444 TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



This eclipse is not mentioned in the original work of Obsequens. 

 but in its later additions, and hence it may be offered in excuse 

 that the late interpolator confounded the consuls Lentulus and 

 Tappulus with Flaminius and Paitus. 



15. Livy (xxxvii. 4) certifies that coss. Corn. Scipio and C. 

 Lselius, who ruled since the Idus Martiaa in _ 18S, u.c. 564, about 

 the Idus Quinctiles (June 13th), and about the time of the Ludi 

 Apollinares (July 5th), and, especially, about noon (interdiu), a 

 partial solar eclipse occurred in Rome (coelo sereno interdiu 

 obscurata lux est, cum luna sub orbem solis subisset). U.c. 564 

 being the year — 187, and the said consuls ruling in the same and 

 the following years, we obtain the eclipse in — 187, July 16, 2oh., 

 15 4 E., whilst the curve of the central shadow of the moon was 

 24 , 46°, 1 9 . According to our Table (p. 429-30), the longitude 

 of the IS 4° E. must be shortened by about 4 27', and the con- 

 junction happened 2I1. 54m. later. In the preceding year, — 18S, 

 no solar eclipse was possible ; for which reason our chronology 

 of the consuls is confirmed, and that of Petavius refuted. 



16. Livy (xxxviii. 36) reports that u.c. 565, i.e. — 186, a short 

 time prior to the coss. Salinator and Messalla of the same vear, a 

 great eclipse of the sun occurred between the 3d and 4th hours of 

 the day (luce inter horam tertiam ferme et quartam tenebrae obor- 

 tae fuerant). Since the aforesaid consuls ruled from the Idus Mar- 

 tiaa in — 1S6 to the same in — 1S5, our eclipse, observed prior to 

 the Idus Martias in — 186, was that in — 1S6, Jan. 20, 23b.. 30m., 

 SI 3 W. ; curve, Southern Egypt, Arabia, Western India, centr. 

 1 7°. Accordingly this eclipse would have been very small, or 

 invisible, in Rome, and the obscuration of the sun would not have 

 taken place between the 3d and 4th hours past noon (interdiu). 

 Our Table (p. 429-30), however, brings the ft nearly to 7 30' 

 west of the sun, and the conjunction to about 2h. 55m. past noon. 

 In — 1S7 no eclipse was possible in January, February, March, 

 April, and May. Petavius, on the contrail, alluded to the eclipse 

 in — 1S7, Jul. 16, 2oh. ; but this is irreconcilable with the Annales 

 Maximi referring to an eclipse in January or February, and not 

 to an eclipse 4b.. 40m. after sunrise. Besides, this eclipse again 

 confirms the result that the consuls, down to J. Caasar, ruled one 

 year later than formerly was believed. 



17. Cicero (De rep. i. 15) bears witness that a total eclipse of 



