An historical survey of the astronomy of the ancients / by Sir George Cornewall Lewis.
- George Cornewall Lewis
- Date:
- 1862
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: An historical survey of the astronomy of the ancients / by Sir George Cornewall Lewis. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.
508/548 page 494
![called the Sacred Island. (244) Ptolemy states that the southern promontory of Ireland was called Sacred. (245) Procopius, in his ' History of the Gothic War/(246) describes Brittia as an island opposite the mouths of the Rhine, at a dis- tance of 200 stadia (25 miles); situated between the islands of Thule and Brettania, and inhabited by the three nations of Angili, Frissones, and Britons. For the position of Thule he refers to a former passage, (247) where he identifies it with Scan- dinavia. With respect to Brettania, he represents it as lying to the west, opposite the extremity of Spain, and divided from the Continent by an interval of 4000 stadia (500 miles); whereas Brittia lies opposite the coast of Gaul, to the north of Spain and Brettania. Grimm, in his f Deutsche Mythologie/ (248) thinks that the Brettania of Procopius is the extremity of Gaul, the modern Brittany; but Procopius conceives it as an island ; and there seems no doubt that by Brittia he means Britain, and by Brettania Ireland, which are the two Britannic islands. (249) After recounting some marvels respecting the natural his- tory of Brittia, Procopius proceeds to say that he is unwilling to pass over in silence a story related of this island; for although it has a fabulous appearance, it is repeated by numerous persons, who affirm that they have both seen and heard the circum- stances described. He declares himself to have frequently heard it from natives of the place, who believed its reality; though he himself conceives it to be a phenomenon of dreams. The story is as follows :— Along the shore of the ocean, opposite the island of Brittia, there are numerous villages inhabited by fishermen, cultivators, and seafaring men, who carry on the trade with this island. They are subject to the Franks, but are exempt from tribute, in (244) Ora Marit. 108. (245) ii. 2, 6. (246) iv. 20. (247) ii. 15. (248) P. 482, ed. 1. (249) Ptolemy, Synt. ii. 6, p. 85—6, speaks of Great Britain and Little Britain, peydXr] and fjuicpa Bperravia. By the latter he appears to mean Ireland.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21015855_0508.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
