Abstract
The Moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical. The Moon’s distance from the Earth fluctuates roughly from a minimum of 356,500 km to a maximum of 406,500 km, and works out at an average of 381,500 km.
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Notes
- 1.
The square of 1.065 divided by the square of 0.935 is around 1.30: 1.0652 ÷ 0.9352 = 1.297.
- 2.
Perigee and apogee are constantly varying—either increasing or decreasing—between the values of minimum perigee and maximum apogee. Yet “the extreme perigees and apogees take place only during the winter in the northern hemisphere, the period of the year when the Earth is closest to the Sun. For instance, all 14 closest perigees during a period from 1500 to 2500 CE fall between 6 December and 9 February”, notes Meeus 1997, p. 15. He concludes: “It is evident that the Earth’s variable distance from the Sun somewhat affects the Earth-Moon distance.”
- 3.
0.1114 = 360 ÷ 3,233.
- 4.
See Chap. 13.
- 5.
Geminus, Introduction to the Phenomena, 18.2–18.3.
- 6.
Simplicius, Commentary on De Coelo, 2.12.
- 7.
Geminus, Introduction to the Phenomena, 18.4–18.5 and 19.
- 8.
Please see again note 2.
- 9.
It is, of course, true that the moveable feasts in our own calendar, such as Easter, are associated with the motion of the Moon, while our fixed holidays, such as Christmas, are associated with the Sun’s motion.
- 10.
Hesiod, Theogony, 411–415 and 421–422: Ἤ δ᾽ ὑποκυσαμένη Ἑκάτην τέκε, τὴν περὶ πάντων / Ζεὺς Κρονίδης τίμησε· πόρεν δέ οἱ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα, / μοῖραν ἔχειν γαίης τε καὶ ἀτρυγέτοιο θαλάσσης. / Ἥ δὲ καὶ ἀστερόεντος ἀπ᾽ οὐρανοῦ ἔμμορε τιμῆς / ἀθανάτοις τε θεοῖσι τετιμένη ἐστὶ μάλιστα […] / Οσσοι γὰρ Γαίης τε καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἐξεγένοντο / καὶ τιμὴν ἔλαχον, τούτων ἔχει αἶσαν ἁπάντων.
- 11.
Orphic Hymns, 1.1–1.2 and 7: […] τριοδιτιν, / […] ουρανιαν χθονιαν τε και ειναλιαν, / […] παντος κοσμου κληδουχον ανασσαν.
- 12.
Ovid, Fasti, 1.141–1.142: Ora vides Hecates in tres vertentia partes, / servet ut in ternas compita secta vias.
- 13.
Plutarch, de facie, 937E: καιτοι μιαν ου κινειται κινησιν αλλ’, ως που και λεγεται, Τριοδιτις εστιν, αμα μηκος επι του ζωδιακου και πλατος αντιϕερομενη και βαθος. ον την μεν περιδρομην την δ’ελικα την δ’ουκ οιδα πως ανωμαλιαν ονομαζουσιν οι μαθηματικοι.
- 14.
See: Ovid, Metamorphosis, 7.179–7.194; Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica, 7.331 and 335; Virgil, Aeneid, 6.247 and 255; 4.584–4.585 and 609; Homeric Hymn to Demeter, 52; Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 3.251, 828 and 842; 956; 1029; 1224; 1407.
- 15.
In reality, the Goddess’s sphere of competence is worthy of greater study (Hesiod, Theogony, 411–452), as is her relationship with the Lares, especially the Lar familiaris who, in the name of and on behalf of Vulcan, at the Matralia on 11 June conceived Servius Tullius with Ocresia (Ovid, F. 6.627–6.636); Servius Tullius was later to institute the Compitalia (Pliny, Naturalis Historia, 36.204; Dionysius, Roman Antiquities, 4.14.3; Macrobius, Saturnalia, 1.7.34) and, perhaps, establish the Volcanal.
As for Vulcan, his Greek counterpart Hephaestus was born to Hera without Zeus’s intervention in response to Zeus’s giving birth to Athena without Hera’s intervention. Similarly, Athena represents the Moon in eclipse, whereas Hephaestus represents the Sun in eclipse. The mythical love between Hephaestus and Aphrodite reflects the fact that during a total solar eclipse, in full daylight the planet Venus is observable, inevitably in proximity to the Sun.
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Magini, L. (2015). The Revolution of the Line of Apsides, and the Feast of Compitalia . In: Stars, Myths and Rituals in Etruscan Rome. Space and Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07266-1_19
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