§26.8Διὰ τί αἱ μὲν καθαραὶ δύσεις εὐδιεινὸν σημεῖον, αἱ δὲ τεταραγμέναι χειμερινόν;
Why are clear sunsets a sign of fair weather, but troubled ones a sign of storm?
ἢ ὅτι χειμὼν γίνεται συνισταμένου καὶ πυκνουμένου τοῦ ἀέρος;
Or is it because a storm occurs when the air condenses and thickens?
ὅταν μὲν οὖν κρατῇ ὁ ἥλιος, διακρίνει καὶ αἰθριάζει αὐτόν, ὅταν δὲ κρατῆται, ἐπινεφῆ ποιεῖ.
Therefore, when the sun prevails, it dissolves and clears it, but when it is prevailed over, it makes it cloudy.
ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ἰσχυρὰ ᾖ ἡ σύστασις, εὐθὺς ἡμέρας γίνεται χειμών· ἐὰν δὲ ἀσθενεστέρα, μὴ παντάπασιν δὲ κρατουμένη, τὸ συνιστάμενον ἐξωθεῖται πρὸς τὰς δύσεις.
If, therefore, the condensation is strong, a storm occurs immediately during the day; but if it is weaker, and yet not altogether prevailed over, that which is condensing is pushed out towards the west.
ἐνταῦθα δὲ μένει διὰ τὸ παχύτατον εἶναι τὸν περὶ τὴν γῆν ἀέρα τοῦ χειμῶνος.
And there it remains because the air around the earth is thickest in winter.
ταχὺ δὲ συνίσταται καὶ ὁ ἄλλος διὰ τὸ ἔχειν ἀρχὴν καὶ ἔρεισμα, ὃ δέξεται καὶ ἀθροίσει τὸ προσιὸν καθάπερ ὄρθρος· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τροπῇ ἑνὸς ἀντιστάντος καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι μένουσιν, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀέρος.
And the other air also quickly condenses because it has, like dawn, an origin and support which will receive and collect what approaches; for just as in a rout, if one man stands his ground, the others also remain, so it is with the air.
διὸ ταχὺ καὶ ἐξαίφνης ἐνίοτε γίνεται καὶ ἐπινέφελα.
Therefore, sometimes it quickly and suddenly becomes cloudy.
ὅταν οὖν αἱ δύσεις τεταραγμέναι ὦσι, σημεῖόν ἐστιν ἰσχυρὸν ὅτι οὐ κεκράτηκεν ὁ ἥλιος τῆς συστάσεως, πολὺν χρόνον ἐναντιούμενος αὐτῇ, ὥστε εἰκότως ἔστι συστῆναι πλέον.
When, therefore, the sunsets are troubled, it is a strong sign that the sun has not prevailed over the condensation, having opposed it for a long time, so that naturally more condensation can occur.
καὶ ἧττον δέ ἐστι φοβερόν, ὅταν προχειμάσαντος ἢ ὅταν ἐξ εὐδίας τοῦτο συμβῇ. ἐκείνως μὲν γὰρ ἔοικεν ὥσπερ ὑπόλειμμά τι εἶναι, οὕτω δὲ ἀρχὴ συστάσεως.
And it is less to be feared when this happens after a storm has already blown than when it happens after fair weather; for in the former case it is like a remnant, but in the latter it is the beginning of a condensation.
§26.9Διὰ τί λέγεται
οὔ ποτε νυκτερινὸς βορέας τρίτον ἵκετο φέγγος
;
Why is it said, "A nocturnal north wind never reaches the third dawn"?
ἢ διότι ἀσθενῆ τὰ πνεύματα τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ἄρκτου, ὅταν ᾖ νυκτερινά;
Or is it because the winds from the north are weak when they blow at night?
σημεῖον γὰρ ὅτι οὐ πολὺς ὁ κινηθεὶς ἀήρ. τὸ τηνικαῦτα πνεῦσαι, ὅτε ὀλίγη θερμότης ὑπῆρχεν· ἡ δὲ ὀλίγη ὀλίγον ἐκίνει ἀέρα.
For a sign that not much air was moved is its blowing at that time, when little heat was present; and little heat moved little air.
τελευτᾷ δὲ ἐν τρισὶ πάντα, καὶ τὰ ἐλάχιστα ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ τριάδι, ὥστε καὶ τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα.
And all things end within three days, and the smallest in the first three days, so that this wind does too.
§26.10Διὰ τί ὁ βορέας πυκνότερον πνεῖ ἢ ὁ νότος;
Why does the north wind blow more frequently than the south wind?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ μὲν βορέας γειτνιῶν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ οὐ λανθάνει ὀλιγοχρόνιος ὤν (ἅμα γὰρ πνεῖ καὶ πάρεστιν), ὁ δὲ νότος οὐκ ἀφικνεῖται διὰ τὸ πόρρωθεν πνεῖν.
Or is it because the north wind, being close to the inhabited world, does not escape notice even if it lasts only a short time—for as soon as it blows, it is present—whereas the south wind, blowing from afar, does not reach us?
