§26.29Διὰ τί ὁ καικίας μόνος τῶν ἀνέμων ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν ἄγει τὰ νέφη, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ παροιμία λέγει
ἕλκων ἐφ’ αὑτὸν ὥσπερ καικίας νέφος
.
Why does the northeast wind alone of all the winds draw the clouds towards itself, as the proverb also says: "drawing to himself as the northeast wind does a cloud"?
οἱ γὰρ ἄλλοι, ὅθεν ἂν πνέωσιν, ἐνταῦθα ἀναστέλλουσιν.
For the other winds, from whichever direction they blow, drive them away from there.
πότερον αἴτιον ὅτι ἅμα ὁ ἐναντίος πνεῖ;
Is the cause because the opposite wind blows at the same time?
ἢ οὐκ ἂν ἐλάνθανεν, ἀλλὰ πέφυκεν τὸ πνεῦμα κύκλου γραμμὴν φέρεσθαι;
Or would this not have escaped notice, but rather the wind is naturally carried in a circular line?
οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι περὶ τὴν γῆν πνέουσιν· τοῦτο δὲ τὸ κοῖλον τῆς γραμμῆς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐστιν, ὥστε ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν πνέων ἐφ’ αὑτὸν τὰ νέφη ἄγει.
For while the other winds blow close to the earth, the concave part of this wind's line is towards the sky and not towards the earth, so that blowing towards its starting point it draws the clouds towards itself.
§26.30Διὰ τί ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς θαλάττης οὐκ ἀποπνεῖ ἕωθεν ψυχρόν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ποταμῶν;
Why does no cold breeze blow from the sea in the morning, whereas it does from rivers?
ἢ ὅτι ἡ μὲν θάλαττά ἐστιν ἐν ἀναπεπταμένοις τόποις, οἱ δὲ ποταμοὶ ἐν στενοῖς;
Is it because the sea is in open spaces, while rivers are in narrow ones?
ἡ οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάττης αὔρα εἰς πολὺν τόπον σκίδναται, ὥστε εἶναι ἀσθενής, ἡ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ποταμῶν ἀθρόως φέρεται καὶ μᾶλλον ἰσχύει· διὸ μᾶλλον εἰκότως φαίνεται ψυχρά.
The breeze from the sea, therefore, is dispersed over a wide area and so is weak, whereas that from rivers is carried in a body and is stronger; hence it naturally seems colder.
ἢ οὐ τοῦτ’ ἐστὶν αἴτιον, ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν ποταμοὶ ψυχροί εἰσιν, ἡ δὲ θάλαττα οὔτε θερμὴ οὔτε ψυχρά;
Or is this not the cause, but rather that rivers are cold, while the sea is neither hot nor cold?
γίνεται δὲ ἡ αὔρα καὶ ἀποπνοὴ θερμαινομένων ἢ ψυχομένων· ὁπότερον γὰρ ἂν τούτων πάσχῃ, ἐξαεροῦται, ἐξαερουμένου δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος ὁ ἀὴρ γινόμενος φέρεται, ὅ ἐστιν αὔρα.
A breeze and exhalation arise when things are being warmed or cooled; for whichever of these a body of water undergoes, it is turned into air, and when water is turned into air, the resulting air moves, which constitutes a breeze.
τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχρῶν ψυχρὸν εἰκότως ἀποπνεῖ, τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν σφόδρα θερμῶν ἀποπνέοντα ψύχεται καὶ γίνεται ψυχρά.
Now, what exhales from cold things is naturally cold, and what exhales from very hot things cools down and becomes cold.
τοὺς μὲν οὖν ποταμοὺς ψυχροὺς ἅπαντας εὕροι τις ἄν, ἡ δὲ θάλαττα οὔτε ψυχρὰ οὔτε θερμὴ σφόδρα ἐστίν.
One would find all rivers to be cold, but the sea is neither very cold nor very hot.
οὔτε οὖν τὸ ἀποπνέον ψυχρὸν ἀπ’ αὐτῆς ἐστίν, διὰ τὸ μὴ ψυχρὰν εἶναι σφόδρα, οὔτε ψύχεται ταχύ, διὰ τὸ μὴ θερμὴν εἶναι σφόδρα.
Therefore, neither is that which exhales from it cold, because the sea is not very cold, nor does it cool quickly, because the sea is not very hot.
