From the book
Stobaeus, Volume I
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordMetallon means a mine or mineral working in the selected passage.
- In StobaeusThe account describes cold water at depth, including water in mines, because it is removed from the sun.
- In this edition“Mine” preserves the setting; translating the plural as metals would change the argument.
- A place to beginWater in mines illustrates the effect of depth, qualified by underground heat.
- English renderings
- mine; mineral working
Meaning
Metallon means a mine or mineral working in the selected passage. Its resemblance to the modern word metal must not determine the translation.
Use in the book
The account describes cold water at depth, including water in mines, because it is removed from the sun. It immediately adds an exception for places heated from within the earth. The mine supplies an example of depth, not a universal guarantee of coldness.
Places to read
- I.39.1.4Water in mines illustrates the effect of depth, qualified by underground heat.
Translation in this edition
“Mine” preserves the setting; translating the plural as metals would change the argument.
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 254. The parenthesis requires removal from both aerial and terrestrial heat, making the qualification integral to the explanation.