§2.2CAP. II. Κατὰ δὴ τὴν πύρωσιν οἱ μὲν τήκονται καὶ ῥέουσιν ὥσπερ οἱ μεταλλευτοί.
CAP. II. With regard to heating, some melt and flow like mined metals.
ῥεῖ γὰρ ἅμα τῷ ἀργύρῳ καὶ τῷ χαλκῷ καὶ σιδήρῳ καὶ ἡ λίθος ἡ ἐκ τούτων, εἴτʼ οὖν διὰ τὴν ὑγρότητα τῶν ἐνυπαρχόντων εἴτε καὶ διʼ αὐτούς.
For the stone obtained from these also flows at the same time as silver, copper, and iron, whether because of the moisture of the substances contained in them, or because of the metals themselves.
ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ οἱ πυρομάχοι καὶ οἱ μυλίαι ῥέουσιν οἷς ἐπιτιθέασιν οἱ καίοντες.
In the same way, fire-resistant stones and the millstones which those who burn stones place upon them also flow.
οἱ δὲ καὶ ὅλως λέγουσι πάντας τήκεσθαι πλὴν τοῦ μαρμάρου, τοῦτον δὲ κατακαίεσθαι καὶ κονίαν ἐξ αὐτοῦ γίλοὶ νεσθαι.
But some indeed say that absolutely all stones melt except marble, and that this is burnt up and lime is formed from it.
δόξειε δʼ ἂν οὕτως ἐπὶ πλεῖον εἰρῆσθαι· πολγὰρ οἱ ῥηγνύμενοι καὶ διαπηδῶντες ὡς ἀπομαχόμενοι τὴν πύρωσιν ὥσπερ ὁ κέραμος.
But this would seem to be an overstatement; for there are many that crack and leap as if resisting the heating, just like pottery.
ὃ καὶ κατὰ λόγον ἐστὶν, οἵτινες ἐξυγρασμένοι τυγχάνουσιν τὸ γὰρ τηκτὸν ἔνικμον εἶναι δεῖ καὶ ὑγρότητʼ ἔχειν πλείω.
And this is reasonable for those that happen to be dried of moisture; for that which melts must be damp and have more moisture.
φασὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἡλιουμένων τοὺς μὲν ἀναξηραίνεσθαι τελείως ὥστʼ ἀχρείους εἶναι μὴ καταβρεχθέντας πάλιν καὶ συνικμασθέντας τοὺς δὲ καὶ μαλακωτέρους καὶ διαθραύστους μᾶλλον.
And they say that of those exposed to the sun, some are dried completely so as to be useless unless they are wetted again and moistened, while others become softer and more easily broken.
φανερὸν δὲ ὡς ἀμφοτέρων μὲν ἐξαιρεῖται τὴν ὑγρότητα, συμβαίνει δὲ τοὺς μὲν πυκνούς ἀποξηραινομένους σκληρύνεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ μανοὺς καὶ ὧν ἡ σύμφυσις τοιαύτη θραυστοὺς εἶναι καὶ τηκτούς.
Now, it is clear that from both moisture is extracted, but it happens that those which are dense become hard when dried, while those which are porous and whose structure is of such a kind become fragile and fusible.
ἔνιοι δὲ τῶν θραυστῶνται τῇ καύσει καὶ διαμένουσι πλείω χρόνον ὥσπερ οἱ περὶ Βίνας ἐν τῷ μετάλλῳ οὓς ὁ ποταμὸς καταφέρει· καίονται γὰρ ὅταν ἄνθρακες ἐπιτεθῶσι καὶ μέχρι τούτου ἄχρις ἄν φυσῷ τις, εἶτʼ ἀπομαραίνονται καὶ πάλιν καίονται, διὸ καὶ πολύν χρόνον ἡ χρῆσις· ἡ δʼ ὀσμὴ βαρεῖα σφόδρα καὶ δυσχερὴς.
But some of the fragile stones burn by heating and last for a longer time, like those in the mine near Binae which the river brings down; for they burn when coals are placed on them, and continue as long as someone blows upon them, and then they die down, and can be burnt again, wherefore their use lasts a long time; but the odor is extremely heavy and disagreeable.
