DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0536
608
OF THE MILITARY AFFAIRS OF GREECE.
fishes, and divers other things, as the murmuring of the floods, the shak-
ing and buzzing noise of trees in the neighbouring woods, the dashing of
the billows against the shore, and many more, in all which good pilots
were nicely skilled. As to the direction in their voyage, the first prac-
titioners in the art of navigation, being unacquainted with the rest of the
celestial motions, steered all the day by the course of the sun, at night
betaking themselves to some safe harbour, or resting on the 9hore, and
not daring to adventure to sea till their guide was risen to discover their
way : that this was their constant custom, may be observed from the an-
cient description of those times, whereof I shall only observe this in*
stance (1) :
Sol ruii interea, et montes umbrantur opaci,
Stefnimur optalce gremio telluris ad undam,
Sortitiremos,passimque in littore sicco
Corpora ciiramus, fessos .\oporirrigat artus.
Now the descending sunroll'd down the light,
The hills lie cover'd in the shades o( night;
When some by lot attend and ply the oars,
Some worn with toil lie stretch'd along the shores ;
There by the murmurs of the heaving deep,
Rock'd to repose, they sunk in pleasing sleep. pitt.
Afterwards the Phoenicians, whom some will have to be the first in-
ventors of navigation, discovered the motions of some other starss as
may be observed in Pliny (2), and Propertius (3) :
Qumritis et cozlo Phcenicum inventa sereno,
Qvm sit stella homini commoda, quceque mala.
--led by the art,
Which the Phoenicians found, and did impart,
You mind what stars are signs of good or harm.
The Phoenicians we find to have been directed by Cynosura, or the less-
er bear-star (4). which was first observed (as some are of opinion) by*
Thales the Milesian, who was originally a Phoenician ; (6) ; whereas
the mariners of Greece, as well as other nations, steered by the greater
bear, called Helice : whence Aratus ;
Helice always is the Grecians guide,
Whene'er they take a voyage.-
For the first observation of this they were obliged to Nauplius, if we
may believe Fheon, or, according to the report of Flaccus (6), to Tiphys,
the pilot of the famous ship Argo. But of these two, we are told by
Theon, the former was the securer guide, and therefore was followed by
the Phoenicians, who, for skill in marine affairs, outstript not only all the
rest of the world, but even the Grecians themselves.
Ilgwgsvs. or tfgw£arr,£-, was next under the master, and had his place in
the head of the ship, as his name imports. To his care was committed
the tackling of the ship (1), and the rowers, who had their places assign-
ed by him. as appears of Phaex, who performed this office in Theseus's
(1) Virgil. iEneid, lii, v. 503. (5) Hyginus, lib. ii. Poet. Astron. Eustathi-
(2) Lib. vii. (3) Lib. ii. v. 990. us, II. <r'. Theon. iu Aratum.
(4) Eustathius, Iliad. &. Arianus, Exped„ (6) Argon, i.
lib. vi. (7) Xenophon. Administ. Dom. lib. v.
OF THE MILITARY AFFAIRS OF GREECE.
fishes, and divers other things, as the murmuring of the floods, the shak-
ing and buzzing noise of trees in the neighbouring woods, the dashing of
the billows against the shore, and many more, in all which good pilots
were nicely skilled. As to the direction in their voyage, the first prac-
titioners in the art of navigation, being unacquainted with the rest of the
celestial motions, steered all the day by the course of the sun, at night
betaking themselves to some safe harbour, or resting on the 9hore, and
not daring to adventure to sea till their guide was risen to discover their
way : that this was their constant custom, may be observed from the an-
cient description of those times, whereof I shall only observe this in*
stance (1) :
Sol ruii interea, et montes umbrantur opaci,
Stefnimur optalce gremio telluris ad undam,
Sortitiremos,passimque in littore sicco
Corpora ciiramus, fessos .\oporirrigat artus.
Now the descending sunroll'd down the light,
The hills lie cover'd in the shades o( night;
When some by lot attend and ply the oars,
Some worn with toil lie stretch'd along the shores ;
There by the murmurs of the heaving deep,
Rock'd to repose, they sunk in pleasing sleep. pitt.
Afterwards the Phoenicians, whom some will have to be the first in-
ventors of navigation, discovered the motions of some other starss as
may be observed in Pliny (2), and Propertius (3) :
Qumritis et cozlo Phcenicum inventa sereno,
Qvm sit stella homini commoda, quceque mala.
--led by the art,
Which the Phoenicians found, and did impart,
You mind what stars are signs of good or harm.
The Phoenicians we find to have been directed by Cynosura, or the less-
er bear-star (4). which was first observed (as some are of opinion) by*
Thales the Milesian, who was originally a Phoenician ; (6) ; whereas
the mariners of Greece, as well as other nations, steered by the greater
bear, called Helice : whence Aratus ;
Helice always is the Grecians guide,
Whene'er they take a voyage.-
For the first observation of this they were obliged to Nauplius, if we
may believe Fheon, or, according to the report of Flaccus (6), to Tiphys,
the pilot of the famous ship Argo. But of these two, we are told by
Theon, the former was the securer guide, and therefore was followed by
the Phoenicians, who, for skill in marine affairs, outstript not only all the
rest of the world, but even the Grecians themselves.
Ilgwgsvs. or tfgw£arr,£-, was next under the master, and had his place in
the head of the ship, as his name imports. To his care was committed
the tackling of the ship (1), and the rowers, who had their places assign-
ed by him. as appears of Phaex, who performed this office in Theseus's
(1) Virgil. iEneid, lii, v. 503. (5) Hyginus, lib. ii. Poet. Astron. Eustathi-
(2) Lib. vii. (3) Lib. ii. v. 990. us, II. <r'. Theon. iu Aratum.
(4) Eustathius, Iliad. &. Arianus, Exped„ (6) Argon, i.
lib. vi. (7) Xenophon. Administ. Dom. lib. v.