96 Eclipse Reports from Antiquity
reported year, conventional identification, alternative retrocalculation, deviation of dates
    

Remark: If there were no logical interrelation between the historical eclipses and the retocalculated ones, one should expect just a few matches and no cumulation for particular spans of deviation.

In fact, from the traditionally reported eclipses, 23 deviate by 300 and 2 by 299 years from retocalculation. 15 of these show the exactly identical deviation with 300 years minus 46 days (i.e. 109529 days = 15647 weeks = 3709 synodical months). Another 34 eclipses deviate by 354 years minus 13 days!


Source of historical report

Type
S|M

Retrocalc.
konv. [yr CE.]

Sort,
cover

Comment:   sort, place
  visibility   « cons. || alt. »

Retrocalc.
alternative

Dev: yrs
+days

Ugarit

T

17. Jun -1218

0%

«  14h || T. Mars, 12h»

4. Jul. -856

+408-16d

†Patroclos ↓Troia

T

Solst. -420uc

T

 « Noon, Karatepe? »

4. Jul. -856

+408-16d

L. Tarrut. ~-20auc

S

15. Jun -762

V

« 62% || 93%: Rome »

30. Apr. -462

+300

Babylon, sun darkS15. Jun -76280%« || R: Babylon »14. Jun. -393+369

Antimachus

S

25. Jun. -744

54%

« A. of.Theos || A. of Colophon »

17. Feb. -477

+267

Rom Founded
  S *
21. April -752T« Rome, 'Pariliae' »22. Apr. -350+402 

† Romulus 37.

S

17. Jul. -708

T

« T: Rome, Troop review, Mars »

15. Aug.  -309 +401

Almagest:1 Mardok

M

19. Mar. -720

T

«dT=21650 || dT=15770»

6. Mär. -366

+354-13d

2 Mardokempad

M

8. Mar. -719

>25%

« 12% || 68%  »

23. Feb. -365

+354-13d

2 Mardokempad

M

01. Sep. -719

>50%

«  50% || T  »

9. Aug. -365

+354-13d

Maximus Thyrus

R

27. Jun. -660

R

«  T: Clazomenae  »

14. Aug -309

+351

Archilochus

T

6. Apr. -676

T

«  9-10 h || T: noon  »

16. Aug. -309

+338

Psammetrich

T

30. Sep. -609

40%

« T: Baltic || T. Assiut »

16. Sep. -255

+354-13d

Halys, HerodotT28. May  -584T« T: forenoon »5. May -229+355
Chaldäer (Hipp)
M22. Sep. -50830%« Äquinox, ~24h; 191ce -345j»24.Sep. -154+353
Sardis, LykiaT17. Feb. -47780%«|| spring, morning  T: »6. Apr. -126 +351
SalamisT2. Oct. -47958%«  || T: Salamis  » 7. Sep. -124+355
35.Artaxerxes I. (II.?)
S11. Apr. -368R« Babylon »6. März -77+354 -13d

Thukydides

  T *

3. Aug. -430

R

«80% || T:Athens, morn., Stars»

8. May -72

+358

Thukydides

S

21. May -423

V

«60%, yr.8 || P: begin Summer»

28. May -60

+363

Thukydides

M

27. Aug. -412

M

« yr 18 Pelopon. War || »

7. Dez -55

+357

Xenoph: PeisanderS14. Aug. -393P« Boeotia, crescent || »21. Aug -49

+354-13d

Plutarch: Pelopidas

S

13. Juli -363

P

« 80% || sunrise 57% »

31. Jul. -39

+354-13d

Ennius ~350auc  S *
20. Mar. -403T« Rome, Nono Iuni »2. June -9+394
Cuneiform Tab.S11. Apr. -36843%« sunrise || 9h 87% »7. Apr. -23+345
†Philipp MacedonS4. Jul. -33579%«T: Egypt || Pella»21. Jun. 19+354 -13d
Gaugamela  M *
20. Sep. -330T«Ecl. +Jupiter↓ +Saturn↑»7. Sep. 24+354 -13d
BabylonS6. Oct. -330T«predict 4 m. after sunset»21. Sep. 24+354 -13d
2.Phil. ArrhidaiosS26. Sep. -32220%«3° before sunset || »12. Sep. 33+354 -13d
1.AntiochusS30. Jan. -28120%«9h || »5. Jan. 75+354 -13d
Cuneiform Tab.S31. Jan. -25330%«14h || »27. Dez. 102+354 -13d
Cuneiform Tab.S4. Mai -24870%«12h || »21. Apr. 106+354 -13d
Cuneiform Tab.S6. Jun. -19425%«4h after sunrise || »23. Mai  160+354 -13d
Cuneiform Tab.S14. Mar. -18940%«2h after sunrise || »28. Feb. 165+354 -13d
Cuneiform Tab.S28. Jul. -16933%«80min before sunset || »4. Jul. 186+354 -13d
Livy  XXXVII.4

