38 
pliny's natural history. 
[Book II* 
events or the destruction of tlie stars. This alarm is freely 
acknowledged in the sublime strains of Stesichorus and Pin- 
dar, as being produced by an eclipse of the sun^ And with 
respect to the eclipse of the moon, mortals impute it to 
witchcraft, and therefore endeavour to aid her by producing 
discordant sounds. In consequence of this kind of terror it 
was that JSTicias, the general of the Athenians, being ignorant 
of the cause, was afraid to lead out the fleet, and brought 
great distress on his troops^. Hail to your genius, ye in- 
terpreters of heaven! ye who comprehend the nature of 
things, and who have discovered a mode of reasoning by 
which ye have conquered both gods and men^ ! For who is 
there, in observing these things and seeing the labours^ 
which the stars are compelled to undergo (since we have 
chosen to apply this term to them), that would not cheer- 
fully submit to his fate, as one born to die ? I shall now, 
in a brief and summary manner, touch on those points in 
which we are agreed, giving the reasons where it is necessary 
to do so ; for this is not a work of profound argument, nor 
is it less wonderful to be able to suggest a probable cause for 
everything, than to give a complete account of a few of 
them only. 
CHAP. 10. (13.) — OK THE RECURRENCE OE THE ECLIPSES OE 
THE SUN AND THE MOON. 
It is ascertained that the eclipses complete their whole 
revolution in the space of 223 months^, that the eclipse 
of the sun takes place only at the conclusion or the com- 
mencement of a lunation, which is termed conjunction^, 
^ Seneca, the tragedian, refers to this superstitious opinion in some 
beautiful verses, which are given to the chorus at the termination of the 
fourth act of the Thyestes. 
2 We have an account of this event in Thucydides, Smith's trans, ii. 
244, and in Plutarch, Langhorne's trans, iii. 406. It is calculated to 
have happened Aug. 27th, 413 B.C. ; Brewster, ut swpra^ p. 415, 421. 
3 The elegant Imes of Ovid, in Ids Fasti, i. 297 et seq.^ express the 
same sentiment : " Fehces animos, quibus hoc cognoscere primis," &c. 
I have already remarked upon the use of this term as apphed to the 
echpses of the moon in note p. 31. 
* According to the remarks of Marcus, it appears probable that this 
sol-limar period, as it has been termed, was discovered by the Chaldeans j 
Ajasson, ii. 306, 307. ^ " coitus." 
