Euroclydon

For the stone frigate called HMS Euroclydon, see Fort Verdala.

Euroclydon (or in Latin : Euroaquilo) is a cyclonic tempestuous northeast wind which blows in the Mediterranean, mostly in autumn and winter. It is the modern Gregalia (Gregale) or Levanter. The name "Euroclydon" comes from two classical roots:

• the Ancient Greek word: εὐροκλύδων, romanized: eurokludōn, from Euros (Eurus, meaning 'east wind')
• either:
  • an Ancient Greek word: akulōn or akylōn, meaning 'north wind'); or kludon, referring to a surging wave (from the verb kluzo meaning 'to billow')
  • or the Latin word: aquilō (aquilon)

Although the Greek word is translated "northeaster" in many English Bibles ^[1] , Euroclydon is not to be confused with the term "nor'easter", a type of extratropical cyclone affecting Atlantic coastal regions of the United States and Canada.

Notable references

• In chapter 27 in the Book of Acts 27:14 it may specifically refer to the name of the Gregale wind from the Adriatic Gulf, which wrecked the apostle Paul's ship on the coast of Malta on his way to Rome. ^[2]
• It is referenced in the second chapter of Moby-Dick .
• Euroclydon is also the name of an anthem by William Billings
• Referenced in "The Roman Centurion's Song" by Rudyard Kipling: "Here where our stiff-necked British oaks confront Euroclydon!"
• Referenced in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Midnight Mass for the Dying Year". ^[3]
• Referenced in Dorothy L. Sayers' novel The Nine Tailors ^[4] where after a rainstorm, the Rector uses the phrase from Acts 27:14

References

1. "Acts 27:14 - The Storm at Sea". Bible Hub. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
2. "But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon."Acts 27:14 (King James Version) However, later versions, such as the Revised Version, render the Greek word as Euraquilo.
3. "Midnight Mass for the Dying Year by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Poems | Academy of American Poets".
4. Sayers, Dorothy L (1934). The Nine Tailors (1948 ed.). London: Victor Gollancz. p. 226.

Sources

• Wiktionary article on Euroclydon
• Moby Dick Chapter 2