a history of science-1-第12章

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ave　with　an　indelible　mark；　one　shall　kill　that　man　and　bury　him　in　his　house。　The　barber　shall　swear；　〃I　did　not　mark　him　wittingly；〃　and　he　shall　be　guiltless。

ESTIMATES　OF　BABYLONIAN　SCIENCE　Before　turning　from　the　Oriental　world　it　is　perhaps　worth　while　to　attempt　to　estimate　somewhat　specifically　the　world…influence　of　the　name；　Babylonian　science。　Perhaps　we　cannot　better　gain　an　idea　as　to　the　estimate　put　upon　that　science　by　the　classical　world　than　through　a　somewhat　extended　quotation　from　a　classical　author。　Diodorus　Siculus；　who；　as　already　noted；　lived　at　about　the　time　of　Augustus；　and　who；　therefore；　scanned　in　perspective　the　entire　sweep　of　classical　Greek　history；　has　left　us　a　striking　summary　which　is　doubly　valuable　because　of　its　comparisons　of　Babylonian　with　Greek　influence。　Having　viewed　the　science　of　Babylonia　in　the　light　of　the　interpretations　made　possible　by　the　recent　study　of　original　documents；　we　are　prepared　to　draw　our　own　conclusions　from　the　statements　of　the　Greek　historian。　Here　is　his　estimate　in　the　words　of　the　quaint　translation　made　by　Philemon　Holland　in　the　year　1700：＇23＇

