A History of Monsters. 731

a hairy star appeared, it was said to concern the King of the Persians, who had a more flowing head of hair—as if the flowing locks of that terrifying star portended this very thing for the Persian King.

Proceeding through the sequence of years, we shall recount some of the more remarkable comets so that we may understand what they foretold. In the year of the world 3553—and 410 years before the birth of the Mother of God, prior to the defeat of the Athenians in Sicily, which happened in the ninety-second Olympiad—a notable comet was seen in the northern region when Eucleas was Praetor at Athens. At that time, according to Plutarch in his life of Nicias, the Athenians were defeated, and Nicias was killed along with many others. Again, in the year of the world 3621, another comet shone near the equinoctial circle. The Athenians, on the advice of Demosthenes, clashed with Philip of Macedon at Chaeronea and were slaughtered.

In the year of the world 3780, and 183 years before the birth of Christ, a massive comet appeared, occupying a quarter of the sky so that the whole world seemed to be on fire everywhere; it lasted eighty days before dissolving. This is said to have portended the civil wars between Sylla and Marius, the deaths of Scipio and Hannibal, and the massacre of the Celtiberians in Spain.

In the year 72 AD, a horrific, sword-shaped comet hung over the city of Jerusalem for an entire year, appearing on the day of Unleavened Bread. From this followed the wretched destruction of the city, in which 1,100,000 Jews perished by famine and the sword, as the Hebrew Josephus wrote extensively in his *History*.

In the year 418 AD, a notable comet was seen, and in that same year, all Jews were expelled from Alexandria. In the year 488, a terrifying comet appeared; it was then that Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, set out from Moesia for Italy, put Odoacer, the King of Italy, to flight, and besieged him in Pavia for three years.

In the year 589, a memorable comet shone for a month; at that time, many princes departed this life, and four years later, Muhammad was born in Arabia, who gave laws to the Saracens.

In the year 729, two memorable comets appeared, one of which preceded the rising sun and the other followed the setting sun; as a result, an immense drought prevailed, and remarkable changes were observed. Likewise, in the year 956, a comet of extraordinary size was seen in Italy, which foretold a notable shortage of provisions.

In the year 1211, a very large and horrible comet shone in Poland, and both Sarmatias were afflicted by heavy wars. Also, in the year 1305, a remarkable comet was seen during Holy Week, and a terrible plague raged throughout almost the entire world. Similarly, in the year 1472, a comet with very long hair appeared at the beginning of the year in the western region; it was located in the first parts of Libra, and its brilliance lasted for eighty days. After it dissipated, another fiery mane appeared under the sign of Aries, and in the following year, everything withered in a drought.

Also, in the year 1504, Agostino Nifo records a comet shining for two years after a conjunction of the superior planets under the sign of Cancer; such a drought dominated the world that from January to November, the people of Lombardy longed for a single drop of rain.

In the year 1556, a comet appeared as a harbinger of French calamity. One can also read some very elegant verses by Cornelius Gemma concerning the prodigious appearance and nature of the comet that shone in 1577, in which these recent comets are compared and said to be the "brooms" of the earth’s illnesses. The verses are as follows:

Jupiter, looking down at the earth from the heavenly citadel, Said, "What is this new madness in all the world?"