C., and that the eclipse must have been that of March 7, 51 B.C.
The circumstances of this eclipse have been investigated by Hind, who
found that the eclipse was an annular one, the annular phase lasting 61/2
minutes in Northern Italy.

Arago associates the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. with an annular
eclipse of the Sun, but seemingly without sufficient warrant. The actual
record is to the effect that about the time of the great warrior's death
there was an extraordinary dimness of the Sun. Whatever it was that was
noticed, clearly it could not have been an annular eclipse, because no
such eclipse then happened. Johnson suggests that Arago confused the
record of some meteorological interference with the Sun's light with the
annular eclipse that happened seven years previously when Caesar passed
the Rubicon, to which eclipse allusion has already been made. That there
was for a long while a great deficiency of sunshine in Italy about the
time of Caesar's death seems clear from remarks made by Pliny, Plutarch,
and Tibullus, and the words of Suetonius seem to imply something of a
meteorological character. I should not have mentioned this matter at
all, but for Arago's high repute as an astronomer. According to
Seneca[58] during an eclipse a comet was also seen.

It is an interesting question to inquire whether any allusions to
eclipses are to be found in Homer, and no very certain answer can be
given. In the _Iliad_ (book xvii., lines 366-8) the following passage
will be found:--"Nor would you say that the Sun was safe, or the Moon,
for they were wrapt in dark haze in the course of the combat."

In the _Odyssey_ (book xx., lines 356-7) we find:--"And the Sun has
utterly perished from heaven and an evil gloom is overspread." This was
considered by old commentators to be an allusion to an eclipse, and in
the opinion of W. W. Merry[59] "this is not impossible, as they were
celebrating the Festival of the New Moon."

Certainly this language has somewhat the savour of a total eclipse of
the Sun, but it is difficult to say whether the allusion is historic,
as of a fact that had happened, or only a vague generality. Perhaps the
latter is the most justifiable surmise.

I have in the many preceding pages been citing ancient eclipses, for the
reason, more or less plainly expressed, that they are of value to
astronomers as assisting to define the theory of the Moon's motions in
its orbit, and this they should do; but it is no