Hippocrates, De aere, aquis, locis, ed. William Henry Samuel Jones, 19

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[19] So much for their mode of living and their customs. As to their seasons and their physique, the Scythians are very different from all other men, and, like the Egyptians, are homogeneous; they are the reverse of prolific, and Scythia breeds the smallest and the fewest wild animals. For it lies right close to the north and the Rhipaean mountains, from which blows the north wind. The sun comes nearest to them only at the end of its course, when it reaches the summer solstice, and then it warms them but slightly and for a short time. The winds blowing from hot regions do not reach them, save rarely, and with little force; but from the north there are constantly blowing winds that are chilled by snow, ice, and many waters,¹ which, never leaving the mountains, render them uninhabitable. A thick fog envelops by day the plains upon which they live, so that winter is perennial, while summer, which is but feeble, lasts only a few days. For the plains are high and bare, and are not encircled with mountains, though they slope from the north. The wild animals too that are found there are not large, but such as can find shelter under ground. They are stunted owing to the severe climate and the bareness of the land, where there is neither warmth² nor shelter. And the changes of the seasons are neither great nor violent, the seasons being uniform and altering but little. Wherefore the men also are like one another in physique, since summer and winter they always use similar food and the same clothing, breathing a moist, thick atmosphere, drinking water from ice and snow, and abstaining from fatigue. For neither bodily nor mental endurance is possible where the changes are not violent. For these causes their physiques are gross, fleshy, showing no joints, moist and flabby, and the lower bowels are as moist as bowels can be. For the belly cannot possibly dry up in a land like this, with such a nature and such a climate, but because of their fat and the smoothness of their flesh their physiques are similar, men’s to men’s and women’s to women’s. For as the seasons are alike there takes place no corruption or deterioration in the coagulation of the seed,³ except through the blow of some violent cause or of some disease.

De aere, aquis, locis. Hippocrates. ed. William Henry Samuel Jones. London. 1923.

Funding provided by National Library of Medicine History of Medicine Division.

Current edition Perseus

Airs Waters Places (English) (Hippocrates, Vol. 1. Jones, William Henry Samuel, translator. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1923 (printing).)

Editions (2)

De aere, aquis, locis First1KGreek (Hippocrates. Oeuvres complètes d'Hippocrate, Vol. 2. Littré, Émile, editor. Paris: Baillière, 1840) — 19 focus

19. Περὶ δὲ τῶν ὡρέων καὶ τῆς μορφῆς, ὅτι πολὺ ἀπήλλακται
τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ Σκυθικὸν γένος, καὶ ἔοικεν αὐτὸ
ἑωυτέῳ, ὥσπερ τὸ Αἰγύπτιον, καὶ ἥκιστα πολύγονόν ἐστιν· καὶ ἡ
χώρη ἐλάχιστα θηρία τρέφει κατὰ μέγεθος καὶ πλῆθος. Κέεται γὰρ
ὑπ᾿ αὐτῇσι τῇσιν ἄρκτοισι καὶ τοῖσιν ὄρεσι τοῖσι Ῥιπαίοισιν, ὅθεν ὁ
βορίης πνέει· ὅ τε ἥλιος τελευτῶν ἐγγύτατα γίγνεται, ὁκόταν ἐπὶ τὰς
θερινὰς ἔλθῃ περιόδους, καὶ τότε ὀλίγον χρόνον θερμαίνει, καὶ
οὐ σφόδρα· τὰ δὲ πνεύματα τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν θερμῶν πνέοντα οὐκ ἀφικνέεται,
ἢν μὴ ὀλιγάκις καὶ ἀσθενέα, ἀλλ᾿ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρκτων αἰεὶ
πνέουσι πνεύματα ψυχρὰ ἀπό τε χιόνος καὶ κρυστάλλων καὶ ὑδάτων
πολλῶν· οὐδέποτε δὲ τὰ ὄρεα ἐκλείπει· ἀπὸ τουτέων δὲ δυσοίκητά
ἐστιν. Ἠήρ τε κατέχει πουλὺς τῆς ἡμέρης τὰ πεδία, καὶ ἐν αὐτέοισι τέοισι διαιτεῦνται· ὥστε τὸν μὲν χειμῶνα αἰεὶ εἶναι, τὸ δὲ θάρος
ὀλίγας ἡμέρας, καὶ ταύτας μὴ λίην. Μετέωρα γὰρ τὰ πεδία καὶ ψιλὰ,
καὶ οὐκ ἐστεφάνωνται ὄρεσιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνάντεα ὑπὸ τῶν ἄρκτων.
Αὐτόθι καὶ τὰ θηρία οὐ γίγνεται μεγάλα, ἀλλ᾿ οἷά τέ ἐστιν ὑπὸ γῆν
σκεπάξεσθαι ὁ γὰρ χειμὼν κωλύει καὶ τῆς γῆς ἡ ψιλότης, καὶ ὅτι
οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλέη οὐδὲ σκέπη. Αἱ γὰρ μεταβολαὶ τῶν ὡρέων οὐκ εἰσὶ
μεγάλαι οὐδὲ ἰσχυραὶ, ἀλλ᾿ ὅμοιαι καὶ ὀλίγον μεταβάλλουσαι·
διότι καὶ τὰ εἴδεα ὅμοια αὐτὰ ἑωυτέοισίν εἰσιν· σίτῳ τε χρέονται
αἰεὶ ὁμοίως, ἐσθῆτί τε αὐτέῃ καὶ θέρεος καὶ χειμῶνος, τόν τε ἠέρα
ὑδατεινὸν ἕλκοντες καὶ παχὺν, τά τε ὕδατα πίνοντες ἀπὸ χιόνος καὶ
παγετῶν, τοῦ τε ταλαιπώρου ἀπεόντος· οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε τὸ σῶμα ταλαιπωρέεσθαι,
οὐδὲ τὴν ψυχὴν, ὅκου μεταβολαὶ μὴ γίγνονται ἰσχυραί.
Διὰ ταύτας τὰς ἀνάγκας τὰ εἴδεα αὐτέων παχέα ἐστὶ καὶ σαρκώδεα,
καὶ ἄναρθρα καὶ ὑγρὰ καὶ ἄτονα· αἵ τε κοιλίαι ὑγρόταται, πασέων
κοιλιῶν αἱ κάτω· οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε νηδὺν ἀναξηραίνεσθαι ἐν
τοιαύτῃ χώρῃ καὶ φύσει καὶ ὥρης καταστάσει· ἀλλὰ διὰ πιμελήν
τε καὶ ψιλὴν τὴν σάρκα, τά τε εἴδεα ἔοικεν ἀλλήλοισι, τά τε ἄρσενα
τοῖσιν ἄρσεσι, καὶ τὰ θήλεα τοῖσι θήλεσιν. Τῶν γὰρ ὡρέων
παραπλησίων ἐουσέων, φθοραὶ οὐκ ἐγγίγνονται οὐδὲ κακώσιες
ἐν τῇ τοῦ γόνου ξυμπήξει, ἢν μή τινος ἀνάγκης βιαίου τύχῃ ἢ
νούσου.

