BOOK II.. An Account of the World and the Elements.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD AND THE ELEMENTS.

CHAP.

1. Whether the world be finite, and whether there be more than one world 13

2. Of the form of the world 16

3. Of its nature; whence the name is derived ib.

4. Of the elements and the planets 18

5. Of God 20

6. Of the nature of the stars; of the motion of the planets 25

7. Of the eclipses of the moon and the sun 34

8. Of the magnitude of the stars 35

9. An account of the observations that have been made on the heavens by different individuals 36

10. On the recurrence of the eclipses of the sun and the moon 38

11. Of the motion of the moon 40

12. Of the motions of the planets and the general laws of their aspects ib.

13. Why the same stars appear at some times more lofty and at other times more near 42

14. Why the same stars have different motions 47

15. General laws of the planets 48

16. The reason why the stars are of different colours 49

17. Of the motion of the sun and the cause of the irregularity of the days 50

18. Why thunder is ascribed to Jupiter 51

19. Of the distances of the stars 52

20. Of the harmony of the stars ib.

21. Of the dimensions of the world 53

22. Of the stars which appear suddenly, or of comets 55

23. Their nature, situation, and species 56

24. The doctrine of Hipparchus about the stars 59

25. Examples from history of celestial prodigies; Faces, Lampades, and Bolides ib.

26. Trabes Cælestes; Chasma Cæli 60

27. Of the colours of the sky and of celestial flame ib.

28. Of celestial coronæ 61

29. Of sudden circles 62

30. Of unusually long eclipses of the sun ib.

31. Many suns ib.

32. Many moons 63

33. Daylight in the night ib.

34. Burning shields ib.

35. An ominous appearance in the heavens, that was seen once only ib.

36. Of stars which move about in various directions 64

37. Of the stars which are named Castor and Pollux ib.

38. Of the air, and on the cause of the showers of stones 65

39. Of the stated seasons 66

40. Of the rising of the dog-star 67

41. Of the regular influence of the different seasons ib.

42. Of uncertain states of the weather 69

43. Of thunder and lightning ib.

44. The origin of winds 70

45. Various observations respecting winds 71

46. The different kinds of winds 73

47. The periods of the winds 75

48. Nature of the winds 77

49. Ecnephias and Typhon 79

50. Tornadoes; blasting winds; whirlwinds, and other wonderful kinds of tempests 80

51. Of thunder; in what countries it does not fall, and for what reason ib.

52. Of the different kinds of lightning and their wonderful effects 81

53. The Etrurian and the Roman observations on these points 82

54. Of conjuring up thunder 83

55. General laws of lightning 84

56. Objects which are never struck 86

57. Showers of milk, blood, flesh, iron, wool, and baked tiles 87

58. Rattling of arms and the sound of trumpets heard in the sky 88

59. Of stones that have fallen from the clouds. The opinion of Anaxagoras respecting them ib.

60. The rainbow 89

61. The nature of hail, snow, hoar, mist, dew; the forms of clouds 90

62. The peculiarities of the weather in different places 91

63. Nature of the earth ib.

64. Of the form of the earth 94

65. Whether there be antipodes? ib.

66. How the water is connected with the earth. Of the navigation of the sea and the rivers 97

67. Whether the ocean surrounds the earth 98

68. What part of the earth is inhabited 100

69. That the earth is in the middle of the world 102

70. Of the obliquity of the zones ib.

71. Of the inequality of climates ib.

72. In what places eclipses are invisible, and why this is the case 104

73. What regulates the daylight on the earth 105

74. Remarks on dials, as connected with this subject 106

75. When and where there are no shadows 107

76. Where this takes place twice in the year and where the shadows fall in opposite directions 108

77. Where the days are the longest and where the shortest ib.

78. Of the first dial 109

79. Of the mode in which the days are computed 110

80. Of the difference of nations as depending on the nature of the world ib.

81. Of earthquakes 111

82. Of clefts of the earth 112

83. Signs of an approaching earthquake 114

84. Preservatives against future earthquakes ib.

85. Prodigies of the earth which have occurred once only 115

86. Wonderful circumstances attending earthquakes 116

87. In what places the sea has receded ib.

88. The mode in which islands rise up 117

89. What islands have been formed, and at what periods 118

90. Lands which have been separated by the sea 119

91. Islands which have been united to the main land ib.

92. Lands which have been totally changed into seas ib.

93. Lands which have been swallowed up 120

94. Cities which have been absorbed by the sea ib.

95. Of vents in the earth 121

96. Of certain lands which are always shaking, and of floating islands 122

97. Places in which it never rains 123

98. The wonders of various countries collected together ib.

99. Concerning the cause of the flowing and ebbing of the sea 124

100. Where the tides rise and fall in an unusual manner 127

101. Wonders of the sea 128

102. The power of the moon over the land and the sea ib.

103. The power of the sun 129

104. Why the sea is salt ib.

105. Where the sea is the deepest 130

106. The wonders of fountains and rivers 131

107. The wonders of fire and water united 138

108. Of Maltha 138

109. Of naphtha 139

110. Places which are always burning ib.

111. Wonders of fire alone 141

112. The dimensions of the earth 143

113. The harmonical proportion of the universe 147