382 COSMOS. 



sible duration of a total eclipse of tlie Sun cannot be more 

 than 7m. 58s. at the equator, nor more than 6m. 10s. for the 

 latitude of Paris ; the decrease of daylight which is recorded 



358 A.D. A darkening continuing two hours, on the 

 22nd of August, before the fearful earthquake of Nico- 

 media, which also destroyed several other cities of Mace- 

 donia and Pontus. The darkness continued from two to 

 three hours: " nee contigua vel adposita cernebantur." 

 " Without either contiguous objects or those in juxta- 

 position being discernible/' Ammian. Mar cell. xvii. 7. 



360 A.D. In all the eastern provinces of the Roman Em- 

 pire, " per Eoos tractus," there was obscurity from early 

 dawn till noon ; ' Caligo a primo auroraa exortu adusque 

 meridiem," Ammian. Mar cell. xx. 3; but the stars con- 

 tinued to shine: consequently, there could not have been 

 any shower of ashes, nor, from the long duration of the 

 phenomenon, could it be ascribed to the action of a total 

 eclipse of the Sun, to which the historian refers it. 

 " Cum lux ccolestis operiretur, e mundi conspectu penitus 

 luce abrepta, defecisse diutius solem pavidae mentes 

 hominum sestimabant: primo attenuatum in lunae corni- 

 culantis effigiem, deinde in speciem auctum semenstrem, 

 posteaque in integrum restitutum. Quod alias non 

 evenit ita perspicue, nisi cum post inaequales cursus 

 intermenstruum lunae ad idem revocatur." " When the 

 light of heaven, suddenly and wholly concealed, was 

 hidden from the world, trembling men thought the Sun 

 had left them for a very long time ; at first it assumed 

 the form of a horned moon, then increased to half its 

 proper size, and was finally restored to its integrity. 

 But it did not appear so bright until, after all irregular 

 motions were over, it returned." This description 

 entirely corresponds with a true eclipse of the Sun; 

 but how are we to explain its long duration, and the 

 " caligo" experienced in all the provinces of the East? 



409 A.D. When Alaric appeared before Rome, there was 

 so great a darkness, that the stars were seen by day. 

 Schnurrer, Chronik der Seuchcn, Th. i. p. 113. 



536. Justinianus I. Caosar imperavit annos triginta-octo 



