Unfortunately, the simplicity of the scheme was a good deal spoiled by the folly of Augustus, who could not bear that the month of his predecessor should have 31 days while the next, the old Sextilis, which he turned into August, named after himself, should have only 30. So he made two months of 31 days come together, and took away a day from February. Afterwards, Nero gave his name to April, and Domitian his to October, but this was more than a long-suffering world could bear, and the new names were gladly forgotten as soon as the tyrants were dead. Although, therefore, Rome was obliged to apply to Alexandria, that is to Greek astronomy, to carry out the project, it was Rome that gave us the most correct and convenient calendar which exists, better in both respects than that which had been used in Greece itself.[61] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [61] The _average_ year was the same, 365¼ days, in the old 8-year cycle of the Greeks, and also in the Calippic cycle, which did not come into practical use. The average year of the Metonic cycle was longer, and therefore departed further from the true tropical year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ But alas! the celestial science, a willing servant as time-measurer for the daily uses of humanity, a docile captive to adorn the triumph of literature, was doomed to a baser servitude. It was in the early days of the Empire, and all through the Middle Ages, that the pseudo-science of Astrology was pursued with passion, and men spent their lives in studying the paths of planets and positions of the stars, urged solely by the delusive hope of being able therefrom to read the book of fate and guide the lives of their superstitious clients. From Chaldea, its ancient home, came the most famous astrologers, but their art was soon learned in every country of Europe, and its professors were sought after by peasants and kings—now reviled and banished as impious and leagued with devils, now loaded with honours and rewards, revered, hated, welcomed, forbidden, but always believed in. Although when Christianity was established the seven planets could no longer be regarded as great gods ruling over the lesser gods of the stars, they were still thought to be mighty revealers of fate. Each had his special attributes and influence over man: the fiery colour of Mars no doubt suggested the warlike and hostile spirit ascribed from time immemorial to this planet-god; the slow motion of Saturn in his distant sphere gave an impression of a mournful morose being, the “frigida Saturni stella” of Virgil; Venus was the planet of love; the sun, of honour and power, and so forth. Each planet was also mysteriously connected with a colour, and, the alchemists said, with a metal; the sun with gold, the moon with silver, Saturn with pale heavy lead, etc. Each also influenced a special part of the body: thus, if Mercury were