Dante and the early astronomers . ution combined, the eclipse becomes visible successively from different parts of the earth. Dante realized this when he quoted the argument of some theologians that the miraculous three-hours darkness described in the Gospels could338 CELESTIAL PHENOMENA AND TIME. 339 not have been caused by an eclipse of the sun, asAquinas and others had suggested, because it wasvisible all over the earth at the same absolute time,that is, during the Crucifixion.^ Some said, he tells us,that the moon went back and placed herself betweenus and the sun (for the moon at Passover
Dante and the early astronomers . ution combined, the eclipse becomes visible successively from different parts of the earth. Dante realized this when he quoted the argument of some theologians that the miraculous three-hours darkness described in the Gospels could338 CELESTIAL PHENOMENA AND TIME. 339 not have been caused by an eclipse of the sun, asAquinas and others had suggested, because it wasvisible all over the earth at the same absolute time,that is, during the Crucifixion.^ Some said, he tells us,that the moon went back and placed herself betweenus and the sun (for the moon at Passover time wasalways full, and therefore opposite the sun), so that thesuns light should not come down (to us on the earth);others, that the sun hid itself, for a correspondingeclipse was seen by Spaniards and Indians as well asJews.^ Spaniards and Indians were supposed to live atthe extreme western and eastern limits of the habitableearth: they were 180° in longitude, or 12 hours intime, apart, and Jerusalem was midway between oonMoon, tarin eclipsed eclipsing Sun Fig. 44. Lunar and Solar Eclipses. Therefore the sun would be visible to all, though onlyjust rising in India and just setting in Spain ;^ but itoould not have been an eclipse that darkened it to allat the same time. This passage shows that Dante was entirely orthodoxand conservative in his geography, as far as longitudewas concerned, and confirms us in the conclusion thathe was so also with regard to latitude, and was notlikely to accept contemporary evidence about landssouth of the equator, or stars unknown to Ptolemy. 1 Luke xxiii. 44. Par. xxix. 97-102. ^ Dan to believed the death of Christ to have taken place when it waanoon in Jerusalem. Conv. IV. xxiii. 105-10(5. 340 CELESTIAL PHENOMENA AND TIME. In the Divine Comedy there are several passages whichrefer to the same system, as for instance where Nightis described as covering the whole region from theShore to Morocco,^ or where the time is stated to benoon o
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