160 CHRONOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



(referring however to a much earlier date than B. C. 751). Compare 

 also, the Era of Nabonassar, "B. C. 747:" and the Building of Borne, 

 placed by Fabius Pictor (the earliest Roman historian) "in the first 

 year of the eighth Olympiad," or at the commencement of the Era of 

 Nabonassar: Polybius, however, places the Building of Rome "in the 

 second year of the Seventh Olympiad" (the spring of B. C. 750, Clinton, 

 Fast. Hellen. iii. In trod. 19); while Varro's computation, "the third 

 year of the Sixth Olympiad" (B. C. 753), coincides with the date 

 obtained above from Ptolemys' Observation of the equinox ; for 



B. C. 1413— B. C. 753=660 (=a phoenix). 



Pliny xxx. 3, makes the following statement, " DCLVII 



demum anno urbis Cn. Cornelio Lentulo P. Licinio Crasso Coss. senatus- 

 consultum factum est ne homo immolaretur : at length in the 657th 

 (+ 3 =660) year of the City, Cn. Cornelius Lentulus and P. Licinius 

 Crassus being consuls, a decree of the senate was passed, that a man 

 should not be sacrificed." The consuls are the same named in Pliny 

 x. 2, where Manilius states of the phoenix and Great Year: "Et fuisse 

 ejus conversionis annum prodente se P. Licinio Cn. Lentulo consulibus 

 ducentesimum quintum decimum: and the year of its revolution, P. 

 Licinius and Cn. Lentulus being consuls, was the 215th:" 



These consuls are placed by Clinton in B. C. 97 



End of the Great Year (by Ptol. Obs.), in A. D. 128 (—1)= 127 



224 years ; 



making a surplus over the i phoenix, corresponding very nearly to the 

 five years' deficiency given by Manilius. It would seem, therefore, that 

 the Romans, while supposing they were reckoning their years from 

 the Building of the City, really dated from an Egyptian phoenix. 



The Second Era of Gaza may deserve examination in connexion 

 with the ending of the Great Year. This Era " commenced in A. D. 

 130;" in the same year, Hadrian visited Egypt and left an inscription 

 on the Vocal Memnon at Thebes ; which is still legible, and is dated in 

 " the fifteenth year of his reign, the 24th of the Egyptian month Athyr, 

 and the 25th of the Roman month November" (see Clinton). 



7. From various considerations, some of them already mentioned, 

 it has been inferred, that the Great Year in question commenced in 

 the reign of Meneptha Sethos: a Pharaoh placed by Lepsius at the 



