Nicander of Colophon, whom Gilbert mentions twice in his first book, chapter ii., “On the loadstone, what it is: its discovery”—was a Greek poet and physician who lived second century B.C. and of whom comparatively little is known. Only two of his many reported works remain: these are treated of at pp. 917–920, Vol. XXXVII of the “Biographie Générale,” where can likewise be found the titles of all the others according to Fabricius (Johann Albert), “Bibliotheca Græca,” Harles edition, Vol. IV. p. 345).
References.—Haller (Albrecht von), “Bibliotheca Botanica”; Charlant (Johann Ludwig), “Handb. ... die Æltere Medicin”; G. A. Pritzel, “Thesaur. Lit. Bot.,” 1851, pp. 210–211.
Nicetas—Hicetas—of Syracuse, a Pythagorician of the fourth century B.C., native of Chonæ in Phrygia (the old Colossæ of St. Paul) alluded to by Gilbert in conjunction with Heraclides of Pontus, was doubtless the first, according to Diog. Laert (VIII, 85), to teach the earth’s rotation. Humboldt remarks (“Cosmos,” 1860, Vol. II. p. 109) that Nicetas, Theophrastus and Heraclides Ponticus appear to have had a knowledge of the rotation of the earth upon its axis; but Aristarchus of Samos, and more particularly Seleucus of Babylon, who lived one hundred and fifty years after Alexander, first arrived at the knowledge that the earth not only rotated on its axis, but also moved around the Sun as the centre of the whole planetary system. Cicero, “Academica,” lib. iv. cap. 39: “Nicetas of Syracuse,” as Theophrastus says, “believed that the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars—in brief, all things above—stand still; alone, the earth, of all things in the world, moves. Because it is rapidly turning and twisting upon its axis, it gives the effect of the whole sky moving, and that the earth stands.”
References.—Fabricius (Johann Albert), “Biblioth. Græca,” Vol. I. p. 847; “Biog. Générale,” Vol. XXIV. p. 642; “La Grande Encycl.,” Vol. XX. p. 63; Houzeau et Lancaster, “Bibl. Gén.,” Vol. II. p. 214; Gilbert, De Magnete, Book VI. chap. iii.
Pedro Nuñez, “Traitte ... de la Navigation.”
Page 9 verso of Ms. Fr. No. 1338, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.
Nuñez, Pedro—Nonius, Petrus—was a celebrated Portuguese mathematician (1492–1577) who, after his voyage to the East Indies, became chief cosmographer of the kingdom, and made a great many improvements in astronomical instruments, the merits of which were recognized notably by Tycho Brahé and by Dr. Halley. Of all his books, the most important are the “Tratado da sphera ...” 1537; “De arte atque ratione navigandi,” 1546; “Opera Mathematica,” 1566 (containing many treatises on navigation, instruments, sailing cards, etc.); “Annotaçoes à Sphera de Sacro Bosco,” 1567[65]; “Instrumenta Artis Navigandi,” 1592. Stockler observes that the last-named treatise, which is an amplification of the 1537 “Tratatos das cartas de marear,” would alone justify placing Nonius among the most distinguished geometricians of his time.
References.—Fernandez de Navarette, “Recherches ... sciences nautiques” (tr. M. D. de Mofras), Paris, 1839; Varnhagen (Francisco Adolfo de), “Historia geral do Brazil”; Machado (Barb.), “Biblioth. Lusitana”; Houzeau et Lancaster, “Bibl. Générale,” 1887, Vol. I. part i. pp. 216, 574–575, and part ii. p. 1222; Gilbert, De Magnete, Book IV. chap. viii.; “La Grande Encycl.,” Vol. XXV. p. 140; “Biographie Générale,” Vol. XXXVIII. pp. 361–363; “Estromento de Sombras” of Pedro Nuñez, copied in Dr. G. Hellmann’s “Neudrucke,” 1898, No. 10; J. F. Montucla, “Hist. des Mathém. ...” (Supplément), Vol. II. pp. 656–659, for names of many other authors of treatises on navigation. For Sacro Bosco: “Dict. of National Biography,” edited by Sidney Lee, London, 1891, Vol. XXVII. p. 217; Larousse, “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. IX. pp. 934–935; Græsse (J. G. T.), “Trésor des livres rares,” Vol. VI. pp. 209–211; “Biog. Gén.,” Vol. XXVI. p. 555; Fabricius (Johann Albert), “Bibliotheca Latina Mediæ ... Ætatis”; Delambre (J. B. J.), “Astron. du Moyen-Age,” Vol. II; “Hist. Litter. de la France,” Vol. XIX. p. 1; “Ency. Brit.” ninth edition, Vol. XXI. pp. 140, 543.
Oribasius, Sardianus, was an eminent Greek physician, born about A.D. 325 at Sardes, the capital of Lydia. Gilbert (De Magnete, Book I. chap. i.) alludes to Chapter XIII of Oribasius’ “De Facultate Metallicorum,” which is embraced in one of the only three authentic treatises of his that have reached us, the first being part of a compilation relative to seventy medical books, whilst the second is a Synopsis, or rather an abridgment, of the first, and the third is called Euporistes, or manual of practical medicine.