st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul

"
376 ST. JOHN OF DAMASCUS.
treatise now before us
that we must conclude that
the moon was created at the full, being
then in its
perfect and befitting state. Hence it would have got
a start of eleven days over the sun, beginning in the
condition of fifteen days old, whereas the sun was
created on the fourth day. Four from fifteen leave
eleven ;
and thus it arises that the lunar year
is
eleven days shorter than the solar. It would not be
giving a just representation of what Damascenus has
written on these subjects, to pass over unnoticed such
a specimen of childish reasoning ;
but it is
only fair
to observe, on the other hand, that the thought does
not appear to be his own, but taken from a writer
mentioned by Lequien, Severianus Gabalitanus.
In describing the ecliptic circle, he assigns three
decani, or thirty degrees, to each sign of the zodiac,
making 360 for the entire circumference. In what
follows, on the houses of the planets, he seems rather
to verge on astrology; 1 but a short enumeration is
all that he gives on this head. Aries and Scorpio
are the house of Mars ;
Taurus and Libra of Venus,
and so on.
Next in order he discusses briefly the nature of air
and wind. Air is a subtle element, heavier than fire,
but lighter than earth or water, in itself colourless and
non-luminous, but serving as a vehicle to three of our
"
1
In so far as the planets were concerned,
it was of especial
importance [for calculating nativities] to note through what sign
of the zodiac they happened to be passing, since each planet had
a peculiar sign, called the domits or house of the planet, during
its sojourn in which it
possessed superior
Prof. Ram
power."
say s art. on
"
Astrologia" in Smith s Diet, of Antiquities."