BOOK II. uciv. 160-LXV. 162 



her forcing her immense globe into the shape of a 

 sphere. 



LXV. Here there is a mighty battle between Earth 

 learning on one side and the common herd on the ^P'"-^''"^'^ 

 other: the theory being that human beings are 

 distributed all round the earth and stand with their 

 feet pointing towards each other, and that the top of 

 the sky is alike for them all and the earth trodden 

 under foot at the centre in the same way from any 

 direction, while ordinary people enquire why the 

 persons on the opposite side don't fall oif — ^just as 

 if it were not reasonable that the people on the 

 other side wonder that we do not fall off. There is 

 an intermediate theory that is acceptable even to 

 the unlearned crowd — that the earth is of the shape 

 of an irregular globe, resembhng a pine cone, yet 

 nevertheless is inhabited all round. But what is the 

 good of this theory when there arises another marvel, 

 that the earth herself hangs suspended and does not 

 fall and carry us with it ? As if forsooth there were 

 any doubt about the force of breath, especially when 

 shut up inside the world, or as if it were possible for 

 the earth to fall when nature opposes, and denies it 

 any place to fall to ! For just as the sole abode of 

 fires is in the element of fii-e, and of waters in water, 

 and of breath in breath, so earth, barred out by all 

 the other elements, has no place except in itself. 

 Yet it is surprising that with this vast level expanse of 

 sea and plains the resulting formation is a globe. 

 This view has the support of Dicaearchus, a savant of 

 the first rank, who with the support of royal patrons 

 took the measurement of mountains, and pubhshed 

 that the highest of them was Pelion, with an altitude 

 of 1250 paces," inferring that this was no portion 



297 



