Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/98

 64 plint's 2tatt:bal HISTOET. [Book II, bonius. It was seen by Silanus, the proconsul, and his attendants CHAP. 36. (36.) — OF STAES "WHICH MOYE ABOUT IN VAEIOIJS DIEECTIOFS. Stars are seen to move about in various directions, but never without some cause, nor without violent winds pro- ceeding from the same quarter^. CHAP. 37. (37.) — OF THE STAES WHICH AEE NAMED CASTOE AND POLLUX^. These stars occur both at sea and at land. I have seen, during the night-watches of the soldiers, a luminous appear- ance, like a star, attached to the javelins on the ramparts. They also settle on the yard-arms and other parts of ships while sailing, producing a Idnd of vocal sound, like that of birds flitting about. When they occur singly they are mischievous, so as even to sink the vessels, and if they strike on the lower part of the keel, setting them on fire"*. When there are two of them they are considered auspicious, and are thought to predict a prosperous voyage, as it is said that they drive away that dreadful and terrific meteor named Helena. On this account their eificacy is ascribed to Castor and Pollux, and they are invoked as gods. They also occasionally shine round the heads of men in the evening^, which is considered 1 It would be difficTilt to reconcile tliis plisenonienon ■with any acknow- ledged atmospherical phsenomenon. 2 Perhaps the phgenomena here alluded to ought to be referred to some electric action ; but they are stated too generally to admit of our forming more than a conjecture on the subject. Virgil refers to the occurrence of storms of wind after the appearance of a falling star ; Greor. i. 265-6. 3 These phsenomena are admitted to be electrical ; they are referred to by Seneca, Nat. Queest. i. 1. Tliis appearance is noticed as of frequent occurrence in the Mediterranean, where it is named the fire of St. Ehno ; see Hardouin in Lemaire, i. 311, and Fouche in Ajasson, ii. 382. ^ Perhaps this opinion may be maintained on the principle, that, when there is a single luminous appearance only, it depends upon the discharge of a quantity of electrical fluid in a condensed state ; its effects are, in this case, those that would follow from a stroke of Hghtning. This is said by Livy to have occurred to Servius Tulhus while he was a cliQd J hb. 1. cap. 39 ; and by Yirgil to Ascanius, ^n. ii. 632-5.