ZODIACAL SIGNS. 161 



course, the division of the ecliptic into twelve equal parts 

 (Dodecatomeria) originated with the ancient Chaldeans, and 

 very probably came to the Greeks, at the beginning of the 

 fifth, or even in the sixth century before our era, direct from 

 Chaldea, and not from the Valley of the Nile. 28 The Greeks 

 merely separated from the constellations, named in their 

 primitive sphere, those which were nearest to the ecliptic, 

 and could be used as signs of the zodiac. If the Greeks 

 had borrowed from another nation anything more than the idea 

 and number of the divisions (Dodecatomeria) of a zodiac, if 

 they had borrowed the zodiac itself with its signs, they 

 would not at first have contented themselves with only 

 eleven constellations. The Scorpion would not have been 

 divided into two groups ; nor would zodiacal constellations 

 have been introduced, (some of which, like Taurus, Leo, Pisces, 

 and Virgo, extend over a space of 35 to 48, while 

 others, as Cancer, Aries, and Capricornus, occupy only from 



28 Letronne, Orig. du Zod., p. 25 ; and Analyse crit. des 

 Repres. zod., 1846, p. 15. Ideler and Lepsius also consider it 

 probable " that the knowledge of the Chaldean zodiac, as 

 well in reference to its divisions as to the names of the latter, 

 had reached the Greeks in the 7th century before our era, 

 although the adoption of the separate signs of the zodiac in 

 Greek astronomical literature was gradual and of a subse- 

 quent date." (Lepsius, Chronologie der JEgypter, 1849, s. 65 

 and 124.) Ideler is inclined to believe that the Orientals had 

 names but not constellations for the Dodecatomeria, and 

 Lepsius regards it as a natural assumption " that the Greeks 

 at the period when their sphere was for the most part unfilled 

 should have added to their own the Chaldean constellations, 

 from which the twelve divisions were named." But are we 

 not led on this supposition to inquire why the Greeks had at 

 first only eleven signs instead of introducing all the twelve 

 belonging to the Chaldean dodecatomeria ? If they intro- 

 duced the twelve signs they are hardly likely to have removed 

 one in order to replace it at a subsequent period. 



VOL. III. M 



