44 The Abbe Cruice thinks that the word should be "tones," supporting his emendation on the authority of Pliny, who states that Pythagoras called the distance of the Moon from the Earth a tone, deriving the term from musical science (see Pliny's Hist. Nat., ii. 20).
45 These numerical speculations are treated of by Archimedes in his work On the Number of the Sand, in which he maintains the possibility of counting the sands, even on the supposition of the world's being much larger than it is (see Archimedes, ta mexri nun swzomena apanta, Treatise yammithj, p. 120, ed. Eustoc. Ascalon., Basil, 1544).
46 Colarbasus is afterwards mentioned in company with Marcus the heretic, at the beginning and end of book vi of The Refutation.
47 This word ( sleoiazousi), more than once used by Hippolytus, is applied to anything done offhand, e.g., an extempore speech. It therefore might be made to designate immaturity of opinion. Sxediameans something hastily put together, viz., a raft; sxeoioj, sudden.
48 Schneidewin suggests omwj instead of oimoiwj. The word ( ehanisamenoi) translated "appropriating" is derived from eranoj, which signifies a meal to which those who partake of it have each contributed some dish (pic-nic). The term, therefore, is an expressive one for Hippolytus' purpose.
49 proynwstikouj. Some would read proj ynwstkouj.
50 Some propose dochj. "opinion." Hippolytus, however, used the word oizhj (translated "school") in a similar way at the end of chap. i. of book iv. "Novelty" is read instead of "knavery;" and for anapleou, "full," is proposed (1) anapleontaj, (a) anapterountaj.
51 The subject of the numerical system employed by the Gnostics, and their occult mysteries, is treated of by the learned Kircher, Aedipi Aegypt.., tom. ii. part i, de Cabala Hebraeorum; also in his Arithmolog. in the book De Arithmomantiaa Gnosticor., cap. viii., de Cabala Pythagorea. See also Mersennes, Comment. on Genes.
52 This subject is examined by Cornelius Agrippa in his celebrated work, De vanitate et incertitudine Scientiarum, chap. xi., De Sorte Pythagoriea. Terentiuc Maurus has also a versified work on Letters and Syllables and Metres, in which he alludes to similar interpretations educible from the names Hector and Patroclus.
53 - That is, the division by nine.
54 That is, calculated according to the rule of a division by seven.
55 We should expect rather five instead of 9, if the division be by nine.
56 There is some confusion in the text. Miller conjectures that the reading should be: "As, for instance, the name Patroclus has the letter o occurring twice in it, they therefore take it into calculation once." Schneidewin suggests that the form of the name may be Papatroclus.
57 Miller says there is an error in the calculation here.
58 This is as near the sense of the passage as a translation in some respects conjectural can make it.
59 The word qelein occurs in this sentence, but is obviously superfluous.
60 In the margin of the Ms. is the note, "Opinion of the Metopiscopists."
61 These words are out of place. See next note.
62 There is evidently some displacement of words here. Miller and Schneidewin suggest: "There are some who ascribe to the influence of the stars the natures of men: since, in computing the births of individuals, they thus express themselves as if they were moulding the species of men." The Abbe Cruice would leave the text as it is, altering only tupountej ideaj into tupwn te ideaj.
63 Literally, "jumping; " others read "blackish," or "expressive" (literally, "talking"). The vulgar reading, upo alloij, is evidently untenable.
64 Or "cowardly," or "cowards at heart;" or some read, laropoioi, i.e., "causative of gl"
65 Or, "diseased with unnatural lust," i.e., nosountej for noountej.
66 Or, kat epoj, "verbally rejecting anything."
67 Or better, "weak in the limbs."
70 Some read kalw yeyennhmenwn/, or kalw tetennhmenwn.
71 Or, "they are given to hoarding, they have possessions."
72 This is an amended reading of the text, which is obviously confused. The correction necessary is introduced lower down in the MS., which makes the same characteristic be twice mentioned. The Abbe Cruice, however, accounts for such a twofold mention, on the ground that the whole subject is treated by Hippolytus in such a way as to expose the absurdities of the astrologic predictions. He therefore quotes the opinions of various astrologers, in order to expose the diversities of opinion existing among them.
73 Manilius maintains that persons born under Cancer are of an avaricious and usurious disposition. (See Astronom., iv. 5.)
74 Or, "having the upper parts larger than the lower."
76 Schneidewin conjectures asunhqeij, i.e., inexperienced.
79 Miller gives an additional sentence: "They are of equal measurement at tbe (same) age, and possess a body perfect and erect."
81 Or, "speaking falsehoods, they will be believed."
82 The parenthetical words are obviously an interpolation.
85 Literally "moist," or "difficult;" or, the Abbe Cruice suggests, "fortuitous."