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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    inquired on what basis this belief of their forefathers was established, nor by what authority the delusion (if it was one) could have been for so many ages supported. Among a thousand persons who now treat the mention of Astrology with supercilious ridicule, there is scarcely one who knows distinctly what it is he laughs at, or on what plea his ancestors should stand excused for having, in their day, contemplated with respect the unfortunate object of modern derision. The general want of information on these points, and the indifference with which such want has been hitherto regarded, cannot surely be attributed solely to the mo- “ of Ahnamoum*) became wonderfully famous. He wrote expressly “ from the Persian astrologers, and it may be from the works of “ Gjamasp, since he also reports a prediction of the coming of Christ “ in the following words: viz. ‘ In the sphere of Persia, saith Aben “ ‘ Ezra, there arisetli upon the face of the sign Virgo a beautiful “ ‘ maiden, she holding two ears of corn in her hand, and a child in “ ‘ her arm : she fcedeth him, and givetli him suck, &c. This maiden,’ “ saith Albumazar, ‘ we call Adrenedefa, the pure Virgin. She “ ‘ bringeth up a child in a place which is called Abrie [the Hebrew “ ‘ land], and the child’s name is called Eisi [Jesus].’ This made “ Albertus Magnus believe that oirr Saviour, Christ, was born in “ Virgo; and therefore Cardinal Alliac, erecting our Lord’s nativity “ by his description, casteth this sign into the horoscope. But the “ meaning of Albumazar was, saith Friar Bacon, that the said virgin “ was born, the Sun being in that sign, and so it is noted iu the ca- “ lendar; and that she was to bring up her son in the Hebrew land. “[Mr. John Gregory’s Notes on various Passages of Scripture].”— Ancient Universal History,vol. 5, pp. 415 to 419. * This caliph reigned in the earlier part of the 9th century, and caused Ptolemy’s Great Construction to be translated into Arabic, as hereafter mentioned.