§3.44Ἐὰν τὸ μετόπωρον εὐδιεινὸν παρὰ τὸ εἰκὸς γένηται, τὸ ἔαρ γίνεται ψυχρὸν ὡς τὰ πολλά.
If autumn is unusually fair, spring is generally cold.
ἐὰν πρωὶ χειμάζειν ἄρξηται, πρωῒ παύεται καὶ ἔαρ καλόν, ἐὰν δὲ τοὐναντίον, καὶ ἔαρ ὄψιον ἔσται.
If winter begins early, it ends early and the spring is fine; but if the contrary, the spring too will be late.
ἐὰν χειμὼν ὑέτιος, τὸ ἔαρ αὐχμηρόν, ἐὰν δ᾿ αὐχμηρὸς ὁ χειμών, τὸ ἔαρ καλόν.
If the winter is rainy, the spring is dry; but if the winter is dry, the spring is fine.
ἐὰν ἡ ὄπωρα γίνηται ἐπιεικής, τὰ πολλὰ γίνεται τοῖς προβάτοις λιμός.
If the late summer is moderate, there is generally a famine for sheep.
ἐὰν τὸ ἔαρ καὶ τὸ θέρος ψυχρὰ γίνηται, ἥ τε ὄπωρα γίνεται καὶ μετόπωρον πνιγηρὸν καὶ οὐκ ἀνεμῶδες.
If spring and summer are cold, both late summer and autumn become sultry and windless.
§3.45Οἱ πρῖνοι ἐὰν εὐκαρπῶσι, χειμῶνες πολλοὶ σφόδρα γίνονται.
If holm-oaks bear fruit abundantly, very severe winters occur repeatedly.
ἐὰν ἐπὶ κορυφῆς ὄρους νέφος ὀρθὸν στῇ, χειμῶνα σημαίνει, ὅθεν καὶ Ἀρχίλοχος ἐποίησε “Γλαῦχ᾿ ὅρα·
If a cloud stands upright on a mountain peak, it indicates winter; whence Archilochus also wrote: "Glaucus, look!
βαθὺς γὰρ ἤδη κύμασιν ταράσσεται Πόντος ἀμφὶ δ᾿ ἄκρα Γυρῶν ὀρθὸν ἵσταται νέφος Σῆμα χειμῶνος. ” ἐὰν δ᾿ ὁμόχρων ᾖ ὑμένι λευκῷ, χειμέριον.
For already the deep sea is troubled with waves, and around the heights of the Gyrae stands an upright cloud, a sign of winter." And if it is of the same color as a white membrane, it indicates wintry weather.
ὅταν ἑστώτων νεφῶν ἕτερα ἐπιφέρηται τὰ δ᾿ ἠρεμῇ, χειμέρια.
When, while some clouds are stationary, others are brought up while the former remain still, it indicates wintry weather.
§3.46Ὁ ἥλιος ἐὰν χειμῶνος διαλάμψας πάλιν ἀποκρυφθῇ καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσῃ δὶς ἢ τρίς, ἡμέρα χειμέριος δίεισιν.
In winter, if the sun shines through and then is hidden again, and does this two or three times, a wintry day will pass.
ὁ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ ἀστὴρ χειμῶνος μὲν φαινόμενος ψύχη σημαίνει θέρους δὲ καῦμα.
The star of Hermes, if appearing in winter, indicates cold, but in summer, heat.
ὅταν μέλιτται μὴ ἀποπέτωνται μακρὰν ἀλλ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ εὐδίᾳ πέτωνται, χειμῶνα ἐσόμενον σημαίνει.
When bees do not fly far but fly right there even in fair weather, it indicates that winter is coming.
λύκος ὠρυόμενοος χειμῶνα σημαίνει διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν.
A wolf howling indicates winter within three days.
λύκος ὅταν πρὸς τὰ ἔργα ὁρμᾷ ἢ εἴσω χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ, χειμῶνα σημαίνει εὐθύς.
When a wolf rushes toward the cultivated lands or enters them in the winter season, it indicates winter immediately.
§3.47Ἔστι δὲ σημεῖον χειμώνων μεγάλων καὶ ὄμβρων καὶ ὅταν γένωνται ἐν τῷ μετοπώρῳ πολλοὶ σφῆκες, καὶ ὅταν ὄρνιθες λευκοὶ πρὸς τὰ ἐργάσιμα πλησιάζωσι, καὶ ὅλως τὰ ἄγρια θηρία ἐὰν πρὸς τὰ ἐργάσιμα, βόρειον καὶ χειμῶνος μέγεθος σημαίνει.
It is also a sign of great winters and rains when many wasps appear in autumn; and when white birds approach cultivated lands, and in general if wild beasts approach cultivated lands, it indicates north wind and a great winter.
τῆς Πάρνηθος ἐὰν τὰ πρὸς ζέφυρον ἄνεμον καὶ τὰ πρὸς Φύλης φράττηται νέφεσι βορείων ὄντων, χειμέριον τὸ σημεῖον.
If, while north winds are blowing, the parts of Parnes facing the west wind and those toward Phyle are blocked by clouds, the sign indicates wintry weather.
§3.48Ὅταν πνίγη γίνηται ἰσχυρά, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ἀνταποδίδωσι καὶ γίνεται χειμὼν ἰσχυρός.
When there is intense sultriness, generally it pays back and a severe winter follows.
ἐὰν ὕδατα ἐαρινὰ πολλὰ γένηται, καύματα ἰσχυρὰν ἐν τοῖς πεδινοῖς καὶ κοίλοις γίνεται.
If there are heavy spring rains, there is intense heat in the plains and hollows.
δεῖ οὖν τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁρᾶν.
One must therefore watch the beginning.
ἐὰν τὸ μετόπωρον εὐδιεινὸν γίνηται σφόδρα, τὸ ἔαρ ὡς τὰ πολλὰ γίνεται ψυχρόν· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἔαρ ὄψιον γένηται καὶ ψυχρόν, ἡ ὄπωρα ὀψία γίνεται καὶ τὸ μετόπωρον ὡς τὰ πολλὰ πνιγηρόν.
If autumn is extremely fair, spring generally becomes cold; but if spring is late and cold, the late summer becomes late and the autumn generally sultry.
§3.49Οἱ πρῖνοι ὅταν εὐκαρπῶσι σφόδρα, ὡς μὲν τὰ πολλὰ χειμῶνα ἰσχυρὸν σημαίνουσιν, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ αὐχμούς φασι γίνεσθαι.
When holm-oaks bear fruit very abundantly, though they generally indicate a severe winter, sometimes people say that droughts also occur.
καὶ ἐάν τις σπάλακα λαβὼν ὑποπάσας ἄργιλον εἰς πιθάκνην θῇ, σημαίνει ταῖς φωναῖς αἷς ἀφίησιν ἄνεμον καὶ εὐδίαν.
And if one catches a mole and, having spread clay under it, puts it into a small jar, it indicates wind and fair weather by the sounds it utters.
καὶ τὸ πανταχοῦ δὲ λεγόμενον σημεῖον δημόσιον χειμέριον, ὅταν μῦες περὶ φορυτοῦ μάχωνται καὶ φέρωσιν.
And the widely reported public sign of wintry weather is when mice fight for chaff and carry it away.