In this way the earth is formed by portions brought to the centre coalescing. And again, even the outer shell grows larger by the influx of atoms from outside, and, as it is carried round in the vortex, adds to itself whatever atoms it touches. And of these some portions are locked together and form a mass, at first damp and miry, but, when they have dried and revolve with the universal vortex, they afterwards take tire and form the substance of the stars. The orbit of the sun is the outermost, that of the moon nearest to the earth ; the orbits of the other heavenly bodies lie between these two. All the stars are set on fire by the speed of their motion ; the burning of the sun is also helped by the stars ; the moon is only slightly kindled. The sun and the moon are eclipsed <when . . ., but the obliquity of the zodiacal circle is due a > to the inclination of the earth to the south ; the regions of the north are always shrouded in mist, and are extremely cold and frozen. Eclipses of the sun are rare ; eclipses of the moon constantly occur, and this because their orbits are unequal. As the world is born, so, too, it grows, decays and perishes, in virtue of some necessity, the nature of which he does <not> specify. Chapter 7. DEMOCRITUS (? 460-357 b.c.) Democritus was the son of Hegesistratus, though some say of Athenocritus, and others again of Damasippus. He was a native of Abdera or, according to some, of Miletus. He was a pupil of certain Magians and Chaldaeans. For when King