Afterwards Cleostratus made the signs in it, first marking those of Aries and Sagittarius; Atlas had formed the sphere long before this time[1]. But now, leaving the further consideration of this subject, we must treat of the bodies that are situated between the earth and the heavens[2].
It is certain that the star called Saturn is the highest, and therefore appears the smallest, that he passes through the largest circuit, and that he is at least thirty years in completing it[3]. The course of all the planets, and among others of the Sun, and the Moon, is in the contrary direction to that of the heavens[4], that is towards the left, while the hea-
- ↑ In the translation of Ajasson, ii. 261-7, we have some valuable observations by Marcus, respecting the origin and progress of astronomy among the Greeks, and the share which the individuals mentioned in the text respectively had in its advancement; also some interesting remarks on the history of Atlas. Diodorus Siculus says, that "he was the first that discovered the knowledge of the sphere; whence arose the common opinion, that he carried the world upon his shoulders." Booth's trans. p. 115.
- ↑ "nunc relicto mundi ipsius corpore, reliqua inter cœlum terrasque tractentur." I have already had occasion to remark upon the various modes in which the author uses the word mundus; by cœlum, in this passage, he means the body or region beyond the planets, which is conceived to contain the fixed stars. Sphæra, in the preceding sentence, may be supposed to mean the celestial globe.
- ↑ "ac trigesimo anno ad brevissima sedis sue principia regredi;" I confess myself unable to offer any literal explanation of this passage; nor do the remarks of the commentators appear to me satisfactory; see Hardouin and Alexandre in Lemaire, ii. 241, 2. It is translated by Ajasson "en trente ans il reviens à lespace minime d'où il est parti." The period of the sidereal revolutions of the planets, as stated by Mrs. Somerville, in her "Mechanism of the Heavens," and by Sir J. Herschel, in his "Treatise on Astronomy," are respectively as follows:—
days. days. Mercury 87 .9705 87 .9692580 Venus 224 .7 224 .7007869 Earth 365 .2564 365 .2563612 Mars 686 .99 686 .9796458 Jupiter 4332 .65 4332 .5848212 Saturn 10759 .4 10759 .2198174 Somerville, p. 358. Herschel, p. 416. - ↑ "'mundo;' hoc est, cœlo inerrantium stellarum." Hardouin, in Lemaire, ii. 242.
the same work by Scott of Aberdeen. I may remark, that these two accounts do not quite agree in their estimate of his merits; the latter author considers his opinions more correct. We have also an account of Anaximander in Stanley, pt. 2. p. 1 et seq., and in Enfield, 1. 154 et seq.
