Mr. E. B. Knobel has called attention to a curious remark of Ptolemy with reference to the bright star Antares (α Scorpii), "Media earum quæ _tendit ad rapinam_ quæ dicitur Cor Scorpionis"; and he made a similar remark with reference to Betelgeuse (α Orionis) and others. But Mr. Robert Brown[418] explains the remark by the fact that in ancient times these stars rose in the morning at a time when caravans were exposed to dangers from robbers. Thus the term had nothing to do with the aspect or colour of these stars, but was merely a reference to their supposed astrological influence on human affairs. In the Egyptian _Book of the Dead_, Silkit was a goddess who assumed the form of a scorpion in the sky. She was supposed to be the daughter of _Ra_. With reference to stars "outside" the ancient figure of Scorpio, the first, Al-Sufi says, "is a star which immediately follows _al-schaulat_" [λ] and κ, "it is of small 4th magnitude; Ptolemy calls it νεφελοειδης" [nebulous]. Schjelerup, in his translation of Al-Sufi's work, does not identify this object; but it is very evidently γ Telescopii, which lies exactly in the position described by Al-Sufi. Now, it is a very interesting and curious fact that Ptolemy called it nebulous, for in the same telescopic field with it is the nebula _h_ 3705 (= Dunlop 557). Dunlop describes it as a "small well-defined rather bright nebula, about 20" in diameter; a very small star precedes it, but is not involved; following γ Telescopii." Sir John Herschel at the Cape found it fairly resolved into very faint stars, and adds, "The whole _ground_ of the heavens, for an immense extent is thickly sown with such stars. A beautiful object."[419] This perhaps accounts for the nebulous appearance of the star as seen by Ptolemy. Several _novæ_ or temporary stars are recorded as having appeared in Scorpio. One in the year B.C. 134 is stated by Pliny to have induced Hipparchus to form his catalogue of stars. This star was also observed in China. Its exact position is unknown, but Flammarion thinks it may possibly have appeared about 4° north of the star β Scorpii. Another new star is said to have appeared in A.D. 393, somewhere in the Scorpion's tail. One in A.D. 1203 and another in 1584 are also mentioned, the latter near π Scorpii. The constellation Scorpio seems to be referred to by Dante in his _Purgatorio_ (ix. 4-6) in the lines-- "De gemma la sua fronte era lucenta Poste in figura del fredda animale Che con la coda percota la genta," perhaps suggested by Ovid's remark-- "Scorpius exhibit caudaque menabitur unca."[420]