Solomon’s temple, the Mausoleum, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Alexandrian Pharos, and
the theatre of some He ̄rakleia, perhaps Latmos, an Episcopal see in his era, though none of
the many He ̄rakleiai are known for their theatre: BNP 6 [2005] 150–155). Those are
excelled by the seven perpetually-renewed divine “miracles” (§ 9 – 16): tides, terrestrial fertil-
ity, the Phoenix (quoting L), Aetna (quoting V and I T), the
hot spring at Grenoble (quoting H A), the Sun, and the Moon. He gives
15 hours as the longest day (§18), as did H for the latitude of Massalia
(cf. S 2.5.40), correct within ¼ hour. Then, using epichoric (rusticitas nostra), not
mythological, names (§16), he describes (§ 19 – 33) the monthly rising or setting times of
bright constellations serving as nocturnal chronometers, including Arcturus (robeola), Corona
Borealis (sigma), Cygnus (crux maior), Delphinus (crux minor), Auriga (signum Christi), Gemini
(anguis), Pleiades (butrio), and Orion (falx). He describes comets and explains them as omens
(§34), mentioning the comets of 565 and 574 CE. He concludes with a month-by-month
account of the chronometers, from September through August (§ 35 – 47).
Ed.: B. Krusch, Scriptores Rerum Merovingicarum 1.2 (1885; repr. 1969) 404–422.
TTE 238 – 239, Robt. Penkett; BNP 5 (2004) 1030 (#4), U. Eigler.
PTK
GREGORY OF TOURS