Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
the elements, but as a means to show himself to be the equal of
the gods. There are variations in reports on the manner of his
death: one tells that he wished to be immortal, and so threw
himself into the crater. Unfortunately for his reputation one of
his sandals slipped off as he fell, and this was found and gave the
game away. Another legend tells that he believed he would return
from the volcano as a god among men, while a third relates that
he did indeed throw himself in, but was ejected during an eruption
and landed on the moon, where he still survives by drinking dew.
Many classical philosophers grappled with the idea and
purpose of volcanoes. Aristotle in
Meteorology
(fourth century
bc) saw the earth as a living organism, subject to convulsions
and spasms like any creature. He proposed that the fire beneath
the earth is caused by 'the air being broken into particles which
burst into flames from the effects of the shocks and friction of
the wind when it plunges into narrow passages'.¹0 He coined
the word 'crater' ('cup' in Greek) to describe the dished form
of volcano summits. Strabo in his
Geography
(first century ad)
discussed the world's volcanoes, in particular those in and
around the Mediterranean. He described Sicily as having been
'cast up from the deeps by the fire of Aetna and remained there;
and the same is true both of the Lipari Islands and the Pithe-
cussae' (Capri, Ischia and neighbouring islands).¹¹ 'Midway
between Thera and Therasia', Strabo added, 'fires broke forth
from the sea and continued for four whole days, so that the
whole sea boiled and blazed, and the fires cast up an island which
was gradually elevated as though by levers and consisted of
burning masses.'¹²
Moving out beyond Europe, there are potent myths that
weave in and out of the historical record. In the topic of Psalms
(18:7-8), God is described in terrifying terms:
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also
of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth.
There went up smoke out of his nostrils, and fires out of his
mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
