Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.17.11

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Passage 10.17.11: The island of Cyrnus blocking northern winds and causing unhealthy air.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα διὰ μέσης αὐτῆς ὄρη χθαμαλώτερα. ὁ δὲ ἀὴρ ὁ ἐνταῦθα θολερός τε ὡς ἐπίπαν ἐστὶ καὶ νοσώδης· αἴτιοι δὲ οἵ τε ἅλες οἱ πηγνύμενοι καὶ ὁ νότος βαρὺς καὶ βίαιος ἐγκείμενος, οἱ ἄνεμοί τε οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἄρκτου διὰ τὸ ὑψηλὸν τῶν ὀρῶν τῶν πρὸς τῆς Ἰταλίας κωλύονται πνέοντες θέρους ὥρᾳ τόν τε ἀέρα τὸν ταύτῃ καὶ τὴν γῆν ἀναψύχειν. οἱ δὲ τὴν Κύρνον σταδίους φασὶν οὐ πλέονας ἀπὸ τῆς Σαρδοῦς ἢ ὀκτὼ τῇ θαλάσσῃ διείργεσθαι, ὀρεινήν τε οὖσαν καὶ ἐς ὕψος διὰ πάσης ἀνήκουσαν· τὸν Ζέφυρον οὖν καὶ Βορέαν ὑπὸ τῆς Κύρνου κωλύεσθαι νομίζουσι μὴ καὶ ἄχρι τῆς Σαρδοῦς ἐξικνεῖσθαι.

English Translation

There are other mountains as well running through the middle of the island, which are rather lower. The air there is generally cloudy and unhealthy; this is due to the crystallizing salt deposits and to the oppressive and violent south wind that prevails there. Furthermore, the winds coming from the north are prevented, in the summer season, by the height of the mountains toward Italy from blowing and refreshing the air and land in those parts. It is said by some that the island of Cyrnus is separated from Sardinia by no more than eight stades of sea, being mountainous and rising throughout to considerable elevation; thus they suppose that the western and northern winds, hindered by Cyrnus, do not reach as far as Sardinia.

Proper Nouns

Boreas (North Wind) (Βορρέας) deity
Zephyros (Ζέφυρος) deity
Also in: 1.37.2 3.19.5
Cyrnus (Κύρνος) place Q22011067
Also in: 10.17.8
Sardinia (Σαρδώ) place Q1462
Italy (Ἰταλία) place Q913582
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