ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΣ, ΣΥΝΤΑΞΙΣ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΙΚΗ (ΤΕΤΡΑΒΙΒΛΟΣ) Α′

1. Προοίμιον

     Τῶν τὸ δι’ ἀστρονομίας προγνωστικὸν τέλος παρασκευαζόντων, ὦ Σύρε, δύο τῶν μεγίστων καὶ κυριωτάτων ὑπαρχόντων, ἑνὸς μὲν τοῦ πρώτου καὶ τάξει καὶ δυνάμει, καθ’ ὃ τοὺς γινομένους ἑκάστοτε σχηματισμοὺς τῶν κινήσεων ἡλίου τε καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἀστέρων πρὸς ἀλλήλους τε καὶ τὴν γῆν καταλαμβανόμεθα· δευτέρου δέ, καθ’ ὃ διὰ τῆς φυσικῆς τῶν σχηματισμῶν αὐτῶν ἰδιοτροπίας τὰς ἀποτελουμένας μεταβολὰς τῶν ἐμπεριεχομένων ·ἐπισκεπτόμεθα· τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἰδίαν ἔχον καὶ δι’ ἑαυτὴν αἱρετὴν θεωρίαν, κἂν μὴ τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἐπιζεύξεως τοῦ δευτέρου τέλος συμπεραίνηται, κατ’ ἰδίαν σύνταξιν ὡς μάλιστα ἐνῆν ἀποδεικτικῶς σοι περιώδευται.

     Περὶ δὲ τοῦ δευτέρου καὶ μὴ ὡσαύτως αὐτοτελοῦς ἡμεῖς ἐν τῷ παρόντι ποιησόμεθα λόγον κατὰ τὸν ἁρμόζοντα φιλοσοφίᾳ τρόπον καὶ ὡς ἄν τις φιλαλήθει μάλιστα χρώμενος σκοπῷ μήτε τὴν κατάληψιν αὐτοῦ παραβάλλοι τῇ τοῦ πρώτου καὶ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχοντος βεβαιότητι, τὸ ἐν πολλοῖς ἀσθενὲς καὶ δυσείκαστον τῆς ὑλικῆς ποιότητος μὴ προσποιούμενος, μήτε πρὸς τὴν κατὰ τὸ ἐνδεχόμενον ἐπίσκεψιν ἀποκνοίη, τῶν γε πλείστων καὶ ὁλοσχερεστέρων συμπτωμάτων ἐναργῶς οὕτως τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ περιέχοντος αἰτίαν ἐμφανιζόντων.

     Ἐπεὶ δὲ πᾶν μὲν τὸ δυσέφικτον παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς εὐδιάβλητον ἔχει φύσιν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν προκειμένων δύο καταλήψεων αἱ μὲν τῆς προτέρας διαβολαὶ τυφλῶν ἂν εἶεν παντελῶς, αἱ δὲ τῆς δευτέρας εὐπροφασίστους ἔχουσι τὰς ἀφορμὰς (ἢ γὰρ τὸ ἐπ’ ἐνίων δυσθεώρητον ἀκαταληψίας τελείας δόξαν παρέσχεν ἢ τὸ τῶν γνωσθέντων δυσφύλακτον καὶ τὸ τέλος ὡς ἄχρηστον διέσυρε), πειρασόμεθα διὰ βραχέων πρὸ τῆς κατὰ μέρος ὑφηγήσεως τὸ μέτρον ἑκατέρου τοῦ τε δυνατοῦ καὶ τοῦ χρησίμου τῆς τοιαύτης προγνώσεως ἐπισκέψασθαι, καὶ πρῶτον τοῦ δυνατοῦ.

1. Introduction

     Of the means of prediction through astronomy, O Syrus, two are the most important and valid. One, which is first ¹ both in order and in effectiveness, is that whereby we apprehend the aspects of the movements of sun, moon, and stars in relation to each other and to the earth, as they occur from time to time; the second is that in which by means of the natural character of these aspects themselves we investigate the changes which they bring about in that which they surround. The first of these, which has its own science, desirable in itself even though it does not attain the result given by its combination with the second, has been expounded to you as best we could in its own treatise ² by the method of demonstration.

     We shall now give an account of the second and less self‐sufficient method in a properly philosophical way, so that one whose aim is the truth might never compare its perceptions with the sureness of the first, unvarying science, for he ascribes to it the weakness and unpredictability of material qualities found in individual things ³, nor yet refrain from such investigation as is within the bounds of possibility, when it is so evident that most events of a general nature draw their causes from the enveloping heavens.

     But since everything that is hard to attain is easily assailed ⁴ by the generality of men, and in the case of the two before-mentioned disciplines the allegations against the first could be made only by the blind, while there are specious grounds for those levelled at the second –for its difficulty in parts has made them think it completely incomprehensible, or the difficulty of escaping what is known ⁵ has disparaged even its object as useless­– we shall try to examine briefly the measure of both the possibility and the usefulness of such prognostication before offering detailed instruction on the subject. First as to its possibility.

2. Ὅτι καταληπτὴ ἡ δι’ ἀστρονομίας γνῶσις καὶ μέχρι τίνος

     Ὅτι μὲν τοίνυν διαδίδοται καὶ διικνεῖταί τις δύναμις ἀπὸ τῆς αἰθερώδους καὶ ἀϊδίου φύσεως ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν περίγειον καὶ δι’ ὅλων μεταβλήτην, τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν σελήνην πρώτων στοιχείων πυρὸς καὶ ἀέρος περιεχομένων μὲν καὶ τρεπομένων ὑπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὸν αἰθέρα κινήσεων, περιεχόντων δὲ καὶ συντρεπόντων τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα, γῆν καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς φυτὰ καὶ ζῷα, πᾶσιν ἂν ἐναργέστατον καὶ δι’ ὀλίγων φανείη. Ὅ τε γὰρ ἥλιος διατίθησί πως ἀεὶ μετὰ τοῦ περιέχοντος πάντα τὰ περὶ τὴν γῆν, οὐ μόνον διὰ τῶν κατὰ τὰς ἐτησίους ὥρας μεταβολῶν πρὸς γονὰς ζῴων καὶ φυτῶν καρποφορίας καὶ ῥύσεις ὑδάτων καὶ σωμάτων μετατροπάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν περιόδων θερμαίνων τε καὶ ὑγραίνων καὶ ξηραίνων καὶ ψύχων τεταγμένως τε καὶ ἀκολούθως τοῖς πρὸς τὸν κατὰ κορυφὴν ἡμῶν γινομένοις ὁμοιοτρόποις σχηματισμοῖς.

     Ἥ τε σελήνη πλείστην ὡς περιγειοτάτη διαδίδωσιν ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀπόρροιαν, συμπαθούντων αὐτῇ καὶ συντρεπομένων τῶν πλείστων καὶ ἀψύχων καὶ ἐμψύχων καὶ ποταμῶν μὲν συναυξόντων καὶ συμμειούντων τοῖς φωσὶν αὐτῆς τὰ ῥεύματα, θαλασσῶν δὲ συντρεπουσῶν ταῖς ἀνατολαῖς καὶ ταῖς δύσεσι τὰς ἰδίας ὁρμάς, φυτῶν δὲ καὶ ζῴων ἢ ὅλων ἢ κατά τινα μέρη συμπληρουμένων τε αὐτῇ καὶ συμμειουμένων. Αἵ τε τῶν ἀστέρων τῶν τε ἀπλανῶν καὶ τῶν πλανωμένων πάροδοι πλείστας ποιοῦσιν ἐπισημασίας τοῦ περιέχοντος καυματώδεις καὶ πνευματώδεις καὶ νιφετώδεις, ὑφ’ ὧν καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οἰκείως διατίθεται.

     Ἤδη δὲ καὶ οἱ πρὸς ἀλλήλους αὐτῶν συσχηματισμοί, συνερχομένων πως καὶ συγκιρναμένων τῶν διαδόσεων, πλείστας καὶ ποικίλας μεταβολὰς ἀπεργάζονται, κατακρατούσης μὲν τῆς τοῦ ἡλίου δυνάμεως πρὸς τὸ καθόλου τῆς ποιότητος τεταγμένης, συνεργούντων δὲ ἢ ἀποσυνεργούντων κατά τι τῶν λοιπῶν, καὶ τῆς μὲν σελήνης ἐκφανέστερον καὶ συνεχέστερον ὡς ἐν ταῖς συνόδοις καὶ διχοτόμοις καὶ πανσελήνοις, τῶν δὲ ἀστέρων περιοδικώτερον καὶ ἀσημότερον, ὡς ἐν ταῖς φάσεσι καὶ κρύψεσι καὶ προσνεύσεσιν.

     Ὅτι δὲ τούτων οὕτως θεωρουμένων οὐ μόνον τὰ ἤδη συγκραθέντα διατίθεσθαί πως ὑπὸ τῆς τούτων κινήσεως ἀναγκαῖον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν σπερμάτων τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς πληροφορήσεις διαπλάττεσθαι καὶ διαμορφοῦσθαι πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν τοῦ τότε περιέχοντος ποιότητα, πᾶσιν ἂν δόξειεν ἀκόλουθον εἶναι. Οἱ γοῦν παρατηρητικώτεροι τῶν γεωργῶν καὶ τῶν νομέων ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὰς ὀχείας καὶ τὰς τῶν σπερμάτων καταθέσεις συμβαινόντων πνευμάτων στοχάζονται τῆς ποιότητος τῶν ἀποβησομένων· καὶ ὅλως τὰ μὲν ὁλοσχερέστερα καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐπιφανεστέρων συσχηματισμῶν ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἀστέρων ἐπισημαινόμενα καὶ παρὰ τοῖς μὴ φυσικῶς, μόνον δὲ παρατηρητικῶς σκεπτομένοις ὡς ἐπίπαν προγινωσκόμενα θεωροῦμεν, τὰ μὲν ἐκ μείζονός τε δυνάμεως καὶ ἁπλουστέρας τάξεως καὶ παρὰ τοῖς πάνυ ἰδιώταις, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ παρ’ ἐνίοις τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων, ὡς τῶν ὡρῶν καὶ τῶν πνευμάτων τὰς ἐτησίους διαφοράς (τούτων γὰρ ὡς ἐπίπαν ὁ ἥλιος αἴτιος), τὰ δὲ ἧττον οὕτως ἔχοντα παρὰ τοῖς ἤδη κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ταῖς παρατηρήσεσιν ἐνειθισμένοις, ὡς τοῖς ναυτιλλομένοις τὰς κατὰ μέρος τῶν χειμώνων καὶ τῶν πνευμάτων ἐπισημασίας ὅσαι γίνονται κατὰ τὸ περιοδικώτερον ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς σελήνης ἢ καὶ τῶν ἀπλανῶν ἀστέρων πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον συσχηματισμῶν.

     Παρὰ μέντοι τὸ μήτε αὐτῶν τούτων τοὺς χρόνους καὶ τοὺς τόπους ὑπὸ ἀπειρίας ἀκριβῶς δύνασθαι κατανοεῖν μήτε τὰς τῶν πλανωμένων ἀστέρων περιόδους πλεῖστον καὶ αὐτὰς συμβαλλομένας τὸ πολλάκις αὐτοῖς σφάλλεσθαι συμβαίνει. Τί δὴ οὖν κωλύει τὸν ἠκριβωκότα μὲν τάς τε πάντων τῶν ἀστέρων καὶ ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης κινήσεις, ὅπως αὐτὸν μηδενὸς τῶν σχηματισμῶν μήτε ὁ τόπος μήτε ὁ χρόνος λανθάνῃ, διειληφότα δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἔτι ἄνωθεν συνεχοῦς ἱστορίας ὡς ἐπίπαν αὐτῶν τὰς φύσεις, κἂν μὴ τὰς κατ’ αὐτὸ τὸ ὑποκείμενον ἀλλὰ τάς γε δυνάμει ποιητικάς, οἷον ὡς τὴν τοῦ ἡλίου ὅτι θερμαίνει καὶ τὴν τῆς σελήνης ὅτι ὑγραίνει, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὁμοίως, ἱκανὸν δὲ πρὸς τοιαῦτα ὄντα φυσικῶς ἅμα καὶ εὐστόχως ἐκ τῆς συγκράσεως πάντων τὸ ἴδιον τῆς ποιότητος διαλαβεῖν, ὡς δύνασθαι μὲν ἐφ’ ἑκάστου τῶν διδομένων καιρῶν ἐκ τῆς τότε τῶν φαινομένων σχέσεως τὰς τοῦ περιέχοντος ἰδιοτροπίας εἰπεῖν, οἷον ὅτι θερμότερον ἢ ὑγρότερον ἔσται, δύνασθαι δὲ καὶ καθ’ ἕνα ἕκαστον τῶν ἀνθρώπων τήν τε καθόλου ποιότητα τῆς ἰδιοσυγκρασίας ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν σύστασιν περιέχοντος συνιδεῖν, οἷον ὅτι τὸ μὲν σῶμα τοιόσδε, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν τοιόσδε, καὶ τὰ κατὰ καιροὺς συμπτώματα, διὰ τὸ τὸ μὲν τοιόνδε περιέχον τῇ τοιᾷδε συγκράσει σύμμετρον ἢ καὶ πρόσφορον γίνεσθαι πρὸς εὐεξίαν, τὸ δὲ τοιόνδε ἀσύμμετρον καὶ πρόσφορον πρὸς κάκωσιν;

     Ἀλλὰ γὰρ τὸ μὲν δυνατὸν τῆς τοιαύτης καταλήψεως διὰ τούτων καὶ τῶν ὁμοίων ἔστι συνιδεῖν. Ὅτι δὲ εὐπροφασίστως μέν, οὐ προσηκόντως δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἀδύνατον ἔσχε διαβολήν, οὕτως ἂν κατανοήσαιμεν. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τὰ πταίσματα τῶν μὴ ἀκριβούντων τὸ ἔργον πολλὰ ὄντα ὡς ἐν μεγάλῃ καὶ πολυμερεῖ θεωρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἀληθευομένοις τὴν τοῦ ἐκ τύχης παρέσχε δόξαν, οὐκ ὀρθῶς· τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτον οὐ τῆς ἐπιστήμης ἀλλὰ τῶν μεταχειριζομένων ἐστὶν ἀδυναμία.

     Ἔπειτα καὶ οἱ πλεῖστοι τοῦ πορίζειν ἕνεκεν ἑτέραν τέχνην τῷ ταύτης ὀνόματι καταξιοπιστευόμενοι τοὺς μὲν ἰδιώτας ἐξαπατῶσι πολλὰ προλέγειν δοκοῦντες καὶ τῶν μηδεμίαν φύσιν ἐχόντων προγινώσκεσθαι, τοῖς δὲ ζητητικωτέροις διὰ τούτου παρέσχον ἀφορμὴν ἐν ἴσῳ καὶ τῶν φύσιν ἐχόντων προλέγεσθαι καταγινώσκειν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο δεόντως· οὐδὲ γὰρ φιλοσοφίαν ἀναιρετέον, ἐπεί τινες τῶν προσποιουμένων αὐτὴν πονηροὶ καταφαίνονται.

