PAL

Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus

_ (the underscore) is the placeholder for exactly one character.
% (the percent sign) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character.
%% (two percent signs) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character, but not for blank space (so that a search ends at word boundaries).

At the beginning and at the end, these placeholders are superfluous.

mechanical approach ‘mechanical approach’

English

References: PH Hamm: I.1:3, 45:4
Translation of:
Greek: μηχανικαὶ ἔφοδοι [PH Heiberg: I.1:3, 70:17]