ὅν δὲ καλοῦσινον, ὃς ἦν ἐν τοῖς (αὐτοῖς) μετάλλοις, οὗτος διακοπεὶς καὶ συντεθεὶς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ τιθέμενος καίεται, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐὰν ἐπιψεκάσῃ καὶ περιράνῃ τις.
And that which they call spinus, which was in the same mines, when cut up and piled together, burns when placed in the sun, and more so if someone sprinkles and wets it.
ὁ δὲ λιπαραῖος ἐκφοροῦταί τε τῇ καύσει καὶ γίνεται κισσηροειδὴς ὥσθʼ ἅμα τήν τε χρόαν μεταβάλλειν καὶ τὴν πυκνότητα· μέλας τε γὰρ καὶ λεῖός ἐστι καὶ πυκνὸς ἄκαυστος ὤν.
On the other hand, the Liparian stone is puffed up by burning and becomes like pumice, so that both its color and density change; for it is black, smooth, and dense when unburnt.
γίνεται δὲ οὗτος ἐν τῇ κισσήρει διειλημμένος ἄλλοθι καὶ ἄλλοθι καθάπερ ἐν κυττάρῳ καὶ οὐ συνεχὴς, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν Μήλῳ φασὶ τὴν κίσσηριν ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ λίθῳ γίνεσθαι.
And this occurs dispersed here and there in the pumice like in a honeycomb-cell, and is not continuous, just as they say in Melos that pumice is formed inside some other stone.
καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν τούτῳ ὥσπερ ἀντιπεπονθώς· πλὴν ὁ λίθος οὗτος οὐχ ὅμοιος τῷ λιπαραίῳ.
And that stone is indeed as if in an inverse relation to this one; except that this stone is not similar to the Liparian.
ἐκφοροῦται δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐν Τετράδι τῆςκελίας γινόμενος· τοῦτο δὲ τὸ χωρίον ἐστὶ κατὰ Λιπάραν, ὁ δὲ λίθος ἐν τῇ ἄκρᾳ τῇ Ἐρινεάδι καλουμένῃ πολὺς ὁμοίως τῷ ἐν Βίναις καιόμενος ὀσμὴν ἀφίησιν ἀσφάλτου, τὸ δʼ ἐκ τῆς κατακαύσεως ὅμοιον γίνεται γῆ κεκαυμένῃ.
And that which is formed in Tetras in Sicily is also puffed up; this place is near Lipara, and the stone is abundant on the promontory called Erineas, and when burnt, like that in Binae, it gives off an odor of asphalt, and the residue from its burning becomes similar to burnt earth.
οὓς δὲ καλοῦσιν εὐθὺς ἄνθρακας τῶν ὀρυττομένων διὰ τὴν χρείαν εἰσὶ γεώδεις, ἐκκαίονται δὲ καὶ πυροῦνται καθάπερ οἱ ἄνθρακες.
And those among mined substances which are immediately called "coals" because of their use are earthy, and they burn and are heated just like charcoal.
εἰσὶ δὲ περί τε τὴν Λιγυστικὴν ὅπου καὶ τὸ ἢλεκτρον, καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἠλείᾳ βαδιζόντων Ὀλυμπίαζε τὴν διʼ ὄρους, οἷς καὶ οἱ χαλκεῖς χρῶνται.
These are found in Liguria where amber also is, and in Eleia along the mountain road to Olympia, which the smiths also use.
εὑρέθη δέ ποτε ἐν τοῖς Σκαπτησύλης μετάλλοις λίθος ὃς τῇ μὲν ὄψει παρόμοιος ὤν ξύλῳ σαπρῷ, ὅτε δʼ ἐπιχέοιτό τις ἔλαιον καίεται, καὶ ὅτʼ ἐκκαυθείη τότε παύεται καὶ αὐτὸς ὥσπερ ἀπαθὴς ὤν.
And once in the mines of Scaptesyle a stone was found which in appearance was very similar to decayed wood, but when oil was poured on it, it would burn, and when it had burnt out, it would cease of itself as if unaffected.
τῶν μὲν οὖν καιομένων σχεδὸν αὗται διαφοραί.
These, then, are nearly all the differences among those that burn.