Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · On Weather Signs §2.32-2.37

Signs of Winds from Lightning, Clouds, and Wind Qualities

Passage 5 of 8 · Greek

Summary

Explains various signs for the occurrence, change, and cessation of winds, based on lightning, thunder, cloud movements, and the specific qualities of different winds.

§2.32Ἐὰν ἀστραπὴ παταχόθεν γίνηται ὕδωρ σημαίνει, καὶ ὅθεν ἂν αἱ ἀστραπαὶ πυκναὶ γίνωνται ἐντεῦθεν πνεύματα γίνεται.
If lightning occurs from all sides, it indicates rain; and from whichever direction lightning is frequent, thence winds arise.
Θέρους ὅθεν ἂν ἀστραπαὶ καὶ βρονταὶ γίνωνται ἐντεῦθεν πνεύματα γίνεται ἰσχυρά· ἐὰν μὲν σφόδρα καὶ ἰσχυρὸν ἀστράπτῃ θᾶττον καὶ σφοδρότερον πνεύσουσιν, ἐὰν δ' ἠρέμα καὶ μανῶς κατ' παύουσι γὰρ τὰ πνεύματα αἱ ἀστραπαί· καὶ ὅσῳ ἂν ἰσχυρότεραι γίνωνται ἀστραπαὶ καὶ βρονταὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον παύονται· τοῦ δʼ ἔαρος ἧττον ἂν ταὐτὰ σημεῖα λέγω, ὥσπερ καὶ χειμῶνος.
In summer, from whichever direction lightning and thunder occur, thence strong winds arise; if the lightning is very intense and strong, they will blow more quickly and violently; but if gentle and sparse, they blow weakly, for lightning stops the winds; and the stronger the lightning and thunder are, the more the winds are stopped; but in spring, as in winter, I say these same signs are less significant.
§2.33Ἐὰν νότου πνέοντος βορρᾶθεν ἀστράπτῃ παύεται·
If, while the south wind is blowing, there is lightning from the north, it ceases.
ἐὰν ἕωθεν ἀστράπτῃ εἴωθε παύεσθαι τριταῖος, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι πεμπταῖοι ἑβδομαῖοι ἐναταῖοι, οἱ δὲ δειλινοὶ ταχὺ παύονται.
If there is lightning at dawn, the wind is accustomed to cease on the third day, and other winds on the fifth, seventh, or ninth days; but evening ones cease quickly.
Οἱ βορέαι παύονται ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἐν περιτταῖς οἱ δὲ νότοι ἐν ἀρτίαις.
North winds cease for the most part on odd days, and south winds on even days.
Ἄνεμοι αἴρονται ἁμʼ ἡλίῳ ἀνατέλλοντι καὶ σελήνῃ.
Winds arise together with the rising sun and the moon.
Ἐὰν ἀνατέλλων ὁ ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη μὴ παύσωσιν ἐπιτείνει τὰ πνεύματα· χρονιώτερα δὲ καὶ ἰσχυρότερα τὰ πνεύματα γίνεται τὰ ἡμέρας ἢ νύκτωρ ἀρχόμενα.
If the rising sun and moon do not stop the winds, they intensify; and those winds that begin by day are longer-lasting and stronger than those beginning by night.
§2.34Ἐὰν ἐτησίαι πολὺν χρόνον πνεύσωσι καὶ μετόπωρον γένηται ἀνεμῶδες ὁ χειμὼν νήνεμος γίνεται, ἐὰν δʼ ἐναντίως καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἐναντίος.
If the Etesian winds blow for a long time and the autumn is windy, the winter becomes windless; but if the contrary occurs, the winter is also the contrary.
Πρὸς κορυφῆς ὄρους ὁπόθεν ἂν νεφέλη μηκύνηται ταύτῃ ἄνεμος πνευσοῦνται.
On the summit of a mountain, in whichever direction a cloud is elongated, from that direction the wind will blow.
Αἱ νεφέλαι ἐκ τῶν ὄπισθεν προσίζουσαι καὶ ὄπισθεν πνευσοῦνται.
Clouds settling on the rear side indicate that the wind will also blow from the rear.
Ἄθως μέσος διεζευγμένος νότιος καὶ ὅλως τὰ ὄρη διεζωσμένα νότια ὡς τὰ πολλά.
Mount Athos divided in the middle is a sign of a south wind, and generally mountains girdled indicate south winds for the most part.
Οἱ κομῆται ἀστέρες ὡς τὰ πολλὰ πνεύματα σημαίνουσιν, ἐὰν δὲ πολλοὶ καὶ αὐχμόν.
Comets usually indicate winds, and if many appear, drought as well.
Μετὰ χιόνα νότος, μετὰ πάχνην βορέας εἴωθε πνεῖν.
After snow a south wind is accustomed to blow, and after hoarfrost a north wind.
Μύκητες ἐπὶ λύχνου νότιον πνεῦμα ἢ ὕδωρ σημαίνουσιν.
Fungus on a lamp-wick indicates a south wind or rain.
§2.35Αἱ δὲ στάσεις τῶν πνευμάτων οὕτως ἔχουσιν ὡς ἐν τῷ γράμματι διώρισται.
The positions of the winds are as defined in the diagram.
Τῶν δʼ ἀνέμων ἔτι πνέουσι τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπιπίπτουσι μάλιστα ἀπαρκτίας, θρακίας, ἀργέστης.
Among the winds, those that fall upon others while they are still blowing are especially Aparktias, Thrakias, and Argestes.
Ὅταν δὲ μὴ ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων διαλύωνται τὰ πνεύματα ἀλλʼ αὐτὰ καταμαρανθῶσι μεταβάλλουσιν εἰς τοὺς ἐχομένους ἐπὶ δεξιὰ ὥσπερ ἡ τοῦ ἡλίου ἔχει φορά.
When winds are not dissolved by one another but die away of themselves, they change into those next to them on the right, following the course of the sun.
Ὁ νότος ἀρχόμενος ξηρὸς τελευτῶν δὲ ὑγρός. Καὶ ὁ εὖρος.
The south wind is dry at its beginning but moist at its end; so is Euros.
Ὁ δʼ ἀπηλιώτης ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς ἰσημερινῆς ὑδατώδης· διὰ λεπτῶν δὲ ἄγει τὰ ὕδατα.
Apeliotes, blowing from the equinoctial sunrise, brings rain, but it brings it in fine drops.
§2.36Ὑγροὶ δὲ μάλιστα ὅ τε καικίας καὶ λίψ· χαλαζώδης δʼ ἀπαρκτίας καὶ θρακίας καὶ ἀργέστης· νιφετώδης δὲ ὅ τε μέσης ἢ βορέας καὶ ἀπαρκτίας· καυματώδης δὲ νότος καὶ ζέφυρος καὶ εὖρος· οἱ μὲν οἷς ἂν ἐκ πελάγους προσπίπτωσιν οἱ δὲ οἷς ἂν διὰ γῆς.
The wettest winds are Kaikias and Lips; Aparktias, Thrakias, and Argestes bring hail; Meses or Boreas and Aparktias bring snow; the south wind, Zephyros, and Euros bring heat—for some places because they blow from the open sea, and for others because they blow across land.
Δασύνουσι δʼ οὐρανὸν νέφεσι καὶ καλύπτουσι καικίας μάλιστα εἶτα λίψ.
Kaikias especially darkens the sky with clouds and covers it, and next Lips.
Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἄνεμοι ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν τὰ νέφη ὠθοῦσι καικίας δὲ μόνος πνέων εἰς ἑαυτόν.
And while other winds push the clouds away from themselves, Kaikias alone when blowing draws them towards itself.
Αἴθριοι δὲ μάλιστα θρακίας καὶ ἀργέστης καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀπαρκτίας· ἐκνεφίαι δὲ μάλιστα ὅ τε ἀπαρκτίας καὶ ὁ θρακίας καὶ ὁ ἀργέστης.
Thrakias, Argestes, and among the rest Aparktias bring clear weather; Aparktias, Thrakias, and Argestes especially bring hurricanes.
§2.37Γίνονται δὲ ἐκνεφίαι ὅταν εἰς ἀλλήλους ἐμπίπτωσι πνέοντες μάλιστα μὲν μετοπώρου τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἔαρος.
Hurricanes occur when winds blow against one another, especially in autumn, and among the remaining seasons, in spring.
Ἀστραπαῖος δὲ θρακίας καὶ ἀργέστης καὶ ἀπαρκτίας καὶ μέσης.
Thrakias, Argestes, Aparktias, and Meses bring lightning.
Ἐὰν ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ πάπποι φέρωνται πολλοὶ οἱ γινόμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ἄνεμον σημαίνουσιν ἔσεσθαι μέγαν.
If on the sea many thistledowns are carried along, they indicate that there will be a great wind.
Ὅθεν ἂν ἀστέρες διᾴττωσι πολλοὶ ἄνεμον ἐντεῦθεν· ἐὰν δὲ πανταχόθεν ὁμοίως πολλὰ πνεύματα σημαίνουσι·
From whichever direction many shooting stars fly, thence comes the wind; and if from all sides alike, they indicate many winds.
πευμάτων μὲν οὖν σημεῖα ταῦτα.
These, then, are the signs of winds.

