No one of the ancient writers, neither Hero- 
dotus nor Strabo=^, Diodorus nor Pausanias^f^;, 
Arrian:}: nor Quintus Curtius^, asserts, that the 
temple of Belus was erected according to the 
four cardinal points, like the Egyptian and 
Mexican pyramids. Pliny observes only, that 
Belus was considered as the inventor of astro- 
nomy: Inventor hie fuit sideralis sci€ntice\\, 
Diodorus relates, that the Babylonian temple 
served as an observatory to the Chaldeans. It 
must be admitted,” says he, that this building 
was of an extraordinary height, and that here 
the Chaldeans made their observations on the 
stars, the rising and setting of which might be 
exactly perceived, on account of the elevation 
of the edifice. The Mexican priests, {teopix- 
qui) made observations also on the stars from the 
summit of the teocallis ; and announced to the 
people, by the sound of the horn, the hours of 
the nighty. These teocallis were built in the 
interval between the epocha of Mahomet and the 
reign of Ferdinand and Isabella ; and we cannot 
* Strabo, lib. 16, 211. 
t Pausanias, lib. 8, ed, Xylandri, p. 509, ii. 31. 
t Arriaiius, lib. 7, 17. 
§ Quint. Curt. lib. 5, 1 et 37 
II Plin. Hist. nat. lib. vi, 30. 
IF Gama, Descripcion cronologica de la Piedra calen- 
deria j Mexico, 1792, p. 15. 
