64 pliny's KATIJEAL HISTOET. [Book II, I 
bonius. It was seen by Silanus, the proconsul, and bis 
attendants \ 
CHAP. 36. (36.) — or staes which mote about if yaeiotjs 
niEECTIONS. 1 
Stars are seen to move about in various directions, but 
never without some cause, nor without violent winds pro- 
ceeding from the same quarter^. 
CHAP. 37. (37.) — OP THE STAES WHICH AEE KAMED CASTOE 
AND POLLUX^. ' 
These stars occur both at sea and at land. I have seen, i 
during the night-watches of the soldiers, a luminous appear- \ 
ance, like a star, attached to the javelins on the ramparts. 
They also settle on the yard-arms and other parts of ships 
while sailing, producing a kind of vocal sound, like that of birds 
flitting about. "When they occur singly they are mischievous, 
so as even to sink the vessels, and if they strike on the lower 
part of the keel, setting them on fire^. When there are two 
of them they are considered auspicious, and are thought to 
predict a prosperous voyage, as it is said that they drive 
away that dreadful and terrific meteor named Helena. On 
this account their efficacy is ascribed to Castor and Pollux, 
and they are invoked as gods. They also occasionally shine | 
round the heads of men in the evening^, which is considered | 
^ It would be difficiilt to reconcile this phsenomenon with any acknow- j 
ledged atmospherical phsenomenon. ! 
2 Perhaps the phsenomena here aUuded to ought to be referred to some 
electric action ; but they are stated too generally to admit of our forming 
more than a conjecture on the subject. Virgil refers to the occurrence of 
storms of wind after the appearance of a falling star ; 0-eor. i. 265-6. | 
3 These phsenomena are admitted to be electrical ; they are referred to \ 
by Seneca, Nat. Qusest. i. 1. This appearance is noticed as of frequent 
occurrence in the Mediterranean, where it is named the fire of St. Elmo ; 
see Hardouin in Lemaire, i. 311, and Fouche in Ajasson, ii. 382. 
Perhaps this opinion may be maintained on the principle, that, when 
there is a single luminous appearance only, it depends upon the discharge i 
of a quantity of electrical fluid in a condensed state ; its effects are, in, 
this case, those that would follow from a stroke of lightning. , 
This is said by Livy to have occurred to Servius TuUius while he was 
a cliild ; hb. i, cap. 39 j and by Virgil to Ascanius, -^n. ii. 632-5. 
