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Therefore, to adapt providence to each, and in the manner of a farmer, now with fire to call forth the heat in the depth of nature, and now with water to irrigate the parched dryness of the earth. 3.17 That the Greeks made the beginning of the year from the 25th of December, that is, the solstice, but the Romans after eight days on the first of January; the Greeks observing the solstice itself, but the Romans when the shadow of the gnomon would begin to shorten; for up to the eight days the decrease of the shadow is imperceptible. 3.18 That because of generation, the motion of the celestial bodies has become twofold; for if there were a simple revolution, which the heaven of the fixed stars makes, holding all things in itself and whirling them around, nothing would have been produced from it. For what else could be accomplished from the simple motion besides itself? But since many and various motions are opposed to the one revolution, all generation is produced from them together. For thus Aristotle says in the second book of *On Generation and Corruption*: "If there were only one motion, it would not be possible for both things, generation and corruption, to occur, because they are contraries; for that which is the same and in the same state is always naturally disposed to do the same thing, so that there would be either generation always or corruption. But the motions must be more than one and contrary, either in their course or in their irregularity; for of contraries the causes are contraries. Therefore the first motion is not the cause of generation and corruption, but the motion along the oblique circle; for in this there is both continuity and the being moved with two motions." 3.19 That the heaven of the fixed stars, being wholly simple, wrought by him who is beyond all things according to the saying, holding all things and whirling them around, moves all things and imparts of himself to all things, and is the swiftest of every motion and always in the same state, and gives being to the entire sensible world, having obtained no alteration and variety. 3.20 That they honored the year as a god is clear from the royal city of the Lydians itself. For Xanthus calls it Sardin and Xuaris, and if one calculates the name Sardin according to number, he will find it to sum up to three hundred and sixty-five units; so that from this it is also clear that the city was named Sardin in honor of the sun, who brings the year together in so many days. And it is generally agreed that "new sardin" is still even now said for "new year"; but there are some who say that in the ancient Lydian language the year is called "sardin". 3.21 That the Lydians take Pan as the nature of this universe, horned from the moon, and fiery-eyed from the ether, and shaggy of body from the earth, and the remaining parts of a baser nature because of the irrational variety of matter. 3.22 The twelve months, being common to all, are named differently by different nations. For to the Athenians thus: Elaphebolion Mounychion Thargelion Skirophorion Hekatombaion Metageitnion Boedromion Pyanepsion Maimakterion Poseideon Gamelion Anthesterion. And to the Greeks thus: Gorpiaios Hyperberetaios Dios Apellaios Audonaios Peritios Dystros Xanthikos Artemisios Daisios Panemos Loos. And to the Hebrews thus: Theshri Marchesoban Chaseleth Tebeth Saphát Adar Nisan Iar Siban Thamous Aab Eloul. And to the Egyptians thus: Thoth Phaophi Athyr Choiak Tybi Mechir Phamenoth Pharmouthi Pachon Pauni Epiphi Mesori. And to the Romans thus: September October November December January February March April May June July August. Thus, then, is the matter of the months among the nations, but the Babylonians and Egyptians established the vernal turning point as the beginning of the year, taking the equinox in Aries as if from the head, because all perceptible nature grows in the spring. But the Greeks the first degree of Cancer, as one might say, the twenty-third of the

