Heteroscians.
Ascians Heteroscians.
Periscians.
The inhabitants of the temperate zones, are called Heteroscians, because their noon-shadow is always cast the same way: But those who live under the tropics are called Ascians Heteroscians; those who live in the frigid zones are called Periscians, because sometimes their shadow is cast round about them.
These hard names are only Greek words, importing how the Sun casts the shadow of the several inhabitants of the Earth; which would be a too trifling distinction to be made here, was it not for the sake of complying with custom.
The inhabitants of the Earth are also distinguished into three sorts, in respect to their relative situation to one another, and these are called the Periœci, Antœci, and Antipodes.
Periœci.
5. The Periœci are those who live under opposite points of the same parallel of latitude. They have their seasons of the year at the same time, and their days and nights always of the same length with one another, but the one’s Noon is the other’s Midnight; and when the Sun is in the equinoctial, he rises with the one, when he sets with the other. Those who live under the Poles have no Periœci.
Antœci.
6. The Antœci live under the same meridian, and in the same latitude, but on different sides of the equator; their Seasons of the year are contrary, and the days of the one are equal to the nights of the other, but the hour of the day and night is the same with both; and when the Sun is in the equinoctial, he rises and sets to both exactly at the same time. Those who live under the equator have no Antœci.
Antipodes.