Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1f56 A STRON M03,I A. ASTRONOMIA.
other hand in the Parapegma of Geminus, in the could arise from the heliacal risings of the extreme
observations ascribed to Eudoxus, a&Kpd&,Xos is portions being separated by an interval of some
the general term applied to all evening settings, and weeks, as was the case with Orion and others
most of these unquestionably refer to the apparent stretching over a large space in the heavens, in
phenomena. Euctemon again makes use of Eo7re- treating of which it became necessary to specifyr
pLos to express the same meaning. The words particular portions of the figure, as when we read'AptcrT'pos apovvXos p rpo'xts 8L6eL under Scorpius "' Orionis humerus oritur;" "Gladius Orionis oc
d. 8. are probably corrupt. cidere incipit;" Orion totus oritur," and so forth.
Under these circumstances to prevent all con- In the following quotations, the words Fidis and
fusion or ambiguity, we have altogether passed over Fidicula seem to be absolutely synonymous, there
the terms Cosmicsss and Acronychus in our table, being no reason to believe that the latter was apbut have retained Heliacuzs, which, like Cosmics, plied exclusively to the peculiarly bright star which
first occurs in the passage quoted from Servius, in the catalogues of modern astronomers is a Lyrae,
but is applied uniformly by subsequent writers to the 6 Aaeunrpbs riis Avpas of Ptolemy, although to
the phenomenon marked (a) and (3), and to no this in all probability most of the observations were
others.: directed. We shall set down in regular order
3. Pliny (M. N. xviii. 25) proposes to desig- first the settings and then the risings.
nate by Emersus, what we have called the Heliacal Rising (a), because the star then for the Settings of Lyra.
first time emerges from the sun's rays, and by (1) Pridie id. Aug. (12 August) Fidis occidit
Occuitatio, what we have called the Heliacal Setting mane et Auctumus ncpit. Co(. xi. 2. ~ 57.
(8), because this is the last appearance of the star, According to Pliny (xv. 59), the settin O
which is forthwith obscured by the sun's rays, but Fidicula (ic e occeln s) marked the conmmescethese terms do not appear to have been ever gene- mFnt of iutumn, and took place on the forty-sixth..ly received..ment of autumn, and took place on the forty-sixth
rally received. day after the solstice, that is, on the 8th of Augulst,
4. It is manifest that of the eight phenomena, if include, ccodi to the oman method of
named above, the first four are purely matters of comptation, e 24th of June, the d.a from which
calculation, since the true risings and settings never hereckoned. In a sbseuent chapter (68. ~ 2) ie? 1 1 s D rr 1 he-reckoned. In a subsequent chapter (68. ~ 2) he
can be visible to the naked eye. These then
states that the phenomenon in question took place,
ought always to have been, and for some time al- according the alenoer of Cnesr, on the Ipth of
ways were, excluded from Lrural calendars intended n th'teseof p tie men.. We find, however, August, but that meore accurate observations had
>for the use *f practical men. ~ 5'e find, homever, fixed it to the 8tl, and this he soon after repeats
from the fragments of Calippus, preserved in the (69. 4
Parapegma of Geminus, when verified by compu- (2.) XIII. 0 August) Sol in
tation, that this astronomer had substituted the. e. 20 August) S
Virinem transitum facit.. hoc eodem die Fidis
true risings and settings for the apparent risings Vigiem transitm facit... hoc odem die Fiis
1true risings.. 1s.r te 5t 1ri occidit. - X. Kal. Sept. (23 August) ex codm
and settings, which were there mnarked in the tables
of Enctemon, Meto and Eudox*s. ce *r TT sidere tempestas plerumqlue oritar et pluvia. Coof Eluctemon, Meton and Eudoxiins. Hence, great nell. xi.. 8.
caution would become indispensable in quoting (3.) X.. ) Fidicula esfrom different authorities, or in advancing an orn- re occidit, dies pluvins. C.2 ssnett. x. 2. ~ 5.
ginal statement. If the rising of a star was named p, d.
ginalsttement.f r. a.. Ovid places the setting on 23rd of January.
it would be necessary not only to specify whether
it was the amorning or the evening rising, but also Fulgebit toto jam Lyra nnlla polo. Fast. i. 653.
whether the true or the apparent rising was indicated, and to proceed in like manner for the setting (4.) III. ill. Feb. (30 January) Fidicula ocof a star. Now,and then we find in Columella and cidit. Coloss7Cll. xi. 2. ~ 6.
Pliny some attempt to preserve accuracy in one or (5.) Kal. Feb. (1 Februarr) Fidis incipit ocother of these essential points, as when the latter ob- cidere. Ventuss Furinus et interdus Auster cnn
serves (xviii. 74): "Pridie Kalendas (Nov.) Caesari gradine est. C'onell. xi. 2. ~ 14.
Arcturus occidit et Suculiae e oswiuntizss eCss sole,;" Il. Non. Febr. (3rd February) Fidis tota oc"XVI. Kal. Octob. 2Egypto Spica, quam tenetVirgo, cidit. Cotlnell. Ibid.
exoritur matlltino, Etesiaeque desllnunt. Hoc idem Ovid, without alluding to what he had said beCeesari XIV. Kialendas XIII. Assyriae signifi- fore, remarks on the 2nd of February (Fcst.
cant;" and even in Virgil, as when he defines ii. i3):
the 2norznin2g settisng of the Pleiads: "Ante tibi Illa nocte aliquis tollens ad sidera vultulm,
Eoae Atlantides abscondantur;" but for the most Dicet, ubi est hodie, quae Lyra fulsit heri?
part both in prose writers and in poets, everything is vague,and unsatisfactory; risings and Pliny has (xviii. 64) " Et pridie Nonas Februsettings of all descriptions, calculated for different arias (4th February) Fidicula vesperi (sc. occidit).
epocihs and for different latitudes, are thrown together at random. In order to substantiate these Risins of Ly6i.
charges, we may examine the statements contained (6.) IX. Kal. Mai. (23rd April) prima nocte
in Columella, Ovid, and Pliny with regard to Lyra, Fidicula apparet, tempestatem significat. ColZnEell.
a constellation to which considerable importance xi. 2. ~ 37.
was attached by the Romans, since the beginning VI. Kal. Mai. (26th April) Bceotiae et Atticae
of Autumn in the calendar of Caesar was marked Canis Vesperi occultatur, Fidicula mane oritur.
by its (true) morning setting. It will suit our Plin. xviii. 66. ~ 1.
purpose particularly well, because from its lilmited (7.) Ovid (Fast. v. 415) names the 5tlh of May
extent every portion of the constellation became as the day on which Lyra rises.
visible, within two or three days after the appear- (8.) III. Id. MIai. (13th May) Fidis mane ex-:
ance of the first star; and heuce no ambiguity oritur, significat tempestatenm. Colunmell. xi. 2. ~ 40,