| Revision as of 02:22, 29 August 2011 editIhcoyc (talk | contribs)30,401 edits →Attestation: +img← Previous edit | Revision as of 02:33, 29 August 2011 edit undoIhcoyc (talk | contribs)30,401 edits →Attestation: we did have an article on Hunayn ibn IshaqNext edit → | ||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
| The earliest reference to any identifiable astronomical event in the ''Almagest'' is for the year 127, and the last in the year 151; Ptolemy was moreover thought to have died around 178. The ''Tetrabiblos'' therefore must date to the second century AD.<ref>Frank E. Robbins, ''Tetrabiblos'' (Loeb Classical Library: Harvard University Press, 1940), introduction</ref> | The earliest reference to any identifiable astronomical event in the ''Almagest'' is for the year 127, and the last in the year 151; Ptolemy was moreover thought to have died around 178. The ''Tetrabiblos'' therefore must date to the second century AD.<ref>Frank E. Robbins, ''Tetrabiblos'' (Loeb Classical Library: Harvard University Press, 1940), introduction</ref> | ||
| At least eleven manuscripts of the ''Tetrabiblos'' in Greek are extant.<ref>Frank E. Robbins, ''Tetrabiblos'' (Loeb Classical Library: Harvard University Press, 1940), introduction</ref> Older than any existing Greek manuscript of Ptolemy's original text is a Greek manuscript of a very close paraphrase of the ''Tetrabiblos'', attributed to ]. It was this paraphrase, rather than Ptolemy's original text, that became the basis of the ] translation, made in the ninth century by ]. The paraphrase attributed to Proclus was first translated from Arabic into Latin by ] (Tiburtinus) in 1138, while he was in Spain.<ref>FA Robbins, 1940; Thorndike 1923)</ref> | At least eleven manuscripts of the ''Tetrabiblos'' in Greek are extant.<ref>Frank E. Robbins, ''Tetrabiblos'' (Loeb Classical Library: Harvard University Press, 1940), introduction</ref> Older than any existing Greek manuscript of Ptolemy's original text is a Greek manuscript of a very close paraphrase of the ''Tetrabiblos'', attributed to ]. It was this paraphrase, rather than Ptolemy's original text, that became the basis of the ] translation, made in the ninth century by ]. The paraphrase attributed to Proclus was first translated from Arabic into Latin by ] (Tiburtinus) in 1138, while he was in Spain.<ref>FA Robbins, 1940; Thorndike 1923)</ref> | ||
| The first printed edition of the original Greek text in Europe was made by ] at ] in 1535. Other early printed editions include a second by ] at ] in 1553. ] printed the Greek text of the ''Tetrabiblos'' as part of his astrological anthology, the ''Speculum astrologiæ'', at ] in 1581. | The first printed edition of the original Greek text in Europe was made by ] at ] in 1535. Other early printed editions include a second by ] at ] in 1553. ] printed the Greek text of the ''Tetrabiblos'' as part of his astrological anthology, the ''Speculum astrologiæ'', at ] in 1581. | ||
Revision as of 02:33, 29 August 2011
| Astrology |
|---|
 |
| Background |
| Traditions |
| Branches |
| Astrological signs |
| Symbols |
The Tetrabiblos (Greek for four books), also known as the Quadripartitum (Latin: "book in four parts") is a book on horoscopic astrology written in the second century AD by Claudius Ptolemy. Ptolemy's Almagest was considered an authoritative work in astronomy, or as Ptolemy would have called it, "natural" or "physical astrology", for more than a thousand years after it was written; and the Tetrabiblos, its companion volume, was considered equally authoritative in judicial astrology, the use of the stars and planets for divination. But while the Almagest as an astronomical authority was largely superseded by acceptance of the Copernican heliocentric model of the solar system, the Tetrabiblos remains a fundamental work still consulted by astrologers practicing Islamic and Western astrology.
Contents
As the title suggests, the Tetrabiblos contains four books.
