On Weather Signs

Theophrastus, Concerning Weather Signs, Hort, Harvard, 1927

Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.

This work is an ancient scientific and philosophical treatise that systematically compiles specific signs used to predict weather changes based on natural phenomena and animal behavior. It begins with an introduction outlining the fundamental principles of weather forecasting, emphasizing the importance of observing geographical features and the movements of the sun and moon. The main body is then organized around four primary categories of weather signs: rain, wind, winter storms, and fair weather. The author details an extraordinary range of empirical observations, spanning celestial phenomena, cloud formations, lightning, the behavior of birds, beasts, and insects, and even the flickering of oil lamps and physical bodily changes. Concluding with correlations between seasons and annual weather predictions through plants and animals, the work serves as a practical handbook demonstrating the interconnectedness of the natural world.