269—71 a. καὶ ποταμὸς Τρίτων:
περὶ τῆς τοῦ Νείλου ἀναδόσεως διάφοροι αἰτίαι παρὰ τοῖς παλαιοῖς ἐλέγοντο. Ἀναξαγόρας (cf. 59 A 91 Diels-Kranz) μὲν γάρ φησι διὰ τῆξιν τῆς χιόνος πληθύειν αὐτόν· ᾧ ἕπεται καὶ Εὐριπίδης λέγων (Hel. 1. 3)·
‘Νείλου μὲν αἵδε καλλιπάρθενοι ῥοαί,
λευκῆς τακείσης χιόνος ὑγραίνει γύην.’
καὶ Αἰσχύλος (fg 300 N.²) δὲ καὶ Σοφοκλῆς (fg 882 Pearson) ὑπέλαβον τοὺς ὑπὲρ τὴν Αἴγυπτον χιονίζεσθαι τόπους καὶ τηκομένης τῆς χιόνος τὴν χύσιν εἰς τὸν Νεῖλον ἐκδίδοσθαι. Νικαγόρας (M. II 332 b) δέ φησιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀντοίκων αὐτὸν ῥεῖν. Δημόκριτος δὲ ὁ φυσικὸς (68 A 99 Diels-Kranz) ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ μεσημβρίαν ὑπερκειμένου πελάγους λαμβάνειν τὸν Νεῖλον τὴν ἐπίχυσιν, ἀπογλυκαίνεσθαι δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ διὰ τὸ διάστημα καὶ τὸ μῆκος τοῦ πόρου καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ καύματος ἀφεψόμενον· διὸ καὶ ἐναντίαν φησὶν ἔχειν τὴν γεῦσιν. Οἰνοπίδης δὲ ὁ Χῖος (cf. 41, 11 Diels-Kranz), ὅτι χειμῶνος ὢν ὑπὸ γῆν ὁ ἥλιος ἐκπέμπει τὸ ὕδωρ, τοῦ δὲ θέρους γενόμενος ὑπὲρ γῆν οὐκέτι διὰ τὸ μᾶλλον θερμαίνεσθαι αὐτήν· διὸ κεχαραδρωμένη ἡ γῆ πλεῖον ὕδωρ ἀναδίδωσιν.
‘Νείλου μὲν αἵδε καλλιπάρθενοι ῥοαί,
λευκῆς τακείσης χιόνος ὑγραίνει γύην.’
καὶ Αἰσχύλος (fg 300 N.²) δὲ καὶ Σοφοκλῆς (fg 882 Pearson) ὑπέλαβον τοὺς ὑπὲρ τὴν Αἴγυπτον χιονίζεσθαι τόπους καὶ τηκομένης τῆς χιόνος τὴν χύσιν εἰς τὸν Νεῖλον ἐκδίδοσθαι. Νικαγόρας (M. II 332 b) δέ φησιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀντοίκων αὐτὸν ῥεῖν. Δημόκριτος δὲ ὁ φυσικὸς (68 A 99 Diels-Kranz) ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ μεσημβρίαν ὑπερκειμένου πελάγους λαμβάνειν τὸν Νεῖλον τὴν ἐπίχυσιν, ἀπογλυκαίνεσθαι δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ διὰ τὸ διάστημα καὶ τὸ μῆκος τοῦ πόρου καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ καύματος ἀφεψόμενον· διὸ καὶ ἐναντίαν φησὶν ἔχειν τὴν γεῦσιν. Οἰνοπίδης δὲ ὁ Χῖος (cf. 41, 11 Diels-Kranz), ὅτι χειμῶνος ὢν ὑπὸ γῆν ὁ ἥλιος ἐκπέμπει τὸ ὕδωρ, τοῦ δὲ θέρους γενόμενος ὑπὲρ γῆν οὐκέτι διὰ τὸ μᾶλλον θερμαίνεσθαι αὐτήν· διὸ κεχαραδρωμένη ἡ γῆ πλεῖον ὕδωρ ἀναδίδωσιν.
269-71a. and the river Triton: Various causes for the rising of the Nile were given by the ancients. Anaxagoras (cf. 59 A 91 Diels-Kranz) says that it swells because of the melting of snow; Euripides follows him, saying (Hel. 1.3): 'These fair-maidened streams of the Nile, from white snow melted, moisten the land.' And Aeschylus (fg 300 N.²) and Sophocles (fg 882 Pearson) supposed that the regions above Egypt are snow-covered and that from the melting snow the flow is discharged into the Nile. Nicagoras (M. II 332 b) says that it flows from the inhabitants of the opposite region. Democritus the natural philosopher (68 A 99 Diels-Kranz) says that the Nile receives its influx from the sea lying to the south above it, and that the water is made sweet by the distance and length of the passage and by being boiled off by the heat; therefore he says it has the opposite taste. Oenopides of Chios (cf. 41, 11 Diels-Kranz), because in winter the sun is under the earth and sends out the water, but in summer it is above the earth and no longer does so because the earth is heated more; therefore the earth, being full of gullies, gives forth more water.
Scholia on Book 1 of Apollonius' Argonautica. . ed. Carolus Wendel. . .
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