Book I
Book I opens with a philosophical defense of astrology, asserting its legitimacy as a subject of study and that, though complex, astrological prediction can be effective. Ptolemy seeks to defend astrology from skeptics, observing that "the science demands the greatest study and a constant attention to a multitude of different points; and as all persons who are but imperfectly practised in it must necessarily commit frequent mistakes, it has been supposed that even such events as have been truly predicted have taken place by chance only, and not from any operative cause in nature. But it should be remembered that these mistakes arise, not from any deficiency or want of power in the science itself, but from the incompetency of unqualified persons who pretend to exercise it."
Ptolemy also seeks to defend astrology from those who assert that it leads to fatalism, observing that "for although, under the same disposition of the Ambient, the germs of the future creatures may be of one species, whether human or of the horse, the difference in situation, of the places in which they are generated, produces a dissimilarity in the body and spirit of one from the body and spirit of another: and in addition to this it must be considered that different modes of nurture, and the variety of ranks, manners, and customs, contribute to render the course of life of one individual greatly different from that of another; consequently, unless every one of these varieties be duly blended with the causes arising in the Ambient, the prejudgment of any event will doubtless be very incomplete."
The remainder of book 1 introduces the elements consulted by astrology: the "luminaries" (the Sun and Moon) and the "lights" {the several planets); the Zodiac, and the stars. Ptolemy also considers matters of horoscope interpretation such as astrological aspects here. All of these matters are related to the theory of the four elements and four humours and assigned values according the underlying "hot - cold" and "moist - dry" dualities.
Book II
Book II considers mundane astrology, and contains a partially physical and partially astrological account, observing the effects of geography on the portions of the visible night sky and constellations. Ptolemy here also discusses the nations and regions of the earth that are associated with the various signs; for example, the northwest portion of the world he knew was assigned to Aries; countries whose sign is Aries include Britain, Galatia, Germany, and Barsania.
Book III
The third book contains an account of natal astrology, including an account of the importance of the rising sign, and rules to judge life expectancy by the stars. It also includes a brief treatment of medical astrology. This section also considers the effects of comets and meteors.
Book IV
The fourth book deals with the judgment of life events, employment, and wealth according to the horoscope, with particular attention to the Part of Fortune. It also addresses the astrological prognostication of marriages, children, friends and enemies, and the manner of death.
Attestation
The earliest reference to any identifiable astronomical event in the Almagest is for the year 127, and the last in the year 151; Ptolemy was moreover thought to have died around 178. The Tetrabiblos therefore must date to the second century AD.
At least eleven manuscripts of the Tetrabiblos in Greek are extant. Older than any existing Greek manuscript of Ptolemy's original text is a Greek manuscript of a very close paraphrase of the Tetrabiblos, attributed to Proclus. It was this paraphrase, rather than Ptolemy's original text, that became the basis of the Arabic translation, made in the ninth century by Hunayn ibn Ishaq. The paraphrase attributed to Proclus was first translated from Arabic into Latin by Plato of Tivoli (Tiburtinus) in 1138, while he was in Spain.
The first printed edition of the original Greek text in Europe was made by Joachim Camerarius at Nuremberg in 1535. Other early printed editions include a second by Johannes Oporinus at Basel in 1553. Junctinus printed the Greek text of the Tetrabiblos as part of his astrological anthology, the Speculum astrologiæ, at Leyden in 1581.
Leo Allatius printed what became a standard Latin version of the Tetrabiblos, again based on the Proclus paraphrase, at Leyden in 1635. This Latin version was the basis for two early English translations.
Influence
Ptolemy has been referred to as “a pro-astrological authority of the highest magnitude”. His astrological treatise, a work in four parts, is known by the Greek term Tetrabiblos, or the Latin equivalent Quadripartitum: ‘Four Books’. Ptolemy's own title is unknown, but may have been the term found in some Greek manuscripts: Apotelesmatika, roughly meaning 'Astrological Outcomes,' 'Effects' or ‘Prognostics’.
