[ + 6 4 ] 
The pole, the gnomon, and the divihon of the 
day into n parts, are exprefly laid by Herodotus (40) 
to have come from the Babylonians to the Greeks ; 
and it is more natural to fuppofe, from the ufual pro- 
grefs of fcience, that the iilands neareft to the Afi- 
atic coaft were acquainted with thefe improvements 
before Peloponnefus, and the places more remote 
from thence. Pherecydes, therefore, it is probable, 
eredted his gnomon at Syra fomewhat earlier than 
Anaximander did his at Lacedaemon. But as we read 
of nothing of this kind among the Greeks before 
their time, we may conclude them to have been to- 
tally ignorant of thefe inventions as early as the year 
before Chrift 610. when, if Laertius fays true, Anaxi- 
mander was born. But in the year before Chrift 
558. as before obferved, Babylon was taken by the 
Medes ; and it may be no abfurd conjedture to ima- 
gine that fuch Chaldeans, as were forced from their 
native country by their enemies, and fheltered them- 
lelves among the lonians, firft taught them, and by 
their means the reft of the Greeks, their aftronomical 
difeoveries. It is certain, that the taking of Conftan- 
tinople by the Turks hath had a like effedt in later 
times (41). 
(40) noAoi' yXv ydp yvuyovct., 5^ to. J'uuf'iKO. [Apia. vyipix 'ZApd, 
BuCubav'icoy iy.c/Acv Pag. 127. Edit. Grono c v. IloAof dice- 
batur, quocf- poftea vpoAoyioi’, fays Scaliger on Manil. p.254. And fo 
Athenacus Deipnofoph. 1 . v. fpeaks of lloAsr ok. t \ypa.S'tv\)V 
etztouiMy.iibivor vbtoTprrix. And Ariftophanes in y tipvr dfri fays,noA®* 
r 3 A trtr E-’.d.ra.-nosy.v «A 10; TiTqcirfui. And Jul‘. Pollux fays, Cotta- 
bium \rly.H S'i TObfo Tci< cop a; AetiLVuv)/, L. vi. cap. 19. 
(41) The Turks fate down before that place April 4. 1453. 
and, when they took it, deferoy’d 1 20000 volumes. See Hod. de 
Gracis \llujl, &c. p. 192. 
How 
