Sirius signified certain emanations which caused its malignant influence. Anyone suffering its effects was said to be "star-struck" (, "astrobólētos"). It was described as "burning" or "flaming" in literature. The season following the star's reappearance came to be known as the "dog days". The inhabitants of the island of Ceos in the Aegean Sea would offer sacrifices to Sirius and Zeus to bring cooling breezes, and would await the reappearance of the star in summer. If it rose clear, it would portend good fortune; if it was misty or faint then it foretold (or emanated) pestilence. Coins retrieved from the island
The Ancient of Days threw it from him, and with an air of exulting triumph exclaimed, "There, that will do! I cannot mend it." The image was used as the cover for Stephen Hawking's book "God Created the Integers". There are currently thirteen known extant copies of "Europe a Prophecy". Because of Blake's production process of hand colouring each print, each image has own unique qualities. The following images of "The Ancient of Days" are those available via the digital archiving project, the William Blake Archive: The Ancient of Days The Ancient of Days is a design by William Blake, originally published as the