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Created 5941[(?)]13 21 2027 [2011-04-25]
Last edited 5941[(?)]13 21 2027 [2011-04-25]
Attalus’ Lunar Eclipse
November 14, 222 BCE…
Abstract:
Having once discovered Polybius’ way of dating all of his records of
history in
terms of the Olympiad calendar, and having formerly
discovered a firm and reliable revised foundation for the ancient Olympiad
calendar (more…,) I
find the main remaining challenge being that of correlating the specifics
within Polybius’ weave of events, and in particular Attalus’ lunar
eclipse, to the appropriate, exactly defined, dated event, both in terms of
the Olympiad calendar and in terms of other Greek calendars being referenced,
for instance the calendar being used by the Achaeans. The results of my efforts
to this end are being presented below in terms of Pertinent Excerpts out
of Polybius, The Histories, Book V…
Having once determined that, most likely, said eclipse was a fall event
and not an early summer event, and that this event belongs to the second, and
not the third, year of the 140th Olympiad, I conclude (cf. this link!) that the associated Julian
year, within which said Olympiad year began was 222 BCE.
Looking at NASA’s Canon of Lunar Eclipses I find only two lunar eclipses
fitting the ticket for the second or the third year of the 140th
Olympiad, those being either the total lunar eclipse of November 14, 222 BCE or
the partial lunar eclipse of May 9, 221 BCE, but realizing the above said re
this being most likely a fall event and an event within the 2nd year
of the 140th Olympiad, I find that the November 14, 222 BCE total
lunar eclipse is the most likely.
As to the characteristics of said lunar eclipses, I notice that the
November 14, 222 BCE eclipse event began with the partially eclipsed moon (50%
magnitude and diminishing) rising in the ENE at 16:46:17 (5:46 PM;) the umbral
(complete) shadow being all gone by 17:16 (while the moon was yet at < 5°
altitude above the horizon;) and the penumbral (not noticeable) shadow was all
gone by 18:16. The May 9, 221 BCE partial eclipse was visible in WSW at dawn
shortly before moonset; the penumbral (not generally noticeable) shadow
beginning at 02:55 AM; the umbral (visible) shadow beginning at 04:13 AM (at
which time the moon was about 7° above the horizon;) and finally moonset at
04:56 AM (at which time 40% of the diameter of the moon was within the Earth
shadow.) Although I have no doubt but that a sunset eclipse would have been
noticed by more people, I also recognize that the first AM full moon of the
lunar month, e.g. that of May 9, 221, may have
attracted somewhat more attention than would most any other dawn time
eclipse. Cf. also the astronomical observation practices being evident from
several lines in the Babylonian clay tablet known as VAT 4956: Obverse line
4; obverse line
17; and reverse line
16’.
All
eclipse maps courtesy of Fred Espenak - NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.
For more information on solar and lunar eclipses, see Fred Espenak's Eclipse
Web Site:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
Pertinent
excerpts out of Polybius, The Histories, Book
V (emphasis added for the purpose of bringing out time references and associated
key events:)
1 The year of office of the younger Aratus came to
an end at the rising of the Pleiades, such being then the Achaean reckoning of
time. 2 On his retirement he was
succeeded by Eperatus, Dorimachus being still the strategus of the
Aetolians. 3 Contemporaneously in the early
summer… 5… Antiochus and Ptolemy,
having abandoned the attempt to settle by diplomatic means their dispute about
Coele-Syria, went to war with each other.
30 It was now winter; King Philip had left for Macedonia, and Eperatus the Achaean strategus was treated with contempt
by the civic soldiers and utterly set at naught by the mercenaries, so that no
one obeyed orders, and no preparations had been made for protecting the
country… 7 The above was the condition of affairs in Achaea, when his year having now expired, Eperatus laid down his
office, and the Achaeans at the beginning of summer elected the elder Aratus
their strategus.
Olympiad 140:2
68 The consequence was that both sides grew weary of negotiating, and there
was no prospect yet of a conclusion being reached, when, on the approach of spring, Antiochus collected his forces
with the object of invading Coele-Syria both by land and sea and
reducing the remainder of it. 2 Ptolemy, entrusting the direction of the
war entirely to Nicolaus, sent him abundant supplies to the neighbourhood of
Gaza, and dispatched fresh military and naval forces. 3 Thus reinforced
Nicolaus entered on the war in a spirit of confidence…
70 Antiochus, with his army, came and encamped before Sidon. 2 He…
marched himself on Philoteria, ordering the admiral Diognetus to sail back to
Tyre with the fleet. 4 Philoteria lies off the shore of the lake into
which the river Jordan falls, and from which it issues again to traverse the
plains round Scythopolis… 10 At this time Ceraeas, one of Ptolemy's officers,
deserted to him, and by his distinguished treatment of him he turned the head
of many of the enemy's commanders. 11 It was not long indeed before
Hippolochus the Thessalian came to join him with four hundred horse who were in
Ptolemy's service… 11 Having thus got possession of Rabbatama, Antiochus
left Nicarchus in it with an adequate garrison, and now sending the revolted
leaders Hippolochus and Ceraeas with a force of five thousand foot to the
district of Samaria, with orders to protect the conquered territory and assure
the safety of all the troops he had left in it, 12 he returned with his
army to Ptolemais, where he had decided to pass the
winter.
