§33.8Διὰ τί τρίψαντες τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν παυόμεθα τῶν πταρμῶν;
Why is it that we stop sneezing when we rub our eyes?
ἢ ὅτι ἀνάπνοια ταύτῃ γίνεται τῷ ὑγρῷ;
Is it because in this way an outlet is provided for the moisture?
δακρύει γὰρ ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς μετὰ τρῖψιν, ὁ δὲ πταρμὸς διὰ πλῆθος ὑγρότητος.
For the eye sheds tears after being rubbed, whereas sneezing is caused by an abundance of moisture.
ἢ ὅτι τὸ ἔλαττον θερμὸν φθείρεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πλείονος, ὁ δὲ ὀφθαλμὸς τριφθεὶς πλείω λαμβάνει θερμότητα τῆς ἐν τῇ ῥινί.
Or is it because a smaller heat is destroyed by a larger one, and the rubbed eye receives a greater heat than that in the nose?
διὰ ταῦτα δὴ κἄν τις αὐτὴν τὴν ῥῖνα τρίψῃ, παύεται ὁ πταρμός.
It is indeed for these reasons that even if one rubs the nose itself, the sneezing stops.
§33.9Διὰ τί τῶν μὲν ἄλλων πνευμάτων αἱ ἔξοδοι, οἷον φύσης καὶ ἐρυγμοῦ, οὐχ ἱεραί, ἡ δὲ τοῦ πταρμοῦ ἱερά;
Why is it that the exits of other breaths, such as passing wind and belching, are not sacred, but that of sneezing is sacred?
πότερον ὅτι τριῶν τόπων ὄντων, κεφαλῆς καὶ θώρακος καὶ τῆς κάτω κοιλίας, ἡ κεφαλὴ θειότατον;
Is it because, of the three regions—the head, the chest, and the lower stomach—the head is the most divine?
ἔστι δὲ φῦσα μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς κάτω κοιλίας πνεῦμα, ἐρυγμὸς δὲ τῆς ἄνω, ὁ δὲ πταρμὸς τῆς κεφαλῆς.
Now passing wind is breath from the lower stomach, belching from the upper stomach, and sneezing from the head.
διὰ τὸ ἱερώτατον οὖν εἶναι τὸν τόπον καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ὡς ἱερὸν προσκυνοῦσιν.
Because, then, this region is the most sacred, people worship the breath from here as sacred.
ἢ ὅτι ἅπαντα τὰ πνεύματα σημαίνει τοὺς εἰρημένους τόπους βέλτιον ἔχειν ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ;
Or is it because all breaths indicate, for the most part, that the mentioned regions are in a better state?
μὴ διαχωρούντων γὰρ κουφίζει τὸ πνεῦμα διεξιόν, ὥστε καὶ ὁ πταρμὸς τὸν περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τόπον, ὅτι ὑγιαίνει καὶ δύναται πέττειν.
For when things do not pass through, the breath passing through relieves the body, so that sneezing also relieves the region around the head, showing that it is healthy and able to digest.
ὅταν γὰρ κρατήσῃ ἡ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ θερμότης τὴν ὑγρότητα, τὸ πνεῦμα τότε γίνεται πταρμός.
For when the heat in the head overcomes the moisture, the breath then becomes a sneeze.
διὸ καὶ τοὺς ἐκθνήσκοντας κρίνουσιν πταρμικῷ, ὡς ἐὰν μὴ τοῦτο δύνωνται πάσχειν, ἀσώτους ὄντας.
This is why they test even dying people with a sneezing agent, and if they cannot do this, they are considered past recovery.
ὥστε ὡς σημεῖον ὑγείας τοῦ ἀρίστου καὶ ἱερωτάτου τόπου προσκυνοῦσιν ὡς ἱερόν, καὶ φήμην ἀγαθὴν ποιοῦνται.
Thus, as a sign of health of the best and most sacred region, they worship it as sacred and regard it as a good omen.
§33.10Διὰ τί ἄνθρωπος πτάρνυται μάλιστα τῶν ἄλλων ζῷων;
Why does man sneeze the most of all animals?
πότερον ὅτι τοὺς πόρους εὐρεῖς ἔχει, δι’ ὧν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ῥύμη εἰσέρχεται;
Is it because he has wide passages through which the breath and the flow enter?
τούτοις γὰρ πληρουμένοις πνεύματος πτάρνυται.
For when these are filled with breath, he sneezes.
ὅτι δ’ εὐρεῖς, σημεῖον ὅτι ἥκιστα ὀσφραντικὸν τῶν ζῴων. ἀκριβέστεροι δὲ οἱ λεπτοὶ πόροι.
And a sign that they are wide is that man has the least sense of smell among animals; for narrow passages are more accurate.