     Ἀλλ’ ὅμως ἐναργές ἐστιν ὅτι κἂν διερευνητικῶς τις ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα καὶ γνησίως τοῖς μαθήμασι προσέρχηται, πολλάκις πταίειν αὐτὸν ἐνδέχεται, δι’ οὐδὲν μὲν τῶν εἰρημένων, δι’ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος φύσιν καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἀσθένειαν. Καθόλου γάρ, πρὸς τῷ τὴν περὶ τὸ ποιὸν τῆς ὕλης θεωρίαν πᾶσαν εἰκαστικὴν εἶναι καὶ οὐ διαβεβαιωτικὴν καὶ μάλιστα τὴν ἐκ πολλῶν ἀνομοίων συγκιρναμένην, ἔτι καὶ τοῖς παλαιοῖς τῶν πλανωμένων συσχηματισμοῖς, ἀφ’ ὧν ἐφαρμόζομεν τοῖς ὡσαύτως ἔχουσι τῶν νῦν τὰς ὑπὸ τῶν προγενεστέρων ἐπ’ ἐκείνων παρατετηρημένας προτελέσεις, παρόμοιοι μὲν δύνανται γίνεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ ἧττον καὶ οὗτοι διὰ μακρῶν περιόδων, ἀπαράλλακτοι δὲ οὐδαμῶς, τῆς πάντων ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ μετὰ τῆς γῆς κατὰ τὸ ἀκριβὲς συναποκαταστάσεως, εἰ μή τις κενοδοξοίη περὶ τὴν τῶν ἀκαταλήπτων κατάληψιν καὶ γνῶσιν, ἢ μηδόλως ἢ μὴ κατά γε τὸν αἰσθητὸν ἀνθρώπῳ χρόνον ἀπαρτιζομένης, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰς προρρήσεις ἀνομοίων ὄντων τῶν ὑποκειμένων παραδειγμάτων ἐνίοτε διαμαρτάνεσθαι.

     Περὶ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν τῶν κατὰ τὸ περιέχον γινομένων συμπτωμάτων τοῦτ’ ἂν εἴη μόνον τὸ δυσχερές, καὶ μηδεμιᾶς ἐνταῦθα συμπαραλαμβανομένης αἰτίας τῇ κινήσει τῶν οὐρανίων. Περὶ δὲ τὰς γενεθλιαλογίας καὶ ὅλως τὰ κατ’ ἰδίαν τῆς ἑκάστου συγκράσεως οὐ μικρὰ οὐδὲ τὰ τυχόντα ἐστὶν ἰδεῖν συναίτια καὶ αὐτὰ γινόμενα τῆς τῶν συνισταμένων ἰδιοτροπίας. Αἵ τε γὰρ τῶν σπερμάτων διαφοραὶ πλεῖστον δύνανται πρὸς τὸ τοῦ γένους ἴδιον, ἐπειδήπερ τοῦ περιέχοντος καὶ τοῦ ὁρίζοντος ὑποκειμένου τοῦ αὐτοῦ κατακρατεῖ τῶν σπερμάτων ἕκαστον εἰς τὴν καθόλου τοῦ οἰκείου μορφώματος διατύπωσιν οἷον ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἵππου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων· οἵ τε τόποι τῆς γενέσεως οὐ μικρὰς ποιοῦνται περὶ τὰ συνιστάμενα παραλλαγάς.

     Καὶ τῶν σπερμάτων γὰρ κατὰ γένος ὑποκειμένων τῶν αὐτῶν, οἷον ἀνθρωπίνων, καὶ τῆς τοῦ περιέχοντος καταστάσεως τῆς αὐτῆς, παρὰ τὸ τῶν χωρῶν διάφορον πολὺ καὶ τοῖς σώμασι καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς οἱ γεννώμενοι διήνεγκαν· πρὸς δὲ τούτοις αἵ τε τροφαὶ καὶ τὰ ἔθη πάντων τῶν προκειμένων ἀδιαφόρων ὑποτιθεμένων συμβάλλονταί τι πρὸς τὰς κατὰ μέρος τῶν βίων διαγωγάς, ὧν ἕκαστον ἐὰν μὴ συνδιαλαμβάνηται ταῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ περιέχοντος αἰτίαις, εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα τὴν πλείστην ἔχει τοῦτο δύναμιν τῷ τὸ μὲν περιέχον κἀκείνοις αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ τοιοῖσδε εἶναι συναίτιον γίνεσθαι, τούτῳ δὲ ἐκεῖνα μηδαμῶς, πολλὴν ἀπορίαν δύναται παρέχειν τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων οἰομένοις ἀπὸ μόνης τῆς τῶν μετεώρων κινήσεως πάντα καὶ τὰ μὴ τέλεον ἐπ’ αὐτῇ δύνασθαι διαγινώσκειν.

     Τούτων δὲ οὕτως ἐχόντων προσῆκον ἂν εἴη μήτε ἐπειδὴ διαμαρτάνεσθαί ποτε τὴν τοιαύτην πρόγνωσιν ἐνδέχεται, καὶ τὸ πᾶν αὐτῆς ἀναιρεῖν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τὴν κυβερνητικὴν διὰ τὸ πολλάκις πταίειν ἀποδοκιμάζομεν, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐν μεγάλοις οὕτως καὶ θείοις ἐπαγγέλμασιν ἀσπάζεσθαι καὶ ἀγαπητὸν ἡγεῖσθαι τὸ δυνατόν, μήτ’ αὖ πάλιν πάντα ἡμῖν αἰτεῖν παρ’ αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ ἀνθρωπίνως καὶ ἐστοχασμένως συμφιλοκαλεῖν καὶ ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἦν ἐπ’ αὐτῇ τὸ πᾶν ἐφοδιάζειν καὶ ὥσπερ τοῖς ἰατροῖς ὅταν ἐπιζητῶσί τινα καὶ περὶ αὐτῆς τῆς νόσου καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ κάμνοντος ἰδιοτροπίας, οὐ μεμψόμεθα λέγοντες, οὕτως καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὰ γένη καὶ τὰς χώρας καὶ τὰς τροφὰς ἢ καί τινα τῶν ἤδη συμβεβηκότων μὴ ἀγανακτεῖν ὑποτιθεμένους.

2. That Knowledge by Astronomical Means is Attainable, and How Far

     A very few considerations would make it apparent to all that a certain power emanating from the eternal ethereal substance ⁶ is dispersed through and permeates the whole region about the earth, which throughout is subject to change, since, of the primary sublunar elements, fire and air are encompassed and changed by the motions in the ether, and in turn encompass and change all else, earth and water and the plants and animals therein. For the sun ⁷, together with the ambient, is always in same way affecting everything on the earth, not only by the changes that accompany the seasons of the year to bring about the generation of animals, the productiveness of plants, the flowing of waters, and the changes of bodies, but also by its daily revolutions furnishing heat, moisture, dryness, and cold in regular order and in correspondence with its positions relative to the zenith.

     The moon, too, as the heavenly body nearest the earth, bestows her effluence ⁸ most abundantly upon mundane things, for most of them, animate or inanimate, are sympathetic to her and change in company with her; the rivers increase and diminish their streams with her light, the seas turn their own tides with her rising and setting, and plants and animals in whole or in same part wax and wane with her. Moreover, the passages of the fixed stars and the planets through the sky often signify hot, windy, and snowy conditions of the air, and mundane things are affected accordingly.

     Then, too, their aspects ⁹ to one another, by the meeting and mingling of their dispensations, bring about many complicated changes. For though the sun’s power prevails in the general ordering of quality, the other heavenly bodies aid or oppose it in particular details, the moon more obviously and continuously, as for example when it is new, at quarter, or full, and the stars at greater intervals and more obscurely, as in their appearances, occultations, and approaches ¹⁰.

     If these matters be so regarded, all would judge it to follow that not only must things already compounded be affected in same way by the motion of these heavenly bodies, but likewise the germination and fruition of the seed must be moulded and conformed to the quality proper to the heavens at the time. The more observant farmers and herdsmen ¹¹, indeed, conjecture, from the winds prevailing at the time of impregnation and of the sowing of the seed, the quality of what will result; and in general we see that the more important consequences signified by the more obvious configurations of sun, moon, and stars are usually known beforehand, even by those who inquire, not by scientific means, but only by observation. Those which are consequent upon greater forces and simpler natural orders, such as the annual variations of the seasons and the winds, are comprehended by very ignorant men, nay even by the unreasonable animals; for the sun is in general responsible for these phenomena. Things that are not of so general a nature, however, are comprehended by those who have by necessity become used to making observations, as, for instance, sailors know the special signs of storms and winds that arise periodically by reason of the aspects of the moon and fixed stars to the sun.

     Yet because they cannot in their ignorance accurately know the times and places of these phenomena, nor the periodic movements of the planets, which contribute importantly to the effect, it happens that they often err. If, then, a man knows accurately the movements of all the stars, the sun, and the moon, so that neither the place nor the time of any of their configurations escapes his notice, and if he has distinguished in general their natures as the result of previous continued study, even though he may discern, not their essential, but only their potentially effective qualities, such as the sun’s heating and the moon’s moistening, and so on with the rest; and if he is capable of determining in view of all these data, both scientifically and by successful conjecture, the distinctive mark of quality resulting from the combination of all the factors, what is to prevent him from being able to tell on each given occasion the characteristics of the air from the relations of the phenomena at the time, for instance, that it will be warmer or wetter? Why can he not, too, with respect to an individual man, perceive the general quality of his temperament from the ambient at the time of his birth, as for instance that he is such and such in body and such and such in soul, and predict occasional events, by use of the fact that such and such an ambient is attuned to such and such a temperament and is favourable to prosperity, while another is not so attuned and conduces to injury?

     Enough, however; for the possibility of such knowledge can be understood from these and similar arguments. The following considerations might lead us to observe that criticism of the science on the score of impossibility has been specious but undeserved. In the first place, the mistakes ¹² of those who are not accurately instructed in its practice, and they are many, as one would expect in an important and many-sided art, have brought about the belief that even its true predictions depend upon chance, which is incorrect. For a thing like this is an impotence, not of the science, but of those who practise it.

     Secondly; most, for the sake of gain, claim credence for another art in the name of this ¹³, and deceive the vulgar, because they are reputed to foretell many things, even those that cannot naturally be known beforehand, while to the more thoughtful they have thereby given occasion to pass equally unfavourable judgement upon the natural subjects of prophecy. Nor is this deservedly done; it is the same with philosophy – we need not abolish it because there are evident rascals among those that pretend to it ¹⁴.

     Nevertheless it is clear that even though one approaches astrology in the most inquiring and legitimate spirit possible, he may frequently err, not for any of the reasons state, but because of the very nature of the thing and his own weakness in comparison with the magnitude of his profession. For in general, besides the fact that every science that deals with the quality of its subject-matter is conjectural and not to be absolutely affirmed, particularly one which is composed of many unlike elements, it is further­more true that the ancient configurations of the planets ¹⁵, upon the basis of which we attach to similar aspects of our own day the effects observed by the ancients in theirs, can be more or less similar to the modern aspects, and that, too, at long intervals, but not identical, since the exact return of all the heavenly bodies and the earth to the same positions ¹⁶, unless one holds vain opinions of his ability to comprehend and know the incomprehensible, either takes place not at all or at least not in the period of time that falls within the experience of man; so that for this reason predictions sometimes fail, because of the disparity of the examples on which they are based.

     As to the investigation of atmospheric phenomena, this would be the only difficulty, since no other cause besides the movement of the heavenly bodies is taken into consideration. But in an inquiry concerning nativities and individual temperaments in general, one can see that there are circumstances of no small importance and of no trifling character, which join to cause the special qualities of those who are born. For differences of seed exert a very great influence on the special traits of the genus, since, if the ambient and the horizon are the same, each seed prevails to express in general its own form, for example, man, horse, and so forth; and the places of birth bring about no small variation in what is produced.

     For if the seed is generically the same, human for example, and the condition of the ambient the same, those who are born differ much, both in body and soul, with the difference of countries ¹⁷. In addition to this, all the aforesaid conditions being equal, rearing and customs contribute to influence the particular way in which a life is lived. Unless each one of these things is examined together with the causes that are derived from the ambient, although this latter be conceded to exercise the greatest influence (for the ambient is one of the causes for these things being what they are, while they in turn have no influence upon it), they can cause much difficulty for those who believe that in such cases everything can be understood, even things not wholly within its jurisdiction, from the motion of the heavenly bodies alone.

     Since this is the case, it would not be fitting to dismiss all prognostication of this character because it can sometimes be mistaken, for we do not discredit the art of the pilot for its many errors; but as when the claims are great, so also when they are divine, we should welcome what is possible and think it enough. Nor, further, should we gropingly and in human fashion demand everything of the art, but rather join in the appreciation of its beauty, even in instances wherein it could not provide the full answer; and as we do not find fault with the physicians, when they examine a person, for speaking both about the sickness itself and about the patient’s idiosyncrasy, so too in this case we should not object to astrologers using as a basis for calculation nationality, country, and rearing, or any other already existing accidental qualities.

3. Ὅτι καὶ ὠφέλιμος

     Τίνα μὲν οὖν τρόπον δυνατὸν γίνεται τὸ δι’ ἀστρονομίας προγνωστικὸν καὶ ὅτι μέχρι μόνων ἂν φθάνοι τῶν τε κατ’ αὐτὸ τὸ περιέχον συμπτωμάτων καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης αἰτίας τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παρακολουθούντων (ταῦτα δ’ ἂν εἴη περί τε τὰς ἐξαρχῆς ἐπιτηδειότητας δυνάμεων καὶ πράξεων σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς καὶ τὰ κατὰ καιροὺς αὐτῶν πάθη πολυχρονιότητας τε καὶ ὀλιγοχρονιότητας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὅσα τῶν ἔξωθεν κυρίαν τε καὶ φυσικὴν ἔχει πρὸς τὰ πρῶτα συμπλοκὴν ὡς πρὸς τὸ σῶμα μὲν ἡ κτῆσις καὶ ἡ συμβίωσις, πρὸς δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν ἥ τε τιμὴ καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα, καὶ τὰς τούτων κατὰ καιροὺς τύχας), σχεδὸν ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίοις γέγονεν ἡμῖν δῆλον.

     Λοιπὸν δ’ ἂν εἴη τῶν προκειμένων τὴν κατὰ τὸ χρήσιμον ἐπίσκεψιν διὰ βραχέων ποιήσασθαι πρότερον διαλαβοῦσι, τίνα τρόπον καὶ πρὸς τί τέλος ἀφορῶντες τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ χρησίμου δύναμιν ἐκδεξόμεθα. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθά, τί ἂν εἴη συμφορώτερον πρὸς εὐπραγίαν καὶ χαρὰν καὶ ὅλως εὐαρέστησιν τῆς τοιαύτης προγνώσεως, καθ’ ἣν τῶν τε ἀνθρωπίνων καὶ τῶν θείων γινόμεθα συνορατικοί; Εἰ δὲ πρὸς τὰ τοῦ σώματος, πάντων ἂν μᾶλλον ἡ τοιαύτη κατάληψις ἐπιγινώσκοι τὸ οἰκεῖόν τε καὶ πρόσφορον τῇ καθ’ ἑκάστην σύγκρασιν ἐπιτηδειότητι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ πρὸς πλοῦτον ἢ δόξαν ἢ τὰ τοιαῦτα συνεργεῖ, προχωρήσει καὶ περὶ πάσης φιλοσοφίας τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο φάσκειν· οὐδενὸς γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶν ὅσον τὸ ἐφ’ ἑαυτῇ περιποιητική. Ἀλλ’ οὔτ’ ἐκείνης διὰ τοῦτ’ ἂν οὔτε ταύτης καταγινώσκοιμεν δικαίως, ἀφέμενοι τοῦ πρὸς τὰ μείζω συμφέροντος.

