The _faces_ shine brilliantly, but they are never seen excepting when they are falling[296]; one of these darted across the heavens, in the sight of all the people, at noon-day, when Germanicus Cæsar was exhibiting a show of gladiators[297]. There are two kinds of them; those which are called _lampades_ and those which are called _bolides_, one of which latter was seen during the troubles at Mutina[298]. They differ from each other in this respect, that the _faces_ produce a long train of light, the fore-part only being on fire; while the _bolides_, being entirely in a state of combustion, leave a still longer track behind them. CHAP. 26.—_TRABES CELESTES_; _CHASMA CŒLI._ The _trabes_ also, which are named δοκοὶ[299], shine in the same manner; one of these was seen at the time when the Lacedæmonians, by being conquered at sea, lost their influence in Greece. An opening sometimes takes place in the firmament, which is named _chasma_[300]. CHAP. 27. (27.)—OF THE COLOURS OF THE SKY AND OF CELESTIAL FLAME. There is a flame of a bloody appearance (and nothing is more dreaded by mortals) which falls down upon the earth[301], such as was seen in the third year of the 103rd olympiad, when King Philip was disturbing Greece. But my opinion is, that these, like everything else, occur at stated, natural periods, and are not produced, as some persons imagine, from a variety of causes, such as their fine genius may suggest. They have indeed been the precursors of great evils, but I conceive that the evils occurred, not because the prodigies took place, but that these took place because the evils were appointed to occur at that period[302]. Their cause is obscure in consequence of their rarity, and therefore we are not as well acquainted with them as we are with the rising of the stars, which I have mentioned, and with eclipses and many other things. CHAP. 28. (28.)—OF CELESTIAL CORONÆ. Stars are occasionally seen along with the sun, for whole days together, and generally round its orb, like wreaths made of the ears of corn, or circles of various colours[303]; such as occurred when Augustus, while a very young man, was entering the city, after the death of his father, in order to take upon himself the great name which he assumed[304]. (29.) The same _coronæ_ occur about the moon and also about the principal stars, which are stationary in the heavens. CHAP. 29.—OF SUDDEN CIRCLES. A bow appeared round the sun in the consulship of L. Opimius and L. Fabius[305], and a circle in that of C. Porcius and M. Acilius. (30.) There was a little circle of a red colour in the consulship of L. Julius and P. Rutilius. CHAP. 30.—OF UNUSUALLY LONG ECLIPSES OF THE SUN. Eclipses of the sun also take place which are portentous and unusually long, such as occurred when Cæsar the Dictator was slain, and in the war against Antony, the sun remained dim for almost a whole year[306]. CHAP. 31. (31.)—MANY SUNS.