§174.1Fr. 174
Ὅτι τῶν ἀθρόων φαινομένων ζώων οὐχ ἡ αὐτὴ πάντων αἰτία ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν καὶ ἡ γένεσις εὐθὺς φανερὰ ὥσπερ τῶν μυιῶν, αἳ ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις καὶ ἐν ταῖς πανηγύρεσι καὶ μετὰ τὸ παρελθεῖν αὐτὰ ἔτι μᾶλλον γίνονται.
Regarding animals that appear in swarms, there is not the same cause for all of them, but for some, their origin is immediately obvious, as is the case with flies, which appear in military camps and at festive gatherings, and even more so after these have passed.
Τούτων γὰρ ἥ τε κόπρος αἰτία καὶ ἡ τῶν ἄλλων σῆψις.
For their cause is both dung and the decay of other materials.
Ἄλλα δὲ προϋπάρχει μὲν ἐκφαίνεται δὲ διὰ τοὺς ὑετοὺς ὥσπερ οἵ τε κοχλίαι καὶ οἱ μικροὶ βάτραχοι· οὐ γὰρ ὕονται ὥς τινες οἴονται, ἀλλὰ προφαίνονται μόνον κατὰ γῆς ὄντα πρότερον, διὰ τὸ εἰσρεῖν τὸ ὕδωρ εἰς τὰς θαλάμας αὐτῶν.
But other animals exist beforehand and appear on account of the rains, such as snails and small frogs; for they do not rain down, as some people think, but merely show themselves, having been underground before, because water flows into their retreats.
Ἄλλο δὲ γένος ἐστι τοῦτο βατράχων παρὰ τὸ ἐν ταῖς λίμναις καὶ τοῖς τέλμασι.
This is a different kind of frog from the one in lakes and marshes.
Τὸ δὲ πλῆθος καὶ τούτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅταν εὐθηνήσωσιν.
The multitude of these and the others occurs when they flourish.
§174.2Ὅτι μᾶλλον μετὰ τὰς διαλύσεις καὶ τῶν πανηγύρεων καὶ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἢ ἔτι συνισταμένων αἱ μυῖαι γίνονται· συμβαίνει γὰρ παρόντων μὲν διὰ τὰς καθημερινὰς χρείας καὶ κινήσεις φθείρεσθαι τὰς γενέσεις αὐτῶν κινήσεως ἀεὶ καὶ μεταβολῆς γινομένης ὡς ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς καθάρμασιν ἐκβαλλομένοις αὐτῶν·
Flies appear more after the dispersal of both gatherings and military camps than while they are still assembled; for it happens that while people are present, their generations are destroyed due to daily needs and movements, as movement and change are always occurring both in other things and in the waste itself thrown out by them.
ὅταν δὲ διαλυθῶσιν ἡσυχίας γενομένης ταχὺ συντελεῖται διὰ τὸ μὴ ὑπʼ οὐοδένος κωλύεσθαι μέχρι οὗ ἂν ξηρανθῇ τὸ ἐν τοῖς αθάρμασιν ὑγρόν.
But when they are dispersed and quietness arises, the generation is quickly completed because it is hindered by no one, until the moisture in the waste is dried up.
Ἡ μὲν οὖν τῶν μυιῶν γένεσις ταχεῖαν καὶ πολλὴν ὡς εἴρηται τὴν γένεσιν λαμβάνει.
Thus, the generation of flies, as has been said, takes a rapid and abundant course of origin.
§174.3Οἱ δʼ ἀττέλεβοι καὶ αἱ ἀκρίδες πανταχοῦ μέν εἰσιν ὡς εἰπεῖν, πλήθεται δὲ ταῦτα τῷ τε τόπους οἰκείους λαμβάνειν καὶ τῷ μὴ διαφθείρεσθαι αὐτῶν τὰ ὠὰ, ὃ συμβαίνει διὰ τὴν ἀργίαν τῆς χώρας· ἐν γὰρ τῇ γεωργουμένη ἀπόλλυνται, διὸ καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἀργούσης καταφέρονται πρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ ἐργάσιμον.
Locust-nymphs and locusts are, so to speak, everywhere, but they multiply both by finding suitable places and by their eggs not being destroyed, which happens because of the uncultivated state of the land; for in cultivated land they perish, which is why they come down from the desert and uncultivated land to the inhabited and arable land.
Ἐγχρονίζουσι δὲ ἢ διὰ τὸ περιέχεσθαι τὸ χωρίον ὄρεσιν ὑψηλοῖς καὶ ὑπερᾶραι ταῦτα μὴ δύνασθαι·
And they linger either because the place is surrounded by high mountains and they are unable to cross them, or because of the suitability of the land.
ἢ διὰ τὸ ἐπιτήδειον τῆς χώρας. Τοιαύτη δὲ ἣ τε μαλακὴ καὶ νοτίδα ἔχουσα καὶ δροσοβόλος.
Such land is that which is soft, moist, and dewy.
§174.4Χαλεπαὶ μὲν οὖν καὶ αἱ ἀκρίδες, χαλεπώτεροι δὲ οἱ ἀττέλεβοι καὶ τούτων μάλιστα οὓς καλοῦσι βρούη κους.
Now, while locusts are troublesome, locust-nymphs are even more troublesome, and of these, especially those they call broukoi.