§26.31Διὰ τί ὁ ζέφυρος εὐδιεινὸς καὶ ἥδιστος δοκεῖ εἶναι τῶν ἀνέμων, καὶ οἷον καὶ Ὅμηρος ἐν τῷ Ἠλυσίῳ πεδίῳ,
ἀλλ’ αἰεὶ ζεφύροιο διαπνείουσιν ἀῆται
;
Why does the west wind seem to be the calmest and most pleasant of all the winds, as Homer also describes in the Elysian Plain: "but evermore the breezes of the west wind blow shrill"?
ἢ πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ἔχει τὴν τοῦ ἀέρος κρᾶσιν;
Is it first of all because it has the temperament of the air?
οὔτε γὰρ θερμὸς ὥσπερ οἱ ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας καὶ ἕω, οὔτε ψυχρὸς ὥσπερ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἄρκτου ἀλλ’ ἐν μεθορίῳ ἐπὶ τῶν ψυχρῶν καὶ θερμῶν πνευμάτων· γειτνιῶν δὲ ἀμφοῖν τῆς δυνά εως αὐτῶν κοινωνεῖ, διὸ καὶ εὔκρατός ἐστι καὶ πνεῖ ἔαρος μάλιστα.
For it is neither hot like the winds from the south and the east, nor cold like those from the north, but is on the boundary between cold and hot winds; and being adjacent to both, it shares in the power of both, wherefore it is well-tempered and blows especially in spring.
ἔτι τὰ πνεύματα περιίσταται ἢ εἰς τἀναντία ἢ ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιά.
Furthermore, winds shift either to their opposites or to the right.
μετὰ οὖν τὸν βορέαν πνέων (ἐπὶ δεξιὰ γὰρ ὁ τόπος) εὐδοκιμεῖ, ὥσπερ παρὰ χαλεπὸν πρᾶος.
Blowing, then, after the north wind (for its place is to the right), it is highly esteemed, like a gentle person after a harsh one.
καὶ ἅμα ὅταν ἀποχειμάσῃ, εὐδία εἴωθεν γίνεσθαι ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ. ὁ δὲ βορέας χειμέριος ἄνεμος. [καὶ ὁ ἀπηλιώτης δὲ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ὢν τῶν θερμῶν καὶ τῶν ψυχρῶν πνευμάτων ἧττον αὐτοῖς κοινωνεῖ.
And at the same time, when winter is over, calm weather usually ensues, and the north wind is a wintry wind. [The east wind also, being in the middle between hot and cold winds, shares less in them.
ἀπηλιώτης μὲν γὰρ πνέων τὰ πρὸς νότου πνεύματα κινεῖ (ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἡ μετάστασις αὐτοῦ ἐστίν), κινῶν δὲ οὐ μίγνυται αὐτοῖς.
For the east wind, when blowing, sets in motion the winds towards the south (for there is its transition), but in setting them in motion it does not mix with them.
ὁ δὲ ζέφυρος καὶ κινεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν νοτίων, καὶ πνέων κινεῖ τὰ βόρεια· τελευτᾷ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἡ περίοδος τῶν πνευμάτων.
But the west wind is both set in motion by the southern winds and, as it blows, sets in motion the northern ones; for the cycle of the winds ends there.
διὸ τῶν μὲν τὴν τελευτὴν τῶν δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχων ἐν αὑτῷ δικαίως ἡδύς ἐστι καὶ δοκεῖ εἶναι. ] §26.32Διὰ τί ἐπὶ κυνὶ νότος πνεῖ;
Therefore, having in itself the end of the former and the beginning of the latter, it is justly pleasant and seems to be so.] Why does the south wind blow at the dog-days?
ἢ ὅτι ἐπὶ πᾶσι μὲν σημαίνει τοῖς ἄστροις δυομένοις ἢ ἐπιτέλλουσιν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ἐπὶ τούτῳ;
Is it because weather signs are shown at the setting or rising of all stars, but not least at this one?
δῆλον ὅτι πεύματα μάλιστα ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ μετ’ αὐτόν.
It is clear that winds blow especially at this star and after it.
ἐπεὶ δὲ πνίγει, καὶ πνεύματα εἰκότως ἐπ’ αὐτῷ τὰ θερμότατα κινεῖται· ὁ δὲ νότος θερμός ἐστιν.
And since it is suffocatingly hot, the hottest winds are naturally set in motion at it; and the south wind is hot.
ἐπεὶ δὲ - χρόνος.
And since the time...