2007 10 00 Classical Journal - Vol 103 No 1 - Richard Stothers

Magazine Overview

This document is an academic article titled "Unidentified Flying Objects in Classical Antiquity" by Richard Stothers, published in The Classical Journal, Vol. 103, No. 1, in October-November 2007. The article is a reviewed work, sourced from JSTOR, and published by The Classical Association of the Middle West and South. It applies a combined historical and scientific approach to ancient reports of phenomena that could be interpreted as unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

Abstract

A combined historical and scientific approach is applied to ancient reports of what might today be called unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Many conventionally explicable phenomena can be weeded out, leaving a small residue of puzzling reports. These fall neatly into the same categories as modern UFO reports, suggesting that the UFO phenomenon, whatever it may be due to, has not changed much over two millennia.

Introduction and Methodology

The author notes that throughout recorded history, reports of phenomena resembling modern UFOs have been made and preserved. While conventional scientific hypotheses can explain most reports from better-documented periods, a small residue of puzzling accounts remains, spanning centuries and cultures. The article highlights a lack of scholarly studies on the very early history of the UFO phenomenon, with early work by Donald Menzel being superficial and leading to uncritical compilations by enthusiasts. Richard Wittmann produced a more scholarly study in 1968, followed by cautious articles by Peter Bicknell in 1971 and 1975.

Stothers adopts an approach that searches for aerial phenomena in reliable ancient reports that resemble modern UFOs, without ignoring other manifestations of strangeness. His working hypothesis is that most such reports can be explained by conventional scientific ideas, and only those defying reasonable interpretation after full analysis can be said to resemble the most puzzling modern reports. Preliminary screening involves checking phenomena like solar and lunar eclipses, comets, new stars, aurorae, aerial lights accompanying earthquakes, and optical phenomena following volcanic eruptions against modern calculations and observations.

Categorization of Ancient Reports

For presentation, the author groups ancient reports into four categories defined by J. Allen Hynek for modern UFO sightings (omitting radar detections). The categories are: Distant Encounters (combining Hynek's Nocturnal Lights and Daylight Disks), Close Encounters of the First Kind, Close Encounters of the Second Kind, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. These are differentiated by proximity, material remains, and the presence of 'occupants.'

Modern UFO Sightings Characteristics

A brief description of modern UFO sightings is provided for context. UFOs vary in morphology and behavior but show consistent patterns. At close range, they appear as disks or other extended objects, sometimes enveloped in 'clouds.' Their shapes can appear circular or elliptical depending on the viewing angle. Colors are typically silvery or gray in the daytime and red or multicolored at night. Estimated dimensions range from about one meter to hundreds of meters. UFOs are usually described as noiseless and can be seen hovering, stationary, or moving erratically. They sometimes appear or vanish suddenly.

A. Distant Encounters

Ancient Distant Encounters are subgrouped based on whether the objects are described in military language ('flying armaments') or in meteorological and astronomical language, such as 'fiery globes.' The incidents are treated chronologically within each subgroup.

Flying Armaments

Most reports of 'flying armaments' come from Livy's prodigy lists, which for years preceding ca. 123 BC were derived from the Annales Maximi. These reports are considered trustworthy but terse, often restricted to central Italy. The military terminology reflects the technology of the time. The author notes that many reports were made during wartime, which may explain the terminology. Several reports are discussed:

• 218 BC, Rome: "a spectacle of ships (navium) gleamed in the sky." Franklin Krauss speculated these were clouds or mirages.
• 217 BC, Arpi: "round shields (parmas) were seen in the sky." A parma was a small round shield. Mock suns are considered an unlikely explanation.
• 212 BC, Reate: "a huge stone (saxum) was seen flying about." This might suggest a stony gray color and irregular movement, possibly a bird or airborne debris.
• 173 BC, Lanuvium: "a spectacle of a great fleet was said to have been seen in the sky."
• 154 BC, Compsa: "weapons (arma) appeared flying in the sky," referring to defensive weapons, especially shields.
• 104 BC, Ameria and Tuder: "weapons in the sky rushing together from east and west." Plutarch described them as "flaming spears and oblong shields," possibly streamers of an aurora borealis.
• 100 BC, Rome: "a round shield (clipeus), burning and emitting sparks, ran across the sky from west to east." This object was described as similar to a parma but bigger.
• 43 BC, Rome: "a spectacle of defensive and offensive weapons (armorum telorumque species) was seen to rise from the earth to the sky with a clashing noise." This could be a bolide exploding.
• ca. AD 65, Judea: The historian Josephus reported a "sky army" with "chariots... in the air and armed battalions hurtling through the clouds." This phenomenon does not seem to have been an aurora, cloud patterns, or meteors, but resembles "aerial fighting" of modern UFOs.

Fiery Globes

This category includes reports of fiery globes. Several examples are discussed:

• 217 BC, Capena: "two moons rose in the daytime." This was likely not mock moons, but possibly a bolide seen with the real moon or a split bolide.
• 217 BC, Capua: "a kind of moon fell during a rainstorm." This might have been ball lightning.
• 168 BC, Eastern Mediterranean: A "ball" was seen, as large as the moon, which could have been a bolide.
• Between 151 and 146 BC: A comet-like object appeared, described as a "fiery red disk" that dissipated the night. It was too stationary and bright to be ball lightning or a bolide, and not an instance of 'night sun' (aurora).
• 91 BC, Central Italy: Near Rome, "about sunrise a ball of fire shone forth from the northern region with a loud noise." The sonic boom suggests a bolide.
• 91 BC, Spoletium: A "gold-colored ball" rolled down from the sky, grew larger, rose upward, and blocked the sun. The author finds ball lightning an unattractive explanation due to the object's size and trajectory, suggesting it was a bolide with an actual landing indicated.
• 76 BC, Asia: A spark fell from a star, grew as large as the moon, diffused light, and changed into a torch. This is interpreted as the overhead passage of a bolide leaving a luminous train, ruling out comets, new stars, or ball lightning.
• ca. AD 334, Antioch: A "star" was seen emitting smoke copiously for two hours. This is considered too short for a comet and the smoking trail suggests a bolide.

