§26.33Διὰ τί ὁ ζέφυρος πρὸς τὴν δείλην πνεῖ, πρωῒ δὲ οὔ;
Why does the west wind blow towards the evening, but not in the morning?
ἢ αἴτιος μέν ἐστιν ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τῶν πνευμάτων ὁ ἥλιος ἀνατέλλων καὶ δύνων;
Is it because the rising and setting sun is generally the cause of the winds?
ὅταν γὰρ ὑγρὸν ὄντα τὸν ἀέρα διαθερμαίνων πέττῃ καὶ διακρίνῃ, εἰς πνεῦμα διακρίνει· ἐὰν δὲ ᾖ πνευματώδης ὁ ἀήρ, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐκπνευματοῦται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου.
For when it warms, ripens, and dissolves the moist air, it dissolves it into wind; and if the air is already windy, it is still more fully turned into wind by the sun.
ὅταν μὲν οὖν ἐπ’ ἀνατολῇ ᾖ ὁ ἥλιος, πόρρω ἐστὶ τοῦ ζεφύρου· ἀπὸ γὰρ δυσμῶν πνεῖ.
Now when the sun is at its rising, it is far from the west wind; for it blows from the west.
ὅταν δὲ περὶ τὸ δύνειν ἤδη, τότε διακεκριμένον ἐστὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τελέως.
But when it is already about to set, then the wind is completely dissolved.
ἀπὸ δὲ μέσου ἡμέρας καὶ πρὸς τὴν δείλην συμμετρότατα ἔχει πρὸς τὸ διαθερμᾶναι καὶ διακρῖναι.
And from mid-day towards the evening, it is in the most moderate proportion for warming and dissolving.
διὰ ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀπηλιώτης πρωῒ ἄρχεται πνεῖν· τοῦ γὰρ ὑπὲρ γῆς ἀέρος τῆς νυκτὸς ἐξυγραινομένου καὶ τῇ γῇ πλησιάσαντος διὰ βάρος, ἕωθεν διακρίνων αὐτὸν ὁ ἥλιος τὸν καθ’ αὑτὸν κινεῖ πρῶτον.
And because of this, the east wind also begins to blow in the morning; for since the air above the earth becomes moist during the night and approaches the earth because of its weight, the sun, dissolving it in the morning, first sets in motion the air near itself.
τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου πνεῦμα ἀνατέλλοντος ἐντεῦθεν ἀπηλιώτης καλεῖται.
And the wind from the rising sun from that place is called the east wind.
§26.34Διὰ τί αἰρομένου τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ αὐξάνεται καὶ πίπτει τὰ πνεύματα;
Why do winds both increase and fall as the sun rises higher?
ἢ ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἤτοι τοῦ ἀέρος ἢ τοῦ ἀναχθέντος ὑγροῦ κίνησις;
Is it because wind is the motion either of the air or of the moisture that has been drawn up?
αὕτη δὲ ὅταν μὲν ἐλάττων ᾖ, ταχὺ καταναλίσκεται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου, ὥστε οὐ γίνεται πνεῦμα· ὅταν δὲ πλείων, κινεῖται μᾶλλον τοῦ ἡλίου ἀνατείλαντος· ὁ γὰρ ἥλιος ἀρχὴ τῶν κινήσεών ἐστιν.
And when this motion is smaller, it is quickly consumed by the sun, so that no wind arises; but when it is greater, it is set in motion more as the sun rises; for the sun is the starting point of motions.
§26.35Διὰ τί ὁ ζέφυρος τῆς δείλης πνεῖ;
Why does the west wind blow in the evening?
ἢ ἅπαντα τὰ πνεύματα τοῦ ἡλίου διαχέοντος τὸ ὑγρὸν γίνεται;
Is it because all winds arise as the sun disperses the moisture?
πρότερον γὰρ συνεστηκός, ὅταν ἡ τοῦ θερμοῦ δύναμις πλησιάζῃ, ἐξάπτει.
For that which was previously condensed is kindled when the power of heat approaches.
ὁ δὲ ζέφυρος ἀφ’ ἑσπέρας πνεῖ.
And the west wind blows from the west.
εἰκότως οὖν τῆς δείλης γίνεται· τότε γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ ἀφικνεῖται.
