CHAP. 22. (24.)—OR THE STARS WHICH APPEAR SUDDENLY,
OR OF COMETS[1].
A few things still remain to be said concerning the world;
for stars are suddenly formed in the heavens themselves; of
these there are various kinds.
(25.) The Greeks name these stars comets[2]; we name them
Crinitæ, as if shaggy with bloody locks, and surrounded with
bristles like hair. Those stars, which have a mane hanging
down from their lower part, like a long beard, are named
Pogoniæ[3]. Those that are named Acontiæ[4] vibrate like a dart
with a very quick motion. It was one of this kind which the
Emperor Titus described in his very excellent poem, as
having been seen in his fifth consulship; and this was the
last of these bodies which has been observed. When they
are short and pointed they are named Xiphiæ[5]; these are the
pale kind; they shine like a sword and are without any rays;
while we name those Discei[6], which, being of an amber colour,
in conformity with their name, emit a few rays from their
margin only. A kind named Pitheus[7] exhibits the figure of
a cask, appearing convex and emitting a smoky light. The
kind named Cerastias[8] has the appearance of a horn; it is
like the one which was visible when the Greeks fought at
Salamis. Lampadias[9] is like a burning torch; Hippias[10] is
like a horse's mane; it has a very rapid motion, like a circle
revolving on itself. There is also a white comet, with silver
hair, so brilliant that it can scarcely be looked at, exhibiting,
as it were, the aspect of the Deity in a human form. There
are some also that are shaggy, having the appearance of a
fleece, surrounded by a kind of crown. There was one,
where the appearance of a mane was changed into that of a
spear; it happened in the 109th olympiad, in the 398th year
of the City[11]. The shortest time during which any one of
them has been observed to be visible is 7 days, the longest
180 days.
1. We may remark, that our author, for the most part, adopts the
opinions of Aristotle respecting comets and meteors of all kinds, while he
pays but little attention to those of his contemporary Seneca, which however, on some points, would appear to be more correct. See the remarks
of Marcus in Ajasson, ii. 244. Under the title of comets he includes, not
only those bodies which are permanent and move in regular orbits, but
such as are transient, and are produced from various causes, the nature of
which is not well understood. See Aristotle, Meteor. lib. i. cap. 6, 7,
and Seneca, Nat. Quæst. lib. 7, and Manilius, i. 807 et seq.
2. a ko/mh, coma.
3. a pwgwni/os, barbatus. Most of these terms are employed by
Aristotle and by Seneca.
4. ab a)ko/ntion, jaculum.
5. a ci/fos, ensis.
6. a di/skos, orbis.
7. a pi/qos, dolium. Seneca describes this species as
"magnitudo vasti
rotundique ignis dolio similis;" Nat. Quæst. lib. i. § 14. p. 964.
8. a ke/ras, cornu.
9. a lampa)s, fax.
10. ab i(/ppos, equus. Seneca mentions the fax, the jaculum, and the
lampas among the prodigies that preceded the civil wars; Phars. i.
528 et seq.
11. Alexandre remarks, that these dates do not correspond, and adds,
"Desperandum est de Pliniana chronologia; nec satis interdum scio,
utrum librarios, an scriptorem ipsum incusem,...." Lemaire, i. 295.
According to the most approved modern chronology, the middle of the
109th olympiad corresponds to the 211th year of the City.