Archimedes Texts

235
East to West? And the annual motion of the Sun through the
Ecliptick, is it not on the contrary from West to East? How
then can you make these motions being conferred on the Earth, of
contraries to become consistents?

SAGR. Certainly, Simplicius hath discovered to us the original
cause of error of this Philosopher; and in all probability he
would have said the very same.

SALV. Now if it be in our power, let us at least recover
Simplicius from this errour, who seeing the Stars in their rising
to appear above the Oriental Horizon, will make it no difficult
thing to understand, that in case that motion should not belong

to the Stars, it would be necessary to confesse, that the Horizon,
with a contrary motion would go down; and that consequently
the Earth would reoolve in it self a contrary way to that where
with the Stars seem to move, that is from West to East, which
is according to the order of the Signes of the Zodiack. As, in the
next place, to the other motion, the Sun being fixed in the cen
tre of the Zodiack, and the Earth moveable about its circumfe
rence, to make the Sun seem unto us to move about the said Zo
diack, according to the order of the Signes, it is necessary, that
the E arth move according to the same order, to the end that the
Sun may seem to us to possesse alwayes that degree in the Zodiack,
that is opposite to the degree in which we find the Earth; and thus
the Earth running, verbi gratia, through Aries, the Sun will
appear to run thorow Libra; and the Earth passing thorow the
signe Taurus, the Sun will passe thorow Scorpio, and so the
Earth going thorow Gemini, the Sun seemeth to go thorow Sa
gittarius; but this is moving both the same way, that is accord
ing to the order of the signes; as also was the revolution of the
Earth about its own centre.

The error of the
Antagonist is ma
nifest, by decla
ring that the an
nual and diurnal
motions belonging
to the Earth are
both one way, and
not contrary.

SIMP. I understand you very well, and know not what to al
ledge in excuse of so grosse an error.

SALV. And yet, Simplicius, there is one yet worse then this; and
it is, that he makes the Earth move by the diurnal motion about
its own centre from East to West; and perceives not that if this
were so, the motion of twenty four hours appropriated by him
to the Universe, would, in our seeming, proceed from West to
East; the quite contrary to that which we behold.

SIMP. Oh strange! Why I, that have scarce seen the first
elements of the Sphere, would not, I am confident, have erred
so horribly.

SALV. Judg now what pains this Antagonist may be thought
to have taken in the Books of Copernicus, if he absolutely invert

the sense of this grand and principal Hypothesis, upon which is
founded the whole summe of those things wherein Copernicus