140 
PLINT's ITATUEAL HISTORY. 
[Book VII. 
pen to have been conceived the day before or tbe day after the 
lull moon, or at tbe change of the moon. In Egypt it is not 
an uncommon thing for children to be born at the eighth 
month; and in Italy, too, children that are born at this 
period live just as long as others, notwithstanding the opinions 
of the ancients to the contrary. There are great variations in 
this respect, which occur in numerous ways. Vestilia, for 
instance, who was the wife of C. Herdicius, and was afterwards 
married, first, to Pomponius,^* and then to Orfitus, very emi- 
nent citizens, after having brought forth four children, always 
at the seventh month, had Suillius Eufus at the eleventh month, 
and then Corbulo at the seventh, both of whom became con- 
suls; after which, at the eighth month, she had Csesonia, 
who became the wife of the Emperor Caius.^* As for children 
who are bom at the eighth month, the greatest difficulty with 
them is to get them over the first forty days.^^ Pregnant wo- 
men, on the other hand, are in the greatest danger during the 
fom^th and the eighth month, and abortions during these periods 
are fatal. Masurius informs us, that L. Papirius, the prsetor, 
on one occasion, when the next but one in succession was urging 
his suit at law, decided against him, in favour of the heir,^^ 
although his mother declared that her period of gestation had 
lasted thirteen months — upon the ground that it did not appear 
that there was any fixed and definite period of gestation.^® 
survive, when born even at an earlier period ; but this, although not ab- 
solutely impossible, is improbable in tbe bighest degree. — B. 
3* Ajasson expresses bimself at a loss to identify tbis Pomponius; but 
thinks tbat it may bave been eitber Julius Pomponius Graecinus, consul 
A.TJ.c. 759, or L. Pomponius, consul a.ij.c. 794, a.d. 41. 
35 Gains Galigula. Tbe name of tbis woman, who was first bis mistress 
and then bis wife, was Milonia Csesonia. Sbe was neitber bandsome nor 
young when Caligula first admired ber : but was noted for ber extreme licen- 
tiousness, and at tbe time wben sbe first became intimate witb Caligula, 
had already bad tbree children. Sbe and ber daughter, by him, were put 
to death on the day on which he was murdered. Corbulo has been men- 
tioned in B. vi. c. 8. 
36 Gelsus, B. ii. c. 1, speaks of the fortieth day, as one of the critical 
periods of childhood ; the others are the seventh month, the seventh year, 
and the period of puberty. — B. 
37 Who appears to have urged the great lapse of time tbat had inter- 
vened between the death of the alleged father and the birth of his oppo- 
nent. 
38 Questions of this nature, of great importance, involving property and 
title, have been the subject of judicial consideration in our times ; the 
