Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, or Quadripartite: being four books of the influence of the stars / Newly translated from the Greek paraphrase of Proclus. With a preface, explanatory notes, and an appendix, containing extracts from the Almagest of Ptolemy and the whole of his Centiloquy; together with a short notice of Mr. Ranger's Zodiacal planisphere, and an explanatory plate. By J. M. Ashmand.

  • Ptolemy, active 2nd century.
Date:
1822
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, or Quadripartite: being four books of the influence of the stars / Newly translated from the Greek paraphrase of Proclus. With a preface, explanatory notes, and an appendix, containing extracts from the Almagest of Ptolemy and the whole of his Centiloquy; together with a short notice of Mr. Ranger's Zodiacal planisphere, and an explanatory plate. By J. M. Ashmand. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    a history, and by none more fully than by those of Eng¬ land. Yet, with these striking facts before their eyes, the present generation seem never, until now, to have “ lie published it A. D. 1280. In the preface of his version it is said “ that, after the times of Zoroaster, or Zerdusht, reigned Gushtasp, “ the son of Lohrasp*, a very powerful prince; and that in his reign “ flourished in the city of Balch, on the borders of Chorassan, a most “ excellent philosopher, whose name was Gjamasp, author of this “ book ; wherein is contained an account of all the great conjunctions “ of the planets which had happened before his time, and which were “ to happen in succeeding ages; and wherein the appearances of “ new religions and the rise of new monarchies were exactly set ‘‘ down. This author, throughout his whole piece, styles Zerdusht, or “ Zoroaster, our Prophet. [D’Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. Art. Gjamasb.] “ The notion of predicting the rise and progress of religions from the “ grand conjunctions of the planets, has been likewise propagated in “ our western parts: Cardan was a bold assertor of this doctrine. “ The modern Persians are still great votaries of astrology, and al- “ though they distinguish between it and astronomy, they have but “ one word to express astronomer and astrologer; viz. manegjim, “ which is exactly equivalent to the Greek word arfoxoy·;. Of all the “ provinces of Persia, Chorassan is the most famous for producing “ great men in that art; and in Chorassan there is a little town called “ Genabed, and in that town a certain family which, for 6 or 700 “ years past, has produced tiic most famous astrologers in Persia; “ and the king's astrologer is always cither a native of Genabed, or “ one brought up there. Sir John Chardin affirms that the appoint- “ ments in his time for these sages amounted to six millions of French “ livres per annum.—Albumazar of Balch (scholar of Alkendi.a Jew, “ who was professor of judicial astrology at Bagdad, in the Caliphate * This seems to be a mistake of the Arabian author, for Gushtasp was identical with Darius Hystaspis, and Lohrasp [otherwise Cy- axares j was father of Darius the Mode, who was overcome by Cyrus, 586 B. C·—Sec Newton.