Back to Table of Contents
A meridian is drawn 10 mm. or 2°30' to the west of the sign of Cancer, or 80° to the west of Lisbon. It measures 790 mm. on the northern, 804 mm. on the southern hemisphere, its total length being thus 1594 mm. Along it are placed copious notes on the length of the day under different latitudes, the climates, the "Lords" ruling each climate, with the symbols of the seven planets, etc. Nearly all this is taken from the popular treatise `Sphaera mundi' of Sacrobosco, or John of Holy Well, first published at Ferrara in 1472, and which up to the close of the seventeenth century is known to have gone through 59 editions.(1)
The fragments of words written from south to north along the meridian are much corrupted. They are dna . . . sien . . . das . . . amromep . . . beos, and probably stand for dia, sienes (Syene), alexandrios (Alexandria), diaromes (Rome), and diariphios (Riphaen).
The remainder of the legends are as follows :
6 monad lang der lengßt tag, u.s.w., 5, 4, 3, and 2 monad lang der lengßt tag. 24 stund tag ißt hier der lengßt tag im ßommer.
6 months is the length of the longest day(in 66°N.!)and so on,5,4, 3, and 2 months long the longest day. 24 hours is here the length of the longest day in summer.
das 6t. clima heißt di a niraos ißt unter der regirung deß mars ßein metal ißt eißen und ßein hauß der ßkorpion.
das viert clima heißt man diasorops und ißt unter der regirung deß planet Joris sein hauß ißt daß zeichen deß ochßen ...... sein farb ißt weiß ßein metal ißt zinn .......... omgeht er daß Ø firmant.
das drit clima ißt geheißen die alexandros das ißt unter der regirung deß planetê mars ßo er in ßeinem heußern ißt ßo ißt er im scorpion oder im wider ßein metal ißt eißen ßtahel ßein farb rott Jn 2 Jare läuft er durch * die 12 haußer.
The sixth climate is called that of the Riphaean mountains; it is ruled by Mars, whose metal is iron.
The fourth climate is called that of Rhodes, and it is under the rule of the planet Jupiter, whose house is the sign of the Bull ... Whose colour is white, whose metal is tin .... revolves round the firmament.
The third climate is called that of Alexandria; it is under the rule of the planet Mars, whose houses are the Scorpion and the Ram; whose metal is iron steel and colour red. In two years he passes through the l2 houses.
* daß erßt clima ißt geheißê dj meroes das hat zum regent den planet sarturnus welcheß metal ißt play .. ne dißer planet farb ißt ßchwartz der durchgehet die zwelf zeichen in vier und zwanzig jar da ißt der längßt tag und dj längßt nacht jm jar 13 ßtund.
The first climate is called that of Meroe; its Lord is the planet Saturn, whose metal is lead and whose colour is black. He passes through the twelve signs in twentyfour years. The longest day and the longest night there is 13 hours.
das clima heißt torida ßein tag und nacht gleich ßein daß gantz jar 12 ßtund lank beßtendiglich. * Saturnus regirt das erßt clima gegê mittag in welchen der tag h am lengßten mit 13 ßtund ißt Saturnus heißßer ßind die zeichê als * der ßteinbock der waßßermann.
This climate is called the Torrid Zone; day and night are there always 12 hours long throughout the year. Saturnus rules the first climate towards the south, where the longest day is of 13 hours. The Houses of Saturn are the signs of the Goat and the Waterman.
# Jovis regirt .... 14 * mars der planet hat zu ßeinem mital daß eißen ßein hauß ißt der « ßcorpion wen er hie ßteht ißt der längßt tag 14 or. Ø Sol regirt daß vierde clima ßein zeichê ißt ...... ßein ßengßt tag ißt l4 or.
15 » Venus hat daß fünft clima im zeichen deß ochßen ißt er regirend der tag ißt hie am ßengßt * l5 or.
16 * Mercurio regirt daß ßechßt clima § zum zeichen der Jungfrau ißt er am erßtê ßein lengßt tag ißt 15 or.
17 ( Lune den planet hat deß ßiebent clima ßein hauß ißt der krebß daß volck dießeß clima ißt wandelpar ßo der tag am langßten hie ißt
18 er 16 or lanck.
Jupiter rules .... The metal of Mars the planet is iron: his House is the Scorpion, and when within it the longest day is 14 hours.
The Sun rules the fourth climate; his sign is ...... his longest day is 14 hours.
Venus rules the fifth climate in the sign of the Bull; the longest day here is 15 hours.
Mercury rules the sixth climate; his first House is the sign of the Virgin; the longest day is 15 hours.
The planet Moon rules the seventh climate; her House is the Crab; the people of this climate are changeable (inconstant, somnambulist); the longest day there is 16 hours long.
A glance through these legends reveals a surprising number of errors, which would hardly have been looked for from a "disciple of Regiomontanus." This is readily seen from the following tabular summary.
It need hardly be pointed out that a day of 6 months is experienced only at the Poles and not in lat. 66°.
(1) 1 The dia (as in diariphius) of Sacrobosco is Greek, and signifies "through," whilst the or of the legends, whence the modern German Uhr, means "hour." back
Back to the index of Chapter XX Nomenclature and Commentary.
Back to Table of Contents
Last modified: Fri Feb 6 01:30:00 CET 2004