72 During the same summer the people of Pednelissus, being besieged by those of Selge and
in danger of capture, sent a message to Achaeus asking for help… 7 upon
which the Selgians, readily believing that Garsyeris had abandoned his attempt,
retired some of them to their camp and others to their own city, as the harvest was near at hand…
77 Achaeus, now, after subjecting Milyas and the greater part of Pamphylia,
departed, and on reaching Sardis continued to make
war on Attalus, began to menace Prusias, and made himself a serious
object of dread to all the inhabitants on this side of the Taurus.
2 At the time when
Achaeus was engaged in his expedition against Selge, Attalus with the Gaulish tribe of the Aegosagae visited
the cities in Aeolis and on its borders, which had formerly adhered to Achaeus
out of fear. 3 Most of them joined him willingly and gladly, but in
some cases force was necessary. 4 The ones which went over to his side on
this occasion were firstly Cyme, Smyrna, and Phocaea, Aegae and Temnus
subsequently adhering to him in fear of his attack. 5 The Teians and
Colophonians also sent embassies delivering up themselves and their cities.
6 Accepting their adhesion on the same terms as formerly and taking
hostages, he showed especial consideration to the envoys from Smyrna, as this
city had been most constant in its loyalty to him. 7 Continuing his progress and crossing the river Lycus he advanced on the Mysian communities, and after having dealt with
them reached Carseae. 8 Overawing the
people of this city and also the garrison of Didymateiche
he took possession of these places likewise, when Themistocles, the
general left in charge of the district by Achaeus, surrendered them to him.
9 Starting thence and laying waste the plain of Apia he crossed Mount Pelecas and encamped near the river Megistus.
78 While he was here, an eclipse of the moon took place,[1] and the Gauls, who had all along been aggrieved by the
hardships of the march — since they made the campaign accompanied by their wives
and children, who followed them in wagons — 2 considering this a bad omen,
refused to advance further. 3 King Attalus,
to whom they rendered no service of vital importance, and who noticed that they
detached themselves from the column on the march and encamped by themselves and
were altogether most insubordinate and self-assertive, found
himself in no little perplexity. 4 On the one hand he feared lest
they should desert to Achaeus and join him in
attacking himself, and on the other he was apprehensive of the reputation he
would gain if he ordered his soldiers to surround and destroy all these men who
were thought to have crossed to Asia relying on pledges he had given them.
5 Accordingly, availing himself of the pretext of this refusal, he promised
for the present to take them back to the place where they had crossed and give
them suitable land in which to settle and afterwards to attend as far as lay in
his power to all reasonable requests they made.
6 Attalus,
then, after taking the Aegosagae back to the Hellespont and entering
into friendly negotiations with the people of Lampsacus, Alexander Troas, and
Ilium, who had all remained loyal to him, returned
with his army to Pergamum.
Olympiad 140:3
79 By the beginning of spring Antiochus and Ptolemy had completed their preparations and were determined on deciding
the fate of the Syrian expedition by a battle.
91 In the early summer of the year in which Agetas was strategus of
the Aetolians and shortly after Aratus had entered
on the same office in Achaea…
101… 3 It was while Philip was besieging Thebes that the Romans were
defeated by Hannibal in Etruria, but the report of this event had
not yet reached Greece.
103 The delegates having now assembled, he sent
to the Aetolians, Aratus, Taurion and some of those who had accompanied them.
2 Meeting the Aetolians, who had assembled in full force at Naupactus, and
after a short discussion observing how eager they were for peace, they sailed
back to inform Philip of this. 3 The Aetolians, who were most anxious to bring the war to
an end, sent with them on their own part envoys to Philip, begging
him to come and meet them with his army, so that they might be in close
conference and arrive at a satisfactory solution of the questions at issue.
4 The king deferred to their request, and sailed across with his army to
the so‑called "Hollows" of Naupactus, distant about twenty
stades from the town. 5 Encamping there he surrounded his ships and camp
with a palisade, and waited there till the conferences should begin. 6 The
Aetolians arrived in full force without their arms and establishing themselves
at a distance of about two stades from Philip's camp, began to send messages
and discuss matters. 7 The king in the first instance sent all the
delegates from the allies, enjoining them to
propose to the Aetolians to make peace on the condition of both parties
retaining what they then possessed. 8 The
Aetolians readily consented to these terms, and henceforth there was a
constant interchange of communications on points of detail.
105… 3 All these events took place in the third year of the 140th
Olympiad, — I mean the battle of the Romans in
Etruria, that of Antiochus
in Coele-Syria and the treaty
of the Achaeans and Philip with the Aetolians.
(Polybius, The Histories, Book
V)
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