Naturally, then, it arises in the evening; for then the sun arrives at its place.
καὶ ὁ βορέας καὶ ὁ νότος διὰ τοῦτο πλειστάκις πνέουσιν, ὅτι τὸ ἐναντίον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐναντίου κρατούμενον κατ’ εὐθυωρίαν ἥκιστα δύναται διαμένειν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐκ τοῦ πλαγίου.
And the north and south winds blow most frequently because of this: that an opposite dominated by an opposite can least persist in a straight line, but rather from the side.
ὁ μὲν οὖν νότος καὶ βορέας ἐκ τῶν ἐφ’ ἑκάτερα τόπων τῆς τοῦ ἡλίου φορᾶς πνέουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι μᾶλλον ἐκ τοῦ κατ’ ἀντικρύ.
The south and north winds, therefore, blow from the regions on either side of the sun’s course, while the others blow rather from the opposite side.
§26.36Πότερον τὸ πνεῦμα ἀπὸ πηγῆς τινὸς φέρεται ὥσπερ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ ταύτης οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνωτέρω αὐτὸ ἐνεχθῆναι, ἢ οὔ;
Does the wind flow from some source just like water, and is it impossible for it to be carried higher than this source, or not?
καὶ πότερον ἀπὸ ἑνὸς σημείου ἢ ἀπὸ πλείονος τόπου;
And does it flow from a single point or from a wider place?
ἔνια μὲν οὖν ἐστὶν ὅμοια, ἃ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων φαίνεται συμβαίνειν τό τε γὰρ ὕδωρ, ὅταν εἰς τὸ κάταντες φέρηται, θᾶττον ῥεῖ ἢ ὅταν ἐν τῷ ἐπιπέδῳ καὶ ὁμαλοῦ λιμνάζῃ.
Now some things are similar, which also appear to happen in the case of water; for water, when it is carried downwards, flows faster than when it stagnates on flat and level ground.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὰ πνεύματα· ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἄκροις καὶ τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἀεὶ ἐν κινήσει ὁ ἀήρ, ἐν δὲ τοῖς κοίλοις πολλάκις ἠρεμεῖ καὶ ἄπνοια γίνεται.
Likewise with winds too; for on the summits and high places the air is always in motion, but in hollows it is often at rest and calm ensues.
ἔτι ἐπὶ τοῖς σφόδρα ὑψηλοῖς ὄρεσιν οὐ γίνεται τὰ πνεύματα, οἷον ἐπὶ τῷ Ἄθῳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς τοιούτοις.
Furthermore, on very high mountains winds do not arise, as on Athos and other such mountains.
σημεῖον δέ· ἃ γὰρ ἂν καταλείπωσιν οἱ τῷ προτέρῳ ἔτει θύοντες, εὑρίσκεσθαί φασι διαμένοντα τῷ ὑστέρῳ.
And this is proof: for they say that what those who sacrifice in the previous year leave behind is found remaining in the following year.
δῆλον οὖν ὅτι ὥσπερ ἀπὸ πηγῆς τινὸς καὶ ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος φορὰ γίνεται.
It is clear, then, that the course of the wind also arises as if from some source.
εἰς τὸ ἄνω οὖν οὐκέτι δύναται διικνεῖσθαι.
It is therefore no longer able to reach upwards.
διὰ τοῦτο οὖν ἐπὶ τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς τοῦτο συμβαίνει.
Because of this, then, this happens on high places.
ὁμοίως δ’ ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος εἴη· οὔτε γὰρ ὕδωρ λάβρον οὔτε πνεῦμα ἐξαίσιον ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς φαίνεται γίνεσθαι.
And it would be the same in the case of water; for neither violent water nor excessive wind appears to arise in high places.
§26.37Διὰ τί ποτε τοῦ μὲν νότου πνέοντος ἡ θάλαττα κυανέα γίνεται, τοῦ δὲ βορέου ζοφώδης;
Why is it that when the south wind blows, the sea becomes dark blue, but when the north wind blows, it becomes gloomy?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ βορέας ἧττον τὴν θάλατταν ταράττει, τὸ δὲ ἀταρακτότερον ἅπαν μέλαν φαίνεται.
Is it because the north wind agitates the sea less, and everything that is calmer appears black?