Astronomical and Nautical Collections. 403 
solstice ; as Eratosthenes expressly states, in his COMMENTARY 
UPON THE OCTAETERIDES (Geminus in Petavii Uranologia. 
Par. 1630, f. P. 33.)... 
“It is of importance, in the discussion of some representa- 
tions of astronomical objects, to determine at what time of the 
year the sun entered the respective signs, according to the 
Egyptian calendar, or more particularly, what was the sun’s 
place in the starry zodiac at the commencement of the year, for 
different periods of time. Taking, then, 6" 9" 8°, for the excess 
of the sidereal above the Egyptian year, we find that 1424 
Julian years were required for a complete revolution of the 
sun’s place on the 1 thoth, and 119 for each sign. Now since, 
about a century before the establishment of the Julian calendar, 
the sun entered Libra on the 24th of September, and since the 
Egyptian year began on that day, in 120 B. C., it follows that 
Libra had been the first constellation during the whole of the 
preceding century; for, at this period, the beginning and end of 
the signs of the ecliptic agreed very nearly with those of the 
corresponding constellations of the zodiac. The first constella- 
tion of the Egyptian year will therefore stand nearly thus: 
From 1552 B. C. 484 WwW 
to 1433, my 365 £ 
1314 Q ' 247 m 
1196 a 128 » 
1077 o 9 my 
958 8 A.C. 110 Q 
840 op ‘ 228 a5 
722 3€ 347 o 
603 aw 
“ If we attempt to determine the date of a given monument 
from astronomical symbols contained in it, we must suppose 
that they represented the state of the heavens with respect to 
the Egyptian year at the time in question. Thus, in the zodiacs 
of the ruins at and near Esne or Latopolis, the constellation 
Pisces seems to be the first sign, as it really was, about 800 
B. C., or in the time of Bocchoris and of the Ethiopian dynasty. 
{t is, however, equally possible, that Virgo may have been in- 
2D2 
