Note 705 — Chapter VI · COSMOGONY, COSMOLOGY, AND COSMOGRAPHY

De sphaera, Baur’s edit., pp. 24–25. Amphitrite is also discussed in the Liber de essentiis of Hermann the Dalmatian, dating from 1143, in a geographical passage published recently by Haskins (Studies, 1924, pp. 62–64): “Hinc vero per Amphitritis sinus ab Athlante Libico Strixisque inflexu per littora Gaditana per confinia Thiles proprie Temiscirios campos e vicino portibus Caspiis usque ad Caucason et Ethiopici Gangis effluxus.” In another passage of the same work quoted by Haskins (op. cit., p. 64) Hermann indicates that in the latitude of Lisbon and Toledo eight equal land stages are the equivalent of 4° of longitude, that the width of Amphitrite is 44°, or the equivalent of eighty-eight equal land stages, and that there is an opinion that paradise lies beyond this ocean. “... spatium ... dierum 44 que secundum quod ratio tribuit est dimidia latitudo Amphitritis, tota (totam) videlicet itineris terrestris equabilis dierum fere 88. Tantum ergo spatii vel etiam aliquanto plus que ratio hucusque transnatari prohibuit nondum audivimus nisi forte illa quam (que) exposuimus. In ea tamen parte non modica est opinio eam esse regionem quam paradisum vocant, cuius indicio sunt signa tam ab oriente quam ab occidente.” In this same passage Hermann states that Toledo is 62° west of Arin (see above, p. 86). One would therefore expect the width of Amphitrite to be 44° in order to bring to 90° the total distance from Arin to the prime meridian in the midst of Amphitrite (Haskins, op. cit., p. 64, note 202).