TERRESTRIAL PHENOMENA. 55 



to be at the centre of the circle. The names of the winds 

 are indicated on the drawing. Aristotle says that the wind 

 called Meses had no wind diametrically opposite to it, nor 

 had the wind Thraskias, unless a certain wind, called Phoi- 

 nikias, were considered to be its opposite. This wind was 

 so called because it was believed to blow from Phoenicia. 



An account of the nature of these winds is also given by 

 Aristotle. He says that Lips, Kaikias, and Apeliotes were 

 wet winds, while Euros was dry at first but ultimately became 

 wet. Kaikias and, to a less extent, Lips were associated 

 with a cloudy sky. Argestes was a dry wind. Meses and 

 Aparctias were very cold winds and brought a great deal of 

 snow, and there was much lightning when Meses was blow- 

 ing. Aparctias, Thraskias, and Argestes blew when the sky 

 was clear, but brought hail, lightning, and gales. Finally, 

 Notos, Zephyros, and Euros were hot winds.* 



During most of the hot or dry season, in many parts of 

 Greece, northerly winds, called Etesians, blow by day until 

 about sunset, when winds set in from an opposite direction, 

 and, at Corinth, there is an alternation of easterly and 

 westerly winds which is so regular that Strabo compared it 

 to the breathing of an animal. The idea that a wind blow- 

 ing in one direction has a counterpart in one blowing in an 

 opposite direction is, therefore, natural to a Greek, but 

 Aristotle seems to carry this idea further than is true for any 

 one locality. My knowledge of the meteorology of Greece, 

 derived chiefly from Reclus, modern books of travels, and 

 notes sent me by Mr. W. R. Halliday, from the British 

 School at Athens, is not sufficient to enable me to discuss 

 fully Aristotle's numerous statements about the winds and 

 weather of Greece. 



The northerly winds of Greece are usually very dry and 

 the southerly winds wet. The Sirokos or Scirocco, which 

 seems to be the same as the ancient Euros, is a S.E. wind, 

 moist, hot and oppressive. Another oppressive wind is the 

 Austral, which blows from the south and may be Aristotle's 

 Notos. In the Cyclades, steady north winds usually make 

 the early months of the year cold,t and Mr. Halliday says 

 that at Melos certainly Boreas prevailed until well after the 

 Greek Easter this year (1911). Aristotle says that Zephyros 

 is a hot wind. In his note Mr. Halliday says : — '* Just 

 lately [early part of June, 1911] I have been suffering from 



- Meteorol. ii. c. 6, ss. 19-22. f Bent's Cyclades, p. 57. 



