Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/177

 Chap. 112.] DIMENSIONS Or THE EARTH. 143 town of Saleutinum, there is a sacred stone, upon which, when wood is placed, flame immediately bursts forth. lu the altar of Juno Lacinia which is in the open air, the ashes remain unmoved, although the winds may be blowing from all quarters. It appears also that there are sudden fires both in waters and even in the human body ; that the whole of Lake Thra- symenus was on fire' ; that when ServiusTullius, while a child, was sleepiug, flame darted out from his head^' ; and Valerius Antias informs us, that the same flame appeared about L. Marcius, when he was pronouncing the funeral oration over the Scipios, who were killed in apain ; and exhorting the soldiers to avenge their death. I shall presently mention more facts of this nature, and in a more distinct manner ; in this place these wonders are mixed up with other subjects. But my mind, having carried me beyond the mere interpre- tation of nature, is anxious to lead,* as it were by the hand, the thoughts of my readers over the whole globe. CHAP. 112. (108.) — THE DIMENSIONS OF THE EARTH. Our part of the earth, of which I propose to give an ac- count, floating as it were in the ocean which surrounds it (as I have mentioned above"), stretches out to the greatest extent from east to west, viz. from India to the Pillars con- secrated to Hercules at Gades, being a distance of 8568 iniles% according to the statement of Artemidorus^ or ac- known lines, Sat. i. 5, 97 ; but it is not improbable that there may be some foundation for it. ^ This cii-cumstance is referred to by Val. Maximus, i. 8, 18. The altar was probably in the neighboiirhood of the Lacinian Promontoi7, at the S.W. extremity of the Bay of Tarcntum, the modern Capo delle Colonne. ' This may be referred to the inilammable vapours mentioned above, imlcss we regard the whole narrative as fabulous. 3 See Livy, i. 39, and Val. Maximus, i. 6. 2. Although it would be rash to pronounce this occurrence and the following anecdotes respect- ing Marcius to be absolutely impossibk^ we must regard them as liiglily improbable, and resting upon very insufficient evidence. ■* In the 06th chapter of this book. in the text of Lemaire, although, in many cases, there is considerable doubt as to their accuracy. See the observations of llardouin and Alex- andre in Lemaire, i. 460. ^ Artemidorus was an Ephesian, who wrote on geography ; see Uar- douin's Index Auct., Lemaire, i. 167.
 * In the estimate of distances I have given the numbers as they occur