SOLARIUM,
a Sundial; Vitruvius de∣scribes several sorts of Sundials in L. 9. C. 9. of his Architecture. The Hemicycle or half Cir∣cle hollowed square-wise and cut so as to incline in the same manner as the ••quinox, was the In∣vention of Berosus the Chaldean: It's likely that Berosus his Dial was a sloaped Plinthis, like the Equinox, and that this Plinthis was intersected into an Hemicycle, or Concave Demicircle, at the Top of a high Place looking northwards, and that there was a Stile or Pin coming out of the Middle of the Hemicycle whose Point an∣swering to the Center of the Hemicycle repre∣sented the Center of the Earth; and its Sha∣dow falling upon the Concavity of the Hemicy∣cle, which represented the Space between one Tropick and another, marked out not only the Declinations of the Sun, that is, the Days of the Months, but also the Hours of each Day, for that might be done by dividing the Line every Day into Twelve equal Parts; by which must be meant the Days that are between the Au∣tumnal and Vernal Equinox; it being necessary to increase the Hemicycle for the other Days, which contain above Twelve Equinoxial Hours. The Hemisphear of Aristarchus his Dial was Sperical and Concave, and not Oval. The Discus of Aristarchus of Samos was an Horizontal Dial, whose Edges were a little elevated in order to remedy the Inconveniency of the Stile, being straight and raised up prependicularly upon the Horizon, for these Edges thus raised up, hin∣dred the Shadows from extending too far.
The Astrologer Eudoxus found out the Araneus some say, Apollonius invented the Plinthis or square Dial, which was also set up in the Flami∣nian Circus: Scopas of Syracuse made that called Prostahistoroumena; Cisaranus believes this Name was given it, because the Figures of the Coele∣stial Signs were represented thereon. Parmenio was the Inventor of the Prospanclima, that is, such an one as might serve for all sorts of Climates. Theodosius and Andreas Patrocles found out the Pelecinum which is a Dial made Ax-wise, where∣in the Lines which cross one another mark out the Signs and Months; being close towards the Middle and open towards the Sides, which makes them be of the Shape of an Ax on both Sides, Dionysiodorus invented the Cone, Apollonius the Quiver Dial; these Two last Dials are plainly Vertical, which being long, and posited in an oblique manner represent a Quiver.