On the Solar Eclipse predicted Inj Thales. 369 



Tt is well known that Agathocles, king of Syracuse (whea 

 besieged in ihat city by Hamiicar the Carthaginian general), 

 undertook the bold design of invading Africa, and thereby 

 moving the seat of war from Sicily. He accordingly em- 

 barked a numerous army, and set sail for the continent. 

 The day after he left Syracuse, the fleet was terrified at 

 an eclipse of the sun ; which was so greit, that, in the words 

 of Diodorus Siculus, lib. xx. Iko^yj^Ms i^avTJvat -/UKrx, ^sivpou- 

 y.'=vxv ruj-/ dtxTspujv Ka.vra.y3, " it seemed exactly like night, 

 *' the stars every where appearing." This eclipse was there- 

 fore evidently total in the place where it was seen by the 

 fleet of Agathocles. It happened on August loth, 310 

 B. C. The ecliptic conjunction took place at 8'' lo' 23'' 

 in the morning, mean time at Greenwich, or S'' 9' 6'' ap- 

 parent time: and the elements were as follow: 



True longitude of the luminaries 4' l6^4l'32''' 



Sun's declination, north \Q 2 38 



■ semi-diameter 15 5/ 



Moon's semi-diameter 16 39 



equatorial parallax 61 O 



horary motion from the sun . 35 9 



true latitude 14 42 



horary motion in latitude ... 3 28 



From these elements I have found, by a trigonometrical 

 calculation, that the sun rose centrally eclipsed to the inha- 

 bitants of the western coast of Africa, in N. lat. 24-' 57' and 

 W. long. 14^ y'. 1 he centre of the moon's shadow then, 

 crossing the Desert, proceeded towards the Mediterranean, 

 near to, but rather to the southward of, Tripoli ; and crossed 

 the parallel of N. lat. 33^ in E. long. 20° 44'. But in no 

 part of its course did it advance more northLrly than N. lat. 

 33^ 53' 36", which 1 find by a trigonometrical calculation 

 to be its maximum of latitude, and the parallel of which it 

 reached in E, long. 35' 2l' 8". It then turned to the south ; 

 and the sun became centrally eclipsed on the meridian in 

 N. lat. 30|° and E. long. 59" 45'. 



Let us now coiTipare this result, with the fact as related 

 by Diodorus. It is stated by this author, that Agathocles 

 was six days on his passage, from Syracuse to the coast of 

 Africa; although he used the utmost expedition, being, in 

 fact, closely pursued by the Carthaginian fleet. The place 

 where he landed was called Aaroaiaf, the Quarries; whence 

 he proceeded to the neighbouring cities of MeyaAijv TreAJv, 

 Megalopolis, or the Great City, and Arj-nov Tuvijra, White 

 Tunis. The position of these cities is not handed down to 

 us ; all that we know is, that the latter place (which must 

 VoJ. 38. No, 163. iVoi;. 161 J. A a not 



