solar eclipses
Posted:
Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:37 pmby Quintus Aurelius Orcus
Salvete
With yesterday having seen a great solar eclips, I wondered how the Romans and Greeks thought of it, when seeing such a event taking place?
Valete
Quintus
Posted:
Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:08 pmby Horatius Piscinus
Ah, what was that, the Battle of Pydna? A story passed on by Livy had it that before the battle Amelius had one of his officers go around to explain to the centurians that an eclipse would happen the next day and that it was only a movement of the planets. The Greek soldiers OTOH were not so informed, and were thus startled, seeing the eclipse as an ill omen. (ignorant Greeks, or so the smug Romans posed it in the story.) The Greeks were slaughtered and this may be one reason for the battle's outcome.
Vale