a history of science-1-第16章

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lave　for　slave。　220。　If　he　has　opened　his　tumor　with　a　bronze　lancet　and　has　ruined　his　eye；　he　shall　pay　the　half　of　his　price　in　money。　221。　If　a　doctor　has　cured　the　broken　limb　of　a　man；　or　has　healed　his　sick　body；　the　patient　shall　pay　the　doctor　five　shekels　of　silver。　222。　If　it　was　a　freedman；　he　shall　give　three　shekels　of　silver。　223。　If　it　was　a　man's　slave；　the　owner　of　the　slave　shall　give　two　shekels　of　silver　to　the　doctor。　224。　If　the　doctor　of　oxen　and　asses　has　treated　an　ox　or　an　ass　for　a　grave　wound　and　has　cured　it；　the　owner　of　the　ox　or　the　ass　shall　give　to　the　doctor　as　his　pay　one…sixth　of　a　shekel　of　silver。　225。　If　he　has　treated　an　ox　or　an　ass　for　a　severe　wound　and　has　caused　its　death；　he　shall　pay　one…fourth　of　its　price　to　the　owner　of　the　ox　or　the　ass。　226。　If　a　barber…surgeon；　without　consent　of　the　owner　of　a　slave；　has　branded　the　slave　with　an　indelible　mark；　one　shall　cut　off　the　hands　of　that　barber。　227。　If　any　one　deceive　the　surgeon…barber　and　make　him　brand　a　slave　with　an　indelible　mark；　one　shall　kill　that　man　and　bury　him　in　his　house。　The　barber　shall　swear；　〃I　did　not　mark　him　wittingly；〃　and　he　shall　be　guiltless。

ESTIMATES　OF　BABYLONIAN　SCIENCE　Before　turning　from　the　Oriental　world　it　is　perhaps　worth　while　to　attempt　to　estimate　somewhat　specifically　the　world…influence　of　the　name；　Babylonian　science。　Perhaps　we　cannot　better　gain　an　idea　as　to　the　estimate　put　upon　that　science　by　the　classical　world　than　through　a　somewhat　extended　quotation　from　a　classical　author。　Diodorus　Siculus；　who；　as　already　noted；　lived　at　about　the　time　of　Augustus；　and　who；　therefore；　scanned　in　perspective　the　entire　sweep　of　classical　Greek　history；　has　left　us　a　striking　summary　which　is　doubly　valuable　because　of　its　comparisons　of　Babylonian　with　Greek　influence。　Having　viewed　the　science　of　Babylonia　in　the　light　of　the　interpretations　made　possible　by　the　recent　study　of　original　documents；　we　are　prepared　to　draw　our　own　conclusions　from　the　statements　of　the　Greek　historian。　Here　is　his　estimate　in　the　words　of　the　quaint　translation　made　by　Philemon　Holland　in　the　year　1700：＇23＇

