predicted by Thales. 223 
supported in this opinion by the two English astronomers, 
Costard and Stukeley [Phil. Trans, for 1753, pages 17 and 
221 ). 
Lastly, M. Volney has attempted to show, in a recent pub- 
lication ( Chronologic d’Herodote) that the eclipse, mentioned 
by the historian, could be 110 other than the one which hap- 
pened February 3d, 626 B. C. 
Thus we find a distance of no less than forty-three years 
between the extreme periods that have been assigned for 
this eclipse : an interval which, however, may be somewhat 
abridged ; since there are other facts recorded by the same 
historian which enable us to reduce these limits, and yet leave 
the narration consistent with itself. 
For, according to Herodotus, the two kings of Media, that 
immediately preceded the conquest of that country by Cyrus, 
were Cyaxares, who reigned forty years, and Astyages, who 
reigned thirty-five years : and it is admitted by all the chro- 
nologists, that Cyrus conquered Astyages in the year 560 
B. C. Consequently (if the numbers given by Herodotus be 
correct) the reign of Cyaxares extended from 635 B. C. to 
595 B. C. And, since the battle of the eclipse was fought in 
the sixth year of a war which began after Cyaxares had as- 
cended the throne, it could not happen earlier than 629 B. C. 
nor later than 595 B. C. If therefore we can find, within this 
short space of thirty-four years, a solar eclipse that was cen- 
tral and total in that part of Asia bordering on the two hostile 
empires, where this battle was probably fought, we may justly 
conclude that it was the one alluded to by the historian. 
I say that this eclipse must have been a total one, because 
no annular eclipse (and much less a partial one) could have 