B. Close Encounters of the First Kind

Hynek defined a Close Encounter of the First Kind as an observation at close range of a UFO that fails to interact with the observer and leaves no physical trace. The "fiery red disk" of ca. 150 BC and the "gold-colored ball" of 91 BC are considered borderline examples.

• 74 BC, Phrygia (Otryae): A Roman army under L. Licinius Lucullus witnessed a "huge, flame-like body" fall between the armies. It was shaped like a wine-jar (pithoi) and colored like molten silver. Thousands of witnesses saw it. The author considers a meteorite but notes the lack of noise or impact, and the absence of later cults associated with it. It is compared to a classic UFO encounter but a bolide is not ruled out.
• ca. AD 285, Fayûm, Egypt: St. Anthony saw a "luminescent tornado."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The article consistently attempts to provide conventional, scientific explanations for ancient phenomena that have been interpreted as UFOs. It emphasizes the importance of rigorous analysis and the filtering out of easily explained events. The author's stance is skeptical but open to the possibility of genuinely puzzling phenomena, while prioritizing naturalistic explanations. The recurring theme is that the UFO phenomenon, in its broad categories of appearance and behavior, appears to have been consistent across millennia, even if the specific interpretations have varied with cultural and scientific understanding.

This document consists of pages 88-92 from a publication titled "UFOS IN ANTIQUITY," authored by Richard Stothers. The content focuses on examining historical accounts from classical antiquity that may describe phenomena now understood as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).

Close Encounters of the Second Kind

The article begins by discussing "Close Encounters of the Second Kind," which are characterized by leaving a physical trace. While ancient literature lacks records of UFO-like objects pressing imprints into the ground, it does mention rains of strange materials. Modern UFO research accepts such reports when well-documented. Ancient examples include "angel hair," a whitish gossamer substance that sometimes drops from UFOs and vanishes on contact with the ground, or glassy fibers and chalky substances left behind.

A specific ancient report cited is from Rome in AD 196, where historian Cassius Dio described a fine rain resembling silver descending from a clear sky upon the Forum of Augustus. This substance was used to plate bronze coins with silver, retaining the appearance for three days before disappearing.

Other instances of solid whitish substances involved two "rains of chalk," one at Cales in 214 BC and another at Rome in 98 BC. No further details are provided about the physical nature of this chalk.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The text then moves to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," which involve a UFO seen with an occupant, typically described as human or humanoid.

According to Livy, in 214 BC, an "altar" was seen in the sky at Hadria, with forms of men dressed in shining white around it. Four years earlier, in the district of Amiternum, similar forms of men in shining white were observed at a distance but did not approach anyone.

These reports are noted for their similarity to modern observations of UFO occupants on hovering craft. Another encounter from early Christian hagiographical literature, near the Via Campana between Rome and Capua around AD 150, describes a "beast" like a piece of pottery, about 100 feet in size, multicolored and emitting fiery rays, landing in a dust cloud. This was accompanied by a "maiden" clad in white. This event had only one witness, likely Hermas, the brother of Pope Pius I.

Conclusions on Ancient UFO Phenomena

The author culled these reports from a larger collection of aerial object reports, many of which have probable explanations. However, a small set of unexplained or not wholly explained reports from credible witnesses remains. Analyzing these statistically, essential features of the "ancient UFO phenomenon" can be extracted:

• Shape: discoidal or spheroidal
• Color: silvery, golden or red
• Texture: metallic or, occasionally, glowing or cloudy
• Size: a meter to well over a meter
• Sound: usually none reported
• Type of motion: hovering, erratic or smooth flight, with rapid disappearance.

In at least one instance, "occupants" covered in shiny white clothing were reported. Encounters range from distant views to possible actual contact, with observations often occurring in rural areas during the daytime. Physical evidence is generally lacking.

Historical Interpretations

Greek and Roman scientific thinkers typically explained such aerial phenomena as stars, clouds, atmospheric fires, light reflections, or moving material bodies. Since most of these theories predate the collected reports (none earlier than 218 BC), it is difficult to ascertain if later observers interpreted the phenomena literally or used descriptive language. However, the persistence and consistency of these phenomena over centuries are highlighted. The author suggests that whether viewed as universal visions, misperceptions, atmospheric effects, unknown phenomena, or extraterrestrial visitations, UFOs possess an intrinsic interest that transcends time and knowledge.

Works Cited

The document includes an extensive "Works Cited" section, listing numerous academic and historical sources related to UFOs, astronomy, atmospheric phenomena, and classical history, including works by J. Allen Hynek, Jacques Vallee, Charles Fort, and various classical historians and scientists.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme is the investigation of historical accounts from classical antiquity that bear resemblance to modern UFO sightings. The author adopts a scholarly and analytical approach, drawing parallels between ancient descriptions and contemporary UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, acknowledging the unexplained nature of certain historical reports while also considering conventional explanations and the challenges of verification. The article emphasizes the enduring interest in these phenomena across different eras and cultures.