History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4Gibbon, Edward
History
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4
Gibbon, Edward
Byzantine Empire -- History -- To 527; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.
97 (return) [ Tzetzes describes the artifice of these
burning-glasses, which he had read, perhaps, with no learned
eyes, in a mathematical treatise of Anthemius. That treatise has
been lately published, translated, and illustrated, by M. Dupuys,
a scholar and a mathematician, (Memoires de l’Academie des
Inscriptions, tom xlii p. 392—451.)]
98 (return) [ In the siege of Syracuse, by the silence of
Polybius, Plutarch, Livy; in the siege of Constantinople, by that
of Marcellinus and all the contemporaries of the vith century.]
99 (return) [ Without any previous knowledge of Tzetzes or
Anthemius, the immortal Buffon imagined and executed a set of
burning-glasses, with which he could inflame planks at the
distance of 200 feet, (Supplement a l’Hist. Naturelle, tom. i.
399—483, quarto edition.) What miracles would not his genius have
performed for the public service, with royal expense, and in the
strong sun of Constantinople or Syracuse?]
100 (return) [ John Malala (tom. ii. p. 120—124) relates the
fact; but he seems to confound the names or persons of Proclus
and Marinus.]
101 (return) [ Agathias, l. v. p. 149—152. The merit of Anthemius
as an architect is loudly praised by Procopius (de Edif. l. i. c.
1) and Paulus Silentiarius, (part i. 134, &c.)]
102 (return) [ See Procopius, (de Edificiis, l. i. c. 1, 2, l.
ii. c. 3.) He relates a coincidence of dreams, which supposes
some fraud in Justinian or his architect. They both saw, in a
vision, the same plan for stopping an inundation at Dara. A stone
quarry near Jerusalem was revealed to the emperor, (l. v. c. 6:)
an angel was tricked into the perpetual custody of St. Sophia,
(Anonym. de Antiq. C. P. l. iv. p. 70.)]
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