Περὶ ἀέρων, ὑδάτων, τόπων Perseus (Hippocrates, Vol. 1. Jones, William Henry Samuel, editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1923 (printing).) — 19 focus

[19] τὰ μὲν ἐς τὴν δίαιταν αὐτῶν οὕτως ἔχει καὶ τοὺς νόμους· περὶ δὲ τῶν ὡρέων καὶ τῆς μορφῆς, ὅτι πολὺ ἀπήλλακται τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ Σκυθικὸν γένος καὶ ἔοικεν αὐτὸ ἑωυτῷ ὥσπερ τὸ Αἰγύπτιον καὶ ἥκιστα πολύγονόν ἐστι, καὶ ἡ χώρη ἐλάχιστα θηρία τρέφει κατὰ μέγεθος καὶ πλῆθος. κεῖται γὰρ ὑπʼ αὐτῇσι τῇσιν ἄρκτοις καὶ τοῖς ὄρεσι τοῖς Ῥιπαίοισιν, ὅθεν ὁ βορέης πνεῖ. ὅ τε ἥλιος τελευτῶν ἐγγύτατα 10 γίνεται, ὁκόταν ἐπὶ τὰς θερινὰς ἔλθῃ περιόδους, καὶ τότε ὀλίγον χρόνον θερμαίνει καὶ οὐ σφόδρα· τὰ δὲ πνεύματα τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν θερμῶν πνέοντα οὐκ ἀφικνεῖται, ἢν μὴ ὀλιγάκις καὶ ἀσθενέα, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρκτων αἰεὶ πνέουσι πνεύματα ψυχρὰ ἀπό τε χιόνος καὶ κρυστάλλου καὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν. οὐδέποτε δὲ τὰ ὄρεα ἐκλείπει· ἀπὸ τούτων δὲ δυσοίκητά ἐστιν. ἠήρ τε κατέχει πολὺς τῆς ἡμέρης τὰ πεδία, καὶ ἐν τούτοισι διαιτεῦνται· ὥστε τὸν μὲν χειμῶνα αἰεὶ εἶναι, τὸ δὲ θέρος 20 ὀλίγας ἡμέρας καὶ ταύτας μὴ λίην. μετέωρα γὰρ τὰ πεδία καὶ ψιλὰ καὶ οὐκ ἐστεφάνωνται ὄρεσιν, ἀλλʼ ἢ ἀνάντεα ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρκτων· αὐτόθι καὶ τὰ θηρία οὐ γίνεται μεγάλα, ἀλλʼ οἷά τέ ἐστιν ὑπὸ γῆν σκεπάζεσθαι. ὁ γὰρ χειμὼν κωλύει καὶ τῆς γῆς ἡ ψιλότης, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλέη οὐδὲ σκέπη. αἱ δὲ μεταβολαὶ τῶν ὡρέων οὔκ εἰσι μεγάλαι οὐδὲ ἰσχυραί, ἀλλʼ ὁμοῖαι καὶ ὀλίγον μεταλλάσσουσαι· διότι καὶ τὰ εἴδεα ὁμοῖοι αὐτοὶ ἑωυτοῖς εἰσι σίτῳ τε χρεώμενοι 30 αἰεὶ ὁμοίῳ ἐσθῆτί τε τῇ αὐτῇ καὶ θέρεος καὶ χειμῶνος, τόν τε ἠέρα ὑδατεινὸν ἕλκοντες καὶ παχύν, τά τε ὕδατα πίνοντες ἀπὸ χιόνος καὶ παγετῶν, τοῦ τε ταλαιπώρου ἀπεόντες. οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε τὸ σῶμα ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι οὐδὲ τὴν ψυχήν, ὅκου μεταβολαὶ μὴ γίνονται ἰσχυραί. διὰ ταύτας τὰς ἀνάγκας τὰ εἴδεα αὐτῶν παχέα ἐστὶ καὶ σαρκώδεα καὶ ἄναρθρα καὶ ὑγρὰ καὶ ἄτονα, αἵ τε κοιλίαι ὑγρόταται πασέων κοιλιῶν αἱ κάτω. οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε νηδὺν ἀναξηραίνεσθαι ἐν τοιαύτῃ 40 χώρῃ καὶ φύσει καὶ ὥρης καταστάσει, ἀλλὰ διὰ πιμελήν τε καὶ ψιλὴν τὴν σάρκα τά †τε† εἴδεα ἔοικεν ἀλλήλοισι τά τε ἄρσενα τοῖς ἄρσεσι καὶ τὰ θήλεα τοῖς θήλεσι. τῶν γὰρ ὡρέων παραπλησίων ἐουσέων φθοραὶ οὐκ ἐγγίνονται οὐδὲ κακώσιες ἐν τῇ τοῦ γόνου συμπήξει, ἢν μή τινος 46 ἀνάγκης βιαίου τύχῃ ἢ νούσου.

Translations (1)

Airs, Waters, and Places Perseus (Hippocrates, The Genuine Works of Hippocrates, Vol. 1. Adams, Francis, translator. New York: William Wood and Company, 1886.) — 19 focus