     Ὅλως δ’ ἂν ἐξετάζουσι φανεῖεν ἂν οἱ τὸ ἄχρηστον τῆς καταλήψεως ἐπιμεμφόμενοι πρὸς οὐδὲν τῶν κυριωτάτων ἀφορῶντες, ἀλλὰ πρὸς αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον, ὅτι τῶν πάντη πάντως ἐσομένων ἡ πρόγνωσις περισσή, καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἁπλῶς πάνυ καὶ οὐκ εὖ διειλημμένως. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ δεῖ σκοπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἀποβησομένων τὸ μὲν ἀπροσδόκητον τούς τε θορύβους ἐκστατικοὺς καὶ τὰς χαρὰς ἐξοιστικὰς μάλιστα πέφυκε ποιεῖν, τὸ δὲ προγινώσκειν ἐθίζει καὶ ῥυθμίζει τὴν ψυχὴν τῇ μελέτῃ τῶν ἀπόντων ὡς παρόντων καὶ παρασκευάζει μετ’ εἰρήνης καὶ εὐσταθείας ἕκαστα τῶν ἐπερχομένων ἀποδέχεσθαι.

     Ἔπειθ’ ὅτι μηδ’ οὕτως ἅπαντα χρὴ νομίζειν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀπὸ τῆς ἄνωθεν αἰτίας παρακολουθεῖν ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀπό τινος ἀλύτου καὶ θείου προστάγματος καθ’ ἕνα ἕκαστον νενομοθετημένα καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἀποβησόμενα, μηδεμιᾶς ἄλλης ἁπλῶς αἰτίας ἀντιπρᾶξαι δυναμένης, ἀλλ’ ὡς τῆς μὲν τῶν οὐρανίων κινήσεως καθ’ εἱμαμένην θείαν καὶ ἀμετάπτωτον ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀποτελουμένης, τῆς δὲ τῶν ἐπιγείων ἀλλοιώσεως καθ’ εἱμαρμένην φυσικὴν καὶ μεταπτωτήν, τὰς πρώτας αἰτίας ἄνωθεν λαμβανούσης κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς καὶ κατ’ ἐπακολούθησιν, καὶ ὡς τῶν μὲν διὰ καθολικωτέρας περιστάσεις τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συμβαινόντων, οὐχὶ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας ἑκάστου φυσικῆς ἐπιτηδειότητος, ὡς ὅταν κατὰ μεγάλας καὶ δυσφυλάκτους τοῦ περιέχοντος τροπὰς ἐκ πυρώσεων ἢ λοιμῶν ἢ κατακλυσμῶν κατὰ πλήθη διαφθαρῶσιν, ὑποπιπτούσης ἀεὶ τῆς βραχυτέρας αἰτίας τῇ μείζονι καὶ ἰσχυροτέρᾳ, τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἑνὸς ἑκάστου φυσικὴν ἰδιοσυγκρασίαν διὰ μικρὰς καὶ τὰς τυχούσας τοῦ περιέχοντος ἀντιπαθείας.

     Τούτων γὰρ οὕτως διαληφθέντων φανερὸν ὅτι καὶ καθόλου καὶ κατὰ μέρος ὅσων μὲν συμπτωμάτων τὸ πρῶτον αἴτιον ἄμαχόν τέ ἐστι καὶ μεῖζον παντὸς τοῦ ἀντιπράττοντος, ταῦτα καὶ πάντη πάντως ἀποβαίνειν ἀνάγκη, ὅσα δὲ μὴ οὕτως ἔχει, τούτων τὰ μὲν ἐπιτυχόντα τῶν ἀντιπαθησόντων εὐανάτρεπτα γίνεται, τὰ δὲ μὴ εὐπορήσαντα καὶ αὐτὰ ταῖς πρώταις φύσεσιν ἀκολουθεῖ, δι’ ἄγνοιαν μέντοι καὶ οὐκ ἔτι διὰ τὴν τῆς ἰσχύος ἀνάγκην.

     Τὸ δ’ αὐτὸ ἄν τις ἴδοι συμβεβηκὸς καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων ἁπλῶς τῶν φυσικὰς ἐχόντων τὰς ἀρχάς καὶ γὰρ καὶ λίθων καὶ φυτῶν καὶ ζῴων, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τραυμάτων καὶ παθῶν καὶ νοσημάτων τὰ μὲν ἐξ ἀνάγκης τι ποιεῖν πέφυκε, τὰ δ’ ἂν μηδὲν τῶν ἐναντίων ἀντιπράξῃ. Οὕτως οὖν χρὴ νομίζειν καὶ τὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συμβησόμενα προλέγειν τοὺς φυσικοὺς τῇ τοιαύτῃ προγνώσει καὶ μὴ κατὰ κενὰς δόξας προσερχομένους, ὡς τῶν μὲν διὰ τὸ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα τὰ ποιητικὰ τυγχάνειν ἀφυλάκτων ὄντων, τῶν δὲ διὰ τοὐναντίον μετατροπὰς ἐπιδεχομένων, καθάπερ καὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν, ὅσοι δυνατοὶ σημειοῦσθαι τὰ παθήματα, προγινώσκουσι τά τε πάντως ἀνελοῦντα καὶ τὰ χωροῦντα βοήθειαν.

     Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν μεταπεσεῖν δυναμένων οὕτως ἀκουστέον τοῦ γενεθλιαλόγου φέρ’ εἰπεῖν ὅτι τῇ τοιᾷδε συγκράσει κατὰ τὴν τοιάνδε τοῦ περιέχοντος ἰδιοτροπίαν, τραπεισῶν ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖον ἢ ἔλασσον τῶν ὑποκειμένων συμμετριῶν τὸ τοιόνδε παρακολουθήσει πάθος, ὡς καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἰατροῦ, ὅτι τόδε τὸ ἕλκος νομὴν ἢ σῆψιν ἐμποιεῖ, τοῦ δὲ μεταλλικοῦ λόγου ἕνεκεν, ὅτι τὸν σίδηρον ἡ λίθος ἡ μαγνῆτις ἕλκει· ὥσπερ γὰρ τούτων ἑκάτερον ἐαθὲν μὲν δι’ ἀγνωσίαν τῶν ἀντιπαθησόντων πάντη πάντως παρακολουθήσει τῇ τῆς πρώτης φύσεως δυνάμει, οὔτε δὲ τὸ ἕλκος τὴν νομὴν ἢ τὴν σῆψιν κατεργάσεται τῆς ἀντικειμένης θεραπείας τυχὸν οὔτε τὸν σίδηρον ἡ μαγνῆτις ἑλκύσει παρατριβέντος αὐτῇ σκορόδου καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὰ κωλύοντα φυσικῶς καὶ καθ’ εἱμαρμένην ἀντεπάθησεν, οὕτως καὶ ἐπ’ ἐκείνων ἀγνοούμενα μὲν τὰ συμβησόμενα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἢ ἐγνωσμένα μέν, μὴ τυχόντα δὲ τῶν ἀντιπαθούντων πάντη πάντως ἀκολουθήσει τῷ τῆς πρώτης φύσεως εἱρμῷ, προγνωσθέντα δὲ καὶ εὐπορήσαντα τῶν θεραπευόντων φυσικῶς πάλιν καθ’ εἱμαρμένην ἢ ἀγένητα τέλεον ἢ μετριώτερα καθίσταται.

     Ὅλως δὲ τῆς τοιαύτης δυνάμεως τῆς αὐτῆς οὔσης ἐπί τε τῶν ὁλοσχερῶς θεωρουμένων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ μέρος θαυμάσειεν ἄν τις, διὰ τίνα δήποτε αἰτίαν ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν καθόλου πιστεύουσι πάντες καὶ τῷ δυνατῷ τῆς προγνώσεως καὶ τῷ πρὸς τὸ φυλάσσεσθαι χρησίμῳ –τάς τε γὰρ ὥρας καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀπλανῶν ἐπισημασίας καὶ τοὺς τῆς σελήνης σχηματισμοὺς οἱ πλεῖστοι προγινώσκειν ὁμολογοῦσι καὶ πολλὴν πρόνοιαν ποιοῦνται τῆς φυλακῆς αὐτῶν, πεφροντικότες ἀεὶ πρὸς μὲν τὸ θέρος τῶν ψύχειν δυναμένων, πρὸς δὲ τὸν χειμῶνα τῶν θερμαινόντων καὶ ὅλως προπαρασκευάζοντες αὑτῶν τὰς φύσεις ἐπὶ τὸ εὔκρατον καὶ ἔτι πρὸς μὲν τὸ ἀσφαλὲς τῶν τε ὡρῶν καὶ τῶν ἀναγωγῶν παραφυλάσσοντες τὰς τῶν ἀπλανῶν ἀστέρων ἐπισημασίας, πρὸς δὲ τὰς καταρχὰς τῶν ὀχειῶν καὶ φυτειῶν τοὺς κατὰ πλήρωσιν τῶν φώτων τῆς σελήνης σχηματισμούς, καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς οὐδαμῆ τῶν τοιούτων κατέγνωκεν οὔθ’ ὡς ἀδυνάτων οὔθ’ ὡς ἀχρήστων– ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἐκ τῆς τῶν λοιπῶν ἰδιωμάτων συγκράσεως, οἷον τοῦ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον χειμώνων ἢ καυμάτων, καὶ τῆς καθ’ ἕκαστον ἰδιοσυγκρασίας οὔτε τὸ προγινώσκειν ἔτι δυνατὸν ἡγοῦνταί τινες οὔτε τὸ πολλὰ γινώσκειν ἔτι δυνατὸν ἡγοῦνταί τινες οὔτε τὸ πολλὰ ἐγχωρεῖν φυλάξασθαι, καίτοι προδήλου τυγχάνοντος, ὅτι, εἰ πρὸς τὰ καθόλου καύματα, εἰ τύχοιμεν προκαταψύξαντες ἑαυτούς, ἧττον καυσούμεθα, δύναται τὸ ὅμοιον ἐνεργεῖν καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἰδίως τήνδε τὴν σύγκρασιν εἰς ἀμετρίαν αὔξοντα τοῦ θερμοῦ.

     Ἀλλὰ γὰρ αἴτιον τῆς τοιαύτης ἁμαρτίας τό τε δύσκολον καὶ ἄηθες τῆς τῶν κατὰ μέρος προγνώσεως, ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων σχεδὸν ἁπάντων ἀπιστίαν ἐμποιεῖ, καὶ τὸ μὴ συναπτομένης ὡς ἐπίπαν τῆς ἀντιπαθούσης δυνάμεως τῇ προγνωστικῇ διὰ τὸ σπάνιον τῆς οὕτως τελείας διαθέσεως τὰς πρῶτας φύσεις ἀνεμποδίστως ἀποτελουμένας δόξαν ὡς περὶ ἀτρέπτων καὶ ἀφυλάκτων παρέχειν καὶ πάντων ἁπλῶς ἀποβησομένων. Ὥσπερ δὲ οἶμαι καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ τοῦ προγνωστικοῦ, κἂν μὴ διὰ παντὸς ᾖ ἄπταιστον, τό γε δυνατὸν αὐτοῦ μεγίστης ἄξιον σπουδῆς κατεφαίνετο, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ φυλακτικοῦ καὶ εἰ μὴ πάντων ἐστὶ θεραπευτικόν, ἀλλὰ τό γ’ ἐπ’ ἐνίων κἂν ὀλίγα κἂν μικρὰ ᾖ ἀγαπᾶν καὶ ἀσπάζεσθαι καὶ κέρδος οὐ τὸ τυχὸν ἡγεῖσθαι προσήκει.

     Τούτοις δὲ ὡς ἔοικε συνεγνωκότες οὕτως ἔχουσι καὶ οἱ μάλιστα τὴν τοιαύτην δύναμιν τῆς τέχνης προαγαγόντες Αἰγύπτιοι συνῆψαν πανταχῆ τῷ δι’ ἀστρονομίας προγνωστικῷ τὴν ἰατρικήν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε ἀποτροπιασμούς τινας καὶ φυλακτήρια καὶ θεραπείας συνίσταντο πρὸς τὰς ἐκ τοῦ περιέχοντος ἐπιούσας ἢ παρούσας περιστάσεις καθολικάς τε καὶ μερικάς, εἴ τις αὐτοῖς ἀκινησίας καὶ ἀμετατρεψίας τῶν ἐσομένων ὑπῆρχε δόξα.

     Νῦν δὲ καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὰς ἐφεξῆς φύσεις ἀντιπρᾶξαι δυνάμενον ἐν δευτέρᾳ χώρᾳ τοῦ καθ’ εἱμαρμένην λόγου τιθέμενοι συνέζευξαν τῇ τῆς προγνώσεως δυνάμει τὴν κατὰ τὸ χρήσιμον καὶ ὠφέλιμον διὰ τῶν καλουμένων παρ’ αὐτοῖς ἰατρομαθηματικῶν συντάχειν, ὅπως διὰ μὲν τῆς ἀστρονομίας τάς τε τῶν ὑποκειμένων συγκράσεων ποιότητας εἰδέναι συμβαίνῃ καὶ τὰ διὰ τὸ περιέχον ἐσόμενα συμπτώματα καὶ τὰς ἰδίας αὐτῶν αἰτίας, ὡς ἄνευ τῆς τούτων γνώσεως καὶ τῶν βοηθημάτων κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον διαπίπτειν ὀφειλόντων, ἅτε μὴ πᾶσι σώμασιν ἢ πάθεσι τῶν αὐτῶν συμμέτρων ὄντων, διὰ δὲ τῆς ἰατρικῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἑκάστοις οἰκείως συμπαθούντων ἢ ἀντιπαθούντων τάς τε τῶν μελλόντων παθῶν προφυλακὰς καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐνεστώτων θεραπείας ἀδιαπτώτους ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα ποιούμενοι διατελῶσιν.

     Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν μέχρι τοσούτων ἡμῖν κατὰ τὸ κεφαλαιῶδες προτετυπώσθω. Ποιησώμεθα δὲ ἤδη τὸν λόγον κατὰ τὸν εἰσαγωγικὸν τρόπον, ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἑκάστου τῶν οὐρανίων περὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ποιητικὸν ἰδιοτροπίας, ἀκολούθως ταῖς ὑπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν κατὰ τὸν φυσικὸν τρόπον ἐφηρμοσμέναις παρατηρήσεσι καὶ πρώτως τῆς τῶν πλανωμένων ἀστέρων δυνάμεως ἡλίου τε καὶ σελήνης.

3. That it is also Beneficial

     In somewhat summary fashion it has been shown how prognostication by astronomical means is possible, and that it can go no further than what happens in the ambient and the consequences to man from such causes – that is, it concerns the original endowments of faculties and activities of soul and body, their occasional diseases, their endurance for a lοng or a short time, and, besides, all external circumstances that have a directive and natural connection with the original gifts of nature, such as property and marriage in the case of the body and honour and dignities in that of the soul, and finally what befalls them from time to time ¹⁸.

     The remaining part of our project would be to inquire briefly as to its usefulness ¹⁹, first distinguishing how and with what end in view we shall take the meaning of the word usefulness. For if we look to the goods of the soul, what could be more conducive to well-being, pleasure, and in general satisfaction than this kind of forecast, by which we gain full view of things human and divine? And if we look to bodily goods, such knowledge, better than anything else, would perceive what is fitting and expedient for the capabilities of each temperament. But if it does not aid in the acquisition of riches, fame, and the like, we shall be able to say the same of all philosophy, for it does not provide any of these things as far as its own powers are concerned. We should not, however, for that reason be justified in condemning either philosophy or this art, disregarding its greater advantages.

