De ventis
De ventis (Greek ΠΕΡΙ ΑΝΕΜΩΝ , Peri anemōn = "Over the winds") is a small font by the Greek philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus von Eresos in the field of natural history.
content
The purpose of the book is to present the properties of different winds, not the fundamental nature of the wind. This happened in an earlier lecture. Nevertheless, there are statements about the nature of the wind. Theophrastus does not follow the opinion of his teacher Aristotle here . So it says in chapter 2: Eo enim solis actione aer extraditur (German: The action of the sun forces the air outwards ). The sun is therefore the main cause of the wind.
The main part is the description of various winds, including the Etesien and Boreas . The description of special winds is also based on general laws. It is generally assumed, for example, that winds are sunny at their point of origin and rainy in the further course (Chapter 4). However, observations of nature are also used, as in Chapter 5, that winds that blow against a mountain range bring rain. The message in Chapter 13 is particularly interesting: ... Cretenses narrant, nunc hiemes esse graviores ... olim habitatos fuisse montes suos, frugesque et fructus ... (German: The Cretans say that the winters are harder ... and that the mountains were once inhabited and cultivated ... ). This agrees well with that around 500 BC. Observed climate deterioration in Europe.
swell
In 26 of the 62 chapters there are references to the Meteorologica of Aristotle, which shows how strongly the writing stands in the tradition of the teacher. But weather observations are also recorded, which have the character of reports from farmers, seafarers and travelers.
Aftermath and passing on
The writing has been quoted and used many times. Chapter XXVI, Concerning the winds, of the so-called Problemata Physica of Aristotle quotes Theophrastus book in detail. The basic layer of this collection of largely physical and medical questions was established from the middle of the 3rd century BC. BC placed.
About 200 years later, Seneca used theophrastic ideas in his Naturales quaestiones , which he may not have known directly, but through the mediation of others, such as Poseidonios .
About ten Greek manuscripts of this opusculum have survived, but they do not fundamentally differ in numerous prescriptions, omissions, etc. They all go back to a codex from the 13th century. Often these codices contain works by Theophrasts together with Aristotelian works.
Friedrich Wimmer created a Greek-Latin edition as part of his complete edition of Theophrast's works.
Text editing and translation
- Victor Coutant, Val L. Oak leaves: Theophrastus, De Ventis . London 1975.
- Friedrich Wimmer : Theophrasti Eresii opera, quae supersunt . Paris 1866.
literature
- Walter Burnikel: Text-historical research on nine Opuscula Theophrasts . Wiesbaden 1974.
- Hellmut Flashar : Aristotle: Problemata Physica . Berlin 1975.
- Peter Steinmetz : The physics of Theophrastus of Eresos . Bad Homburg vdH 1964.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Friedrich Wimmer: theophrasti Eresii Opera quae supersunt
- ↑ Friedrich Wimmer: theophrasti Eresii Opera quae supersunt
- ^ Victor Coutant: Theophrastus, De Ventis , Indices
- ^ Victor Coutant: Theophrastus, De Ventis , Indices
- ↑ Hellmut Flashar: Aristoteles: Problemata Physica , introduction
- ↑ Peter Steinmetz: The Physics of Theophrastus of Eresos , II. De Ventis, 3. The aftermath of the theophrastic theory of the wind
- ^ Walter Burnikel: Text-historical investigations on nine Opuscula Theophrasts , summary and results