εἰ οὖν εἰς μὲν τοὺς εὐρεῖς πλεῖον καὶ πλεονάκις εἰσέρχεται τὸ ὑγρόν, οὗ πνευματουμένου ὁ πταρμὸς γίνεται, τοιούτους δὲ μάλιστα τῶν ζῴων οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἔχουσι, πλειστάκις ἂν πτάρνυντο εἰκότως, ὅσοις ἐλάχιστοι οἱ μυκτῆρες, ὥστε τὸ θερμανθὲν ὑγρὸν ταχὺ ἐξιέναι δύναται πνεῦμα γενόμενον· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις διὰ μῆκος καταψύχεται πρότερον.
If, then, more moisture enters more frequently into wide passages, and sneezing occurs when this is vaporized, and men have such passages most of all animals, they would naturally sneeze most frequently, especially those whose nostrils are very small, so that the warmed moisture can quickly go out after becoming breath; whereas in other animals, owing to the length of the passages, it is cooled beforehand.
§33.11Διὰ τί οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ μέσων νυκτῶν ἄχρι μέσης ἡμέρας οὐκ ἀγαθοὶ πταρμοί, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ μέσης ἡμέρας ἄχρι μέσων νυκτῶν;
Why is it that sneezes from midnight to midday are not favorable, but those from midday to midnight are?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ μὲν πταρμὸς μᾶλλον δοκεῖ ἐπισχεῖν τοὺς ἀρχομένους καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ;
Is it because sneezing seems rather to hold back those who are beginning and at the start?
διὸ ὅταν μέλλωσιν ἀρχομένοις συμβῆναι, μάλιστα ἀποτρεπόμεθα τοῦ πράττειν.
Therefore, when they are about to happen to those who are beginning, we especially shrink from acting.
ἡ μὲν οὖν [καὶ] ἠὼς καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ μέσων νυκτῶν οἷον ἀρχή τις· διὸ εὐλαβούμεθα πτάρειν, μὴ κωλύσωμεν ὡρμημένον.
Now the dawn and the period from midnight are like a beginning; therefore, we are cautious about sneezing, lest we hinder what has been started.
πρὸς δείλης δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ μέσας νύκτας οἷον τελευτή τις καὶ ἐναντίον ἐκείνῳ, ὥστε ἐν τῷ ἐναντίῳ ταὐτὸν αἱρετέον.
But toward evening and up to midnight is like an end and is the opposite of the former, so that in the opposite situation we must choose the same thing.
§33.12Διὰ τί οἱ πρεσβῦται χαλεπῶς πτάρνυνται;
Why do elderly people sneeze with difficulty?
πότερον οἱ πόροι συμπεπτώκασιν δι’ ὧν τὸ πνεῦμα;
Is it because the passages through which the breath goes have collapsed?
ἢ ὅτι αἴρειν τὰ ἄνω οὐκέτι δυνάμενοι ῥᾳδίως, εἶτα βίᾳ ἀφιᾶσι κάτω;
Or is it because, being no longer able to raise the upper parts easily, they then force them down with violence?
§33.13Διὰ τί, ἐάν τις ἀπνευστιάζῃ, ἡ λὺγξ παύεται;
Why is it that, if one holds one's breath, the hiccup stops?
ἢ διότι ἡ μὲν ὑπὸ καταψύξεως γίνεται (διὸ καὶ οἱ φοβούμενοι καὶ οἱ ῥιγοῦντες λύζουσιν), κατεχόμενον δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα ἐκθερμαίνει τὸν ἐντὸς τόπον;
Is it because the hiccup is caused by cooling (which is why those who are afraid and those who are chilled get hiccups), whereas the breath, being held, thoroughly warms the internal region?
§33.14Διὰ τί οἱ κωφοὶ ἐκ τῶν μυκτήρων διαλέγονται ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ;
Why do the deaf speak through their nostrils for the most part?
ἢ ὅτι ὁ πνεύμων ἐστὶ τούτοις πεπονηκώς;
Is it because they have suffered in their lungs?
τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἡ κωφότης, πλήρωσις τοῦ τόπου τοῦ πνευμονικοῦ.
For this is deafness: the filling up of the respiratory region.
οὔκουν ῥᾳδίως ἡ φωνὴ φέρεται, ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ τὸ πνεῦμα τῶν πνευστιώντων ἢ ἀσθμαινόντων δι’ ἀδυναμίαν ἀθρόον, οὕτως ἐκείνοις ἡ φωνή.
Therefore the voice is not easily carried, but just as the breath of those who pant or gasp is discharged all at once due to weakness, so is the voice for those people.
βιάζεται οὖν καὶ διὰ τῶν μυκτήρων.
It therefore forces its way also through the nostrils.
βιαζομένη δὲ τῇ τρίψει ποιεῖ τὸν ἦχον.
And forcing its way, it produces the sound by friction.
ἔστι γὰρ ἡ διὰ τῶν ῥινῶν διάλεκτος γινομένη. ὅταν τὸ ἄνω τῆς ῥινὸς εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ᾗ συντέτρηται, κοῖλον γένηται· ὥσπερ κώδων γὰρ ὑπηχεῖ, τοῦ κάτωθεν στενοῦ ὄντος.
For the speech through the nose occurs when the upper hollow of the nose toward the palate, where it is connected, becomes hollowed; for it rings like a bell, the lower part being narrow.