Chapter VIII.—Prodigies
of the Astrologers; System of the Astronomers; Chaldean Doctrine of
Circles; Distances of the Heavenly Bodies.
I reckon it then sufficient to declare the
prodigies detailed by these
men. Wherefore, employing condensed accounts of what they affirm, I shall turn my attention to the other points (that remain to be considered). Now they make the following statements. The Creator communicated pre-eminent power to the orbital motion of the identical and similar (circle), for He permitted the revolution of it to be one and indivisible; but after dividing this internally into six parts, (and thus having formed) seven unequal circles, according to each interval of a twofold and threefold dimension, He commanded, since there were three of each, that the circles should travel in orbits contrary to one another, three indeed (out of the aggregate of seven) being whirled along with equal velocity, and four of them with a speed dissimilar to each other and to the remaining three, yet (all) according to a definite principle. For he affirms that the mastery was communicated to the orbital motion of the same (circle), not only since it embraces the motion of the other, that, is, the erratic stars, but because also it possesses so great mastery, that is, so great power, that even it leads round, along with itself, by a peculiar strength of its own, those heavenly bodies—that is, the erratic stars—that are whirled along in contrary directions from west to east, and, in like manner, from east to west.
And he asserts that this motion was allowed to be one
and indivisible, in the first place, inasmuch as the revolutions of all
the fixed stars were accomplished in equal periods of time, and were
not distinguished according to greater or less portions of
duration. In the next place, they all present the same phase as
that which belongs to the outermost motion; whereas the erratic stars
have been distributed into greater and varying periods for the
accomplishment of their movements, and into unequal distances from
earth. And he asserts that the motion in six parts of the other
has been distributed probably into seven circles. For as many as
are sections of each (circle)—I allude to monads of the
sections—become
segments; for example, if the division be by one section, there will be
two segments; if by two, three segments; and so, if anything be cut
into six parts, there will be seven segments. And he says that
the distances of these are alternately arranged both in double and
triple order, there being three of each,—a principle which, he
has attempted to prove, holds good of the composition of the soul
likewise, as depending upon the seven numbers. For among them
there are from the monad three double (numbers), viz., 2, 4, 8, and
three triple ones, viz., 3, 9, 27. But the diameter of Earth is
80,108 stadii; and the perimeter of Earth, 250,543 stadii; and the distance also from the surface of the Earth to the lunar circle, Aristarchus the Samian computes at 8,000,178 stadii, but Apollonius 5,000,000, whereas Archimedes computes it at 5,544,130. And from the lunar to solar circle, (according to the last authority,) are 50,262,065 stadii; and from this to the circle of Venus, 20,272,065 stadii; and from this to the circle of Mercury, 50,817,165 stadii; and from this to the circle of Mars, 40,541,108 stadii; and from this to the circle of Jupiter, 20,275,065 stadii; and from this to the circle of Saturn, 40,372,065 stadii; and from this to the Zodiac and the furthest periphery, 20,082,005 stadii.