§26.11Διὰ τί ὁ νότος ἧττον μετὰ χειμερινὰς νύκτας πνεῖ ἢ μεθ’ ἡμέρας;
Why does the south wind blow less after winter nights than after days?
ἢ ὅτι καὶ τῆς νυκτὸς ὁ ἥλιος ἐγγύς ἐστι τῇ πρὸς νότον χώρᾳ, καὶ ἀλεεινότεραι αἱ νύκτες ἐκεῖ ἢ πρὸς ἄρκτον αἱ ἡμέραι;
Or is it because even at night the sun is near the region towards the south, and the nights there are warmer than the days towards the north?
ὥστε πολὺς κινεῖται ὁ ἀήρ, καὶ οὐθὲν ἐλάττων ἢ μεθ’ ἡμέραν· ἀλλ’ αἱ θερμότεραι ἡμέραι κωλύουσι μᾶλλον πνεῖν, ξηραίνουσαι τὰς ὑγρότητας.
Consequently much air is moved, and no less than by day; but the hotter days rather prevent the wind from blowing, by drying up the moisture.
§26.12Διὰ τί ἐπὶ κυνὶ ὁ νότος πνεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο ὥσπερ τι ἄλλο γίνεται τεταγμένως;
Why does the south wind blow at the rising of the Dog Star, and why does this happen regularly like anything else?
ἢ διότι θερμὰ τὰ κάτω, τοῦ ἡλίου πόρρω ὄντος, ὥστε πολλὴ ἡ ἀτμὶς γίνεται;
Or is it because the lower regions are hot, since the sun is far away, so that much steam is produced?
καὶ πολλοὶ δὴ ἔπνεον, εἰ μὴ διὰ τοὺς ἐτησίας.
Indeed, many south winds would blow were it not for the Etesian winds.
νῦν δὲ οὗτοι κωλύουσιν, ἢ ὅτι ἐπὶ πᾶσι μὲν σημαίνει τοῖς ἄστροις δυομένοις ἢ ἐπιτέλλουσιν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ἐπὶ τούτῳ;
But as it is, these prevent them. Or is it because signs are given at the setting or rising of all stars, and not least at the rising of this one?
δῆλον δὲ ὅτι πνεύματα 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 brings stifling heat, naturally the hottest winds are set in motion at its rising; and the south wind is hot.
ἐπεὶ δὲ εἴθισται μάλιστα ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων εἰς τὰ ἐναντία μεταβάλλειν, πρὸ κυνὸς δὲ οἱ πρόδρομοι πνέουσιν ὄντες βορέαι, εἰκότως μετὰ κύνα νότος πνεῖ, ἐπειδὴ ἐπισημαίνει μέν, ἐπιτέλλουσι δὲ τοῖς ἄστροις.
And since it is most customary for change to occur from opposites to opposites, and before the Dog Star the precursor winds blow, which are northerly, naturally after the Dog Star the south wind blows, since signs are given, and indeed at the rising of the stars.
τὸ δὲ ἐπισημαίνειν ἐστὶν μεταβολὴν τοῦ ἀέρος ποιεῖν· μεταβάλλει δὲ πάντα εἰς τοὺς ἐναντίους ἢ τοὺς ἐπὶ δεξιὰ ἀνέμους τὰ πνεύματα.
To give a sign is to cause a change in the air; and all movements of wind change either into their opposites or into winds on the right.
ἐπεὶ δὲ βορέας εἰς τοὺς ἐπιδεξίους μεταβάλλει, εἴη ἂν αὐτῷ λοιπὸν εἰς νότον μεταβάλλειν.
And since the north wind changes into those on the right, what remains for it would be to change into the south wind.
ἔστιν δὲ καὶ ἡ μετὰ τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπὰς πεντεκαιδεκάτη νότιος, διὰ τὸ τὰς μὲν τροπὰς ἀρχήν τινα εἶναι, κινεῖν δὲ τὸν κατ’ αὐτὴν μάλιστα ἀέρα τὸν ἥλιον, εἶναι δὲ ἐν ταύταις ταῖς τροπαῖς πρὸς νότον.
Also, the fifteenth day after the winter solstice is southerly, because the solstice is a kind of beginning, and the sun moves the air near itself most of all, and at this solstice the sun is towards the south.
καθάπερ οὖν καὶ τὰ ἀπ’ ἀνατολῆς κινῶν ἀπηλιώτας ἀνέμους ἤγειρεν, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας κινῶν νότους ἐγείρει.
Just as, therefore, by moving the air from the east it raised the east winds, so by moving the air from the south it raises the south winds.
οὐκ εὐθὺ δὲ ἀπὸ τροπῶν ποιεῖ τοῦτο διὰ τὸ βραχυτάτας ποιεῖσθαι τὰς μεταστάσεις τότε, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῇ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ διὰ τὸ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον συμμέτρως ἔχειν τῇ κατὰ τὴν μετάστασιν πρώτῃ φαντασίᾳ· ὅλου γάρ ἐστι μέρος εὐσημότατον ὁ εἰρημένος χρόνος.
And it does not do this immediately after the solstice because the shifts of position are then very small, but on the fifteenth day because this period is proportionate to the first manifestation following the shift; for the aforesaid period is the most distinct part of the whole.