334 PLINY' s NATURAL HISTORY. [Hook XXXVt- 



tained, that the depth of water in that river is not less than 

 that of the river Xilus. 



The ohelisk that was erected by the late Emperor Augustus 

 in the Great Circus, 8 was originally quarried by order of King 

 Semenpserteus, 9 in whose reign it was that Pythagoras 7 visited 

 Egypt. It is eighty-five feet* and three quarters in height, 

 exclusive of the base, which is a part of the same stone. The 

 one that he erected in the Campus Martins, is nine tret less in 

 height, and was originally made by order of Sesothis. They 

 are both of them covered with inscriptions, which interpret 

 the operations of Nature according to the philosophy of the 

 Egyptians. 



CUAI*. 15. (10.) THE OBELISK WHICH SEUVES AS A DIAL IN TUB 



CAMPUS MAUTIUS. 



The one that has been erected in the Campus ^Fartius 9 has 

 been applied to a singular purpose by the late Emperor 

 Augustus; that of marking the shadows projected by the sun, 

 and so measuring the length of the days and nights. With this 

 object, a stone pavement was laid, the extreme length of 

 which corresponded exactly with the length of the shadow 

 thrown by the obelisk at the sixth hour 10 on the day of the winter 

 S'lstice. After this period, the shadow would go on, day by 

 day, gradually decreasing, and then again 11 would as gradually 

 increase, correspondingly with certain lines of brass that were 

 i:i>erted in the stone ; a device well deserving to be known, 

 and due to the ingenuity of Facundus Novus, the mathema- 

 tician. Upon the apex of the obelisk he placed a gilded 

 bull, in order that the shadow, of the summit might be con- 



5 Or Circus Maximus; in the Eleventh Region of the City. Accord- ' 

 r.".^ t-j Kircher, it was this obelisk th;it Pope S xtus V. had disinterred, 

 and placed before the church of the Madonna del Popolo. 



There are sixteen various readings to this name. 



7 Diogenes Laertius says that he arrived in Kgypt in the reign of King 

 A ni as is. 



e B'-scovich and Brotero \vould read here ll eiy/ift/-tico feet and three 

 quarters/' which is more in accordance with its height, as measured hy 

 Kirch or. 



11 After being long buried in ruins, it was disinterred, but not re-erect' -d, 

 !>y Pope Benedict XIV. AVhen thus brought to light, it was found to Us 

 broken asunder. On it there was tin inscription stating that the Knip'ror 

 Auirus>tus had *' presented it to the Suu" '* Soli donum d<-dit." 



ly Twelve o'clock in the day. ll After the summer eolatice. 