     To a general examination it would appear that those who find fault with the uselessness of prognostication have no regard for the most important matters, but only for this – that foreknowledge of events that will happen in any case is superfluous; this, too, quite unreservedly and without due discrimination. For, in the first place. we should consider that even with events that will necessarily take place their unexpectedness is very apt to cause excessive panic and delirious joy, while foreknowledge accustoms and calms the soul by experience of distant events as though they were present, and prepares it to greet with calms and steadiness whatever comes.

     A second reason is that we should not believe that separate events attend mankind as the result of the heavenly cause as if they had been originally ordained for each person by some irrevocable divine command and destined – to take place by necessity without the possibility of any other cause whatever interfering. Rather is it true that the movement of the heavenly bodies, to be sure, is eternally performed in accordance with divine, unchangeable destiny, while the change of earthly things is subject to a natural and mutable rate, and in drawing its first causes from above it is governed by chance and natural sequence. Moreover, some things happen to mankind through more general circumstances and not as the result of an individual’s own natural propensities – for example, when men perish in multitudes by conflagration or pestilence or cataclysms, through monstrous and unescapable changes in the ambient, for the lesser cause always yields to the greater ²⁰ and stronger; other occurrences, however, accord with the individual’s own natural temperament through miner and fortuitous antipathies of the ambient.

     For if these distinctions are thus made, it is dear that both in general and in particular whatever events depend upon a first cause, which is irresistible and more powerful than anything that opposes it, must by all means take place; on the contrary, of events that are not of this character, those which are provided with resistant forces are easily averted, while those that are not follow the primary natural causes, to be sure, but this is due to ignorance and not to the necessity of almighty power.

     One might observe this same thing happening in all events whatsoever that have natural causes. For even of stones, plants, and animals, and also of wounds, mishaps, and sicknesses, some are of such a nature as to act of necessity, others only if no opposing thing interferes. One should therefore believe that physical philosophers predict what is to befall men with foreknowledge of this character and do not approach their task under false impressions; for certain things, because their effective causes are numerous and powerful, are inevitable, but others for the opposite reason may be averted. Similarly those physicians who can recognize ailments know beforehand those which are always fatal and those which admit of aid.

     In the case of events that may be modified we must give heed to the astrologer, when, for example, he says that to such and such a temperament, with such and such a character of the ambient, if the fundamental proportions increase or decrease, such and such an affection will result. Similarly we must believe the physician, when he says that this sore will spread or cause putrefaction, and the miner, for instance, that the lodestone attracts iron : just as each of these, if left to itself through ignorance of the opposing forces, will inevitably develop as its original nature compels, but neither will the sore cause spreading or putrefaction if it receives preventive treatment, nor will the lodestone attract the iron if it is rubbed with garlic ²¹; and these very deterrent measures also have their resisting power naturally and by fate; so also in the other cases, if future happenings to men are not known, or if they are known and the remedies are not applied, they will by all means follow the course of primary nature; but if they are recognized ahead of time and remedies are provided, again quite in accord with nature and fate, they either do not occur at all or are rendered less severe.

     And in general, since such power is the same whether applied to things regarded universally or particularly, one would wonder why all believe in the efficacy of prediction in universal matters, and in its usefulness for guarding one’s interests (for most people admit that they have foreknowledge of the seasons, of the significance of the constellations, and of the phases of the moon, and take great forethought for safe­guarding themselves, always contriving cooling agents against summer and the means of warmth against winter, and in general preparing their own natures with moderation as a goal; furthermore, to ensure the safety of the seasons and of their sailings they watch the significance of the fixed stars, and, for the beginning of breeding and sowing, the aspects of the moon’s light at its full ²², and no one ever condemns such practices either as impossible or useless); but, on the other hand, as regards particular matters and those depending upon the mixture of the other qualities – such as predictions of more or less, of cold or of heat, and of the individual temperament – some people believe neither that foreknowledge is still possible nor that precautions can be taken in most instances. And yet, since it is obvious that, if we happen to have cooled ourselves against heat in general, we shall suffer less from it, similar measures can prove effective against particular forces which increase this particular temperament to a disproportionate amount of heat.

     For the cause of this error is the difficulty and unfamiliarity of particular prognostication, a reason which in most other situations as well brings about disbelief. And since for the most part the resisting faculty is not coupled with the prognostic, because so perfect a disposition is rare, and since the force of nature takes its course without hindrance when the primary natures are concerned, an opinion has been produced that absolutely all future events are inevitable and unescapable ²³. But, I think, just as with prognostication, even if it be not entirely infallible, at least its possibilities have appeared worthy of the highest regard, so too in the case of defensive practice, even though it does not furnish a remedy for everything, its authority in some instances at least, however few or unimportant, should be welcomed and prized, and regarded as profitable in no ordinary sense.

     Recognizing, apparently, that these things are so, those who have most advanced this faculty of the art, the Egyptians, have entirely united medicine with astronomical prediction ²⁴. For they would never have devised certain means of averting or warding off or remedying the universal and particular conditions that come or are present by reason of the ambient, if they had had any idea that the future cannot be moved and changed.

     But as it is, they place the faculty of resisting by orderly natural means in second rank to the decrees of fate, and have yoked to the possibility of prognostication its useful and beneficial faculty, through what they call their iatromathematical systems (medical astrology), in order that by means of astronomy they may succeed in learning the qualities of the underlying temperatures, the events that will occur in the future because of the ambient, and their special causes, on the ground that without this knowledge any measures of aid ought for the most part to fail, because the same ones are not fitted for all bodies or diseases ²⁵; and, on the other band, by means of medicine, through their knowledge of what is properly sympathetic or antipathetic in each case, they proceed, as far as possible, to take precautionary measures against impending illness and to prescribe infallible treatment for existing disease.

     Let this be, to this point, our summarily stated preliminary sketch. We shall now conduct our discussion after the manual of an introduction ²⁶, beginning with the character of each of the heavenly bodies with respect to its active power, in agreement with the physical observations attached to them by the ancients, and in the first place the powers of the planets, sun, and moon.

4. Περὶ τῆς τῶν πλανωμένων ἀστέρων δυνάμεως

     Ὁ ἥλιος κατείληπται τὸ ποιητικὸν ἔχων τῆς οὐσίας ἐν τῷ θερμαίνειν καὶ ἠρέμα ξηραίνειν· ταῦτα δὲ μάλιστα τῶν ἄλλων ἡμῖν εὐαισθητότερα γίνεται διά τε τὸ μέγεθος αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ τῶν κατὰ τὰς ὥρας μεταβολῶν ἐναργές, ἐπειδήπερ, ὅσῳ ἂν μάλιστα ἐγγίζῃ τοῦ κατὰ κορυφὴν ἡμῶν τόπου, μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς οὕτως διατίθησιν.

     Ἡ δὲ σελήνη τὸ μὲν πλεῖστον ἔχει τῆς δυνάμεως ἐν τῷ ὑγραίνειν διὰ τὴν περιγειότητα δηλονότι καὶ τὴν τῶν ὑγρῶν ἀναθυμίασιν καὶ διατίθησιν οὕτως ἄντικρυς τὰ σώματα πεπαίνουσα καὶ διασήπουσα τὰ πλεῖστα· κεκοινώνηκε δὲ ἠρέμα καὶ τοῦ θερμαίνειν διὰ τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου φωτισμούς.

     Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Κρόνου ἀστὴρ τὸ πλεῖον ἔχει τῆς ποιότητος ἔν τε τῷ ψύχειν καὶ τῷ κατὰ ψῦξιν ἠρέμα ξηραίνειν, διὰ τὸ πλεῖστον ὡς ἔοικεν ἀπέχειν ἅμα τῆς τε τοῦ ἡλίου θερμασίας καὶ τῆς τῶν περὶ τὴν γῆν ὑγρῶν ἀναθυμιάσεις. Συνίστανται δὲ δυνάμεις ἐπί τε τούτου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐν τοῖς πρὸς ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην σχηματισμοῖς παρατηρήσεων, ἐπειδήπερ οἱ μὲν οὕτως οἱ δὲ οὕτως τὴν τοῦ περιέχοντος κατάστασιν ἐπὶ τὸ μᾶλλον ἢ ἧττον συντρέποντες φαίνονται.

     Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Ἄρεως ξηραίνειν τε μάλιστα καὶ καυσοῦν ἔχει φύσιν τῷ τε πυρώδει τοῦ χρώματος οἰκείως καὶ τῇ πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον ἐγγύτητι, ὑποκειμένης αὐτῷ τῆς ἡλιακῆς σφαίρας.

     Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Διὸς εὔκρατον ἔχει τὸ ποιητικὸν τῆς δυνάμεως, μεταξὺ γινομένης τῆς κινήσεως αὐτοῦ τοῦ τε κατὰ τὸν Κρόνον ψυκτικοῦ καὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἄρεα καυστικοῦ θερμαίνει τε γὰρ ἅμα καὶ ὑγραίνει καὶ διὰ τὸ μᾶλλον εἶναι θερμαντικὸς ὑπὸ τῶν ὑποκειμένων σφαιρῶν γονίμων πνευμάτων γίνεται ποιητικός.

     Καὶ ὁ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης δὲ τῶν μὲν αὐτῶν ἐστι κατὰ τὸ εὔκρατον ποιητικός, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ ἐναντίον. Θερμαίνει μὲν γὰρ ἠρέμα διὰ τὴν ἐγγύτητα τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον, μάλιστα δὲ ὑγραίνει καθάπερ ἡ σελήνη καὶ αὐτός, διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν ἰδίων φώτων νοσφιζόμενος τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν περιεχόντων τὴν γῆν ὑγρῶν ἀναθυμίασιν.

     Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ ὡς ἐπίπαν ἐξ ἴσου ποτὲ μὲν ξηραντικὸς καταλαμβάνεται καὶ τῶν ὑγρῶν ἀναπωτικὸς διὰ τὸ μηδέποτε πολὺ τῆς τοῦ ἡλίου θερμασίας κατὰ μῆκος ἀφίστασθαι, ποτὲ δ’ αὖ ὑγραντικὸς διὰ τὸ τῇ περιγειοτάτῃ σφαίρᾳ τῆς σελήνης ἐπικεῖσθαι· ταχείας δὲ ποιεῖται τὰς ἐν ἀμφοτέροις μεταβολάς, πνευματούμενος ὥσπερ ὑπὸ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ἥλιον ὀξυκινησίας.

4. Of the Power of the Planets

     The active power of the sun’s essential nature is found to be heating and, to a certain degree, drying ²⁷. This is made more easily perceptible in the case of the sun than any other heavenly body by its size and by the obviousness of its seasonal changes, for the closer it approaches to the zenith the more it affects us in this way.

     Most of the moon’s power consists of humidifying, dearly because it is close to the earth and because of the moist exhalations ²⁸ therefrom. Its action therefore is precisely this, to soften and cause putrefaction in bodies for the most part, but it shares moderately also in heating power because of the light which it receives from the sun.

     It is Saturn’s ²⁹ quality chiefly to cool and, moderately, to dry, probably because he is furthest removed ³⁰ both from the sun’s heat and the moist exhalations about the earth. Both in Saturn’s case and in that of the other planets there are powers, too, which arise through the observation of their aspects to the sun and the moon, for some of them appear to modify conditions in the ambient in one way, some in another, by increase or by decrease.

     The nature of Mars is chiefly to dry and to burn, in conformity with his fiery colour and by reason of his nearness to the sun, for the sun’s sphere lies just below him.

     Jupiter has a temperate active force because his movement takes place between the cooling influence of Saturn and the burning power of Mars. He both heats and humidifies; and because his heating power is the greater by reason of the underlying spheres, he produces fertilizing winds.

     Venus has the same powers and tempered nature as Jupiter, but acts in the opposite way; for she warms moderately because of her nearness to the sun, but chiefly humidifies, like the moon, because of the amount of her own light and because she appropriates the exhalations from the moist atmosphere surrounding the earth.

     Mercury in general is found at certain times alike to be drying and absorptive of moisture, because he never is far removed in longitude from the heat of the sun; and again humidifying, because he is next above the sphere of the moon, which is closest to the earth; and to change quickly from one to the other, inspired as it were by the speed of his motion in the neighbourhood of the sun itself.

5. Περὶ ἀγαθοποιῶν καὶ κακοποιῶν

     Τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων ἐπειδὴ τῶν τεσσάρων χυμάτων δύο μέν ἐστι τὰ γόνιμα καὶ ποιητικά, τό τε τοῦ θερμοῦ καὶ τὸ τοῦ ὑγροῦ, διὰ τούτων γὰρ πάντα συγκρίνεται τε καὶ αὔξεται, δύο δὲ τὰ φθαρτικὰ καὶ παθητικά, τό τε τοῦ ψυχροῦ καὶ τὸ τοῦ ξηροῦ, δι’ ὧν πάντα πάλιν διακρίνεται καὶ φθίνει, τοὺς μὲν δύο τῶν πλανητῶν, τόν τε τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τὸν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης, καὶ ἔτι τὴν σελήνη ὡς ἀγαθοποιοὺς οἱ παλαιοὶ παρειλήφασι, διὰ τὸ εὔκρατον καὶ τὸ πλεῖον ἔχειν ἐν τῷ θερμῷ καὶ τῷ ὑγρῷ· τὸν δὲ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τὸν τοῦ Ἄρεως ὡς τῆς ἐναντίας φύσεως ποιητικούς, τὸν μὲν τῆς ἄγαν ψύξεως ἕνεκεν, τὸν δὲ τῆς ἄγαν ξηρότητος· τὸν δὲ ἥλιον καὶ τὸν τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ διὰ τὸ κοινὸν τῶν φύσεων ὡς ἀμφότερα δυναμένους καὶ μᾶλλον συντρεπομένους, οἷς ἂν τῶν ἄλλων παραγένωνται.

5. Of Beneficent and Maleficent Planets

     Since the foregoing is the case, because two of the four humours are fertile and active, the hot and the moist (for all things are brought together and in­creased by them), and two are destructive and passive, the dry and the cold, through which all things, again, are separated and destroyed, the ancients accepted two of the planets, Jupiter and Venus, together with the moon, as beneficent because of their tempered nature and because they abound in the hot and the moist, and Saturn and Mars as producing effects of the opposite nature, one because of his excessive cold and the other for his excessive dryness; the sun and Mercury, however, they thought to have both powers, because they, have a common nature, and to join their influences with those of the other planets, with whichever of them they are associated.

6. Περὶ ἀρρενικῶν καὶ θηλυκῶν

     Πάλιν ἐπειδὴ τὰ πρῶτα γένη τῶν φύσεων δύο ἐστί, τό τε ἄρρεν καὶ τὸ θῆλυ, τῶν δὲ προκειμένων δυνάμεων ἡ τῆς ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας μάλιστα θηλυκὴ τυγχάνει, πλεῖον γὰρ ἐγγίνεται καθόλου τοῦτο τὸ μέρος πᾶσι τοῖς θήλεσι, τὰ δ’ ἄλλα μᾶλλον τοῖς ἄρρεσιν, εἰκότως τὴν μὲν σελήνην καὶ τὸν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἀστέρα θηλυκοὺς ἡμῖν παραδεδώκασι, διὰ τὸ πλεῖον ἔχειν ἐν τῷ ὑγρῷ, τὸν δὲ ἥλιον καὶ τὸν τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τὸν τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τὸν τοῦ Ἄρεως ἀρρενικούς, τὸν δὲ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ κοινὸν ἀμφοτέρων τῶν γενῶν, καθὸ ἐξ ἴσου καὶ τῆς ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας καὶ τῆς ξηρᾶς ἐστι ποιητικός.

