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So, the sun and moon are established as instruments of time; and time of days, months, and years; and the stars, of months, and of sowing, and of harvesting. And the Pleiades, when rising, show the time for harvesting, and when setting, the time for sowing. And for sailors, it becomes a sign along with the Wain; for the stars become signs and indicators of places. For the Bear shows the north; and looking eastward from the Pleiades, the sharp point indicates the north; and as the Bear itself turns, its horn indicates the east, and the bright part of the moon signifies the east. Before these things, there was no time, but an interval, and a certain long and timeless age. Thus, it has been spoken concerning the signs. And we consider seasons to mean the changes of the 721 hours, of winter, spring, summer, autumn. And winter occurs when the sun lingers in the southern parts, and produces a great nocturnal shadow around our region, so that the air around the earth is chilled, and the moist exhalations, coming together, become the cause of rains, and frosts, and snows; but when, returning again from the southern regions, it comes to the midpoint, the equinox occurs, and inasmuch as it lingers in the places upon the earth, to that degree it gradually brings back the temperate climate, and it becomes spring, providing sprouting to the plants, and revival to the trees. From there, the sun, now running towards the summer tropics, toward the Bear itself, provides us with the long days, and because it associates more with the air, it scorches the air itself, and dries up the whole earth, and produces every ripe fruit, being most fiery, and makes the shadows short, shining from on high. For in the shortest days the shadows become longest. And again, when it has come from the northern parts to the south, autumn occurs, with the great heat gradually fading, and winter approaching harmlessly. The sun, however, does not make the day; let no one suppose so; for day and night are older than it; but it only rules the day, as the psalmist also declares to us; He appointed, he says, the sun to rule the day, the moon, and the stars to rule the night. And it has this rule, carrying the light in itself; whenever it rises above our horizon, it provides day, having scattered the darkness. And the moon, when it has completed its own course twelve times, happens to be the maker of a year, except that it requires an intercalary month for the precise concurrence of the seasons. For the solar year is a return from the same sign to the same sign according to the sun's own motion. And when the moon is waning, the bodies of animals are rarefied, and become rather empty; but when it is waxing, they are filled up. Because it secretly imparts moisture mixed with heat; for those sleeping under the moon have their heads filled with excess moisture, and freshly slaughtered meats, and everything of that sort, quickly spoil by the moon's influence. Similarly, the affections of the air are also composed from such a cause. For at the new moon, when there is a steady calm, disturbances of sudden winds occur, with the clouds being agitated and clashing with each other; and around the straits there are reverse currents, and around the ocean a rising of the sea. And if an eclipse of the sun also occurs during the new moon, it happens more violently; for the moon, coming up from below, blocks the sun's rays. This moon also is established as something great. But foolish myths have been preserved everywhere by drunken old women; that by some sorceries it is moved from its own seat, and is brought down to the earth. And what place would have received it when brought down? For 724 surely the appearance did not deceive, as if it were something small

