504 TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



began in — 62, and not in — 63 (p. 432), the said king reigned 

 one year later than Ptolemy stated. Consequently, Soter II., 

 the predecessor of Dionysus, who ruled 30 years, must have died 

 in — 79, and not in — 80. Finally, since Cleopatra assisted at 

 the Olympian games in — 29 (p. 451), and not in — 31, ami since 

 the battle near Actium happened in — 28, and not in — 30, it is 

 evident that Cleopatra's history must likewise be postdated by 

 nearly two years. 



These arguments, apart from many others, remaining in petto, 

 will suffice to convince every sane historian that the whole of 

 Ptolemy's Historical Canon down to Titus is wrong ; that, there- 

 fore, all eclipses linked to Ptolemy's kings and other historical 

 epochs must of necessity be referred to later dates. It is singular, 

 indeed, that a world-renowned astronomer like Ptolemy should 

 commit such gross errors as his Chronological Canon contains ; 

 but errare humanum est, and it is known that he does not at all 

 belong to the class of reliable ancient authors ; for Biot, a savant 

 whose wisdom and discernment inspired, a long time since, all 

 the scientific world with veneration, pronounced as follows : — 

 "Since I examined Ptolemy's catalogue of fixed stars, I have lost 

 the last remainder of respect concerning the Alexandrian astrono- 

 mer." 



It is, moreover, not the first time that Ptolemy's Historical 

 Canon has appeared to be erroneous, for many historians before 

 us have likewise given judgment against Ptolemy. We mention 

 only the following authors : Masson's Histoire critique de la r^- 

 publique des lettres, Paris, 17 14, T. i. p. 22 ; another author, in 

 the same work, T. v., p. 114; Lobbies Introductio Chron. ii. 38; 

 the anonymous author of the Dissertatio de Canone astronomic©, 

 p. 149J Koch's Entsiegelter Daniel, p. 131 ; DrumeVs Proben 

 einer verbesserten Harmonie der heiligen und Profanscriebenten, 

 Frankfurt, 1746; Johan Kepler's Eclogae Chronologicae ; Me- 

 gerlirts Commentar. Chronolog. in Tabulam mathematico-hist. ; 

 Conring^s Canonem mathem. Nabonassaraeum non mereri fidem 

 (Grievii Syntagmata) ; Harduin's Chronologia V. T. Amstel., 

 1709; Artopceus's Dissertatio de summis imperiis; Ravins' s 

 Chronologia inlallibilis ; Wagner's Institutiones historicae ; Idel- 

 er's Chronol. ii. 122, etc. Others maintained Ptolemy's Canon 

 to be incorrect, except the years to which eclipses are linked, and 