     Ἀρρενοῦσθαι δέ φασι τοὺς ἀστέρας καὶ θηλύνεσθαι παρά τε τοὺς πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον σχηματισμούς, ἑῴους μὲν γὰρ ὄντας καὶ προηγουμένους ἀρρενοῦσθαι, ἑσπερίους δὲ καὶ ἑπομένους θηλύνεσθαι, καὶ ἔτι παρὰ τοὺς πρὸς τὸν ὁρίζοντα· ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς μέχρι μεσουρανήσεως ἢ καὶ ἀπὸ δύσεως μέχρι τῆς ὑπὸ γῆν ἀντιμεσουρανήσεως σχηματισμοῖς ὡς ἀπηλιωτικοῖς ἀρρενοῦσθαι, ἐν δὲ τοῖς λοιποῖς τεταρτημορίοις δυσὶν ὡς λιβικοῖς θηλύνεσθαι.

6. Of Masculine and Feminine Planets

     Again, since there are two primary kinds of natures, male and female, and of the forces already mentioned that of the moist is especially feminine – for as a general thing this element is present to a greater degree in all females, and the others rather in males ­ with good reason the view has been handed down to us that the moon and Venus are feminine, because they share more largely in the moist, and that the sun, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars are masculine, and Mercury common to both genders, inasmuch as he produces the dry and the moist alike.

     They say too that the stars become masculine or feminine according to their aspects to the sun, for when they are morning stars ³¹ and precede the sun they become masculine, and feminine when they are evening stars and follow the sun. Furthermore this happens also according to their positions with respect to the horizon; for when they are in positions from the orient to mid-heaven ³², or again from the occident to lower mid-heaven, they become masculine because they are eastern, but in the other two quadrants, as western stars, they become feminine.

7. Περὶ ἡμερινῶν καὶ νυκτερινῶν

     Ὁμοίως δὲ ἐπειδὴ τῶν ποιούντων τὸν χρόνον τὰ ἐκφανέστατα διαστήματα δύο ταῦτα τυγχάνει τό τε τῆς ἡμέρας ἠρρενωμένον μᾶλλον, διὰ τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ θερμὸν καὶ δραστικόν, καὶ τὸ τῆς νυκτὸς τεθηλυσμένον μᾶλλον, διὰ τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ δίυγρον καὶ ἀναπαυστικόν, νυκτερινοὺς μὲν ἀκολούθως παραδεδώκασι τήν τε σελήνην καὶ τὸν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης, ἡμερινοὺς δὲ τόν τε ἥλιον καὶ τὸν τοῦ Διός, ἐπίκοινον δὲ κατὰ ταῦτα τὸν τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἐν μὲν τῷ ἑῴῳ σχήματι ἡμερινόν, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑσπερίῳ νυκτερινόν.

     Προσένειμαν δὲ ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν αἱρέσεων καὶ τοὺς δύο τοὺς τῆς φθαρτικῆς οὐσίας, οὐκ ἔτι μέντοι κατὰ τὰς αὐτὰς τῆς φύσεως αἰτίας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὰς ἐναντίας. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἀγαθῆς κράσεως οἰκειούμενα τὰ ὅμοια μεῖζον αὐτῶν τὸ ὠφέλιμον ποιεῖ, τοῖς δὲ φθαρτικοῖς τὰ ἀνοίκεια μιγνύμενα παραλύει τὸ πολὺ τῆς κακώσεως αὐτῶν. Ἔνθεν τὸν μὲν τοῦ Κρόνου ψυκτικὸν ὄντα τῷ θερμῷ τῷ τῆς ἡμέρας ἀπένειμαν, τὸν δὲ τοῦ Ἄρεως ξηρὸν ὄντα τῷ ὑγρῷ τῷ τῆς νυκτός· οὕτως γὰρ ἑκάτερος ὑπὸ τῆς κράσεως συμμετρίας τυχὼν οἰκεῖος γίνεται τῆς τὸ εὔκρατον παρεχούσης αἱρέσεως.

7. Of Diurnal and Nocturnal ³³ Planets

     Similarly, since of the two most obvious intervals of those which make up time, the day is more masculine because of its heat and active force, and night more feminine because of its moisture and its gift of rest, the tradition has consequently been handed down that the moon and Venus are nocturnal, the sun and Jupiter diurnal, and Mercury common as before, diurnal when it is a morning star and nocturnal as an evening star.

     They also assigned to each of the sects the two destructive stars, not however in this instance on the principle of similar natures ³⁴, but of just the opposite; for when stars of the same kind are joined with those of the good temperament their beneficial influence is increased, but if dissimilar stars are associated with the destructive ones the greatest part of their injurious power is broken. Thus they assigned, Saturn, which is cold, to the warmth of day, and Mars, which is dry, to the moisture of night, for in this way each of them attains good proportion through admixture and becomes a proper member of its sect, which provides moderation.

8. Περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως τῶν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον σχηματισμῶν

     Ἤδη μέντοι καὶ παρὰ τοὺς πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον συσχηματισμοὺς ἥ τε σελήνη καὶ οἱ τρεῖς τῶν πλανωμένων τὸ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον λαμβάνουσιν ἐν ταῖς οἰκείαις αὐτῶν δυνάμεσιν. Ἥ τε γὰρ σελήνη κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς μέχρι τῆς πρώτης διχοτόμου αὔξησιν ὑγρότητος μᾶλλόν ἐστι ποιητική, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ πρώτης διχοτόμου μέχρι πανσελήνου θερμότητος, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ πανσελήνου μέχρι δευτέρας διχοτόμου ξηρότητος, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ δευτέρας διχοτόμου μέχρι κρύψεως ψυχρότητος.

     Οἵ τε πλανώμενοι καὶ ἑῷοι μόνον ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἀνατολῆς μέχρι τοῦ πρώτου στηριγμοῦ μᾶλλόν εἰσιν ὑγραντικοί, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ πρώτου στηριγμοῦ μέχρι τῆς ἀκρονύκτου μᾶλλον θερμαντικοί, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀκρονύκτου μέχρι τοῦ δευτέρου στηριγμοῦ μᾶλλον ξηραντικοί, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ δευτέρου στηριγμοῦ μέχρι δύσεως μᾶλλον ψυκτικοί. Δῆλον δέ ἐστιν ὅτι καὶ ἀλλήλοις συγκιρνάμενοι παμπληθεῖς διαφορὰς ποιοτήτων εἰς τὸ περιέχον ἡμᾶς ἀπεργάζονται, κατακρατούσης μὲν ὡς ἐπίπαν τῆς ἰδίας ἑκάστου δυνάμεως, τρεπομένης δὲ κατὰ τὸ ποσὸν ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν συσχηματιζομένων.

8. Of the Power of the Aspects to the Sun

     Now, mark you, likewise, according to their aspects to the sun, the moon and three of the planets ³⁵ experience increase and decrease in their own powers. For in its waxing from new moon to first quarter the moon is more productive of moisture; in its passage from first quarter to full, of heat; from full to last quarter; of dryness, and from last quarter to occultation ³⁶, of cold.

     The planets, in oriental aspects only, are more productive of moisture from rising to their first station ³⁷, of heat from first station to evening rising, of dryness from evening rising to the second station, of cold from second station to setting; and it is clear that when they are associated with one another they produce very many variations of quality in our ambient, the proper force of each one for the most part persisting, but being changed in quantity by the force of the stars that share the configuration.

9. Περὶ τῆς τῶν ἀπλανῶν ἀστέρων δυνάμεως

     Ἑξῆς δὲ ὄντος ἀκολούθου καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀπλανῶν ἀστέρων φύσεις κατὰ τὸ ἰδίως αὐτῶν ποιητικὸν ἐπιδραμεῖν, ἐκθησόμεθα καὶ τὰς ἐπ’ αὐτῶν τετηρημένας ἰδιοτροπίας κατὰ τὸ ὅμοιον ταῖς τῶν πλανωμένων φύσεσι τὸν ἐμφανισμὸν ποιούμενοι· καὶ πρῶτον τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν τὸν διὰ μέσων κύκλον ἐχόντων τὰς μορφώσεις.

     Τοῦ Κριοῦ τοίνυν οἱ μὲν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τὸ ποιητικὸν ὁμοίως ἔχουσι κεκραμένον τῇ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῇ τοῦ Κρόνου δυνάμει· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ στόματι τῇ τε τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἠρέμα τῇ τοῦ Κρόνου· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ ὀπισθίῳ ποδὶ τῇ τοῦ Ἄρεως· οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς οὐρᾶς τῇ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης.

     Τῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ Ταύρῳ ἀστέρων οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀποτομῆς ὁμοίαν ἔχουσι κρᾶσιν τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ Πλειάδι τῇ τε σελήνῃ καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως· τῶν δὲ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ ὁ μὲν λαμπρὸς τῆς Ὑάδος καὶ ὑπόκιρρος, καλούμενος δὲ Λαμπαδίας, τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· οἱ δὲ ἐν ἄκροις τοῖς κέρασι τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Τῶν δὲ ἐν τοῖς Διδύμοις ἀστέρων οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ποδῶν τῆς ὁμοίας κεκοινωνήκασι ποιότητος τῷ τε τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οἱ δὲ περὶ τοὺς μηροὺς λαμπροὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου τῶν δὲ ἐν ταῖς κεφαλαῖς δύο λαμπρῶν ὁ μὲν ἐν τῇ προηγουμένῃ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· καλεῖται δὲ καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος ὁ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἑπομένῃ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως· καλεῖται δὲ καὶ Ἡρακλέους.

     Τῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ Καρκίνῳ ἀστέρων οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ποδῶν δύο τῆς αὐτῆς ἐνεργείας εἰσὶ ποιητικοὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως οἱ δὲ ἐν ταῖς χηλαῖς τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ ἡ δὲ ἐν τῷ στήθει νεφελοειδὴς συστροφὴ καλουμένη δὲ Φάτνη τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ οἱ δὲ ἑκατέρωθεν αὐτῆς δύο καλούμενοι δὲ Ὄνοι τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ ἡλίῳ.

     Τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Λέοντα οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς δύο τὸ ὅμοιον ποιοῦσι τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ τραχήλῳ τρεῖς τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας λαμπρὸς καλούμενος δὲ Βασιλίσκος τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Διός οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ ὀσφύι καὶ ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς οὐρᾶς λαμπρὸς τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης · οἱ δὲ ἐν τοῖς μηροῖς τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὴν Παρθένον οἱ μὲν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς νοτίου πτέρυγος ὅμοιον ἔχουσι τὸ ποιητικὸν τῷ τε τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῆς πτέρυγος λαμπροὶ καὶ οἱ κατὰ τὰ περιζώματα τῷ τε τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης· ὁ δὲ ἐν τῇ βορείῳ πτέρυγι λαμπρὸς καλούμενος δὲ Προτρυγητὴρ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· ὁ δὲ καλούμενος Στάχυς τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως· οἱ δὲ ἐν ἄκροις τοῖς ποσὶ καὶ τῷ σύρματι τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Τῶν δὲ Χηλῶν τοῦ Σκορπίου οἱ μὲν ἐν ἄκραις αὐταῖς ὡσαύτως διατιθέασι τῷ τε τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ. οἱ δὲ ἐν μέσαις τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως. Τῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ σώματι τοῦ Σκορπίου οἱ μὲν ἐν τῷ μετώπῳ λαμπροὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσι τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ σώματι τρεῖς, ὧν ὁ μέσος ὑπόκιρρος καὶ λαμπρότερος, καλεῖται δὲ Ἀντάρης, τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Διός· οἱ δὲ ἐν τοῖς σπονδύλοις τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ κέντρου τῷ τε τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως ἡ δὲ ἑπομένη νεφελοειδὴς συστροφὴ τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ.

     Τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Τοξότην οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκίδος τοῦ βέλους ὅμοιον ἔχουσι τὸ ποιητικὸν τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸ τόξον καὶ τὴν λαβὴν τῆς χειρὸς τῷ τε τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως· ἡ δὲ ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ συστροφὴ τῷ τε ἡλίῳ καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως· οἱ δὲ ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξι καὶ τῷ νώτῳ τῷ τοῦ Διὸς καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· οἱ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ποσὶ τῷ τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου·τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς οὐρᾶς τετράπλευρον τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου.

     Τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὸν Αἰγόκερων ἀστέρων οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων ὡσαύτως ἐνεργοῦσι τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως·οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ στόματι τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης· οἱ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ποσὶ καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς οὐρᾶς τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Διός.

     Τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Ὑδροχόον οἱ μὲν ἐν τοῖς ὤμοις ὁμοίως διατιθέασι τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ σὺν τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ χειρὶ καὶ τῷ ἱματίῳ· οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν μηρῶν μᾶλλον μὲν τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ, ἧττον δὲ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ ῥύσει τοῦ ὕδατος τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Διός.

     Τῶν δὲ περὶ τοὺς Ἰχθύας οἱ μὲν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τοῦ νοτιωτέρου ἰχθύος τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσι τῷ τε τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ σώματι τῷ τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς οὐρᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ νοτίου λίνου τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ σώματι καὶ τῇ ἀκάνθῃ τοῦ βορείου ἰχθύος τῷ τοῦ Διὸς καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ βορείῳ λίνῳ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Διός· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ συνδέσμου λαμπρὸς τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Περὶ τῶν βορειοτέρων τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ.

     Τῶν δὲ ἐν ταῖς βορειοτέραις τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ μορφώσεσι οἱ μὲν περὶ τὴν Μικρὰν ἄρκτον λαμπροὶ τὴν ὁμοίαν ἔχουσι ποιότητα τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης.

     Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὴν Μεγάλην ἄρκτον τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν οὐρὰν αὐτῆς ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πλοκάμου συστροφῇ τῇ σελήνῃ καὶ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ Δράκοντι λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Οἱ δὲ τοῦ Κηφέως τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Διός.

     Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Βοώτην τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου· ὁ δὲ λαμπρὸς καὶ ὑπόκιρρος καλούμενος Ἀρκτοῦρος τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Διός.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ Βορείῳ στεφάνῳ τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ἐν γόνασι τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ Λύρᾳ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ Ὄρνιθι ὡσαύτως.

     Οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὴν Κασσιέπειαν τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης.

     Οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Περσέα τῷ τε τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου· ἡ δὲ ἐν τῇ λαβῇ τῆς μαχαίρας συστροφὴ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ Ἡνιόχῳ λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ὀφιοῦχον τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης.

     Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ὄφιν αὐτοῦ τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ὀϊστὸν τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης.

     Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀετὸν τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Διός.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ Δελφῖνι τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ἵππον λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἀνδρομέδᾳ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης.

     Οἱ δὲ τοῦ Τριγώνου τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Περὶ τῶν νοτιωτέρων τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ.

     Τῶν δὲ ἐν τοῖς νοτιωτέροις τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ μορφώμασιν ὁ μὲν ἐν τῷ στόματι τοῦ Νοτίου ἰχθύος λαμπρὸς ὁμοίαν ἔχει τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸ Κῆτος τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου.

     Τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Ὠρίωνα οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου.

     Τῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ Ποταμῷ ὁ μὲν ἔσχατος καὶ λαμπρὸς τῷ τοῦ Διός· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ Λαγωῷ τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Κύνα οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης, ὁ δὲ περὶ τὸ στόμα λαμπρὸς τῷ τοῦ Διὸς καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ Πρόκυνι λαμπρὸς τῷ τε τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ὕδρον λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ Κρατῆρι τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Κόρακα τῷ τε τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου.

     Οἱ δὲ τῆς Ἀργοῦς λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Διός.

     Τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Κένταυρον οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ ἀνθρωπείῳ σώματι τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ· οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ ἵππῳ λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ τῷ τοῦ Διός.

     Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸ Θηρίον λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ Θυμιατηρίῳ τῷ τε τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καὶ ἠρέμα τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

     Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ Νοτίῳ στεφάνῳ λαμπροὶ τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ.

9. Of the Power of the Fixed Stars

     As it is next in order to recount the natures of the fixed stars with reference to their special powers, we shall set forth their observed characters in an exposition like that of the natures of the planets, and in the first place those of the ones that occupy the figures in the zodiac ³⁸ itself.

     The stars in the head of Aries, then, have an effect like the power of Mars and Saturn, mingled; those in the mouth like Mercury’s power and moderately like Saturn’s; those in the hind foot like that of Mars, and those in the tail like that of Venus.

     Of those in Taurus ³⁹, the stars along the line where it is cut off have a temperature like that of Venus and in a measure like that of Saturn; those in the Pleiades, like those of the moon and Jupiter; of the stars in the head, the one of the Hyades that is bright and somewhat reddish, called the Torch ⁴⁰, has a temperature like that of Mars; the others, like that of Saturn and moderately, like that of Mercury ; those in the tips of the horns, like that of Mars.

     Of the stars in Gemini, those in the feet share the same quality as Mercury and, to a less degree, as Venus; the bright stars in the thighs, the same as Saturn; of the two bright stars in the heads ⁴¹, the one in the head in advance the same as Mercury; it is also called the star of Apollo; the one in the head that follows, the same as Mars; it is also called the star of Hercules.

     Of the stars in Cancer, the two in the eyes produce the same effect as Mercury, and, to a less degree, as Mars; those in the claws, the same as Saturn and Mercury; the cloud-like cluster in the breast, called the Manger ⁴², the same as Mars and the moon; and the two on either side of it, which are called Asses ⁴³, the same as Mars and the sun.

     Of those in Leo, the two in the head act in the same way as Saturn and, to a less degree, as Mars; the three in the throat, the same as Saturn and, to a les s degree, as Mercury; the bright star upon the heart, called Regulus, the same as Mars and Jupiter; those in the hip and the bright star in the tail ⁴⁴, the same as Saturn and Venus; and those in the thighs, the same as Venus and, to a less degree, Mercury.

     Of the stars in Virgo ⁴⁵, those in the head and the one upon the tip of the southern wing have an effect like that of Mercury and, in less degree, of Mars; the other bright stars of the wing and those on the girdles like that of Mercury and, in a measure, of Venus; the bright star in the northern wing, called Vindemiator, like those of Saturn and Mercury; the so-called Spica, like that of Venus and, in a less degree, that of Mars; those in the tips of the feet and the train ⁴⁶ like that of Mercury and, in a less degree, Mars.

     Of those in the Claws of the Scorpion ⁴⁷, the ones at their very extremities exercise the same influence as do Jupiter and Mercury; those in the middle parts the same as do Saturn and, to a less degree, Mars.

     Of the stars in the body of Scorpio, the bright stars on the forehead act in the same way as does Mars and in some degree as does Saturn; the three in the body, the middle one of which is tawny and rather bright and is called Antares, the same as Mars and, in some degree, Jupiter; those in the joints, the same as Saturn and, in some degree, Venus; those in the sting, the same as Mercury and Mars; and the so-called cloud-like cluster, the same as Mars and the moon.

     Of the stars in Sagittarius ⁴⁸, those in the point of his arrow have an effect like that of Mars and the moon; those in the bow and the grip of his hand, like that of Jupiter and Mars; the cluster in his forehead, like that of the sun and Mars; those in the cloak and his back, like that of Jupiter and, to a less degree, of Mercury; those in his feet, like that of Jupiter and Saturn; the quadrangle upon the tail, like that of Venus and, to a less degree, of Saturn.

     Of the stars in Capricorn ⁴⁹, those in the horns act in the same way as Venus and, in same degree, as Mars; those in the mouth, as Saturn and, in same degree, as Venus; those in the feet and the belly, as Mars and Mercury; and those in the tail, as Saturn and Jupiter.

     Of the stars in Aquarius, those in the shoulders exert an influence like that of Saturn and Mercury, together with those in the left arm and the cloak; those in the thighs, like that of Mercury in a greater degree and like that of Saturn in a lesser degree; those in the stream of water, like that of Saturn and, in same degree, like that of Jupiter.

     Of the stars in Pisces ⁵⁰, those in the head of the southern Fish act in the same way as Mercury and somewhat as does Saturn; those in the body, as do Jupiter and Mercury; those in the tail and the southern cord, as do Saturn and, in some degree, Mercury; those in the body and backbone of the northern Fish, as do Jupiter and, in some degree, Venus; those in the northern part of the cord, as do Saturn and Jupiter; and the bright star on the bond, as do Mars and, in some degree, Mercury.

     Of constellations north of the zodiac.

     Of the stars in the configurations north of the zodiac, the bright stars in Ursa Minor have a similar quality to that of Saturn and, to a less degree, to that of Venus;

     Those in Ursa Major, to that of Mars;

     And the cluster of the Coma Berenices beneath the Bear’s tail, to that of the moon and Venus;

     The bright stars in Draco, to that of Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter;

     Those of Cepheus, to that of Saturn and Jupiter;

     Those in Boötes, to that of Mercury and Saturn; the bright, tawny star, to that of Jupiter and Mars, the star called Arcturus;

     The star in Corona Septentrionalis, to that of Venus and Mercury;

     Those in Geniculator ⁵¹, to that of Mercury;

     Those in Lyra ⁵², to that of Venus and Mercury;

     And likewise those in Cygnus.

     The stars in Cassiopeia have the effect of Saturn and Venus;

     Those in Perseus, of Jupiter and Saturn; the cluster in the hilt of the sword, of Mars and Mercury;

     The bright stars in Auriga ⁵³, of Mars and Mercury;

     Those in Ophiuchus, of Saturn and, to some degree, of Venus;

     Those in his serpent, of Saturn and Mars;

     Those in Sagitta, of Mars and, to some degree, of Venus;

     Those in Aquila ⁵⁴, of Mars and Jupiter;

     Those in Delphinus, of Saturn and Mars;

     The bright stars in the Horse ⁵⁵, of Mars and Mercury;

     Those in Andromeda, of Venus;

     Those in Triangulum, of Mercury.

     Of constellations south of the zodiac.

     Of the stars in the formations south of the zodiac the bright star in the mouth of Piscis Australis ⁵⁶ has an influence similar to that of Venus and Mercury;

     Those in Cetus, similar to that of Saturn;

     Of those in Orion ⁵⁷, the stars on his shoulders similar to that of Mars and Mercury, and the other bright stars similar to that of Jupiter and Saturn;

     Of the stars in Eridanus the last bright one ⁵⁸ has an influence like that of Jupiter and the others like that of Saturn;

     The star in Lepus, like that of Saturn and Mercury;

     Of those in Canis, the others like that of Venus, and the bright star in the mouth ⁵⁹, like that of Jupiter and, to a less degree, of Mars;

     The bright star Procyon, like that of Mercury. and, in a less degree, that of Mars;

     The bright stars in Hydra ⁶⁰, like that of Saturn and Venus;

     Those in Crater, like that of Venus and, in a less degree, of Mercury;

     Those in Corvus, like that of Mars and Saturn;

     The bright stars of Argo ⁶¹, like that of Saturn and Jupiter;

     Οf those in Centaurus, the ones in the human body, like that of Venus and Mercury, and the bright stars in the equine body like that of Venus and Jupiter;

     The bright stars in Lupus, like that of Saturn and, in less degree, of Mars;

     Those in Ara, like that of Venus and, to a lesser degree, of Mercury;

     And the bright stars in Corona Australis, like that of Saturn and Mercury.

10. Περὶ τῶν ὡρῶν τοῦ ἔτους

     Αἱ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἀστέρων καθ’ ἑαυτοὺς δυνάμεις τοιαύτης ἔτυχον ὑπὸ τῶν παλαιοτέρων παρατηρήσεως. Καὶ τῶν ὡρῶν δὲ τοῦ ἔτους τεσσάρων οὐσῶν ἔαρός τε καὶ θέρους καὶ μετοπώρου καὶ χειμῶνος τὸ μὲν ἔαρ ἔχει τὸ μᾶλλον ἐν τῷ ὑγρῷ διὰ τὴν κατὰ τὸ παρῳχημένον ψῦχος ἀρχομένης τῆς θερμασίας διάχυσιν· τὸ δὲ θέρος τὸ πλεῖον ἔχει ἐν τῷ θερμῷ διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἡλίου πρὸς τὸν κατὰ κορυφὴν ἡμῶν τόπον ἐγγύτητα· τὸ δὲ μετόπωρον τὸ μᾶλλον ἐν τῷ ξηρῷ διὰ τὴν κατὰ τὸ παρῳχημένον καῦμα τῶν ὑγρῶν ἀνάποσιν· ὁ δὲ χειμὼν τὸ πλεῖον ἔχει ἐν τῷ ψυχρῷ διὰ τὸ τὸν ἥλιον πλεῖον ἀφίστασθαι τοῦ κατὰ κορυφὴν ἡμῶν τόπου.

     Διόπερ καὶ τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ μηδεμιᾶς οὔσης φύσει ἀρχῆς ὡς κύκλου τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐαρινῆς ἰσημερίας ἀρχόμενον δωδεκατημόριον τὸ τοῦ Κριοῦ καὶ τῶν ὅλων ἀρχὴν ὑποτίθενται, καθάπερ ἐμψύχου ζῴου τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ τὴν ὑγρὰν τοῦ ἔαρος ὑπερβολὴν προκαταρκτικὴν ποιούμενοι καὶ ἐφεξῆς τὰς λοιπὰς ὥρας, διὰ τὸ καὶ πάντων ζῴων τὰς μὲν πρώτας ἡλικίας τὸ πλεῖον ἔχειν τῆς ὑγρασίας παραπλησίως τῷ ἔαρι ἁπαλὰς οὔσας ἔτι καὶ τρυφεράς, τὰς δὲ δευτέρας τὰς μέχρι τῆς ἀκμαιότητος τὸ πλεῖον ἔχειν ἐν τῷ θερμῷ παραπλησίως τῷ θέρει, τὰς δὲ τρίτας καὶ ἤδη ἐν παρακμῇ καὶ ἀρχῇ φθίσεως τὸ πλεῖον ἤδη καὶ αὐτὰς ἔχειν ἐν τῷ ξηρῷ παραπλησίως τῷ μετοπώρῳ, τὰς δὲ ἐσχάτας καὶ πρὸς τῇ διαλύσει τὸ πλεῖον ἔχειν ἐν τῷ ψυχρῷ, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ χειμών.

10. Of the year’s seasons

     Such, then, are the observations of the effects of the stars themselves as made by our predecessors. Of the four seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, spring exceeds in moisture on account of its diffusion after the cold has passed and warmth is setting in; the summer, in heat, because of the nearness of the sun to the zenith; autumn more in dryness, because of the sucking up of the moisture during the hot season just past; and winter exceeds in cold, because the sun is farthest away from the zenith.

     For this reason, although there is no natural beginning of the zodiac, since it is a circle, they assume that the sign which begins with the vernal equinox, that of Aries ⁶², is the starting point of them all, making the excessive moisture of the spring the first part of the zodiac as though it were a living creature, and taking next in order the remaining seasons, because in all creatures the earliest ages ⁶³, like the spring, have a larger share of moisture and are tender and still delicate. The second age, up to the prime of life, exceeds in heat, like summer; the third, which is now past the prime and on the verge of decline, has an excess of dryness, like autumn; and the last, which approaches dissolution, exceeds in its coldness, like winter.

11. Περὶ τῆς τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν δυνάμεως

     Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν τεσσάρων τοῦ ὁρίζοντος τόπων καὶ γωνιῶν, ἀφ’ ὧν καὶ οἱ καθόλου πνέοντες ἄνεμοι τὰς ἀρχὰς ἔχουσιν, ὁ μὲν πρὸς ταῖς ἀνατολαῖς αὐτός τε τὸ πλεῖον ἔχει ἐν τῷ ξηρῷ, διὰ τὸ κατ’ αὐτὸν γινομένου τοῦ ἡλίου τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς νυκτὸς ὑγρανθέντα τότε πρῶτον ἄρχεσθαι ξηραίνεσθαι· οἵ τε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ πνέοντες ἄνεμοι, οὓς κοινότερον ἀπηλιώτας καλοῦμεν, ἄνικμοί τέ εἰσιν καὶ ξηραντικοί. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς μεσημβρίᾳ τόπος αὐτός τέ ἐστι θερμότατος διά τε τὸ πυρῶδες τῶν τοῦ ἡλίου μεσουρανήσεων καὶ διὰ τὸ ταύτας κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἡμετέρας οἰκουμένης ἔγκλισιν πρὸς μεσημβρίαν μᾶλλον ἀποκλίνειν· οἵ τε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ πνέοντες ἄνεμοι, οὓς κοινῶς νότους καλοῦμεν, θερμοί τέ εἰσι καὶ πληρωτικοί.

     Ὁ δὲ πρὸς ταῖς δυσμαῖς τόπος αὐτός τέ ἐστιν ὑγρὸς διὰ τὸ κατ’ αὐτὸν γινομένου τοῦ ἡλίου τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἀναποθέντα τότε πρῶτον ἄρχεσθαι ὑγραίνεσθαι· οἵ τε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ φερόμενοι ἄνεμοι, οὓς κοινότερον ζεφύρους καλοῦμεν, νεαροί τέ εἰσι καὶ ὑγραντικοί. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς ταῖς ἄρκτοις τόπος αὐτός τέ ἐστι ψυχρότατος διὰ τὸ κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἡμετέρας οἰκουμένης ἔγκλισιν τὰς τῆς θερμότητος αἰτίας τοῦ ἡλίου μεσουρανήσεις πλεῖον αὐτοῦ διεστάναι ὥσπερ τοῦ ἡλίου ἀντιμεσουρανοῦντος· οἵ τε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ πνέοντες ἄνεμοι καλούμενοι δὲ κοινῶς βορέαι ψυχροί τε ὑπάρχουσι καὶ πυκνωτικοί.

     Χρησίμη δὲ καὶ ἡ τούτων διάληψις πρὸς τὸ τὰς συγκράσεις πάντα τρόπον ἑκάστοτε δύνασθαι διακρίνειν. Εὐκατανόητον γάρ, διότι καὶ παρὰ τὰς τοιαύτας καταστάσεις ἤτοι τῶν ὡρῶν ἢ τῶν ἡλικιῶν ἢ τῶν γωνιῶν τρέπεταί πως τὸ ποιητικὸν τῆς τῶν ἀστέρων δυνάμεως καὶ ἐν μὲν ταῖς οἰκείαις καταστάσεσιν ἀκρατοτέραν τε ἴσχουσι τὴν ποιότητα καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἰσχυροτέραν, οἷον ἐν ταῖς θερμαῖς οἱ θερμαντικοὶ τὴν φύσιν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ὑγραῖς οἱ ὑγραντικοί, ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἐναντίαις κεκραμένην καὶ ἀσθενεστέραν, ὡς ἐν ταῖς ψυχραῖς οἱ θερμαντικοὶ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ξηραῖς οἱ ὑγραντικοὶ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις δὲ ὡσαύτως κατὰ τὸ ἀνάλογον τῆς διὰ τῆς μίξεως συγκιρναμένης ποιότητος.

