(109.) Dionysodorus is certainly less worthy of confidence[752]; but I cannot omit this most remarkable instance of Grecian vanity. He was a native of Melos, and was celebrated for his knowledge of geometry; he died of old age in his native country. His female relations, who inherited his property, attended his funeral, and when they had for several successive days performed the usual rites, they are said to have found in his tomb an epistle written in his own name to those left above; it stated that he had descended from his tomb to the lowest part of the earth, and that it was a distance of 42,000 stadia. There were not wanting certain geometricians, who interpreted this epistle as if it had been sent from the middle of the globe, the point which is at the greatest distance from the surface, and which must necessarily be the centre of the sphere. Hence the estimate has been made that it is 252,000 stadia in circumference. CHAP. 113.—THE HARMONICAL PROPORTION OF THE UNIVERSE. That harmonical proportion, which compels nature to be always consistent with itself, obliges us to add to the above measure, 12,000 stadia; and this makes the earth one ninety-sixth part of the whole universe. * * * * * SUMMARY.—The facts, statements, and observations contained in this Book amount in number to 417. ROMAN AUTHORS QUOTED.—M. Varro[753], Sulpicius Gallus[754], Titus Cæsar[755] the Emperor, Q. Tubero[756], Tullius Tiro[757], L. Piso[758], T. Livius[759], Cornelius Nepos[760], Sebosus[761], Cælius Antipater[762], Fabianus[763], Antias[764], Mucianus[765], Cæcina[766], who wrote on the Etruscan discipline, Tarquitius[767], who did the same, Julius Aquila[768], who also did the same, and Sergius[769]. FOREIGN AUTHORS QUOTED.—Plato[770], Hipparchus[771], Timæus[772], Sosigenes[773], Petosiris[774], Necepsos[775], the Pythagorean[776] Philosophers, Posidonius[777], Anaximander[778], Epigenes[779] the philosopher who wrote on Gnomonics, Euclid[780], Cœranus[781] the philosopher, Eudoxus[782], Democritus[783], Critodemus[784], Thrasyllus[785], Serapion[786], Dicæarchus[787], Archimedes[788], Onesicritus[789], Eratosthenes[790], Pytheas[791], Herodotus[792], Aristotle[793], Ctesias[794], Artemidorus[795] of Ephesus, Isidorus[796] of Charax, and Theopompus[797]. BOOK III. AN ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, NATIONS, SEAS, TOWNS, HAVENS, MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, DISTANCES, AND PEOPLES WHO NOW EXIST OR FORMERLY EXISTED. INTRODUCTION.