Tabular Summary of Comets

SYLLECTA CLASSICA 17 (2006) 29 TABULAR SUMMARY OF COMETS KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS App. = Appendix I: Objects that are not Comets. B = Barrett (1978). G = Gundel (1921). K = Kronk (1999). K unc. = Appendix I, Uncertain Objects in Kronk (1999). P = Pingré (1783). Y = Yeomans (1991). KEY TO SYMBOLS N= reported by a possible eyewitness. [ ] in the Date column = listings in previous catalogues that are rejected here. [ ] in the Event column = events not explicitly associated in the sources with the comet. ( ) in the Sources column = sources that are unquestionably derivative . Bolding singles out “Major Comets”, those of great magnitude, duration , or length. A comet icon in column two indicates by the presence or absence of a question mark the degree of certainty with which an object can be classified as a comet. A check in column three signifies the existence of possible corroborating evidence from Asia. Column four gives the record number for comets and possible comets listed in the main body of the catalogue (nos. 1–51) and in Appendix I of non-comets (nos. 1a–22a), while column five identifies the object by name (e.g. Halley) or by the historical context in which it is reported. 30 SYLLECTA CLASSICA 17 (2006) Date Classification NonEuropean Evidence Fifth Century B.C. 481? (Sept.– Dec.) ✓ 1 [480] 467? ✓ 2 430 1a App. 426 Jan.–Feb. N 3 [410] Fourth Century B.C. 394 2a App. 372 (Jan./ Feb.?) N 4 [372/1] 350/49 3a App. Record Number TABULAR SUMMARY 31 Name and / or Historical Event Sources Divergences from Previous Catalogues Battle of Salamis (Sept. 480) Plin.; Lyd. 480 B.C. (G/B/Y/K) G/B (see no. 1) Anaxagoras and meteorite Arist.; Sen.; Plin.; Plut. 468/7 B.C. (G) Plague at Athens Man. 410 B.C. (G) Earthquakes [plague at Athens?] [Hippocr.]; Arist.; Man. G (see no. 1a) Battle of Cnidus (Aug.) Plin. G/B/Y/K omit Aristotle’s “Great Comet ” Ephor.; Arist. (x3); Callisth.; Diod. Sic.; Sen.; Paus. 373/2 B.C. (G/B) Buris and Helike destroyed Battle of Leuctra (July? 371) B: Diod. Sic. 15.50 Warfare in Greece: Philip II Plin. G/B/Y/K omit 32 SYLLECTA CLASSICA 17 (2006) 346? 5 344 (Mar.?) 6 341/0 N 7 303/2 N? (July-Dec. 303?) ✓ 8 Third Century B.C. 216 9 204 Aug.– Sept. ✓ 10 203 11 Second Century B.C. 176 12 174 4a App. 169 13 168 5a App. 167 14 166 15 163 (Sept?) ✓ 16 Date Class. Non- Eur. Record Number TABULAR SUMMARY 33 Hippeus comet turns into acontias (“javelin”) Plin. 345/4 B.C. (G/B) Y omits; K unc. Torch of Timoleon Diod. Sic.; Plut. Y/K unc. Storm at Corinth Arist. Expedition of Lysimachus to Asia Minor (spring 302?) Marm. Par. Battle of Cannae (Aug.) Sil. Ital. P/Y omit; K. unc. Second Punic War Liv. Second Punic War Liv. Y/K omit Death of consul Liv. Y omits; K unc. Plague Liv. G omits Third Macedonian War Liv. G/Y omit; K unc. Battle of Pydna Sen. After Illyrian and Macedonian Wars Liv.; Obseq. Y omits; K unc. [historical context not given] Obseq. Y omits; K unc. [historical context not given] Obseq. Event Sources Divergences 34 SYLLECTA CLASSICA 17 (2006) 147 Aug. ✓ 17 137 Sept.– Oct. ✓ 18 135 July– Sept. ✓ 19 134 June– July? ✓ 6a App. 119 Mar.– June ✓ 20 106 7a App. 104? 19 July 21 First Century B.C. 100 8a App. 94 22 92 23 91 9a App. 88 10a App. 87 July–Aug. N ✓ 24 76 ✓ 11a App. Date Class. Non- Eur. Record Number TABULAR SUMMARY 35 Achaian War Comet Sen.; Obseq. [Numantine War?] Obseq. 1st Mithridatic Comet King Mithridates born Sen.; Justin 134 B.C. (B/G) “New star” of Hipparchus? Plin.; Obseq. 2nd Mithridatic Comet King Mithridates ascends throne Justin [historical context not given] Obseq. K/Y omit Posidonius’s eclipse comet Sen. 94 B.C. (G/B) Y omits; K unc. [historical context not given] Obseq. [historical context not given] Obseq. Y omits; K unc. [historical context not given] Obseq. Y omits; K unc. Social War Obseq.; Oros. Outbreak of First Mithridatic War Obseq...