〃They　being　the　most　ancient　Babylonians；　hold　the　same　station　and　dignity　in　the　Common…wealth　as　the　Egyptian　Priests　do　in　Egypt：　For　being　deputed　to　Divine　Offices；　they　spend　all　their　Time　in　the　study　of　Philosophy；　and　are　especially　famous　for　the　Art　of　Astrology。　They　are　mightily　given　to　Divination；　and　foretel　future　Events；　and　imploy　themselves　either　by　Purifications；　Sacrifices；　or　other　Inchantments　to　avert　Evils；　or　procure　good　Fortune　and　Success。　They　are　skilful　likewise　in　the　Art　of　Divination；　by　the　flying　of　Birds；　and　interpreting　of　Dreams　and　Prodigies：　And　are　reputed　as　true　Oracles　（in　declaring　what　will　come　to　pass）　by　their　exact　and　diligent　viewing　the　Intrals　of　the　Sacrifices。　But　they　attain　not　to　this　Knowledge　in　the　same　manner　as　the　Grecians　do；　for　the　Chaldeans　learn　it　by　Tradition　from　their　Ancestors；　the　Son　from　the　Father；　who　are　all　in　the　mean　time　free　from　all　other　publick　Offices　and　Attendances；　and　because　their　Parents　are　their　Tutors；　they　both　learn　every　thing　without　Envy；　and　rely　with　more　confidence　upon　the　truth　of　what　is　taught　them；　and　being　train'd　up　in　this　Learning；　from　their　very　Childhood；　they　become　most　famous　Philosophers；　（that　Age　being　most　capable　of　Learning；　wherein　they　spend　much　of　their　time）。　But　the　Grecians　for　the　most　part　come　raw　to　this　study；　unfitted　and　unprepar'd；　and　are　long　before　they　attain　to　the　Knowledge　of　this　Philosophy：　And　after　they　have　spent　some　small　time　in　this　Study；　they　are　many　times　call'd　off　and　forc'd　to　leave　it；　in　order　to　get　a　Livelihood　and　Subsistence。　And　although　some；　few　do　industriously　apply　themselves　to　Philosophy；　yet　for　the　sake　of　Gain；　these　very　Men　are　opinionative；　and　ever　and　anon　starting　new　and　high　Points；　and　never　fix　in　the　steps　of　their　Ancestors。　But　the　Barbarians　keeping　constantly　close　to　the　same　thing；　attain　to　a　perfect　and　distinct　Knowledge　in　every　particular。　〃But　the　Grecians；　cunningly　catching　at　all　Opportunities　of　Gain；　make　new　Sects　and　Parties；　and　by　their　contrary　Opinions　wrangling　and　quarelling　concerning　the　chiefest　Points；　lead　their　Scholars　into　a　Maze；　and　being　uncertain　and　doubtful　what　to　pitch　upon　for　certain　truth；　their　Minds　are　fluctuating　and　in　suspence　all　the　days　of　their　Lives；　and　unable　to　give　a　certain　assent　unto　any　thing。　For　if　any　Man　will　but　examine　the　most　eminent　Sects　of　the　Philosophers；　he　shall　find　them　much　differing　among　themselves；　and　even　opposing　one　another　in　the　most　weighty　parts　of　their　Philosophy。　But　to　return　to　the　Chaldeans；　they　hold　that　the　World　is　eternal；　which　had　neither　any　certain　Beginning；　nor　shall　have　any　End；　but　all　agree；　that　all　things　are　order'd；　and　this　beautiful　Fabrick　is　supported　by　a　Divine　Providence；　and　that　the　Motions　of　the　Heavens　are　not　perform'd　by　chance　and　of　their　own　accord；　but　by　a　certain　and　determinate　Will　and　Appointment　of　the　Gods。　〃Therefore　from　a　long　observation　of　the　Stars；　and　an　exact　Knowledge　of　the　motions　and　influences　of　every　one　of　them；　wherein　they　excel　all　others；　they　fortel　many　things　that　are　to　come　to　pass。　〃They　say　that　the　Five　Stars　which　some　call　Planets；　but　they　Interpreters；　are　most　worthy　of　Consideration；　both　for　their　motions　and　their　remarkable　influences；　especially　that　which　the　Grecians　call　Saturn。　The　brightest　of　them　all；　and　which　often　portends　many　and　great　Events；　they　call　Sol；　the　other　Four　they　name　Mars；　Venus；　Mercury；　and　Jupiter；　with　our　own　Country　Astrologers。　They　give　the　Name　of　Interpreters　to　these　Stars；　because　these　only　by　a　peculiar　Motion　do　portend　things　to　come；　and　instead　of　Jupiters；　do　declare　to　Men　before…hand　the　good…　will　of　the　Gods；　whereas　the　other　Stars　（not　being　of　the　number　of　the　Planets）　have　a　constant　ordinary　motion。　Future　Events　（they　say）　are　pointed　at　sometimes　by　their　Rising；　and　sometimes　by　their　Setting；　and　at　other　times　by　their　Colour；　as　may　be　experienc'd　by　those　that　will　diligently　observe　it；　sometimes　foreshewing　Hurricanes；　at　other　times　Tempestuous　Rains；　and　then　again　exceeding　Droughts。　By　these；　they　say；　are　often　portended　the　appearance　of　Comets；　Eclipses　of　the　Sun　and　Moon；　Earthquakes　and　all　other　the　various　Changes　and　remarkable　effects　in　the　Air；　boding　good　and　bad；　not　only　to　Nations　in　general；　but　to　Kings　and　Private　Persons　in　particular。　Under　the　course　of　these　Planets；　they　say　are　Thirty　Stars；　which　they　call　Counselling　Gods；　half　of　whom　observe　what　is　done　under　the　Earth；　and　the　other　half　take　notice　of　the　actions　of　Men　upon　the　Earth；　and　what　is　transacted　in　the　Heavens。　Once　every　Ten　Days　space　（they　say）　one　of　the　highest　Order　of　these　Stars　descends　to　them　that　are　of　the　lowest；　like　a　Messenger　sent　from　them　above；　and　then　again　another　ascends　from　those　below　to　them　above；　and　that　this　is　their　constant　natural　motion　to　continue　for　ever。　The　chief　of　these　Gods；　they　say；　are　Twelve　in　number；　to　each　of　which　they　attribute　a　Month；　and　one　Sign　of　the　Twelve　in　the　Zodiack。　〃Through　these　Twelve　Signs　the　Sun；　Moon；　and　the　other　Five　Planets　run　their　Course。　The　Sun　in　a　Years　time；　and　the　Moon　in　the　space　of　a　Month。　To　every　one　of　the　Planets　they　assign　their　own　proper　Courses；　which　are　perform'd　variously　in　lesser　or　shorter　time　according　as　their　several　motions　are　quicker　or　slower。　These　Stars；　they　say；　have　a　great　influence　both　as　to　good　and　bad　in　Mens　Nativities；　and　from　the　consideration　of　their　several　Natures；　may　be　foreknown　what　will　befal　Men　afterwards。　As　they　foretold　things　to　come　to　other　Kings　formerly；　so　they　did　to　Alexander　who　conquer'd　Darius；　and　to　his　Successors　Antigonus　and　Seleucus　Nicator；　and　accordingly　things　fell　out　as　they　declar'd；　which　we　shall　relate　particularly　hereafter　in　a　more　convenient　time。　They　tell　likewise　private　Men　their　Fortunes　so　certainly；　that　those　who　have　found　the　thing　true　by　Experience；　have　esteem'd　it　a　Miracle；　and　above　the　reach　of　man　to　perform。　Out　of　the　Circle　of　the　Zodiack　they　describe　Four　and　Twenty　Stars；　Twelve　towards　the　North　Pole；　and　as　many　to　the　South。　〃Those　which　we　see；　they　assign　to　the　living；　and　the　other　that　do　not　appear；　they　conceive　are　Constellations　for　the　Dead；　and　they　term　them　Judges　of　all　things。　The　Moon；　they　say；　is　in　the　lowest　Orb；　and　being　therefore　next　to　the　Earth　（because　she　is　so　small）；　she　finishes　her　Course　in　a　little　time；　not　through　the　swiftness　of　her　Motion；　but　the　shortness　of　her　Sphear。　In　that　which　they　affirm　（that　she　has　but　a　borrow'd　light；　and　that　when　she　is　eclips'd；　it's　caus'd　by　the　interposition　of　the　shadow　of　the　Earth）　they　agree　with　the　Grecians。　〃Their　Rules　and　Notions　concerning　the　Eclipses　of　the　Sun　are　but　weak　and　mean；　which　they　dare　not　positively　foretel；　nor　fix　a　certain　time　for　them。　They　have　likewise　Opinions　concerning　the　Earth　peculiar　to　themselves；　affirming　it　to　resemble　a　Boat；　and　to　be　hollow；　to　prove　which；　and　other　things　relating　to　the　frame　of　the　World；　they　abound　in　Arguments；　but　to　give　a　particular　Account　of　'em；　we　conceive　would　be　a　thing　foreign　to　our　History。　But　this　any　Man　may　justly　and　truly　say；　That　the　Chaldeans　far　exceed　all　other　Men　in　the　Knowledge　of　Astrology；　and　have　study'd　it　most　of　any　other　Art　or　Science：　But　the　number　of　years　during　which　the　Chaldeans　say；　those　of　their　Profession　have　given　themselves　to　the　study　of　this　natural　Philosophy；　is　incredible；　for　when　Alexander　was　in　Asia；　they　reckon'd　up　Four　Hundred　and　Seventy　Thousand　Years　since　they　first　began　to　observe　the　Motions　of　the　Stars。〃

