204 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. Book VIL 



some opinion upon the science of the stars. Epigenes 61 used 

 to maintain that human life could not be possibly prolonged to 

 one hundred and twelve years, and Berosus 62 that it could 

 exceed one hundred and seventeen. The system is still in 

 existence which Petosiris and Necepsos 63 transmitted to us, 

 and called by them " tartemorion," 64 from the division of the 

 signs into four portions ; from which it would appear, that life, 

 in the region of Italy, may possibly be extended to one hun- 

 dred and twenty-four years They maintain that, reckoning 

 from the commencement of an ascending sign, no life can pos- 

 sibly exceed a period of ninety degrees from that point ; which 

 periods they call by the name of " anaphorae ;" 65 they say also, 

 that these anaphorae may be intercepted by meeting with ma- 

 lign stars or their rays even, or those of the sun. 66 To theirs 

 the school of ^Esculapius succeeded, which admits that the al- 

 lotted duration of life is regulated by the stars, but that it is 

 quite uncertain what is the greatest extent of the period. 

 These say that long life is uncommon, because a very great num- 

 ber of persons are born at critical moments in the hours of the 

 lunar days ; for example, in the seventh and the fifteenth 

 hours, both by day and night; these individuals are subject 

 to the malign influence of that ascending scale of the years 

 which is termed the " climacteric," 67 and never hardly, when 

 born under these circumstances, exceed the fifty -fourth year. 



61 We have an account of Epigenes, by Hardouin, Lemaire, vol. i. 

 pp. 86, 87, where he is designated Rhodius. He is referred to by Varro, 

 Oolumella, and Seneca; Pliny mentions him in other parts of his work. B. 



62 Berosus has been referred to in the 37th Chapter of the present 

 Book. B. 



63 For some account of Petosiris and Necepsos, see end of B. ii. 



64 Literally, the fourth part ; according to Hardouin' s explanation, Le- 

 maire, vol. iii. p. 186. B. 



65 Literally " repetitions." Dalechamps explains it as indicating, 



" that part of the heavens which is distant thirty parts ; that is to say, two 

 signs from the horoscope;" Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 187. B. 



66 Ajasson refers us to Jul. Firmicus for an explanation of the difference 

 which may exist in the length of the lives of individuals as depending on 

 their natal day; Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 186. It appears to have been one of 

 the leading tenets of the astrologers, that the favourable influence of the 

 ascending sign, is diminished or counteracted by the rays of other planets, 

 or of the sun, falling upon the sign in certain directions or at certain 

 angles, and that the length of the life of the individual is shortened in pro- 

 portion to this injurious effect. B. 



67 This term means, literally, " increasing by a regular scale/' or, " ae- 



