For a change I offer you the lunar eclipse which followed the death of Augustus Caesar.
Its traditional date is the night of 26-27 of September in AD 14. (The more detailed studies tell us that it was more likely on an early morning.)
Before giving by me the date of the genuine lunar eclipse let us here the opinion on the basis of the earlier research. Let us point out the most important fact:
The above identification has been accepted!
Despite of its problematical character. I dare to say, despite of the tremendous problems which are connected to it!
Schove is quite laconic when he tells about the problem that “The eclipse occurred fairly soon after the death of Augustus, as the Pannonian legions mutined in the hope of extorting better pay and conditions of services from the new emperor, Tiberius, or, alternatively, deposing him.”
On the basis of the traditional chronology this lunar eclipse obviously forcibly important, since there is no any other one available after the death of Augustus on 19th of Aug.The researchers were forced to use what they had at hand…
The one who knows a bit about the Roman history, can easily imagine what was involved when the Pannonian legions (in our case three of them) had mutinied. It meant generally the saluting of a new emperor, followed by a ceremonial marching in Rome.
In our case it is a bit different,we can have from the records of Tacitus the following happenings:
Junius Blaeseus on hearing of the death of Augustus and the accession of Tiberius, had allowed his men a rest from military duties, either for mourning or rejoicing.
Percennius, who had once been a leader of one of the theatrical factions, and learnt from his applause of actors how to stir up a crowd,”in conversations at night or at nightfall, gradually influenced” one part of the soldiers.
After some time this former leader of one of the theatrical factions gathered round him all the worst spirits. (XVI)
At last, when there were others ready to be abettors of a mutiny, he called on a gathering for discussion about their demands.(XVII)
At the same time they piled up turf and raised a mound, that they might have a more conspicuous meeting-place. (XVIII)
After the intervention of tribune Blaesus with the consummate tact of an orator, the turbulent soldiers decided on sending the son of Blaesus as an envoy to the emperor in order to obtain the solution of their demands. (XIX)
Meanwhile the companies which previous to the mutiny had been sent to Nauportus to make roads and bridges, also started to revolt, and plundered the neighbouring villages and Nauportus itself…(XX)
Hearing about the mutiny, Tiberius sent to Pannonia his son Drusus accompanied by chief officials of the Empire and with two praetorian cohorts, in order to take the necessary measures according to the situation. (XXIV)
Drusus had arrived…(XXV)
The night which was threatening with the outbrake of the violence, was quietened by an accidental event: in the clear sky the moon was suddenly darkened. (XXVIII)
The question was raised very early whether the interval of about 39 days between the death of Augustus on Aug.19. and the eclipse on Sept. 27. is sufficient to accommodate the events which have to occur:news of the death of Augustus travels fron Nola and Rome to Pannonia, the revolt occurs, a messenger travels from Pannonia to Tiberius, Drusus and his cohorts make their way to Pannonia, presumably from Rome.
Schove laconically decides this question:”Ginzel 1899(197) considers the time be sufficient.
I declare on the contrary that the time is not enough !
But I declare a lot more serious things!
As an example I declare that the mutiny of the “leader of one of the theatrical factions” is simply a literary work which was written by Poggio Bracciolini (the great son of Firenze) at the beginning of the 15th century, and on the basis on the Roman History of Dio Cassius.
I do not wish to deny the possibility of a revolt in Pannonia following the death of Augustus, I only exclude the possibility of such an early (as September) lunar eclipse connected to it.
The author who uses the pseudonym of Tacitus knows very well the traditional chronology, that is why he is forced to mention an early starting winter and the winter campus of soldiers, because his source is containing the hint about a lunar eclipse of certain winter-time.
He is quite aware of the fact that his literary retrocalculated lunar eclipse for AD 14 got a late September date, while in his source the winter would be mentioned. Naturally the winter is completely different in Rome than it is in Pannonia.
And beyond the above said, in connection with this mistaken lunar eclipse there is another very big deficiency, which was already offered to the researchers for consideration by Struyck and Stockwell also. Since the middle of the eclipse according to their calculation was at 6h30m, the soldiers could not be impressed with an especially large-scale effect, considering the fact that the bigger part of the eclipse occurred in daylight.
Briefly saying, I can examine this early morning lunar eclipse of 27th Sept. in AD 14 from every corner, I can get the same result all the time, namely I can only state that this eclipse is bleeding from many wounds…
We have a considerably different picture when using the Hungarian Calendar we look around at an about 198 years of time-distance, namely at the time which is after the death of emperor Augustus by five months.
My offer as the date of the genuine lunar eclipse is 24th January in CE 213!
In January the sun rises considerably later in the morning, so the middle of the total lunar eclipse calculated to happen at 6h34m of local time, could be a lot more attractive than the other one, which happened at dawn in AD 14.
