Chap. VI.] EISING OF CONSTELLATIONS. 103 



Northern TVaiu is never seen in Troglodytice^ nor in EgA^)t, 

 whicli borders on it^ ; nor can we, in Italy, see the star Ca- 

 nopns^, or Berenice's Hair^ ; nor what, under the Emperor 

 Augustus, was named Caesar's Throne, although they are, 

 there^, very brilliant stars. Tlie curved form of the earth is 

 so obvious, rising up like a ridge, that Canopus appears to a 

 spectator at Alexandi'ia to rise above the horizon almost the 

 quarter of a sign ; the same star at Hhodes appears, as it 

 were, to graze along the earth, while in Pontus it is not seen 

 at all ; where the Northern Wain appears considerably 

 elevated. This same constellation cannot be seen at Rhodes, 

 and still less at Alexandi^ia. In Ai-abia, in the month of 

 November, it is concealed during the tirst watch of the 

 night, but may be seen during the second^; in Meroe it is 

 seen, for a short time, in the evening, at the solstice, and it 

 is visible at day-break, for a few days before the rising of 

 Arcturus^. These facts have been principally ascertained 

 by the expeditions of na\igators ; the sea appearing more 

 elevated or depressed in certain parts ^ ; the stars suddenly 

 coming into view, and, as it were, emerging from the water, 

 after having been concealed by the bulging out of the globe ^. 

 But the heavens do not, as some suppose, rise higher at one 



* The Troglodytice of the ancients may be considered as nearly corre- 

 sponding to the modem Abyssinia and Nubia. 



2 This remai-k is incorrect, as far as respects nearly the whole of Egypt ; 

 see the remarks of Marcus, in Ajasson, ii. 245. 



3 This is a star of the fii'st magnitude in the southern constellation of 

 Argo ; we have a similar statement in Manihus, i. 216, 217. 



^ The commentators suppose that the star or constellation here referred 

 to cannot be the same with what bears this name on the modem celestial 

 atlas ; vide Hardouin in loco, also Marc, in Ajasson, ut supra. The 

 constellation of Berenice's hair forms the subject of Catullus's 67th poem. 



^ In Troglodytice and in Egypt. 



^ The first watch of the night was from 6 p.m. to 9 ; the second from. 

 9 to midnight. 



7 According to Columella, xi. 2. 369, this was 9 Calend. Mart., cor- 

 responding to the 21st of February. 



" " In aha adverso, in aha prono mari." I have adopted the opinion 

 of Alexandre, who explains the terms "adverso" and "prono," "ascen- 

 denti ad polum," and "ad austrum devoxo ;" a similar sense is given to 

 the passage by Poinsinet and Ajasson, in their translations. 



^ " Anfractu pilse." See Manilius, i. 206 et seq. for a similar mode of 

 expression. 



