ITS EARLIEST STAGES. 131 



A knowledge concerning the stars appears to 

 have been first cultivated with the last-mentioned 

 view, and makes its first appearance in literature 

 with this for its object. Thus Hesiod directs the 

 husbandman when to reap by the rising, and when 

 to plough by the setting of the Pleiades 9 . In like 

 manner Sirius 10 , Arcturus", the Hyades and Orion 12 , 

 are noticed. 



By such means it was determined that the year 

 consisted, at least, nearly, of 365 days. The Egyp- 

 tians, as we learn from Herodotus 13 , claimed the 



dpoToto Se, $v<rofi.evd(ov. 

 T xa\ rfpaTa TCffaepdicovTa 

 , airr<s Se TreptirXofjievov eviavTov 



Op. et Dies, 1. 381. 

 10 1. 413. 



1 EUT" av d' e^f/Koi/ra yueTa Tpoiras rjeXioio 



K-reXefffj Zeu? tj/jLUTa, Sj pa TOT da-Ttjp 



S, TTpoXlTTUV lepOV pOOV 



Ib. 562. 



av o" Qpitav icai ~S,e'ipto<; e? peaov e\6rj 

 i/, ApKTovpov S' etriSj; po$o&aKTV\o<} tjios. 



Ib. 607. 



.... avTap firtjv ; 

 'Ya'Se? TC TO TC o-^e'i/o? 'Qp'uavos 



Ib. 612. 



These methods were employed to a late period, because the 

 Greek months, being lunar, did not correspond to the seasons. 

 Tables of such motions were called Trapairtj^paTa. Ideler, Hist. 

 Untersuchungen, p. 209. 



13 ii. 4. 



