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If the sun should be eclipsed according to the so-called antidiskosis, it threatens evils only to kings, just as also if it is in the royal trigon. But if the sun should be dimmed from an exhalation of moisture as the air takes on thickness - which is what happened in the recently passed fourteenth indiction for almost the whole year when Belisarius held the consular office in 535 A.D. - so that the fruits were ruined from unseasonableness, it foretells that severe commotions will occur in Europe - and this we saw from the events themselves, as many wars occurred in the west and that tyranny was overthrown - but India and the land of the Persians and whatever is drier towards the rising sun it does not disturb at all. But neither is it likely for the phenomenon to occur in those regions, since in Europe, as the underlying moisture is drawn up and gathered into clouds, the solar brilliance happens to be dimmed, not reaching our sight nor piercing this density. The moon must be observed either three days before or three days after the conjunction and the full moon and the half moon. For appearing thin and clear and having nothing around itself, is indicative of a state of fair weather. But if it should be moderately reddish and have the unlit part of its circle transparent and slightly in motion, it is indicative of winds, from whichever direction it especially makes its inclination. But if it should seem pale and thick, it is indicative of storms and rains. And one must also observe the halos forming around it. For if there should be one, and it is clear and gently fading, it signifies a state of fair weather. But if there should be two or even three, they indicate storms; those caused by winds, if they should be yellowish and as if breaking up from below; those caused by snowfalls, if they are misty and thick; but if they are also greenish and black and as if breaking, those caused by both, and so much greater by how much more numerous they seem to be. And the shooting and darting of stars, if they should come from one quarter, indicate the wind from there; but if from opposite quarters, an instability of winds; but if from the four quarters, all kinds of storms up to thunder and lightning and such things. And likewise also the clouds, being similar to fleeces of wool, sometimes become pre-indicative of storms; and the rainbows forming from time to time signify a storm out of fair weather, and fair weather out of a storm. And to speak generally and summarily, the distinctively colored apparitions that arise in the air as a whole indicate such things. 1010bt ON COMETS So much, then, concerning the sun and moon and the things that happen in connection with each of them; We must now proceed to the first and almost only reason for this treatise, we mean the comets, elaborating on what is declared about them, as has become clear to us from the aforementioned books; for appearing at defective times or even at any time, they will make clear to those who wish to observe such things, through the parts of the zodiacal circle in which such formations occur, and through the inclinations according to the shapes of the coma, the places upon which will descend the things that are to come to pass because of them; and through the formation itself and, as it were, its shaping, both the kind of effect and the class concerning which the phenomenon will occur, and through the time of its persistence, the duration of the occurrences; and sometimes also, through its relationship to the sun, the beginning; for those appearing mostly in the east give their sign more quickly * and so much greater by as much as the formation occurs from more parts and for a longer time. For the universal effects are either through the

