Corpus Hermeticum with Pneumatica and Ocellus Lucanus

This is evident when we pour water hydōr original: "ὕδωρ" (hydōr). into any vessel angeion original: "ἀγγεῖον" (angeion).; the water drives out the air aēr, provided that the air previously contained within it can move out of the way. Even if we were to attempt to force? water in with great force bias, the vessel will burst before it will accept the liquid if it is already full.

For the particles sōmata original: "σώματα" (sōmata). While literally "bodies," in this physical context Hero is referring to the discrete units or atoms of air. of the air cannot be reduced into a smaller magnitude megethos unless they possessed certain interstitial spaces diastēmata original: "διαστήματα" (diastēmata). This is a central concept in Hero's physics: the "scattered vacuum." He argues that air is not a solid block but a collection of particles with tiny gaps between them. into which they could be compressed to occupy a smaller volume original: "ὄγκον" (onkon). This refers to the bulk or mass of the substance.. This [compression] would not be plausible if the air were entirely solid. If the surfaces of these particles were joined tightly to one another on all sides and shared a single continuous boundary, it would be impossible to force them into a smaller space if no void existed.

Thus, in no way could anything from the outside be introduced into the sphere sphairan unless some portion of the air already inside made way for it—at least, if the space were as dense and continuous as it is possible to be.

And yet, if someone takes a very small siphon siphōna in their mouth and blows into the sphere, they will successfully force in a great deal of breath original: "πνεῦμα" (pneuma). This word means "breath," "air," or "spirit." In pneumatics, it refers specifically to air under pressure., even though none of the air previously inside has escaped. This...