The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 1 (of 6) by the Elder Pliny

88. p. 178.

215 words  |  Chapter 40

[291] “terris.” [292] Seneca remarks, “... quidam nullos esse cometas existimant, sed species illorum per repercussionem vicinorum siderum,... Quidam aiunt esse quidem, sed habere cursus suos et post certa lustra in conspectum mortalium exire.” He concludes by observing, “Veniet tempus, quo ista quæ nunc latent, in lucem dies extrahat, et longioris diei diligentia;” Nat. Quæst. lib. 7. § 19. p. 807. [293] For some account of Hipparchus, see note [189], p. 37. [294] Nothing is known respecting the nature of these instruments, nor have we any means of forming even a conjecture upon the subject. [295] The terms “faces,” “lampades,” “bolides,” and “trabes,” literally torches, lamps, darts, and beams, which are employed to express different kinds of meteors, have no corresponding words in English which would correctly designate them. [296] From this account it would appear, that the “fax” was what we term a falling star. “Meteora ista, super cervices nostras transeuntia, diversaque a stellis labentibus, modo aërolithis ascribenda sunt, modo vaporibus incensis aut electrica vi prognata videntur, et quamvis frequentissime recurrant, explicatione adhuc incerta indigent.” Alexandre in Lemaire, i. 302. [297] Seneca refers to this meteor; “Vidimus non semel flammam ingenti pilæ specie, quæ tamen in ipso cursu suo dissipata est ... nec Germanici mors sine tali demonstratione fuit;” Nat. Quæst, lib. i. cap.

Chapters

1. Chapter 1 2. BOOK I. 3. BOOK II. 4. 1. Whether the world be finite, and whether there be more than 5. 9. An account of the observations that have been made on the 6. 12. Of the motions of the planets and the general laws of their 7. 13. Why the same stars appear at some times more lofty and at 8. 17. Of the motion of the sun and the cause of the irregularity 9. 25. Examples from history of celestial prodigies; 10. 35. An ominous appearance in the heavens, that was seen 11. 50. Tornadoes; blasting winds; whirlwinds, and other wonderful 12. 51. Of thunder; in what countries it does not fall, and for 13. 52. Of the different kinds of lightning and their wonderful 14. 58. Rattling of arms and the sound of trumpets heard in 15. 59. Of stones that have fallen from the clouds. The opinion of 16. 61. The nature of hail, snow, hoar, mist, dew; the forms 17. 66. How the water is connected with the earth. Of the 18. 72. In what places eclipses are invisible, and why this is 19. 76. Where this takes place twice in the year and where the 20. 80. Of the difference of nations as depending on the nature 21. 96. Of certain lands which are always shaking, and of 22. BOOK III. 23. 1. The boundaries and gulfs of Europe first set forth in 24. BOOK IV. 25. 27. The islands of the Euxine. The islands of the northern 26. BOOK V. 27. 44. The islands of the Propontis 496 28. BOOK I.[34] 29. BOOK II. 30. BOOK III. 31. INTRODUCTION. 32. BOOK IV. 33. BOOK V. 34. 166. This island was formerly called Ophiussa[4210], Asteria[4211], 35. 1541. For an account of Ptolemy I may refer to the article in the Biog. 36. 11. It is not easy to ascertain the precise meaning of the terms 37. 5. p. 701, 702. From the allusion which is made to it by Anacreon, in 38. 272. But Marcus has shown that the opinion of Hardouin is inadmissible 39. 198. See Ptolemy’s Cent. Dict. no. 100, for the opinion, that comets 40. 88. p. 178. 41. 1. p. 683. 42. 343. Perhaps it most nearly corresponds to the term “hurricane.” 43. 2. refer to the destruction of temples at Rome by lightning. 44. 400. But to this, I conceive, it may be objected, that the words “inter 45. 443. They are referred to by Q. Curtius as a tribe of the Æthiopians, 46. 102. There is considerable difficulty in determining their position, 47. 55. It rivalled its neighbour Baiæ in ministering to the luxury of the 48. 490. The site of the ancient town of Marathon is thought not to have 49. 455. Their kingdom was finally destroyed by Belisarius. 50. 44. Strabo describes the Marsyas and Mæander as rising, according to 51. 1. Periander of Corinth, one of the Seven Wise Men, who wrote a

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