Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/180

 146 PLTNT's 2fATUEAL HISTOET. [Book 11. merable islands lying off the coast of Grermany which liave been only lately discovered. The above is all that I consider worth relating about the length and the breadth of the earth". But Eratosthenes^, a man who was peculiarly well skilled in all the more subtle parts of learning, and in this above everything else, and a person whom I perceive to be approved by every one, has stated the whole of this circuit to be 252,000 stadia, which, according to the E-oman estimate, makes 31,500 miles. The attempt is presumptuous, but it is supported by such subtle argiunents that we cannot refuse oiu' assent. Hipparchus'*, whom we must admire, both for the ability with which he controverts Eratosthenes, as well as for his diligence in every- thing else, has added to the above number not much less than 25,000 stadia. (109.) Dionysodorus is certainly less worthy of confi- dence^ ; but I cannot omit this most remarkable instance of Grecian vanity. He was a native of Melos, and was cele- brated for his knowledge of geometry ; he died of old age in his native country. His female relations, who inherited his property, attended his funeral, and when they had for several successive days performed the usual rites, they are said to have found in his tomb an epistle written in his own name to those left above ; it stated that he had descended fi»om his tomb to the lowest part of the earth, and that it was a distance of 42,000 stadia. There were not wanting certain geometricians, who interpreted this epistle as if it had been sent from the middle of the globe, the point which is at the greatest distance from the surface, and which must necessarily be the centre of the sphere. Hence the estunate has been made that it is 252,000 stadia in circumference. ^ It is probable, that these supposed "immense islands," if they were not entirely imaginary, were the countries of Sweden and Norway, the southern extremities ^lone of which had been yisited by the ancients. 2 Strabo, ii. ; Vitruvius, i. 6 ; Macrobius, in Somn. Scip. ii. 20. 3 Our author has previously referred to Eratosthenes, in the 76th chapter of this book. ^ Our author has referred to Hipparchus, in the 9th chapter of this book. 5 "Ahter, inquit, et cautius multo Dionysodorus est audiendus, qm miraculo solo nititur, quam Hipparchus et Eratostheues, qui geometricia nituntur principiis." Hardouin in Lemaire, i. 469. Nothing further is known of Dionysodorus ; see Hardouin's Index Auct. in I,eiuaire, i. 123.