As a source of reference the Tetrabiblos is said to have "enjoyed almost the authority of a Bible among the astrological writers of a thousand years or more". The Tetrabiblos is an extensive and continually reprinted treatise on the ancient principles of horoscopic astrology. That it did not quite attain the unrivaled status of the Almagest was perhaps because it did not cover some popular areas of the subject, particularly electional astrology (interpreting astrological charts for a particular moment to determine the outcome of a course of action to be initiated at that time), and medical astrology, which were later adoptions.
The great popularity that the Tetrabiblos did possess might be attributed to its nature as an exposition of the art of astrology and as a compendium of astrological lore, rather than as a manual. It speaks in general terms, avoiding illustrations and details of practice. Ptolemy was concerned to defend astrology by defining its limits, compiling astronomical data that he believed was reliable and dismissing practices (such as considering the numerological significance of names) that he believed to be without sound basis.
Much of the content of the Tetrabiblos was collected from earlier sources; Ptolemy's achievement was to order his material in a systematic way, showing how the subject could, in his view, be rationalized. It is, indeed, presented as the second part of the study of astronomy of which the Almagest was the first, concerned with the influences of the celestial bodies in the sublunar sphere. Thus explanations of a sort are provided for the astrological effects of the planets, based upon their combined effects of heating, cooling, moistening, and drying.
The Ptolemaic zodiac
Ptolemy is also responsible for the division of the astrological traditions into sidereal astrology and tropical astrology. The Babylonian astrologers used twelve equal zodiac signs, but their beginning points and ends were tied to the constellations they represented. Earlier astrological authorities such as Eudoxus of Cnidus, writing in the fourth century BC, had placed the vernal equinox at 8° of Aries. Ptolemy, writing in the second century AD, observed that the location of the equinox was now at 0° Aries, having moved in the intervening six centuries due to the precession of the equinoxes.
This observation was taken as a definition by the Islamic and Western astrologers for whom Ptolemy was a high authority. The cusp of Aries always coincided with the sun's postion at the vernal equinox, notwithstanding the movement of the underlying constellation.
References
- Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos book I, ss. 1
- Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, book II, table
- Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, book III, ch. 17
- Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos book IV
- Frank E. Robbins, Tetrabiblos (Loeb Classical Library: Harvard University Press, 1940), introduction
- Frank E. Robbins, Tetrabiblos (Loeb Classical Library: Harvard University Press, 1940), introduction
- FA Robbins, 1940; Thorndike 1923)
- Robbins, above
- Jones (2010) ‘The Use and Abuse of Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos in Renaissance and Early Modern Europe’ by H. Darrel Rutkin, p. 135.
- Robbins, Ptolemy Tetrabiblos, 'Introduction' p. x.
- Jones (2010) p. xii.
- Robbins, Ptolemy Tetrabiblos, 'Introduction' p. xii.
- Nicholas Campion, A History of Western Astrology, vol 1: The Ancient World (Continuum, 2008; ISBN 978-1-4411-2737-2), p. 167
- Campion, p. 216
Bibliography
- Arnett, Bill (2008). "Ptolemy, the Man". obs.nineplanets.org. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- Houlding, Deborah (2003). "The Life & Work of Ptolemy". Skyscript.co. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- Jones, Alexander (ed.) 2010. Ptolemy in Perspective: Use and Criticism of his Work from Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century. New York: Series: Archimedes, Vol. 23., ISBN 978-90-481-2787-0
- Toomer, Gerald J. (1970). "Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemæus)" (PDF). In Gillispie, Charles (ed.). Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Vol. 11. New York: Scribner & American Council of Learned Societies. pp. 186–206. ISBN 9780684101149.
- Sprague, Ben (2001–2007). "Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy): Representation, Understanding, and Mathematical Labeling of the Spherical Earth". Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
External links
- The Tetrabiblos (Google Books; James Wilson translation, from Allatius's Latin version of the paraphrase, 1828)
- The Tetrabiblos at Lacus Curtius, site of Bill Thayer, from the Greek
- The Tetrabiblos (Ashmand translation, from the paraphrase, 1822, at sacred-texts.com)