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I19
been avoicled
rbout
Accorcling to Aetius
irvolvi'g
and this is far from certain,3 it is harrl to creilit that any amou't
of Orphic plejuclice coulcl have led him to go against the facts of
observation. Tliis Empeclocles rvould have had to do if he rrelcl that
an egg-shaped cosmos rotated about its shorter axis. Accorcling to
bis vielv the cosmos lvas bourrded by a solid, crystalline heaven to
lvliich the fixed stars rvere attachecl.a If this heaven lvas egg-shaped,
then to observers on the earth the stals near to the horizon at two
opposite qur'te's of it rvo,lcl apper' to be closer than those at the
other tr,vo quarte's. As lfeath s sarv, such a cliffic'lty could o'ly have
xap"o't, )J.r
).Lyov
Parn J. BrcrNnn
(Orforcl, 191.3), p.87, note 1. 6 F.'ltttt'ttn, Die Philosopltie tlcr Crie'
I, erl. 7 cnlargctl by \V. NESTLU, p. 980, note 2. 7 Parmenitle-', I)K
28.B.81ines,12-{9. I -A.etius 1.5.2 (DK 31.A..47). s Sec CurIInIr, HGP,
lI, p. 180.
Sro,s
clrcn,