11. Of the power of the four angles

     Similarly, too, of the four regions and angles of the horizon, from which originate the winds from the cardinal points ⁶⁴, the eastern one likewise excels in dryness because, when the sun is in that region, whatever has been moistened by the night then first begins to be dried; and the winds which blow from it, which we call in general Apeliotes ⁶⁵, are without moisture and drying in effect. The region to the south is hottest because of the fiery heat of the sun’s passages through mid-heaven and because these passages, on account of the inclination of our inhabited world, diverge more to the south; and the winds which blow thence and are called by the general name Notus are hot and rarefying.

     The region to the west is itself moist, because when the sun is therein the things dried out during the day then first begin to become moistened; likewise the winds which blow from this part, which we call by the general name Zephyrus, are fresh and moist. The region to the north is the coldest, because through our inhabited world’s inclination it is too far removed from the causes of heat arising from the sun’s culmination, as it is also when the sun is at its lower culmination; and the winds which blow thence, which are called by the general name Boreas, are cold and condensing in effect.

     The knowledge of these facts is useful to enable one to form a complete judgement of temperatures in individual instances. For it is easily recognizable that, together with such conditions as these, of seasons, ages, or angles, there is a corresponding variation in the potency of the stars’ faculties, and that in the conditions akin to them their quality is purer and their effectiveness stronger, those that are heating by nature, for instance, in heat, and those that are moistening in the moist, while under opposite conditions their power is adulterated and weaker. Thus the heating stars in the cold periods and the moistening stars in the dry periods are weaker, and similarly in the other cases, according to the quality produced by the mixture.

12. Περὶ τροπικῶν καὶ ἰσημερινῶν καὶ στερεῶν καὶ δισώμων ζῳδίων

     Τούτων δὲ οὕτως προεκτεθέντων ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη συνάψαι καὶ τὰς αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ δωδεκατημορίων παραδεδομένας φυσικὰς ἰδιοτροπίας. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ ὁλοσχερέστεραι καθ’ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν κράσεις ἀνάλογον ἔχουσι ταῖς κατ’ αὐτὰ γινομέναις ὥραις. Συνίστανται δέ τινες αὐτῶν ἰδιότητες καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πρός τε τὸν ἥλιον καὶ τὴν σελήνην καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας οἰκειώσεως, ἃς ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς διελευσόμεθα, προτάξαντες τὰς κατὰ τὸ ἀμιγὲς αὐτῶν μόνων τῶν δωδεκατημορίων καθ’ ἑαυτά τε καὶ πρὸς ἄλληλα θεωρουμένας δυνάμεις.

     Πρῶται μὲν τοίνυν εἰσὶ διαφοραὶ τῶν καλουμένων τροπικῶν καὶ ἰσημερινῶν καὶ στερεῶν καὶ δισώμων·

     Δύο μὲν γάρ ἐστι τροπικά, τό τε πρῶτον ἀπὸ τῆς θερινῆς τροπῆς τριακοντάμοιρον τὸ τοῦ Καρκίνου καὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἀπὸ τῆς χειμερινῆς τροπῆς τὸ κατὰ τὸν Αἰγόκερων. Ταῦτα δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος εἴληφε τὴν ὀνομασίαν· τρέπεται γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς αὐτῶν γινόμενος ὁ ἥλιος, ἐπιστρέφων εἰς τὰ ἐναντία τῶν κατὰ πλάτος παρόδων, κατὰ μὲν τὸν Καρκίνον θέρος ποιῶν, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Αἰγόκερων χειμῶνα. Δύο δὲ καλεῖται ἰσημερινὰ τό τε ἀπὸ τῆς ἐαρινῆς ἰσημερίας πρῶτον δωδεκατημόριον, τὸ τοῦ Κριοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς μετοπωρινῆς, τὸ τῶν Χηλῶν· ὠνόμασται δὲ καὶ ταῦτα πάλιν ἀπὸ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς αὐτῶν γινόμενος ὁ ἥλιος ἴσας ποιεῖ πανταχῆ τὰς νύκτας ταῖς ἡμέραις.

     Τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ὀκτὼ δωδεκατημορίων τέσσαρα μὲν καλεῖται στερεά, τέσσαρα δὲ δίσωμα· καὶ στερεὰ μέν ἐστι τὰ ἑπόμενα τοῖς τε τροπικοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἰσημερινοῖς, Ταῦρος, Λέων, Σκορπίος, Ὑδροχόος, ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἐν ἐκείνοις ἀρχομένων ὡρῶν αἵ τε ὑγρότητες καὶ θερμότητες καὶ ξηρότητες καὶ ψυχρότητες ἐν τούτοις γινομένου τοῦ ἡλίου μᾶλλον καὶ στερεώτερον ἡμῶν καθικνοῦνται, οὐ τῶν καταστημάτων φύσει γινομένων τότε ἀκρατοτέρων, ἀλλ’ ἡμῶν ἐγκεχρονικότων αὐτοῖς ἤδη καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτῶν εὐαισθητότερον ἀντιλαμβανομένων.

     Δίσωμα δέ ἐστι τὰ τοῖς στερεοῖς ἑπόμενα Δίδυμοι, Παρθένος, Τοξότης, Ἰχθύες διὰ τὸ μεταξὺ εἶναι τῶν στερεῶν καὶ τροπικῶν καὶ ἰσημερινῶν καὶ ὥσπερ κεκοινωνηκέναι κατά τε τὰ τέλη καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς τῆς τῶν δύο καταστημάτων φυσικῆς ἰδιοτροπίας.

12. Of Solstitial, Equinoctial, Solid, and Bicorporeal Signs

     After the explanation of these matters the next subject to be added would be the natural characters of the zodiacal signs themselves, as they have been handed down by tradition. For although their more general temperaments ⁶⁶ are each analogous to the seasons that take place in them ⁶⁷, certain peculiar qualities of theirs arise from their kinship ⁶⁸ to the sun, moon, and planets, as we shall relate in what follows, putting first the unmingled powers of the signs themselves alone, regarded both absolutely and relatively to one another.

     The first distinctions, then, are of the so-called solstitial, equinoctial, solid, and bicorporeal signs ⁶⁹.

     For there are two solstitial signs, the first interval of 30° from the summer solstice, the sign of Cancer, and the first from the winter solstice, Capricorn; and they have received their name ⁷⁰ from what takes place in them. For the sun turns when he is at the beginning of these signs and reverses his latitudinal progress, causing summer in Cancer and winter in Capricorn. Two signs are called equinoctial, the one which is first from the spring equinox, Aries, and the one which begins with the autumnal equinox, Libra; and they too again are named from what happens there, because when the sun is at the beginning of these signs he makes the nights exactly equal to the days.

     Of the remaining eight signs four are called solid and four bicorporeal. The solid signs, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, are those which follow the solstitial and equinoctial signs; and they are so called because when the sun is in them the moisture, heat, dryness, and cold of the seasons that begin in the preceding signs touch us more firmly, not that the weather is naturally any more intemperate at that time, but that we are by then inured to them and for that reason are more sensible of their power.

     The bicorporeal signs, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces, are those which follow the solid signs, and are so called because they are between the solid and the solstitial and equinoctial signs and share, as it were, at end and beginning, the natural properties of the two states of weather.

13. Περὶ ἀρρενικῶν καὶ θηλυκῶν ζῳδίων

     Πάλιν δὲ ὡσαύτως ἓξ μὲν τῶν δωδεκατημορίων ἀπένειμαν τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀρρενικῇ καὶ ἡμερινῇ, ἓξ δὲ τῇ θηλυκῇ καὶ νυκτερινῇ. Καὶ ἡ μὲν τάξις αὐτοῖς ἐδόθη παρ’ ἓν διὰ τὸ συνεζεῦχθαι καὶ ἐγγὺς ἀεὶ τυγχάνειν τὴν ἡμέραν τῇ νυκτὶ καὶ τὸ θῆλυ τῷ ἄρρενι. Τῆς δὲ ἀρχῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Κριοῦ δι’ ἃς εἴπομεν αἰτίας λαμβανομένης, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἄρρενος ἄρχοντος καὶ πρωτεύοντος, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸ ποιητικὸν ἀεὶ τοῦ παθητικοῦ πρῶτόν ἐστι τῇ δυνάμει, τὸ μὲν τοῦ Κριοῦ δωδεκατημόριον καὶ ἔτι τὸ τῶν Χηλῶν ἀρρενικά τε ἔδοξε καὶ ἡμερινά, ἐπειδήπερ ὁ ἰσημερινὸς κύκλος δι’ αὐτῶν γραφόμενος τὴν πρώτην καὶ ἰσχυροτάτην τῶν ὅλων φορὰν ἀποτελεῖ, τὰ δὲ ἐφεξῆς αὐτῶν ἀκολούθως τῇ παρ’ ἓν ὡς ἔφαμεν τάξει.

     Χρῶνται δέ τινες τῇ τάξει τῶν ἀρρενικῶν καὶ θηλυκῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνατέλλοντος δωδεκατημορίου, ὃ δὴ καλοῦσιν ὡροσκοποῦν, τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ ἄρρενος ποιούμενοι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ καὶ τὴν τῶν τροπικῶν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σεληνιακοῦ ζῳδίον λαμβάνουσιν ἔνιοι, διὰ τὸ ταύτην τῶν ἄλλων τάχιον τρέπεσθαι, οὕτως καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀρρενικῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὡροσκοποῦντος διὰ τὸ ἀπηλιωτικώτερον καὶ οἱ μὲν ὁμοίως παρ’ ἓν πάλιν τῇ τάξει χρώμενοι, οἱ δὲ καθ’ ὅλα τεταρτημόρια διαιροῦντες καὶ ἑῷα μὲν ἡγούμενοι καὶ ἀρρενικὰ τό τε ἀπὸ τοῦ ὡροσκόπου μέχρι τοῦ μεσουρανοῦντος καὶ τὸ κατὰ ἀντίθεσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ δύνοντος μέχρι τοῦ ὑπὸ γῆν μεσουρανοῦντος, ἑσπέρια δὲ καὶ θηλυκὰ τὰ λοιπὰ δύο τεταρτημόρια.

     Καὶ ἄλλας δέ τινας τοῖς δωδεκατημορίοις προσηγορίας ἐφήρμοσαν ἀπὸ τῶν περὶ αὐτὰ μορφώσεων, λέγω δὲ οἷον τετράποδα καὶ χερσαῖα καὶ ἡγεμονικὰ καὶ πολύσπορα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἃς αὐτόθεν τό τε αἴτιον καὶ τὸ ἐμφανιστικὸν ἐχούσας περισσὸν ἡγούμεθα καταριθμεῖν, τῆς ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων διατυπώσεων ποιότητος, ἐν αἷς ἂν τῶν προτελέσεων χρησίμη φαίνηται, δυναμένης προεκτίθεσθαι.

13. Of Masculine and Feminine Signs

     Again, in the same way they assigned six of the signs to the masculine and diurnal nature ⁷¹ and an equal number to the feminine and nocturnal. An alternating order was assigned to them because day is always yoked to night and close to it, and female to male. Now as Aries is taken as the starting-point for the reasons we have mentioned, and as the male likewise rules and holds first place, since also the active is always superior to the passive in power, the signs of Aries and Libra were thought to be masculine and diurnal, an additional reason being that the equinoctial circle which is drawn through them completes the primary and most powerful movement of the whole universe ⁷². The signs in succession after them correspond, as we said, in alternating order.

     Same, however, employ an order of masculine and feminine signs whereby the masculine begins with the sign that is rising, called the horoscope ⁷³. For just as some begin the solstitial signs with the moon’s sign because the moon changes direction more swiftly than the rest, so they begin the masculine signs with the horoscope because it is further to the east, some as before making use of the alternate order of signs, and others dividing by entire quadrants, and designating as matutinal and masculine signs those of the quadrant from the horoscope to mid-heaven and those of the opposite quadrant from the occident to the lower mid-heaven, and as evening and feminine the other two quadrants.

     They have also attached other descriptions ⁷⁴ to the signs, derived from their shapes; I refer, for example, to “four-footed”, “terrestrial”, “commanding”, “fecund”, and similar appellations. These, since their reason and their significance are directly derived, we think it superfluous to enumerate, since the quality resulting from such conformations can be explained in connection with those predictions wherein it is obviously useful.

14. Περὶ τῶν συσχηματιζομένων δωδεκατημορίων

     Οἰκειοῦται δὲ ἀλλήλοις τῶν μερῶν τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ πρῶτον τὰ συσχηματιζόμενα. Ταῦτα δ’ ἐστὶν ὅσα διάμετρον ἔχει στάσιν περιέχοντα ὀρθὰς δύο γωνίας καὶ ἓξ δωδεκατημόρια καὶ μοίρας ρπ′, καὶ ὅσα τρίγωνον ἔχει στάσιν περιέχοντα μίαν ὀρθὴν γωνίαν καὶ τρίτον καὶ τέσσαρα δωδεκατημόρια καὶ μοίρας ρκ′, καὶ ὅσα τετραγωνίζειν λέγεται, περιέχοντα μίαν ὀρθὴν καὶ τρία δωδεκατημόρια καὶ μοίρας θ′, καὶ ἔτι ὅσα ἑξάγωνον ποιεῖται στάσιν περιέχοντα δίμοιρον γωνίας ὀρθῆς καὶ δωδεκατημόρια β′ καὶ μοίρας ϛ′. Δι’ ἣν δὲ αἰτίαν αὗται μόναι τῶν διαστάσεων παρελήφθησαν, ἐκ τούτων ἂν μάθοιμεν. Τῆς μὲν γὰρ κατὰ διάμετρον αὐτόθεν ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος φανερός, ἐπειδήπερ ἐπὶ μιᾶς εὐθείας ποιεῖται τὰς συναντήσεις.

     Λαμβανομένων δὲ τῶν δύο μεγίστων καὶ διὰ συμφωνίας μορίων τε καὶ ἐπιμορίων, μορίων μὲν πρὸς τὸ τῶν β′ ὀρθῶν τοῦ τε ἡμίσους καὶ τοῦ τρίτου τὸ μὲν εἰς δύο τὴν τοῦ τετραγώνου πεποίηκε, τὸ δὲ εἰς τρία τὴν τοῦ ἑξαγώνου καὶ τὴν τοῦ τριγώνου· ἐπιμορίων δὲ πρὸς τὸ τῆς μιᾶς ὀρθῆς τετράγωνον μεταξὺ λαμβανομένων τοῦ τε ἡμιολίου καὶ τοῦ ἐπιτρίτου, τὸ μὲν ἡμιόλιον πάλιν ἐποίησε τὴν τοῦ τετραγώνου πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ἑξαγώνου, τὸ δὲ ἐπίτριτον τὴν τοῦ τριγώνου πρὸς τὴν τοῦ τετραγώνου. Τούτων μέντοι τῶν συσχηματισμῶν οἱ μὲν τρίγωνοι καὶ ἑξάγωνοι σύμφωνοι καλοῦνται διὰ τὸ ἐξ ὁμογενῶν συγκεῖσθαι δωδεκατημορίων ἤτοι ἐκ πάντων ἀρρενικῶν ἢ θηλυκῶν, ἀσύμφωνοι δὲ οἱ τετράγωνοι καὶ οἱ κατὰ διάμετρον, διότι κατ’ ἀντίθεσιν τῶν ὁμογενῶν τὴν στάσιν λαμβάνουσι.