S

17. Jul. -187

T

« P: 5 Id.Jul, Rom 50% »

4. Jul. 167

+354 -13d

Hipparch  S *
20. Nov. -128T« T. Hellespont, ⅘ Alexandria »
4. Sep. 164 +354
Hipparch  S *
7. Sep. -124T« T. Xantos, Massilia » 
19. Feb. 174 +354
HipparchM20. Sep. -163T« T. Alexandria 23h » ??
20. Sep. 191 +354
HipparchM20. Sep. -171T« T. Alexandria »20. Sep. 210 +354
Cuneiform Tab.S15. Apr. -135T«T:Babylon MeVeMaJ S»2. Apr. 219+354 -13d
Publ. AfricanusS10. July  -189T« T. Rom»1. Jun.  113+302-46d
Livius XXXVII.4
S
11. July -189
T
 «quintum idus Quinctiles² »
11. Jul. 133
+300

Plutarch: Pydna 

M

22. Jun. -167

T

 « Summers end, 4.9.? »

6. May 133

+300-46

Zama-Battle

S

19. Oct. -201

10%

« T. Karthago »

11. April 153

+354 

Julius Obsequens

S

19. Jul. -103

R

     Julius O. lived in 4th cy. A.D.:

3. Jun. 197

+300 -46d

Julius Obsequens

S

29. Jun. -93

R

3 eclipses separated 10 + 30 yrs

14. May 207

+300 -46d

Julius Obsequens

S

-59 ?

X

       ||  evening  »

12. Apr. 237

+300

Augustus' deadS<18. Aug. 14 ??V

|| R: Nola/Naples »

27. Jul. 306+292
PhlegonS   202. OlympiadT|| R. Rome/Alexandria  »17. Jul. 334+297

Agrippina 

S

30. Apr. 59

80%

|| T: Rome Campania+Armenia»

15. Mar. 359

+300 -46d

Plutarch (of Athens?)
S20. Mar.71T
 || T. Athens, Chaironaia 13h
19. Jul. 418
+354 -7yr

Pliny Elder (trad.+7yr)

S+M

20. Mar.71

30%

«Lun. Ecl.+15d» Vespasian 3.Co

16. Jun. 364

+293 +7yr

†Nerva 27.1.98?

S

21. Mar. 98

15%

||  Rome »

20. Nov. 393

+295

Hadrian & Sal.

S

3. Sep. 118

T

|| T: Rome »

19. Jul. 418

+300 -46d

Proclus IV,98

S

4. Sep. 164

R

|| R: Rome »

20. Jul. 464

+300-46d

Elias Nisibis

S

14. Jan. 484

T

Peroz: Battle at Herat

14. Jan. 484

+0

Vita Gordianorum

ST

6. Aug. 240

65%

|| T: Rome »

20. Jun. 540

+300 -46d

Cons. Const. 291

S

4. May 292

75%

|| R: Constantinople »

4. Oct. 590

+299

Theophilact Simoc.S4. Oct. 590R« R: Constantinople »4. Oct. 590+0
Kopt. Ostracon 38S10. Mar. 601T« T: Alexandria »10. Mar. 601+0

Cons. Const. 318

S

6. May 319

85%

|| R: Constantinople »

4. Nov. 617

+299

Aurelius Victor

S

6. May 319

X

« 317 || R: Pannonia, sunrise »

4. Nov. 617

+300

Stephan Alex.S4. Nov. 617R« R: Constantinople »4. Nov. 617+0
Theophanes S 6. Jun. 346 T « T: Alexandria || T: C'nople  » 5. Nov. 644 +298
Theophanes S 9. Oct. 348 70% «  || 90% C'nople  » 21. Apr. 646 +298

Zosimus  6.9.394

S

20. Nov. 393

T

          || 95% at Frigidus »

