§26.56Διὰ τί ἄλλοις ἄλλοι τῶν ἀνέμων ὑέτιοι, οἷον ἐν μὲν τῇ Ἀττικῇ καὶ ταῖς νήσοις ὁ Ἑλλησποντίας, ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ δὲ ὁ βορέας καὶ ἐν Κυρήνῃ, περὶ Λέσβον δὲ νότος;
Why do different winds bring rain to different places, as for instance the Hellespontias in Attica and the islands, the north wind in the Hellespont and Cyrene, and the south wind around Lesbos?
ἢ ὅπου ἂν ἄθροισις νεφῶν, ἐνταῦθα ὕδωρ;
Is it because wherever there is a gathering of clouds, there is water?
ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἡ πύκνωσις ἀθροίζεται, ὅπου ἂν προκαθίζεσθαι ἔχῃ.
For condensation accumulates wherever the clouds can settle.
διὸ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι μᾶλλον ὕει ἢ ὅπου ἂν τὸ πλῆθος ὑπεξάγειν δύνηται· περικαταλαμβανόμενον γὰρ πυκνοῦται· δεῖ δὲ τοῦτο γενέσθαι.
Therefore it rains more in the mountains than where the wind can draw away the mass of clouds; for being trapped, they are condensed, and this must happen.
καὶ ἐν ταῖς εὐδίαις μᾶλλον ὕει.
It also rains in calm weather.
ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ μὲν οὖν ἄνωθεν ὁ βορέας πολλὰ συνωθεῖ νέφη, πρὸς δὲ τὴν Ἀττικὴν καὶ τὰς νήσους ὁ Ἑλλησποντίας, ὥσπερ ὕλην ἔχων· καὶ γὰρ περιίσταται τὰ πολλὰ ἐκ τοῦ βορέου.
In the Hellespont then, the north wind drives many clouds from above, but towards Attica and the islands, the Hellespontias does so, as if having the material; for indeed it usually shifts from the north wind.
περὶ δὲ Λέσβον ὁ εὖρος καὶ ὁ νότος ἐκ τοῦ πελάγους φέροντες πολλὰ νέφη προσβάλλει τῇ χώρᾳ.
Around Lesbos, the southeast wind and the south wind, bringing many clouds from the open sea, strike the land.
τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων.
The same is the case with other places.
§26.57Διὰ τί λέγεται
μή ποτ’ ἀπ’ ἠπείρου δείσῃς νέφος ἀλλ’ ἀπὸ πόντου χειμῶνος, θέρεος δὲ ἀπ’ ἠπείροιο μελαίνης
;
Why is it said: "In winter never fear a cloud from the continent but from the sea, but in summer from the dark continent"?
ἢ διότι τοῦ μὲν χειμῶνος ἡ θάλαττα θερμοτέρα, ὥστε εἰ τι συνέστη, δῆλον ὅτι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἰσχυρᾶς συνέστηκεν· ἐλύθη γὰρ ἂν διὰ τὸ ἀλεεινὸν εἶναι τὸν τόπον.
Is it because in winter the sea is warmer, so that if any cloud has formed, it is clear that it has formed from a strong origin; for it would have been dissolved because the place is warm.
τοῦ δὲ θέρους ἡ μὲν θάλαττα ψυχρά, καὶ τὰ πόντια πνεύματα, ἡ δὲ γῆ θερμή, ὥστε εἴ τι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς φέρεται, διὰ μείζονος ἀρχῆς συνέστη· διελύθη γὰρ ἄν, εἰ ἀσθενὲς ἦν.
But in summer the sea is cold, and so are the sea winds, while the land is warm, so that if anything is carried from the land, it has formed through a greater origin; for it would have been dissolved if it had been weak.
§26.58Διὰ τί ἐν τῇ Ἀρκαδίᾳ ὑψηλῇ οὔσῃ τὰ μὲν πνεύματα οὐθὲν ψυχρότερα τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅταν δὲ νηνεμία ῃ καὶ ἐπινέφελα, ψυχρά, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ὁμαλέσιν τοῖς ἑλώδεσιν;
Why is it that in Arcadia, which is high, the winds are not at all colder than those in other places, but when there is a calm and it is cloudy, it is cold, just as in flat and marshy regions?
ἢ ὅτι καὶ ἡ Ἀρκαδία ὁμοία γίνεται τοῖς ἑλώδεσιν·
Is it because Arcadia also becomes like marshy regions?
οὐ γὰρ ἔχει ἐξόδους τοῖς ὕδασιν εἰς θάλατταν, διὸ καὶ βάραθρα πολλὰ αὐτόθι ἐστίν.
