From the book
Stobaeus, Volume I
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
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At a Glance
- The wordParēlios is a mock sun, a luminous appearance resembling the sun beside it.
- In StobaeusThe report attributed to Aristotle groups mock suns with halos, rainbows, and rods as appearances produced through reflection under differing conditions.
- In this edition“Mock sun” is accessible; “parhelion” is the technical equivalent, without endorsing the ancient mechanism.
- A place to beginMock suns belong to a class of phenomena explained through reflection.
- English renderings
- mock sun; parhelion
Meaning
Parēlios is a mock sun, a luminous appearance resembling the sun beside it.
Use in the book
The report attributed to Aristotle groups mock suns with halos, rainbows, and rods as appearances produced through reflection under differing conditions. The more detailed explanation compares the cloud to a smooth mirror and stresses resemblance in color and shape. The appearance is distinguished from another independently existing sun.
Places to read
Translation in this edition
“Mock sun” is accessible; “parhelion” is the technical equivalent, without endorsing the ancient mechanism.
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 240–242. The report describes reflection of sight. It should not be silently rewritten as a modern optical explanation using ice crystals.