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"The writings of certain Roman historians, when corroborated in other areas, record incidents of unidentified objects in the skies over Rome in the third and fourth centuries B.C.5” Wilkins specifies that Pliny, Seneca, Tacitus, and Lycosthenes, among several other reliable chroniclers of the time, all make mention of this phenomenon. Titus Livius and Julius Obsequens list eight specific locations of sightings, extending from the Gulf of Venice in 213 B.C. to Umbria in 16 B.C. Pliny spoke of a "fiery shield" that swept across the sky, and the historian Livy used the words "phantom ships" when referring to celestial craft sighted in his time (60-17 B.C,)."9 Even the army of Alexander the Great is said to have been frightened by large, luminous aerial objects that "buzzed" the troops around 330 B.C. In the centuries that followed the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the appearance of unusual aerial phenomenon continued unabated worldwide. The medieval times are replete with stories about "luminous cloudships," "shiny disks," "flying chariots," and the visitation of strange, but humanoid creatures. ... Cloudships and Luminous Strangers start popping up again in about the sixth century A.D. Glowing aerial objects become evident again in the literature of many countries. Jacques Bergier says that practically every year of the Dark Ages saw reports of ‘luminous strangers' being made."* In A.D. 583 Gregory of Tours, a French historian, saw numerous globes of fire that moved about in the sky.*° One of the most intriguing incidents in history occurred during the reign of Charlemagne (A.D. 742-814). During this period Agobard, the Archbishop of Lyons, recorded an astonishing event in which four people were seen falling (floating?) from an "aerial ship." They were accused of sorcery, a capital crime, but were spared when the Archbishop intervened and said that the event never occurred.*” In the 13th century monastic records in Europe reported a number of unusual aerial phenomenon. According to Weldon and Levitt, ... In 1209 the monks of the Byland Abbey reported a large round silvery disk that flew slowly over them and caused great terror, interrupting an otherwise quiet routine. The brothers of the Cistercian Abbey of Begeland were favored with two such visitations that year. Monastic records often mention UFO phenomena reported by shaken clerics. The 13th century was rather a vintage period for UFOs in England. 8 In the 15th century the most famous sighting was by no less a world traveler than Christopher Columbus. On October 11, 1492, only hours before land was sighted, Columbus saw a "glimmering light" moving up and down in the distant sky. The light appeared and disappeared numerous times during the night.°” 27 According to Weldon and Levitt, THE DARK AGES AND BEYOND JAPANESE SIGHTINGS The historical records of medieval Japan are peppered with unusual aerial events which