For it has no outlets for its waters into the sea, wherefore there are many chasms there.
ὅταν μὲν οὖν ᾖ ἄνεμος, ἀπορριπίζει τὴν ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀναθυμίασιν, οὖσαν ψυχράν, αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ πνεύματα οὐ ψυχρὰ διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάττης προσβάλλειν· ἐν δὲ ταῖς νηνεμίαις ἀνιοῦσα ἡ ἀτμὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐμμένοντος ὕδατος ποιεῖ τὸ ψῦχος.
When, therefore, there is a wind, it blows away the exhalation rising from the earth, which is cold, while the winds themselves are not cold because they strike from the sea; but in calms the vapor rising from the remaining water produces the cold.
§26.59Διὰ τί, ἂν ἕωθεν πνεῖν ἄρξηται, διημερεύει μᾶλλον;
Why is it that if a wind begins to blow in the morning, it is more likely to last all day?
ἢ διότι ἀρχομένου τοῦ ἡλίου σφοδροτάτη ἡ φορά, διὸ ἐκτείνεται τοιαύτη οὖσα.
Is it because at the rising of the sun the movement of the wind is most violent, and therefore, being of such a character, it is prolonged?
σημεῖον δὲ ὅτι ἰσχυρὰ ἡ σύστασις.
And this is a sign that its formation is strong.
§26.60Διὰ τί βορέας τὴν ἡμέραν μὲν λαμπρός, τὴν δὲ νύκτα πίπτει;
Why does the north wind blow clear and strong during the day, but subside at night?
ἢ διότι γίνεται ἀπὸ πεπηγότος ὑετοῦ, ὅταν ἀναθυμιᾶται διὰ τὸν ἥλιον;
Is it because it arises from frozen rain, when it is evaporated by the sun?
πίπτει δὲ νυκτός, ὅτι οὐχ ἡ αὐτὴ γένεσις, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ποιεῖ· τὰς γὰρ νύκτας ἐκπνεῖ, τὰς δὲ ἡμέρας ἧττον.
And it subsides at night because there is not the same generation, but rather it does the opposite; for it ceases blowing during the nights, and less so during the days.
§26.61Διὰ τί τὰ ἀράχνια τὰ πολλὰ ὅταν φέρηται, πνεύματός ἐστι σημεῖα;
Why is it that when many spider webs are carried about, it is a sign of wind?
πότερον ὅτι ἐργάζεται ὁ ἀράχνης ἐν ταῖς εὐδίαις, φέρεται δὲ διὰ τὸ ψυχόμενον τὸν ἀέρα συνιέναι πρὸς τὴν γῆν, τὸ δὲ ψύχεσθαι ἀρχὴ χειμῶνος· σημεῖον οὖν ἡ φορὰ τῶν ἀραχνίων.
Is it because the spider works in calm weather, but the webs are carried because the cooling air contracts towards the earth, and this cooling is the beginning of a storm; therefore the drifting of the webs is a sign?
ἢ ὅτι μετὰ τὰ ὕδατα καὶ τοὺς χειμῶνας γίνεται τῶν ἀραχνίων ἀθρόα ἡ φορά, ἐν ταῖς εὐδίαις ἐργαζομένων, διὰ τὸ ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι μὴ φαίνεσθαι: δύσριγον γὰρ τόδε.
Or is it because after rains and storms the drifting of the webs occurs in a mass, since they work in calm weather because they do not appear during the storm; for this creature is sensitive to cold.
καὶ φερόμενοι ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος πολὺ ἐκπηνίζονται.
And being carried by the wind, they spin out a great deal of web.
μετὰ δὲ τὰ ὕδατα εἴωθεν πνεύματα γίνεσθαι ὡς τὰ πολλὰ.
And after rains, winds are accustomed to arise for the most part.
§26.62Διὰ τί οἱ βορέαι μεγάλοι τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐν τοῖς ψυχροῖς τόποις ἐπινέφελοι, ἔξω δὲ αἴθριοι;
Why are strong north winds in winter cloudy in cold regions, but clear outside them?
ἢ ὅτι ἄμα ψυχροί εἰσι καὶ μεγάλοι, ἐγγὺς δὲ μᾶλλον ψυχροί, ὥστε φθάνουσι πηγνύντες πρὶν ἀπῶσαι τὰ νέφη·
Is it because they are both cold and strong, but closer to their source they are colder, so that they freeze the clouds before pushing them away?
ὅταν δὲ παγῇ, μένουσι διὰ βάρος.
And when they are frozen, they remain because of their weight.
ἔξω δὲ τῷ μεγέθει ἐργάζονται μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ ψυχρῷ.
But outside those regions, they act more by their strength than by their coldness.