OF AGATHOCLES, THALES, AND XERXES. 
193 
once (I believe) been invaded from the Euxine Sea ; namely, by an army directed by 
the Byzantine emperor Heraclius (a.d. 623), which landed at Trebizond and made 
its way through the mountains ; returning however by the way of Issus. There is 
only one instance of an army marching along the north coast of Asia Minor, namely, 
that of the ten thousand Greeks in their return from the Anabasis ; but this route 
was not adopted from choice ; and the difficulties which they experienced show that 
it is not likely that a large army would willingly take that line. It would appear 
therefore that there are but two routes really practicable for armies ; that of Melitene 
and that of Issus. At Melitene was fought the important battle, a.d. 572, between the 
Emperor Tiberius and Chosroes Nushirvan. One great battle, that between Timur 
and Bajazet, a.d. 1402, was fought as far north as Ancyra ; it was perhaps preceded 
by movements on the Melitene road. It is probable also that other marches have 
been made on the same line. But the far greater number of marches in both direc- 
tions have been by the pass of Tarsus and the coast line to Issus. This was the route 
of the younger Cyrus; of Alexander, although he marched from Ancyra; of 
Valerian and Julian ; of Sapor in marching from Armenia to the Cappadocian 
Caesarea (for which the pass of Melitene would have appeared more direct) ; of the 
Crusaders in the first and second crusades ; and of many other armies. When, in 
marching eastward, the valley of Antioch or the more open plains of the Euphrates 
are gained, it is difficult to define with the same strictness the probable march of a 
military force. The account of Herodotus however conveys the impression that the 
eclipse-battle took place in or very near to Asia Minor. 
36. I conceive therefore that we are limited, as to the battle field, to the country 
within no great distance of the line from Sardes to Melitene; that it may have been 
anywhere south of that line, especially near Issus, but that it cannot have been far 
north of it ; and that it cannot have been far east of Issus. 
3/. The approximate examination of the eclipses which could pass near this tract 
is very greatly facilitated by the tables in the Art de verifier les dates, but still more 
by the calculations of Mr. Baily and Mr. Oltmanns. It is only necessary to observe 
that the correction of the moon’s elements increases the argument of latitude (by 
which the track of the shadow at every eclipse in ascending node will be thrown 
three or four degrees northward, and that at every eclipse in descending node will be 
thrown as much southward) ; and that it increases the secular equation of anomaly, 
and thus increases the moon’s longitude at every perigeal eclipse (by which the track 
of the shadow in every eclipse will be thrown several degrees to the east). Thus I 
have examined every total eclipse in Mr. Oltmanns’ table, extending from b.c.631 to 
B.c. 585; and find only one (namely, that of b.c. 585, May 28*) which can have 
passed near to Asia Minor ; that of b.c. 610, Sept. 30, which was adopted by Messrs. 
* The first publication of results relating to the eclipse of b.c. 585, derived from careful calculations on 
good elements, so far as I know, was that by J. R. Hind, Esq., in the Athenaeum for 1852, August 28, during 
the preparation of the present memoir. 