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Ὄργανα οὖν χρόνων ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη καθίσταται· χρόνος δὲ ἡμερῶν, μηνῶν, καὶ ἐνιαυτῶν· τὰ δὲ ἄστρα, καὶ μηνῶν, καὶ σπόρων, καὶ ἀμητῶν. Καὶ αἱ Πλειάδες, ἀνατέλλουσαι μὲν ἀμητοῦ καιρὸν, δύνουσαι δὲ σπόρου, δεικνύουσι. Καὶ τοῖς ναυτιλλομένοις μετὰ τῆς Ἁμάξης σημεῖον γίνεται· τόπων γὰρ σημεῖα καὶ δεικτήρια τὰ ἄστρα γίνεται. Ἄρκτος μὲν γὰρ ἄρκτον δείκνυσι· τῆς δὲ Πλειάδος πρὸς ἀνατολὴν βλέπων τὸ ὀξὺ τὴν ἄρκτον δείκνυσιν· αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἄρκτου στρεφομένης τὸ κέρας τὴν ἀνατολὴν δείκνυσι, καὶ τῆς σελήνης τὸ λαμπόμενον μέρος τὴν ἀνατολὴν σημαίνει. Πρὸ δὲ τούτων χρόνος οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλὰ διάστημα, καὶ αἰὼν μακρός τις καὶ ἄχρονος. Εἴρηται οὖν περὶ τῶν σημείων. Καιροὺς δὲ λέγειν ἡγούμεθα τὰς ἐναλλαγὰς τῶν 721 ὡρῶν, χειμῶνος, ἔαρος, θέρους, μετοπώρου. Καὶ χειμὼν μὲν γίνεται τοῖς νοτίοις μέρεσι τοῦ ἡλίου προσδιατρίβοντος, καὶ πολὺ τὸ νυκτερινὸν σκίασμα περὶ τὸν καθ' ἡμᾶς τόπον ἀποτελοῦντος, ὡς καταψύχεσθαι μὲν τὸν περὶ τὴν γῆν ἀέρα, καὶ τὰς ὑγρὰς ἀναθυμιάσεις συνισταμένας ὄμβρων, καὶ κρυμῶν, καὶ νιφάδων αἰτίας γίνεσθαι· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἐπανιὼν πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν μεσημβρινῶν χωρίων ἐπὶ τοῦ μέσου γένηται, ἰσημερία γίνεται, καὶ ὅσῳ τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ἐνδιατρίβει τόποις, τοσούτῳ κατὰ μέρος ἐπανάγει τὴν εὐκρασίαν, καὶ γίνεται ἔαρ, τοῖς μὲν φυτοῖς παρέχων βλάστησιν, τοῖς δὲ δένδροις τὴν ἀναβίωσιν. Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἤδη πρὸς τὰς θερινὰς τροπὰς ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὴν Ἄρκτον τρέχων ὁ ἥλιος τὰς μεγάλας ἡμέρας ἡμῖν παρίστησι, καὶ διὰ τὸ πλεῖον αὐτὸν προσομιλεῖν τῷ ἀέρι, αὐτὸν καταφρίσσει τὸν ἀέρα, καὶ τὴν γῆν πᾶσαν καταξηραίνει, καὶ πάντα καρπὸν ὡραῖον ἀπεργάζεται φλογωδέστατος ὢν, καὶ βραχείας ποιεῖ τὰς σκιὰς ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ καταλάμπων. Ἐν γὰρ ταῖς βραχυτάταις ἡμέραις αἱ σκιαὶ μακρόταται γίνονται. Καὶ πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν προσαρκτίων ἐπὶ τὰ νότια παραγενομένου, μετόπωρον γίνεται, τῆς θέρμης κατ' ὀλίγον τῆς πολλῆς ἀμαυρουμένης, καὶ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἀβλαβῶς ἐπιόντος. Οὐ ποιεῖ δὲ τὴν ἡμέραν ὁ ἥλιος· μηδεὶς οὕτως ὑπολάβῃ· πρεσβυτερεῖ γὰρ τούτου ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ νύξ· ἀλλὰ κατάρχει μόνον τῆς ἡμέρας, καθὼς καὶ ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς διαγορεύει ἡμῖν· Ἔθετο, λέγων, τὸν ἥλιον εἰς ἐξουσίαν τῆς ἡμέρας, τὴν σελήνην, καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας εἰς ἐξουσίαν τῆς νυκτός. Ἔχει δὲ οὗτος τὴν ἐξουσίαν τὸ φῶς περιφέρων ἐν ἑαυτῷ· ἐπειδάν ποτε τὸν καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁρίζοντα ὑπεράρῃ, ἡμέραν παρέχει διασκεδάσας τὸ σκότος. Ἡ δὲ σελήνη, ἐπειδὰν δωδεκάκις τὸν ἑαυτῆς ἐκτελέσῃ δρόμον, ἐνιαυτοῦ τυγχάνει ποιητικὴ, πλὴν ὅτι μηνὸς ἐμβολίμου δεῖται πρὸς τὴν ἀκριβῆ τῶν ὡρῶν συνδρομήν. Ὁ γὰρ ἡλιακὸς ἐνιαυτὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ σημείου ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ σημεῖον κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν κίνησιν τοῦ ἡλίου ἐστὶν ἀποκατάστασις. Τῆς δὲ σελήνης ληγούσης, ἀραιοῦται τῶν ζώων τὰ σώματα, καὶ ὑπόκενα γίνεται· αὐξομένης δὲ, ἀναπληροῦται. ∆ιότι ὑγρότητα μετὰ θερμότητος κεκραμμένην λεληθότως ἐνίησιν· οἱ γὰρ καθεύδοντες ὑπὸ σελήνην ὑγρότητος περισσῆς πληροῦνται τὰς κεφαλὰς, καὶ τὰ νεοσφαγῆ δὲ τῶν κρεῶν, καὶ πᾶν εἴ τι τοιοῦτον, τῇ προσβολῇ τῆς σελήνης ταχέως τρέπεται. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν ἀέρα πάθη τοιαύτης αἰτίας συνίσταται. Νουμηνίας γὰρ ἐνστάσης, γαλήνης οὔσης σταθερᾶς, αἰφνιδίων ἀνέμων ταραχαὶ γίνονται τῶν νεφῶν κλονουμένων καὶ συμπιπτόντων ἀλλήλοις· καὶ γίνονται περὶ τοὺς εὐρίπους παλίῤῥοιαι, καὶ περὶ τὸν ὠκεανὸν ἀναδρομὴ τῆς θαλάσσης. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἡλίου ἔκλειψις νουμηνίας οὔσης γίνεται, σφοδροτέρα συμβαίνει· κάτωθεν γὰρ ἡ σελήνη ὑπελθοῦσα ἐμφράττει ἡλίου τὰς ἀκτῖνας. Μέγα δέ τι καὶ αὕτη ἡ σελήνη καθέστηκε. Μῦθοι δὲ ληρώδεις ὑπὸ μεθυόντων γραϊδίων πανταχοῦ διεσώθησαν· ὅτι μαγγανείαις τισὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἕδρας ἀποκινεῖται, καὶ πρὸς τὴν γῆν καταφέρεται. Καὶ ποῖος ἂν τόπος καταχθεῖσαν αὐτὴν ὑπεδέξατο; Μὴ 724 γὰρ ἐξηπάτησε τὸ φαινόμενον ὡς μικρόν τι εἶναι