5. Oct. 693

+300 -46d


Pappos of Alexandria S 18. Oct 320 X

 || 35%  Alexandria »

4. Okt. 674 +354 -13d

Theon of Alexandria

S

16. Jun. 364

V

« Baltic (!)  ||  T: Alexandr. »

3. June 718

+354 -13d


Theon of Alexandria

M

21. Mai 365

T

« ||19h.Alx; Mond 28° »

8. May 719

+354 -13d

Chron Gallorum 418

S

17. May 421

40%

 « || T. Rome 80% »

3. Jun. 718

+300

Ann. Lundin. 448

ST

23. Dec. 447

80%

           « || T: London »

1. Sep. 753

+307

Hydatius

ST

19. Jul. 418

T

 « T: Portugal »

3. Jun. 718

+300 -46d

Hydatius

S

22. Dec. 447

T

       «  || 70% Portugal »

7. Nov. 747

+300 -46d

Hydatius

M

4. Sep. 451

81%

« || T: »

31. Jul. 752

+301

Hydatius

M

2. Mar. 462

P

« || T: »

4. Jan. 763

+301

M. Neapolitanus

ST

14. Jan. 484

U

« invisible at Athens || T: Crete »

3. Apr. 786

~301

C. IndicopleustesS6. Feb. 54740%« || 12. Mechir, Alexandria »24. Mar. 852+305
Bede 1.5.664 [ref.DE]
S3. May 664T« T: England »8. May 664+0
Agapius, SyriaS29. Apr. 534T« T: Antiochia »14. Mar. 834+300 -46d

Gregory of Tours

S

3. Oct. 563

60%

« Mid Aug.|| R: South. France »

18. Aug. 863

+300 -46d

Gregory of Tours

M

18. Sep. 563

58%

  || 20% 'nec quarta pars' ? »

3. Aug. 863

+300 -46d

Gregory of Tours

M

11. Dec. 577

64%

|| T:'in nigridinem conv.'  »

20. Apr. 878

+301

Gregory of Tours

S

4. Oct. 590??

65%

  || R: Central France + Raqqa »

8. Aug. 891

+301

†MuhammedS27. Jan 63277%« 28 Shawwal, 9h Mecca »27. Jan 632+0

Michael the Syrian

S

14. May 812

T

« T: Athens / Syria  »

14. May 812

+0

Theophanes Chr.

S

4. May 813

T

« 97% Constantinople  »

4. May 813

+0

Ann.Fuldenses
S12. May 841T« 'Day before Ascension'»5. May 840-1
Cont.Reg.Trevirensis S
17. Mai. 951 T
« T: Sonnwende: Sterne 4. Std. » 17. Mai. 951 +0

Leo Diaconus, K'nopel ST
22. Dec. 968 T
« T: Stars, Solstice: 4. hour » 22. Dec. 968 +0

Beda [Eqin.fix=21.3.]
S °
8. May 670
T
« 5 Nones »
'3. May' 970
+300

Bede: Moore  manuscr

S °

14. Aug. 733

90%

« almost total »

29. June 1033

+300 -46d



Eclipses

Abbreviations: S= Solar eclipse, T= Total solar ecl., R= Ring-shaped solar eclipse, U= Unreal, no match ;
V= visible only with eye-protection if eclipse was expected; X= No matching event; M= Moon eclipsed

*) Anchor records matching location, date and hour

²) The Livius date is 'five days before the Ides of July' (3 leap days?).

°) This unique pair of eclipse dates matches retrocalculation - referring to the year of Christ's passion. The dates of Bede may have undergone a correction for the new moon day. 


References:

Historical reports:
Demandt, Alexander: Verformungstendenzen in der Überlieferung antiker Sonnen- und Mondfinsternisse
[Deformation-tendencies (!) within the tradition of antique solar and lunar eclipses],
Mainz 1970, (Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur).

R. Gautschy, Eclipsecitations:  www.gautschy.ch/~rita/archast/solec/eclipsecitations.pdf

Ginzel, F. K.: Handbuch der mathematischen und technischen Chronologie Bd II + III, 1914 http://www.archive.org/stream/handbuchdermathe02ginzuoft#page/522 http://www.archive.org/stream/handbuchdermathe03ginzuoft#page/n5

Modern retrocalculation:
Espenak, Fred: Solar Eclipse Atlas: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEatlas/SEatlas.html



HEK 11/2022  8/2008
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