Notes

  1. 2.32κατ' — The form κατ' is likely a tmesis associated with the following verb παύουσι (forming καταπαύουσι), or the preposition κατά acting adverbially. In either case, the context implies that the winds blow weakly or cease.
  2. 2.32τοῦ δʼ ἔαρος ἧττον ἂν ταὐτὰ σημεῖα λέγω — λέγω can be taken as a subjunctive (or present indicative) conveying a potential or conditional nuance with ἄν ("I would say these same signs are less significant"). It indicates that in spring and winter, these signs are less reliable or less pronounced.
  3. 2.34πνευσοῦνται — The verb πνευσοῦνται is third-person plural (future), whereas its grammatical subject ἄνεμος is singular. This mismatch (syllepsis) may stem from the conceptual plurality of winds (ἄνεμοι), or a scribal error. The translations render it consistently as "the wind will blow".
  4. 2.35ἐν τῷ γράμματι — "In the diagram" or "in the drawing." This refers to a geometrical wind rose displaying the positions of the winds, similar to those found in Aristotle's *Meteorology*, suggesting the use of illustrations in contemporary meteorological texts.
  5. 2.36οἱ μὲν οἷς ἂν ἐκ πελάγους προσπίπτωσιν οἱ δὲ οἷς ἂν διὰ γῆς — The dative relative pronouns οἷς refer to the regions or people affected by the winds. The main verb of this clause is omitted; the structure implies that the winds bring heat "to those to whom they blow from the sea, and to those to whom they blow over land."

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, On Weather Signs §2.32-2.37. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x03.humanitext-grc1:2.32-2.37

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