτον συρρεῖ τὸ ἄλλο ὕδωρ· ἔδει δὲ τὸ ἐναντίον, εἴπερ ἦν τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ δεχόμενον.
For whenever the ashes are sprinkled, on whatever place they are sprinkled, the rest of the water flows together to this place; but the opposite should have happened, if water were the receiving thing.
ἢ οὐ συμβαίνει τοῦτο, ἐὰν πρότερον ἐγχυθῇ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ σφόδρα διαμεστώσῃ· ἀλλ’ ἐὰν ὁτιοῦν ἐπιβληθῇ, ὑπερχεῖται.
Or does this not happen if the water is poured in first and fills it completely; but if anything is thrown in, it overflows.
ἐὰν δ’ ἅπαξ ὑπερχυθῇ καὶ ἐπιπέσῃ ἡ τέφρα, ἤδη συμβαίνει· ἡ γὰρ τέφρα ἦν δεχομένη.
But if it overflows once and the ashes fall in, it already happens; for the ashes were the receiving thing.
ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὅτι οἱ βόθυνοι τὴν ἐκβληθεῖσαν ἐξ αὐτῶν γῆν οὐ δέχονται· ἔοικεν γὰρ δὴ ἀήρ τις προκαταλαμβάνων τὸν τόπον καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μὴ δέχεσθαι.
And this same thing is also why pits do not receive the earth that was dug out of them; for indeed some air seems to pre-occupy the place and for this reason they do not receive it.
§25.9Διὰ τί ὁ ἀὴρ παχύτερος ὢν τοῦ φωτὸς διέρχεται διὰ τῶν στερεῶν;
Why does the air, being denser than light, pass through solids?
ἢ διότι τὸ μὲν φῶς κατ’ εὐθεῖαν φέρεται μόνον, διὸ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀραιῶν οὐ διορᾷ ἡ ὄψις, οἷον κισήριδος;
Is it because light travels only in a straight line, which is why our vision does not see through loose-textured things, such as pumice?
ἐπαλλάττουσιν γὰρ οἱ πόροι· ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐν τῇ ὑάλῳ, ὁ δὲ ἀὴρ οὐ κωλύεται διὰ τὸ μὴ εὐθυπορεῖν οὗ διέρχεται.
For the pores overlap; but this is not so in glass. The air, on the other hand, is not hindered because it does not need to travel in a straight line where it passes through.
§25.10Διὰ τί ὁ ἀὴρ ψυχρὸς μὲν γίνεται διὰ τὸ ἅπτεσθαι τοῦ ὕδατος, δίυγρος δὲ οὔ, κἂν σφόδρα τις φυσᾷ εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ ὥστε κυμαίνειν, ὅτι δὲ ψυχρός, δηλοῖ μεθιστάμενος·
Why does the air become cold by touching water, but not extremely wet, even if one blows hard into the water so as to make waves?
ψύχει γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων.
That it is cold is shown when it moves away; for it cools from the waters.
ἢ ὅτι ψυχρὸς μὲν πέφυκεν εἶναι καὶ θερμός, ὥστε μεταβάλλει τῇ ἁφῇ οὗ ἄν τινος ἅπτηται, ὑγρὸς δὲ οὐκέτι διὰ τὸ κουφότερος εἶναι· καὶ οὐδέποτε εἰς τὸ βάθος τοῦ ὕδατος ἔρχεται, ἀλλ’ ἀεὶ τοῦ ἐπιπέδου ἅπτεται, κἂν βιάζηται κάτω· καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἔτι κατωτέρω φέρεται, ὥστε μήποτε εἰς βάθος ἰέναι.
Or is it because it is by nature both cold and hot, so that it changes by the touch of whatever it touches, but is no longer wet because it is lighter; and it never goes into the depth of the water, but always touches the surface, even if it is forced down; and the water is carried still lower, so that it never goes into the depth?
§25.11Διὰ τί ὁ ἐκ τῶν πομφολύγων καὶ κάτωθεν ἀνιὼν οὐ διερὸς ἐξέρχεται;
Why does the air rising from bubbles and from below not come out wet?
ἢ διότι οὐκ ἐπιμένει τὸ ὑγρόν, ἀλλ’ ὀλισθαίνει τὸ ὕδωρ;
Is it because the moisture does not remain, but the water slips off?
τὸ δ’ ἐπὶ τῇ πομφόλυγι καὶ ἔλαττόν ἐστιν ἢ ὥστε διερεῖν.
And that which is upon the bubble is too little to make it wet.
§25.12Διὰ τί ὁ ἀὴρ οὐκ ἀναπίμπλησι, τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ;
Why does the air not saturate, but water does?
καὶ εἰς τὸν ἀέρα γὰρ μετατιθέμενον διερόν.
For even when transferred into the air, a thing is wet.
ἢ ὅτι ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ὁ λίθος;
Or is it because, just as a stone does not?
οὐ γὰρ πᾶν ἐστὶν ἀναπληστικόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ γλίσχρον ἢ ὑγρόν.
For not everything is capable of saturating, but only that which is viscous or liquid.