Page:Star Lore Of All Ages, 1911.pdf/156

102 He is of the opinion that Sirius was called the Dog Star on account of the prevalence of canine madness in the summer season.

Sirius has been appropriately called "the sparkling star" or "Scorcher," and the sun and Sirius have been called "wandering stars." It has been thought that Sirius is identical with the Mazzaroth mentioned in the Book of Job.

It seemed to be the prevailing idea among the ancient Eastern nations that the rising of Sirius would be coincident with a period of heat and pestilence. Virgil well describes the state of affairs when Sirius mingled his beams with those of the day-star.

Hesiod, who was the first to mention Sirius, wrote in like vein: "When Sirius parches head and knees and the body is dried up by reason of heat, sit in the shade and drink."

Such advice was doubtless as popular then as now during the dog days.

Euripides also refers to the fiery nature of Sirius, describing the star as "sending flames of fire drawn from the heavens."

Apollonius Rhodius speaks of Sirius "burning the islands of Minos."

Horace says: "Here in a quiet valley you will escape the heat of the Dog Star," and in his celebrated ode to the Bandusian Fount he writes:

The question whether Sirius has changed in colour since early times has given rise to considerable controversy. Ptolemy called it fiery red, Seneca claimed it was redder than Mars. Cicero also mentions its ruddy light, and Tennyson wrote: