But not long after
They had not been long at sea, but
there arose against it;
the ship, or the island of Crete, or both:
a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon;
in the Greek text it is a "Typhonic" wind, so called, not from
the name of a country from whence it blew; rather from Typho, the
same with Python, an Heathen deity, who is said to be drowned in
the lake Serbonis, or in the river Orontes; about which places
this sort of wind is observed to be frequent, and which may take
its name from him, being supposed to be raised by him. This wind
may very well be thought to be the same which is called Typhon,
and is by writers F19 represented as a very tempestuous
one, as a sort of whirlwind or hurricane, a violent storm, though
without thunder and lightning; and Pliny F20 calls
it the chief plague of sailors, it breaking their sails, and even
their vessels to pieces: and this may still have its name from
Typho, since the Egyptians used to call everything that is
pernicious and hurtful by this name; moreover, this wind is also
called "Euroclydon". The Alexandrian copy reads, "Euracylon", and
so the Vulgate Latin version seems to have read, rendering it
"Euro-aquilo, the north east wind". The Ethiopic version renders
it, the "north wind"; but according to Aristotle F21, and
Pliny F23 the wind Typhon never blew in the
northern parts; though some think that wind is not meant here,
since the Typhon is a sudden storm of wind, and soon over;
whereas this storm of wind was a settled and lasting one, it
continued many days; and that it is only called Typhonic, because
it bore some likeness to it, being very blustering and
tempestuous: it seems by its name to be an easterly wind, which
blew very violently, ploughed the sea, and lifted up its waves;
hence the Arabic version renders it, "a mover" or "stirrer up of
the waves"; which beat against the ship in a violent manner, and
exposed it to great danger.