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κατὰ τὴν λεγομένην ἀντιδίσκωσιν ὁ ἥλιος ἐκλίποι, μόνοις ἀπειλεῖ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τὰ κακά, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐὰν ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ τριγώνου. Εἰ δέ γε ἐξ ἀναδόσεως ὑγρότητος παχύτητα τοῦ ἀέρος λαμβάνοντος ὁ ἥλιος ἀμαυροῖτο-τοῦθ' ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ἔναγχος παρελθούσης τετάρτης καὶ δεκάτης ἐπινεμήσεως γέγονε παρ' ὅλον σχεδὸν τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν τὴν ὕπατον ἔχοντος Βελισαρίου τιμὴν ̣535 p. Chr. ̣ - ὡς διαφθαρῆναι τοὺς καρποὺς ἐξ ἀωρίας, σάλους βαρεῖς ἐπὶ τῆς Εὐρώπης προμηνύει γενέσθαι-καὶ τοῦτο ἐξ αὐτῶν εἴδομεν τῶν πραγμάτων, πολέμων τε γενομένων ἐπὶ τῆς ἑσπέρας πολλῶν καὶ τῆς τυραννίδος καταλυθείσης ἐκείνης-, Ἰνδίαν δὲ καὶ τὴν Περσῶν καὶ ὅση ξηροτέρα πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον οὐ σαλεύει παντοίως. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εἰκὸς κατ' ἐκείνας συμβαίνειν τὸ πάθος, ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὴν Εὐρώπην τῆς ὑποκειμένης ὑγρότητος ἀναρπαζομένης καὶ εἰς νέφη συναγομένης ἀμαυροῦσθαι συμβαίνει τὴν ἡλιακὴν αἴγλην πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν οὐκ ἀφικνουμένην ὄψιν οὐδὲ τοῦτο διατιτρῶσαν τὸ πύκνωμα. Τὴν δὲ σελήνην τηρητέον ἢ πρὸ τριῶν ἢ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας τῆς συνόδου τε καὶ τῆς πανσελήνου καὶ διχοτόμου. λεπτὴ γὰρ καὶ καθαρὰ φαινομένη καὶ μηδὲν ἔχουσα περὶ ἑαυτήν, εὐδιεινῆς καταστάσεώς ἐστι δηλωτική. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐρυθραίνοιτο μετρίως καὶ τὸ ἀφώτιστον τοῦ κύκλου διαφανὲς καὶ ὑποκεκινημένον ἔχοι, ἀνέμων ἐστὶ δηλωτική, καθ' ὃ ἂν μάλιστα ποιῆται τὴν πρόσνευσιν. εἰ δὲ ὠχρὰ καὶ παχεῖα δοκοίη, χειμώνων καὶ ὄμβρων ἐστὶ δηλωτική. Παρατηρητέον δὲ καὶ τὰς περὶ αὐτὴν γινομένας ἅλως. εἰ μὲν γὰρ μία εἴη καὶ αὐτὴ καθαρὰ καὶ ἠρέμα ὑπομαραινομένη, εὐδιεινὴν σημαίνει κατάστασιν. εἰ δὲ δύο ἢ καὶ τρεῖς εἶεν, χειμῶνας δηλοῦσιν· τοὺς μὲν δι' ἀνέμων, εἰ ὑπόκιρροι εἶεν καὶ ὥσπερ ὑπορρηγνύμεναι· τοὺς δὲ διὰ νιφετῶν, εἰ ἀχλυώδεις καὶ παχεῖαι· εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπόχλωροι καὶ μέλαιναι καὶ ὥσπερ ῥηγνύμεναι, τοὺς δι' ἀμφοτέρων καὶ τοσούτῳ μείζονας ὅσῳ καὶ πλείους εἶναι δοκοῖεν. Αἱ δὲ διαδρομαὶ καὶ οἱ ἀκοντισμοὶ τῶν ἀστέρων, εἰ μὲν ἀπὸ μιᾶς γίνοιντο γωνίας, τὸν ἀπ' ἐκείνης ἄνεμον δηλοῦσι· εἰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων, ἀκαταστασίαν πνευμάτων· εἰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν τεσσάρων παντοίους χειμῶνας μέχρι βροντῶν καὶ ἀστραπῶν καὶ τῶν τοιούτων. ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὰ νέφη πόκοις ἐρίων ὄντα παραπλήσια προδηλωτικὰ ἐνίοτε γίνεται χειμώνων· αἵ τε συνιστάμεναι κατὰ καιροὺς ἴριδες χειμῶνα μὲν ἐξ εὐδίας, εὐδίαν δ' ἐκ χειμῶνος προσημαίνουσιν. καὶ ὡς ἐπίπαν συνελόντι εἰπεῖν αἱ καθόλου τοῦ ἀέρος ἐπιγινόμεναι ἰδιόχροοι φαντασίαι τοιαῦτα δηλοῦσι. 1010bt DE COMETIS Τοσαῦτα μὲν περὶ ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ τῶν καθ' ἑκατέρων αὐτῶν συμβαινόντων· Χωρητέον δὲ λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην ἡμῖν καὶ σχεδὸν μόνην τοῦ συγγράμματος πρόφασιν, φαμὲν δὲ τοὺς κομήτας ἀστέρας, ἐπεξιόντας τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δηλουμένοις, καθάπερ ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων βιβλίων γέγονε δῆλον· γινόμενοι γὰρ κατὰ τοὺς ἐλλειπτικοὺς καιροὺς ἢ καὶ καθ' οἱονδήποτε χρόνον τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιτηρεῖν ἐθέλουσι δῆλον ποιήσουσι διά τε τῶν τοῦ ζῳ διακοῦ κύκλου μερῶν, καθ' ὧν ἂν αἱ τοιαῦται γένωνται συστάσεις, διά τε τῶν κατὰ τὰ σχήματα τῆς κόμης προσνεύσεων τοὺς τόπους, οἷς ἐπισκήπτουσι τὰ δι' αὐτοὺς ἐκβησόμενα· καὶ διὰ μὲν αὐτῆς τῆς συστάσεως καὶ ὡσανεὶ μορφώσεως τό τε εἶδος τοῦ ἀποτελέσματος καὶ τὸ γένος περὶ ὃ τὸ πάθος συμβήσεται, διὰ δὲ τοῦ χρόνου τῆς ἐπιμονῆς τὴν τῶν συμπτωμάτων παράτασιν· ἔστι δ' ὅτε καὶ διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον σχέσεως τὴν καταρχήν· ἑῷοι μὲν γὰρ ἐπιπολὺ φαινόμενοι τάχιον ἐπισημαίνουσι * καὶ τοσούτῳ μείζονας ὅσον ἂν ἐκ πλειόνων μερῶν καὶ ἐπιπολὺ ἡ σύστασις γίνηται. Τὰ γὰρ καθολικὰ τῶν ἀποτελεσμάτων ἤτοι διὰ τῶν