Ἡ δὲ γένεσις αὐτῶν ἐξ ἀλλήλων.
And their generation is from one another.
Τινὲς δὲ οἴονται οὐκ ἀκριβεῖ σημείῳ τῷ τὸ χρῶμα παραπλησίως τινὰς αὐτῶν ἔχειν τοῖς ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ ὅτι καὶ αὐτόματος.
But some people think, on the uncertain sign of some of them having a color similar to things in the region, that their origin is also spontaneous.
Δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀπὸ τῆς τροφῆς ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς γενέσεως προσλαμβάνουσιν.
For it is clear that they acquire such a characteristic from their food and not from their generation.
§174.5Ἡ δὲ φθορὰ τούτων ἡ μέν ἐστιν οἷον φυσική τις καὶ λοιμώδης.
As for their destruction, one kind is, as it were, natural and pestilential.
Ὑπὸ κύνα γὰρ οἰστρᾷ καὶ ἐγγίνεταί τι σκωλήκιον ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ φθείρεται· ἡ δὲ ἐν τῇ μετακινήσει καὶ τῇ πτήσει· ὅταν γὰρ ἀρθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνέμων καταφέρονται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ φθείρονται.
For under the Dog Star, they are driven mad, and a small worm is generated in their head, and they perish; another kind occurs during relocation and flight, for when they are raised by the winds, they are carried down into the sea and perish.
Φθείρονται δὲ καὶ διὰ χειμῶνα καὶ ψῦχος καὶ αὐτὰ καὶ τὰ ὠὰ αὐτῶν.
Both they and their eggs also perish because of winter and cold.
Φθείρονται δὲ καὶ ἐκ μηχανῆς ἀνθρώπων· τάφρους γὰρ ποιοῦντες συνελαύνουσιν αὐτὰ εἰς αὑτοὺς καὶ καταχωννύντες διαφθείρουσι.
They are also destroyed by human devices; for making trenches, people drive them into them, and by burying them, they destroy them.
§174.6Ὅτι τῶν ὄφεων δύο τινὰ τῆς γενέσεως αἴτιά ἐστιν. Ἢ γὰρ ἀὴρ ἔπομβρος ἢ πόλεμοι καὶ χύσεις αἱμάτων.
There are two causes for the generation of snakes: either rainy air or wars and shedding of blood.
Ὃ σχεδὸν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων θηρίων τῆς γενέσεως αἴτιον.
This is almost the cause of the generation of other wild beasts as well.
Ἐξ οὗ ποτὲ καὶ περὶ Θετταλίαν πλῆθος ὄφεων ἱστοροῦσι γενέσθαι.
From this cause, they report that a multitude of snakes once appeared around Thessaly.
§174.7Ὅτι καὶ αἱ μύες ἐν ταῖς ἀρούραις ἀθρόον γίνονται, καὶ ἐν τοῖς αὐχμοῖς μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν ταῖς ἐπομβρίαις· πολέμιον γὰρ αὐταῖς τὰ ὕδατα·
Field mice also appear in swarms, and more so during droughts than during rainy periods; for water is hostile to them.
πολύγονον δὲ τὸ ζῶον·
The animal is very prolific.
ἀπόλλυται δὲ τῇ μὲν ἐμφανεῖ καὶ ἔξωθεν φθορᾷ διὰ πλῆθος ὑδάτων· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἔξω χειμάζει καὶ εἰς τὰς μυωπίας παρεισρεῖ.
They perish by a visible and external destruction due to the abundance of water; for this winter-weathers them outside and flows into their mouse-holes.
Φθείρουσι δʼ αὐτοὺς καὶ αἱ ἄγριαι γαλαῖ.
Wild weasels also destroy them.
Ἔστι δέ τις αὐτῶν καὶ ἀφανὴς καὶ ἀθρόα φθορὰ καθάπερ τις ἐπισυμβαίνουσα λοιμώδης· τίκτεται γὰρ καὶ τούτων ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ σκώληξ καὶ φθείρονται·
But there is also an invisible and collective destruction of them, occurring like a pestilence; for in their heads, too, a worm is born and they perish.
ὃ καὶ οἱ ἔμπειροι ἐπισκοποῦντες, ἐπὰν ἴδωσι, τὴν φθορὰν αὐτῶν προνοοῦσι καὶ προαγγέλλουοσιν.
When experienced people observe this and see it, they foresee their destruction and announce it beforehand.
§174.8Ὅτι οἱ μύες ἱστοροῦνται καὶ σίδηρον κατεσθίειν καὶ χρυσίον· διὸ καὶ ἀνατέμνοντες αὐτοὺς οἱ ἐν τοῖς χρυσείοις τὸν χρυσὸν ἀνιμῶνται.
Mice are also reported to eat even iron and gold; wherefore those in the gold mines dissect them and extract the gold.
Ὅτι ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δίποδάς φασιν μύας γίνεσθαι καὶ μεγάλους· ἔχουσι δὲ οὗτοι καὶ τοὺς ἐμπροσθίους πόδας ἀλλʼ οὐ βαδίζουσιν ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς, χρῶνται δʼ αὐτοῖς οἷα χερσίν· ὅταν δὲ φεύγωσι πηδῶσι.
They say that in Egypt there are two-legged mice, which are also large; these also have forefeet but do not walk on them, using them instead like hands, and when they flee, they jump.