Chap. 6.] ACCOUNT Or THE WOELD. 27 



Afterguards Cleostratus made the signs in it, first marking 

 those of Aries and Sagittarius ; Atlas had formed the sphere 

 long before this time^ But now, leaving the further con- 

 sideration of this subject, we must treat of the bodies that 

 are situated between the earth and the heavens^. 



It is certain that the star called Saturn is the highest, and 

 therefore appears the smallest, that he passes through the 

 largest circuit, and that he is at least thirty years in com- 

 pleting it^. The course of all the planets, and among others 

 of the Sun, and the Moon, is in the contrary direction to 

 that of the heavens^, that is towards the left, while the hea- 



tho same work by Scott of Aberdeen. I may remark, tliat these two 

 accounts do not quite agree in their estimate of his merits ; the latter 

 author considers his opinions more correct. We have also an account of 

 Anaximander in Stanley, pt. 2. p. 1 et seq., and in Enfield, i. 154 et seq. 



1 In the translation of Ajasson, ii. 261-7, we have some valuable ob- 

 servations by Marcus, respecting the origin and progress of astronomy 

 among the Greeks, and the share wliich the individuals mentioned in the 

 text respectively had in its advanoement ; also some interesting remarks 

 on the history of Atlas. Diodorus Siculus says, that " he was the first 

 that discovered the knowledge of the sphere ; whence arose the common 

 opinion, that he carried the world upon his shoulders." Booth's trans, 

 p. 115. 



2 " nunc relicto mundi ipsius corpore, reliqua inter coelum terrasque 

 tract«ntur." I have already had occasion to remark upon the various 

 modes in which the author uses the word mundus ; by ccelum, in this 

 passage, he means the body or region beyond the planets, which is con- 

 ceived to contain the fixed stars. Spfuerayin the preceding sentence, 

 may be supposed to mean the celestial globe. 



3 "ac trigesimo aimo ad brevissima sedis suae principia regredi;" I 

 confess myself imable to offer any Hteral explanation of this passage ; nor 

 do the remarks of the commentators appear to me satisfactory ; see Har- 

 douin and Alexandre in Lemaire, ii. 241, 2. It is translated by Ajasson 

 " en trente ans il reviens k I'espace minime d'oii il est parti." The pe- 

 riod of the sidereal revolutions of the planets, as stated by Mrs. Somer- 

 ville, in her " Mechanism of the Heavens," and by Sir J. Herschei, in 

 his " Treatise on Astronomy," are respectively as follows : — 



days. days. 



Mercury 87-9705 87'9692580 



Venus 224-7 224-7007869 



Earth 365-2564 3652563612 



Mars 686-99 6869796458 



Jupiter 4332-65 43325848212 



Saturn 10759-4 10759-2198174 



Somervllle, p. 358. Herschei, p. 416. 

 * " * mundo ; ' hoc est, coelo inerrantium stellarum." Hardouiu, in 

 Lemaire, ii. 242. 