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τοιγαροῦν πρὸς ἑκάτερον ἁρμόσαι τὴν πρόνοιαν καὶ δίκην γεωργοῦ νῦν μὲν πυρὶ τὴν ἐν βάθει τῆς φύσεως ἐκκαλεῖσθαι θερμότητα, νῦν δὲ ὕδατι τὴν μεμανωμένην τῆς γῆς κατάρδειν ξηρότητα. 3.17 Ὅτι Ἕλληνες μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς κεʹ ∆εκεμβρίου τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐποιοῦντο τοῦ ἔτους ἤτοι τὴν τροπήν, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ μετὰ ὀκτὼ ἡμέρας κατὰ τὴν πρώτην Ἰανουαρίου· οἱ μὲν Ἕλληνες τὴν τροπὴν αὐτὴν τηροῦντες, οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν τοῦ γνώμονος σκιὰν πότε συστέλλεσθαι ἄρξεται· μέχρι γὰρ τῶν ὀκτὼ ἀνεπαίσθητός ἐστιν ἡ τῆς σκιᾶς μείωσις. 3.18 Ὅτι διὰ τὴν γένεσιν διττὴ γέγονεν ἡ τῶν οὐρανίων κίνησις· εἰ γὰρ ἁπλῆ ἦν περιφορά, ἣν ὁ ἀπλανὴς οὐρανὸς ποιεῖται πάντα συνέχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ καὶ περιδινῶν, οὐδὲν ἂν ἀπ' αὐτῆς παρήχθη· τί γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλῆς κινήσεως ἂν ἄλλο ἀποτελεσθῇ παρ' αὐτήν; ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀντιφέρονται πολλαὶ καὶ ποικίλαι τῇ μιᾷ περιφορᾷ, πᾶσα γένεσις ὁμοῦ παράγεται ἀπ' αὐτῶν. οὕτω γὰρ ὁ Ἀριστοτέλης ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ περὶ γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς φησι· «μιᾶς μὲν οὔσης τῆς φορᾶς οὐκ ἐνδέχεται γίνεσθαι τὰ ἄμφω, γένεσιν καὶ φθοράν, διὰ τὸ ἐναντία εἶναι· τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχον ἀεὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πέφυκε ποιεῖν, ὥστε ἤτοι γένεσίς ἐστιν ἀεὶ ἢ φθορά. δεῖ δὲ πλείους εἶναι τὰς κινήσεις καὶ ἐναντίας ἢ τῇ φορᾷ ἢ τῇ ἀνωμαλίᾳ· τῶν γὰρ ἐναντίων τὰ ἐναντία αἴτια. διὸ οὐχ ἡ πρώτη φορὰ αἰτία ἐστὶ γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς, ἀλλ' ἡ κατὰ τὸν λοξὸν κύκλον· ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ καὶ τὸ συνεχὲς ἔνεστι καὶ τὸ κινεῖσθαι δύο κινήσεις.» 3.19 Ὅτι ὁ ἀπλανὴς οὐρανὸς ἁπλοῦς ὅλως πρὸς τοῦ πάντων ἐπέκεινα κατὰ τὸ λόγιον πραχθεὶς πάντα συνέχων καὶ περιδινῶν πάντα κινεῖ καὶ μεταδίδωσι τοῖς πᾶσιν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ταχύτατός ἐστι πάσης κινήσεως καὶ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχων, τό τε εἶναι τῷ παντὶ αἰσθητῷ δίδωσι οὐδεμίαν ἐναλλαγὴν καὶ ποικιλίαν λαχών. 3.20 Ὅτι δὲ τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ὡς θεὸν ἐτίμησαν, δῆλον ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς Λυδῶν βασιλίδος πόλεως. Σάρδιν γὰρ αὐτὴν καὶ Ξυάριν ὁ Ξάνθος καλεῖ, τὸ δὲ Σάρδιν ὄνομα εἴ τις κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀπολογίσεται, πέντε καὶ ἑξήκοντα καὶ τριακοσίας εὑρήσει συνάγων μονάδας· ὡς κἀντεῦθεν εἶναι δῆλον, πρὸς τιμὴν ἡλίου τοῦ τοσαύταις ἡμέραις τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν συνάγοντος Σάρδιν ὠνομασθῆναι τὴν πόλιν. νέον δὲ σάρδιν τὸ νέον ἔτος ἔτι καὶ νῦν λέγεσθαι τῷ πλήθει συνομολογεῖται· εἰσὶ δὲ οἵ φασι, τῇ Λυδῶν ἀρχαίᾳ φωνῇ τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν καλεῖσθαι σάρδιν. 3.21 Ὅτι τὸν Πᾶνα εἰς τὴν τοῦδε τοῦ παντὸς φύσιν λαμβάνουσιν οἱ Λυδοί, κεραόν τινα ἀπὸ σελήνης, φλογώδη δὲ τὰς ὄψεις ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰθέρος, λάσιον δὲ τὸ σῶμα ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, χείρονος δὲ φύσεως τὰ λοιπὰ διὰ τὴν ἄλογον τῆς ὕλης ποικιλίαν. 3.22 Οἱ μῆνες δυοκαίδεκα παρὰ πᾶσιν ὄντες ἄλλοις ἔθνεσιν ἄλλως προσαγορεύονται. καὶ γὰρ Ἀθηναίοις μὲν οὕτως· Ἐλαφηβολιὼν Μουνυχιὼν Θαργηλιὼν Σκιροφοριὼν Ἑκατομβαιὼν Μεταγειτνιὼν Βοηδρομιὼν Πυανεψιὼν Μαιμακτηριὼν Ποσειδεὼν Γαμηλιὼν Ἀνθεστη ριών. Ἕλλησι δὲ οὕτως· Γορπιαῖος Ὑπερβερεταῖος ∆ῖος Ἀπελλαῖος Αὐδοναῖος Περίτιος ∆ύστρος Ξανθικὸς Ἀρτεμίσιος ∆αίσιος Πάνεμος Λῶος. Ἑβραίοις δὲ οὕτως· Θεσρὶ Μαρχεσουβὰν Χασελὲθ Τεβὲθ Σαφὰτ Ἀδὰρ Νισὰν Ἰὰρ Σιβὰν Θαμοῦς Ἀὰβ Ἐλούλ. Αἰγυπτίοιδὲ οὕτως· Θὼθ Φαωφὶ Ἀθὺρ Χοιὰκ Τυβὶ Μεχὶρ Φαμενὼθ Φαρμουθὶ Παχὼν Παϋνὶ Ἐπιφὶ Μεσωρί. Ῥωμαίοις δὲ οὕτως· Σεπτέμβριος Ὀκτώβριος Νοέμβριος ∆εκέμβριος Ἰανουάριος Φερβρουάριος Μάρτιος Ἀπρίλλιος Μάϊος Ἰούνιος Ἰούλιος Αὔγουστος. οὕτω μὲν οὖν τὰ τῶν μηνῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχει, οἱ δὲ Βαβυλώνιοι καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι ἀρχὴν ἐνιαυτοῦ τὴν ἐαρινὴν ὡρίσαντο τροπήν, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς τὴν ἐν κριῷ ἰσημερίαν λαμβάνοντες διὰ τὸ πᾶσαν ἐν τῷ ἔαρι τὴν αἰσθητὴν φύσιν αὔξεσθαι. Ἕλληνες δὲ τὴν πρώτην τοῦ καρκίνου μοῖραν, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, τὴν εἰκάδα τρίτην τοῦ