Philae, 168 (3), 169. Island in the Nile, just below First Cataract. Seneca seems to confuse it with the so-called island of Meroë, at the junction of the Blue Nile and Atbara. Philip, 110, 207 (2). Father of Alexander the Great; king of Macedonia 359–336 B.C. Philosophers, debt due to the early, 230; credulous folk, 258; severe criticisms of, 125, 175, 288, 289. Philosophy, divisions of, 3; pleasures of, 4, 5; benefits conferred by, 97; delivers its votaries from fear, 225; rewards of, 229; decadence of, 307, 308. ^_a_ Pindar, 258. Greek poet, 522–442 B.C. Pithitae, or pithiae (meteors), 38, 40. Plancus, 160. L. Munatius P., a prominent actor in the civil wars, 48–31 B.C. Planets, colours of, 10; enumerated, 275; fixed number of, 284; orbits of, 285; motions of, 288; possibly greater number of, 297; conspicuous movements of, 298. ^_a_ Plato, 216. Pollux, 11; _see_ Castor. Pompeii, 221, 259 (2). Pompey, 166 (3). Defeated by Caesar 48 B.C., and assassinated shortly after. Pontus (district in N.E. of Asia Minor), 141. Pontus (Black Sea), 153, 176, 180 (?). Portents from meteors, 9, 228, 259; lightning, 79, 86, 93, 94, 95, 215; eclipses, 228; comets, 272, 290, 302. ^_a_ Posidonius, 26, 27, 73, 74, 98 (2), 177, 246, 252, 256, 292, 293. A very distinguished Stoic philosopher, president of that school. Instructor for a time and friend of Cicero. Prosecuted physical investigations with great success. Native of Syria. Lived 135–51 B.C. Posterity, great increase of knowledge to be attained by, 298. Predestination, 85. Prognostications; _see_ Portents. Propontis (Sea of Marmora), 153, 176 (Lower Sea). Providence, 92, 213. Puteoli, 133. On coast of Campania. Pylades, 307. A Cilician; a dancer like Bathyllus. Pyrenees, 5. ^_a_ Pyrrho, 307. Founder of the sect of the Sceptics, native of Elis; flourished about fourth century B.C. ^_a_ Pythagoras, 307. Flourished in second half of sixth century B.C. Pyx, trial of, 180. Rain, Seneca’s observation on descent of, into soil, 117; share of, in final destruction of the world, 143, 144, 149; seasonal variations of, 179; supposed to be influenced by incantations, 182. Rainbow, 16–33. Rainless countries, 167, 173. Red Sea, 112, 153, 168. Regulus, 221. Consul 63. Reverence, duty of, 304. Rhaetian, 35. The reference is to wine grown in the N. of Italy (Cisalpine Gaul). Rhine, 146 (2), 173, 233. Rhodians, 142. Island of Rhodes was at S.W. of Asia Minor. Rhone, 146, 173. Rivers as political boundaries, 5, 233; sources of supply of, 116; underground, 132, 141, 206, 207, 233, 235; summer rise of, 141, 173. Roman, 5, 12, 46, 110, 113, 166. Rome, 110, 166, 182, 209, 307. Roots, disruptive force of, 57. Rulers, counsel to, 90.