Let　us　now　supplement　this　estimate　of　Babylonian　influence　with　another　estimate　written　in　our　own　day；　and　quoted　by　one　of　the　most　recent　historians　of　Babylonia　and　Assyria。＇24＇　The　estimate　in　question　is　that　of　Canon　Rawlinson　in　his　Great　Oriental　Monarchies。＇25＇　Of　Babylonia　he　says：　〃Hers　was　apparently　the　genius　which　excogitated　an　alphabet；　worked　out　the　simpler　problems　of　arithmetic；　invented　implements　for　measuring　the　lapse　of　time；　conceived　the　idea　of　raising　enormous　structures　with　the　poorest　of　all　materials；　clay；　discovered　the　art　of　polishing；　boring；　and　engraving　gems；　reproduced　with　truthfulness　the　outlines　of　human　and　animal　forms；　attained　to　high　perfection　in　textile　fabrics；　studied　with　success　the　motions　of　the　heavenly　bodies；　conceived　of　grammar　as　a　science；　elaborated　a　system　of　law；　saw　the　value　of　an　exact　chronologyin　almost　every　branch　of　science　made　a　beginning；　thus　rendering　it　comparatively　easy　for　other　nations　to　proceed　with　the　superstructure。。。。　It　was　from　the　East；　not　from　Egypt；　that　Greece　derived　her　architecture；　her　sculpture；　her　science；　her　philosophy；　her　mathematical　knowledgein　a　word；　her　intellectual　life。　And　Babylon　was　the　source　to　which　the　entire　stream　of　Eastern　civilization　may　be　traced。　It　is　scarcely　too　much　to　say　that；　but　for　Babylon；　real　civilization　might　not　yet　have　dawned　upon　the　earth。〃

Considering　that　a　period　of　almost　two　thousand　years　separates　the　times　of　writing　of　these　two　estimates；　the　estimates　themselves　are　singularly　in　unison。　They　show　that　the　greatest　of　Oriental　nations　has　not　suffered　in　reputation　at　the　hands　of　posterity。　It　is　indeed　almost　impossible　to　contemplate　the　monuments　of　Babylonian　and　Assyrian　civilization　that　are　now　preserved　in　the　European　and　American　museums　without　becoming　enthusiastic。　That　certainly　was　a　wonderful　civilization　which　has　left　us　the　tablets　on　which　are　inscribed　the　laws　of　a　Khamurabi　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　art　treasures　of　the　palace　of　an　Asshurbanipal　on　the　other。　Yet　a　candid　consideration　of　the　scientific　attainments　of　the　Babylonians　and　Assyrians　can　scarcely　arouse　us　to　a　like　enthusiasm。　In　considering　the　subject　we　have　seen　that；　so　far　as　pure　science　is　concerned；　the　efforts　of　the　Babylonians　and　Assyrians　chiefly　centred　about　the　subjects　of　astrology　and　magic