[19] In respect of the seasons and figure of body, the Scythian race, like the Egyptian, have a uniformity of resemblance, different from all other nations; they are by no means prolific, and the wild beasts which are indigenous there are small in size and few in number, for the country lies under the Northern Bears, and the Rhiphaean mountains, whence the north wind blows; the sun comes very near to them only when in the summer solstice, and warms them but for a short period, and not strongly; and the winds blowing from the hot regions of the earth do not reach them, or but seldom, and with little force; but the winds from the north always blow, congealed, as they are, by the snow, ice, and much water, for these never leave the mountains, which are thereby rendered uninhabitable. A thick fog covers the plains during the day, and amidst it they live, so that winter may be said to be always present with them; or, if they have summer, it is only for a few days, and the heat is not very strong. Their plains are high-lying and naked, not crowned with mountains, but extending upwards under the Northern Bears. The wild beasts there are not large, but such as can be sheltered underground; for the cold of winter and the barrenness of the country prevent their growth, and because they have no covert nor shelter. The changes of the seasons, too, are not great nor violent, for, in fact, they change gradually; and therefore their figures resemble one another, as they all equally use the same food, and the same clothing summer and winter, respiring a humid and dense atmosphere, and drinking water from snow and ice; neither do they make any laborious exertions, for neither body nor mind is capable of enduring fatigue when the changes of the seasons are not great. For these reasons their shapes are gross and fleshy, with ill-marked joints, of a humid temperament, and deficient in tone: the internal cavities, and especially those of the intestines, are full of humors; for the belly cannot possibly be dry in such a country, with such a constitution and in such a climate; but owing to their fat, and the absence of hairs from their bodies, their shapes resemble one another, the males being all alike, and so also with the women; for the seasons being of a uniform temperature, no corruption or deterioration takes place in the concretion of the semen, unless from some violent cause, or from disease.

Notes on the current edition

Airs Waters Places

1. Or, heavy rains.

2. Strangely enough, both Littré and Adams translate as though they took ἀλέη to be the Epic word meaning means of escape.

3. As a modern physiologist might put it, abnormal variations in the formation of the embryo.

Hippocrates De aere, aquis, locis 19

ed. William Henry Samuel Jones

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