〃They　being　the　most　ancient　Babylonians；　hold　the　same　station　and　dignity　in　the　Common…wealth　as　the　Egyptian　Priests　do　in　Egypt：　For　being　deputed　to　Divine　Offices；　they　spend　all　their　Time　in　the　study　of　Philosophy；　and　are　especially　famous　for　the　Art　of　Astrology。　They　are　mightily　given　to　Divination；　and　foretel　future　Events；　and　imploy　themselves　either　by　Purifications；　Sacrifices；　or　other　Inchantments　to　avert　Evils；　or　procure　good　Fortune　and　Success。　They　are　skilful　likewise　in　the　Art　of　Divination；　by　the　flying　of　Birds；　and　interpreting　of　Dreams　and　Prodigies：　And　are　reputed　as　true　Oracles　（in　declaring　what　will　come　to　pass）　by　their　exact　and　diligent　viewing　the　Intrals　of　the　Sacrifices。　But　they　attain　not　to　this　Knowledge　in　the　same　manner　as　the　Grecians　do；　for　the　Chaldeans　learn　it　by　Tradition　from　their　Ancestors；　the　Son　from　the　Father；　who　are　all　in　the　mean　time　free　from　all　other　publick　Offices　and　Attendances；　and　because　their　Parents　are　their　Tutors；　they　both　learn　every　thing　without　Envy；　and　rely　with　more　confidence　upon　the　truth　of　what　is　taught　them；　and　being　train'd　up　in　this　Learning；　from　their　very　Childhood；　they　become　most　famous　Philosophers；　（that　Age　being　most　capable　of　Learning；　wherein　they　spend　much　of　their　time）。　But　the　Grecians　for　the　most　part　come　raw　to　this　study；　unfitted　and　unprepar'd；　and　are　long　before　they　attain　to　the　Knowledge　of　this　Philosophy：　And　after　they　have　spent　some　small　time　in　this　Study；　they　are　many　times　call'd　off　and　forc'd　to　leave　it；　in　order　to　get　a　Livelihood　and　Subsistence。　And　although　some；　few　do　industriously　apply　themselves　to　Philosophy；　yet　for　the　sake　of　Gain；　these　very　Men　are　opinionative；　and　ever　and　anon　starting　new　and　high　Points；　and　never　fix　in　the　steps　of　their　Ancestors。　But　the　Barbarians　keeping　constantly　close　to　the　same　thing；　attain　to　a　perfect　and　distinct　Knowledge　in　every　particular。　〃But　the　Grecians；　cunningly　catching　at　all　Opportunities　of　Gain；　make　new　Sects　and　Parties；　and　by　their　contrary　Opinions　wrangling　and　quarelling　concerning　the　chiefest　Points；　lead　their　Scholars　into　a　Maze；　and　being　uncertain　and　doubtful　what　to　pitch　upon　for　certain　truth；　their　Minds　are　fluctuating　and　in　suspence　all　the　days　of　their　Lives；　and　unable　to　give　a　certain　assent　unto　any　thing。　For　if　any　Man　will　but　examine　the　most　eminent　Sects　of　the　Philosophers；　he　shall　find　them　much　differing　among　themselves；　and　even　opposing　one　another　in　the　most　weighty　parts　of　their　Philosophy。　But　to　return　to　the　Chaldeans；　they　hold　that　the　World　is　eternal；　which　had　neither　any　certain　Beginning；　nor　shall　have　any　End；　but　all　agree；　that　all　things　are　order'd；　and　this　beautiful　Fabrick　is　supported　by　a　Divine　Providence；　and　that　the　Motions　of　the　Heavens　are　not　perform'd　by　chance　and　of　their　own　accord；　but　by　a　certain　and　determinate　Will　and　Appointment　of　the　Gods。　〃Therefore　from　a　long　observation　of　the　Stars；　and　an　exact　Knowledge　of　the　motions　and　influences　of　every　one　of　them；　wherein　they　excel　all　others；　they　fortel　many　things　that　are　to　come　to　pass。　〃They　say　that　the　Five　Stars　which　some　call　Planets；　but　they　Interpreters；　are　most　worthy　of　Consideration；　both　for　their　motions　and　their　remarkable　influences；　especially　that　which　the　Grecians　call　Saturn。　The　brightest　of　them　all；　and　which　often　portends　many　and　great　Events；　they　call　Sol；　the　other　Four　they　name　Mars；　Venus；　Mercury；　and　Jupiter；　with　our　own　Country　Astrologers。　They　give　the　Name　of　Interpreters　to　these　Stars；　because　these　only　by　a　peculiar　Motion　do　portend　things　to　come；　and　instead　of　Jupiters；　do　declare　to　Men　before…hand　the　good…　will　of　the　Gods；　whereas　the　other　Stars　（not　being　of　the　number　of　the　Planets）　have　a　constant　ordinary　motion。　Future　Events　（they　say）　are　pointed　at　sometimes　by　their　Rising；　and　sometimes　by　their　Setting；　and　at　other　times　by　their　Colour；　as　may　be　experienc'd　by　those　that　will　diligently　observe　it；　sometimes　foreshewing　Hurricanes；　at　other　times　Tempestuous　Rains；　and　then　again　exceeding　Droughts。　By　these；　they　say；　are　often　portended　the　appearance　of　Comets；　Eclipses　of　the　Sun　and　Moon；　Earthquakes　and　all　other　the　various　Changes　and　remarkable　effects　in　the　Air；　boding　good　and　bad；　not　only　to　Nations　in　general；　but　to　Kings　and　Private　Persons　in　particular。　Under　the　course　of　these　Planets；　they　say　are　Thirty　Stars；　which　they　call　Counselling　Gods；　half　of　whom　observe　what　is　done　under　the　Earth；　and　the　other　half　take　notice　of　the　actions　of　Men　upon　the　Earth；　and　what　is　transacted　in　the　Heavens。　Once　every　Ten　Days　space　（they　say）　one　of　the　highest　Order　of　these　Stars　descends　to　them　that　are　of　the　lowest；　like　a　Messenger　sent　from　them　above；　and　then　again　another　ascends　from　those　below　to　them　above；　and　that　this　is　their　constant　natural　motion　to　continue　for　ever。　The　chief　of　these　Gods；　they　say；　are　Twelve　in　number；　to　each　of　which　they　attribute　a　Month；　and　one　Sign　of　the　Twelve　in　the　Zodiack。　〃Through　these　Twelve　Signs　the　Sun；　Moon；　and　the　other　Five　Planets　run　their　Course。　The　Sun　in　a　Years　time；　and　the　Moon　in　the　space　of　a　Month。　To　every　one　of　the　Planets　they　assign　their　own　proper　Courses；　which　are　perform'd　variously　in　lesser　or　shorter　time　according　as　their　several　motions　are　quicker　or　slower。　These　Stars；　they　say；　have　a　great　influence　both　as　to　good　and　bad　in　Mens　Nativities；　and　from　the　consideration　of　their　several　Natures；　may　be　foreknown　what　will　befal　Men　afterwards。　As　they　foretold　things　to　come　to　other　Kings　formerly；　so　they　did　to　Alexander　who　conquer'd　Darius；　and　to　his　Successors　Antigonus　and　Seleucus　Nicator；　and　accordingly　things　fell　out　as　they　declar'd；　which　we　shall　relate　particularly　hereafter　in　a　more　convenient　time。　They　tell　likewise　private　Men　their　Fortunes　so　certainly；　that　those　who　have　found　the　thing　true　by　Experience；　have　esteem'd　it　a　Miracle；　and　abov