BOOK 11. X. 57-xii. 59 



months, and that the latter when above earth is 

 hidden twice in tliirty days, but that this ecUpse is 

 visible to different nations," and — the most remarkable 

 featm-es of this remarkable occm-rence — that when 

 it comes about that the moon is obscured by the 

 shadow of the earth, this sometimes happens to it 

 from the west side and sometimes from the east ; 

 and he also discovered for what exact reason, although 

 the shadow causing the echpse must from sum-ise 

 onward be below the earth, it happened once in the 

 past that the moon was echpsed in the west while 

 both luminaries were visible above the earth. For the 

 echpse of both sun and moon within 15 days of each 

 other has occurred even in our time, in the year of 

 the third consulship of the elder Emperor Vespasian 

 and the second consulship of the younger.* 



XI. It is unquestionable that the moon's horns Themoon^s 

 are always turned away from the sun, and that when ^ "^^^' 

 waxing she faces east and when waning west ; and 



that the moon shines 47^ minutes longer ' daily 

 from the day after new moon to full and 47i minutes 

 less daily to her wane, while within 14 degrees of the 

 sun she is always invisible. This fact proves that the 

 planets are of greater magnitude than the moon, 

 since these occasionally become visible even on 

 reaching 7 degrees' distance; but their altitude 

 makes them appear smaller, just as the sun's radiance 

 makes the fixed stars invisible in daytime, although 

 they are shining as much as in the night, which 

 becomes manifest at a solar echpse and also when 

 the star is reflected in a very deep welL 



XII. The three planets whose positions we have Thc pianett, 

 statcd to be above the sun travel with the sun when ^j^^Jions and 



c T ■ Am • i 1- occuUalioH 



l.e. rises 47^ niinutes earlier. 



207 



