146 PLINT's SfATUEAL HISTOEY. [Book II. 



merable islands lying off the coast of Germany \ which have 

 been only lately discovered. 



The above is all that I consider worth relating about the 

 length and the breadth of the earth^. But Eratosthenes^, 

 a man who was peculiarly well skilled in all the more subtle 

 parts of learning, and in this above everything else, and a 

 person whom I perceive to be approved by every one, has 

 stated the whole of this circuit to be 252,000 stadia, which, 

 according to the Eoman estimate, makes 31,500 miles. The 

 attempt is presumptuous, but it is supported by such subtle 

 arguments that we cannot refuse our assent. Hipparchus*, 

 whom we must admire, both for the ability with which he 

 controverts Eratosthenes, as well as for his diligence in every- 

 thing else, has added to the above number not much less 

 than 25,000 stadia. 



(109.) Dionysodorus is certainly less worthy of confi- 

 dence* ; but I cannot omit this most remarkable instance of 

 Grecian vanity. He was a native of Melos, and was cele- 

 brated for his knowledge of geometry ; he died of old age in 

 his native country. His female relations, who inherited his 

 property, attended his funeral, and when they had for several 

 successive days performed the usual rites, they are said to 

 have found in his tomb an epistle written in his own name 

 to those left above ; it stated that he had descended fi»om 

 his tomb to the lowest part of the earth, and that it was a 

 distance of 42,000 stadia. There were not wanting certain 

 geometricians, who interpreted this epistle as if it had been 

 sent from the middle of the globe, the point which is at the 

 greatest distance from the surface, and which must necessarily 

 be the centre of the sphere. Hence the estimate has been 

 made that it is 252,000 stadia ia circumference. 



1 It is probable, that these supposed " immense islands," if they were 

 not entirely imagLaary, were the countries of Sweden and Norway, the 

 southern extremities fvlone of which had been yisited by the ancients. 



2 Strabo, ii. ; Yitruvius, i. 6 ; Macrobius, in Somn. Scip. ii. 20. 



3 Our author has previously referred to Eratosthenes, in the 76th 

 chapter of this book. 



■* Our author has referred to Hipparchus, in the 9th chapter of this 

 book. 



^ "Aliter, inquit, et cautius multo Dionysodorus est audiendus, qui 

 miraculo solo nititur, quam Hipparchus et Eratosthenes, qui geometricis 

 nituntur priticipiis." Hardouin ia Lemaire, i. 469. Nothing further is 

 known of Dionysodorus ; see Hardouin' s Index Auct. ia I,ei»aire, i. 123. 