14. Of the Aspects of the Signs

     Of the parts of the zodiac those first are familiar ⁷⁵ one to another which are in aspect ⁷⁶. These are the ones which are in opposition, enclosing two right angles, six signs, and 180 degrees; those which are in trine, enclosing one and one-third right angles, four signs, and 120 degrees; those which are said to be in quartile, enclosing one right angle, three signs, and 90 degrees, and finally those that occupy the sextile position, enclosing two-thirds of a right angle, two signs, and 60 degrees. We may learn from the following why only these intervals have been taken into consideration. The explanation of opposition is immediately obvious, because it causes the signs to meet on one straight line.

     But if we take the two fractions and the two superparticulars ⁷⁷ most important in music, and if the fractions one-half and one-third be applied to opposition, composed of two right angles, the half makes the quartile and the third the sextile and trine ⁷⁸. Of the superparticulars, if the sesquialter and sesquitertian be applied to the quartile interval of one right angle, which lies between them, the sesquialter makes the ratio of the quartile to the sextile and the sesquitertian that of trine to quartile ⁷⁹. Of these aspects trine and sextile are called harmonious because they are composed of signs of the same kind, either entirely of feminine or entirely of masculine signs; while quartile and opposition are disharmonious because they are composed of signs of opposite kinds.

15. Περὶ τῶν προστασσόντων καὶ ὑπακουόντων ὁμοίως ζῳδίων

     Ὡσαύτως δὲ προστάσσοντα καὶ ὑπακούοντα λέγεται τμήματα τὰ κατ’ ἴσην διάστασιν ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἢ καὶ ὁποτέρου τῶν ἰσημερινῶν σημείων ἐσχηματισμένα, διὰ τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἴσοις χρόνοις ἀναφέρεσθαί τε καὶ καταφέρεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἴσων εἶναι παραλλήλων. Τούτων δὲ τὰ μὲν ἐν τῷ θερινῷ ἡμικυκλίῳ προστάσσοντα καλεῖται, τὰ δὲ ἐν τῷ χειμερινῷ ὑπακούοντα, διὰ τὸ κατ’ ἐκείνων μὲν γινόμενον τὸν ἥλιον μείζονα ποιεῖν τῆς νυκτὸς τὴν ἡμέραν, κατὰ τούτων δὲ ἐλάττονα.

15. Of Commanding and Obeying Signs

     Similarly the names “commanding” and “obeying” ⁸⁰ are applied to the divisions of the zodiac which are disposed at an equal distance from the same equinoctial sign, whichever it may be, because they ascend ⁸¹ in equal periods of time and are on equal parallels. Of these the ones in the summer hemisphere ⁸² are called “commanding” and those in the winter hemisphere “obedient”, because the sun makes the day longer than the night when he is in the summer hemisphere, and shorter in the winter.

16. Περὶ τῶν βλεπόντων καὶ ἰσοδυναμούντων ἀλλήλοις

     Πάλιν δὲ ἰσοδυναμεῖν φασιν ἀλλήλοις μέρη τὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁποτέρου τῶν τροπικῶν σημείων τὸ ἴσον ἀφεστῶτα, διὰ τὸ καθ’ ἑκάτερον αὐτῶν τοῦ ἡλίου γινομένου τάς τε ἡμέρας ταῖς ἡμέραις καὶ τὰς νύκτας ταῖς νυξὶ καὶ τὰ διαστήματα τῶν οἰκείων ὡρῶν ἰσοχρόνως ἀποτελεῖν. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ βλέπειν ἄλληλα λέγεται διά τε τὰ προειρημένα καὶ ἐπειδήπερ ἑκάτερον αὐτῶν ἔκ τε τῶν αὐτῶν μερῶν τοῦ ὁρίζοντος ἀνατέλλει καὶ εἰς τὰ αὐτὰ καταδύνει.

16. Of Signs which Behold each other and Signs of Equal Power

     Again they say that the parts which are equally removed from the same tropical sign, whichever it may be, are of equal power ⁸³, because when the sun comes into either of them the days are equal to the days, the nights to the nights, and the lengths of their own hours ⁸⁴ are the same. These also are said to “behold” one another both for the reasons stated and because each of the pair rises from the same part of the horizon and sets in the same part.

17. Περὶ τῶν ἀσυνδέτων

     Ἀσύνδετα δὲ καὶ ἀπηλλοτριωμένα καλεῖται τμήματα, ὅσα μηδένα λόγον ἁπλῶς ἔχει πρὸς ἄλληλα τῶν προκατειλεγμένων οἰκειώσεων. Ταῦτα δέ ἐστιν ἃ μήτε τῶν προστασσόντων ἢ ὑπακουόντων τυγχάνει μήτε τῶν βλεπόντων ἢ ἰσοδυναμούντων, ἔτι τε καὶ τῶν ἐκκειμένων τεσσάρων συσχηματισμῶν τοῦ τε διαμέτρου καὶ τοῦ τριγώνου καὶ τοῦ τετραγώνου καὶ τοῦ ἑξαγώνου κατὰ τὸ παντελὲς ἀμέτοχα καταλαμβανόμενα καὶ ἤτοι δι’ ἑνὸς ἢ διὰ πέντε γινόμενα δωδεκατημορίων, ἐπειδήπερ τὰ μὲν δι’ ἑνὸς ἀπέστραπταί τε ὥσπερ ἀλλήλων καὶ δύο αὐτὰ ὄντα ἑνὸς περιέχει γωνίαν, τὰ δὲ διὰ πέντε εἰς ἄνισα διαιρεῖ τὸν ὅλον κύκλον, τῶν ἄλλων σχηματισμῶν εἰς ἴσα τὴν τῆς περιμέτρου διαίρεσιν ποιουμένων.

17. Of Disjunct Signs

     “Disjunct” and “alien” are the names applied to those divisions of the zodiac which have none whatever of the aforesaid familiarities with one another. These are the ones which belong neither to the class of commanding or obeying, beholding or of equal power, and furthermore they are found to be entirely without share in the four aforesaid aspects, opposition, trine, quartile, and sextile, and are either one or five signs apart; for those which are one sign apart are as it were averted from one another and, though they are two, bound the angle of one, and those that are five signs apart divide the whole circle into unequal parts, while the other aspects make an equal division of the perimeter.

18. Περὶ οἴκων ἑκάστου ἀστέρος

     Συνοικειοῦνται δὲ καὶ οἱ πλανῆται τοῖς τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ μέρεσι κατά τε τοὺς καλουμένους οἴκους καὶ τρίγωνα καὶ ὑψώματα καὶ ὅρια καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. Καὶ τὸ μὲν τῶν οἴκων τοιαύτην ἔχει φύσιν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῶν ιβ′ ζῳδίων τὰ βορειότατα καὶ συνεγγίζοντα μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων τοῦ κατὰ κορυφὴν ἡμῶν τόπου θερμασίας τε καὶ ἀλέας διὰ τοῦτο περιποιητικὰ τυγχάνοντα ὅ τε Καρκίνος καὶ ὁ Λέων ἐστί, τὰ δύο ταῦτα τοῖς μεγίστοις καὶ κυριωτάτοις, τουτέστι τοῖς δύο φωσὶν ἀπένειμαν οἴκους, τὸ μὲν τοῦ Λέοντος ἀρρενικὸν ὂν τῷ ἡλίῳ, τὸ δὲ τοῦ Καρκίνου θηλυκὸν τῇ σελήνῃ, καὶ ἀκολούθως τὸ μὲν ἀπὸ Λέοντος μέχρι Αἰγόκερω ἡμικύκλιον ἡλιακὸν ὑπέθεντο, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ Ὑδροχόου μέχρι Καρκίνου σεληνιακόν, ὅπως ἐν ἑκατέρῳ τῶν ἡμικυκλίων ἓν ζῴδιον καθ’ ἕκαστον τῶν πέντε ἀστέρων οἰκείως ἀπονεμηθῇ, τὸ μὲν πρὸς ἥλιον τὸ δὲ πρὸς σελήνην ἐσχηματισμένον, ἀκολούθως ταῖς τε τῶν κινήσεων αὐτῶν σφαίραις καὶ ταῖς τῶν φύσεων ἰδιοτροπίαις.

     Τῷ μὲν οὖν τοῦ Κρόνου ψυκτικῷ ὄντι μᾶλλον τὴν φύσιν κατ’ ἐναντιότητα τοῦ θερμοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀνωτάτω καὶ μακρὰν τῶν φώτων ἔχοντι ζώνην ἐδόθη τὰ διάμετρα ζῴδια τοῦ τε Καρκίνου καὶ τοῦ Λέοντος ὅ τε Αἰγόκερως καὶ ὁ Ὑδροχόος, μετὰ τοῦ καὶ ταῦτα τὰ δωδεκατημόρια ψυχρὰ καὶ χειμερινὰ τυγχάνειν καὶ ἕτι τοῦ τὸν κατὰ διάμετρον συσχηματισμὸν ἀσύμφωνον πρὸς ἀγαθοποιίαν εἶναι τῷ δὲ τοῦ Διὸς ὄντι εὐκράτῳ καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν τοῦ Κρόνου σφαῖραν ἐδόθη τὰ ἐχόμενα δύο τῶν προκειμένων πνευματικὰ ὄντα καὶ γόνιμα ὅ τε Τοξότης καὶ οἱ Ἰχθύες κατὰ τριγωνικὴν πρὸς τὰ φῶτα διάστασιν, ἥτις ἐστὶ συμφώνου καὶ ἀγαθοποιοῦ συσχηματισμοῦ·

     Ἐφεξῆς δὲ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως ξηραντικῷ μᾶλλον ὄντι τὴν φύσιν καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν τοῦ Διὸς ἔχοντι τὴν σφαῖραν τὰ ἐχόμενα πάλιν ἐκείνων ἐδόθη δωδεκατημόρια τὴν ὁμοίαν ἔχοντα φύσιν ὅ τε Κριὸς καὶ ὁ Σκορπίος, ἀκολούθως τῇ φθαρτικῇ καὶ ἀσυμφώνῳ ποιότητι τὴν τοῦ τετραγώνου πρὸς τὰ φῶτα ποιοῦντα διάστασιν. Τῷ δὲ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης εὐκρατοτέρῳ τε ὄντι καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν τοῦ Ἄρεως τὰ ἐχόμενα ἐδόθη δύο ζῴδια γονιμώτατα ὄντα αἵ τε Χηλαὶ καὶ ὁ Ταῦρος, τηροῦντα τὴν συμφωνίαν τῆς ἑξαγώνου διαστάσεως καὶ ἐπειδήπερ οὐ πλεῖον δύο δωδεκατημορίων ὁ ἀστὴρ οὗτος ἐφ’ ἑκάτερα τὸ πλεῖστον ἀφίσταται τοῦ ἡλίου. Ἐπὶ τέλει δὲ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ οὐδέποτε πλεῖον ἑνὸς δωδεκατημορίου τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου διάστασιν ἐφ’ ἑκάτερα ποιουμένῳ καὶ ὑπὸ μὲν τοὺς ἄλλους ὄντι, σύνεγγυς δὲ μᾶλλόν πως ἀμφοτέρων τῶν φώτων, τὰ λοιπὰ καὶ συνεχῆ τοῖς ἐκείνων οἴκοις ἐδόθη δύο δωδεκατημόρια τό τε τῶν Διδύμων καὶ τὸ τῆς Παρθένου.

18. Of the Houses of the Several Planets

     The planets also have familiarity with the parts of the zodiac, through what are called their houses, triangles, exaltations, terms ⁸⁵, and the like. The system of houses is of the following nature. Since of the twelve signs the most northern, which are closer than the others to our zenith and therefore most productive of heat and of warmth are Cancer and Leo, they assigned these to the greatest and most powerful heavenly bodies, that is, to the luminaries, as houses, Leo, which is masculine, to the sun and Cancer, feminine, to the moon. In keeping with this they assumed the semicircle from Leo to Capricorn to be solar and that from Aquarius to Cancer to be lunar, so that in each of the semicircles one sign might be assigned to each of the five planets as its own, οne bearing aspect to the sun and the other to the moon, consistently with the spheres of their motion ⁸⁶ and the peculiarities of their natures ⁸⁷.

     For to Saturn, in whose nature cold prevails, as opposed to heat, and which occupies the orbit highest and farthest from the luminaries, were assigned the signs opposite Cancer and Leo, namely Capricorn and Aquarius ⁸⁸, with the additional reason that these signs are cold and wintry, and further that their diametrical aspect is not consistent with beneficence. To Jupiter, which is moderate and below Saturn’s sphere, were assigned the two signs next to the foregoing, windy and fecund, Sagittarius and Pisces, in triangular aspect ⁸⁹ to the luminaries, which is a harmonious and beneficent configuration.

     Next, to Mars, which is dry in nature and occupies a sphere under that of Jupiter, there were assigned again the two signs, contiguous to the former, Scorpio and Aries, having a similar nature, and, agreeably to Mars’ destructive and inharmonious quality, in quartile aspect ⁹⁰ to the luminaries. To Venus, which is temperate and beneath Mars, were given the next two signs, which are extremely fertile, Libra and Taurus. These preserve the harmony of the sextile aspect ⁹¹; another reason is that this planet at most is never more than two signs removed from the sun in either direction. Finally, there were given to Mercury, which never is farther removed from the sun than one sign in either direction and is beneath the others and closer in a way to both of the luminaries, the remaining signs, Gemini and Virgo, which are next to the houses of the luminaries.

19. Περὶ τριγώνων

     Ἡ δὲ πρὸς τὰ τρίγωνα συνοικείωσις τοιαύτη τις οὖσα τυγχάνει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ τρίγωνον καὶ ἰσόπλευρον σχῆμα συμφωνότατόν ἐστιν ἑαυτῷ καὶ ὁ ζῳδιακὸς ὑπὸ τριῶν κύκλων ὁρίζεται τοῦ τε ἰσημερινοῦ καὶ τῶν δύο τροπικῶν, διαιρεῖται δὲ τὰ ιβ′ αὐτοῦ μέρη εἰς τρίγωνα ἰσόπλευρα τέσσαρα, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὅ ἐστι διά τε τοῦ Κριοῦ καὶ τοῦ Λέοντος καὶ τοῦ Τοξότου ἐκ τριῶν ἀρρενικῶν ζῳδίων συγκείμενον καὶ οἴκους ἔχον ἡλίου τε καὶ Διὸς καὶ Ἄρεως, ἐδόθη τῷ Διὶ καὶ ἡλίῳ παρὰ τὴν αἵρεσιν τὴν ἡλιακὴν ὄντος τοῦ Ἄρεως. Λαμβάνει δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν πρώτην συνοικοδεσποτείαν ἡμέρας μὲν ὁ ἥλιος, νυκτὸς δὲ ὁ τοῦ Διός. Καί ἐστιν ὁ μὲν Κριὸς μᾶλλον πρὸς τῷ ἰσημερινῷ κύκλῳ, ὁ δὲ Λέων πρὸς τῷ θερινῷ, ὁ δὲ Τοξότης πρὸς τῷ χειμερινῷ. Γίνεται δὲ προηγουμένως μὲν τοῦτο τὸ τρίγωνον βόρειον διὰ τὴν τοῦ Διὸς συνοικοδεσποτείαν, ἐπειδήπερ οὗτος γόνιμός τέ ἐστι καὶ πνευματώδης, οἰκείως τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρκτων ἀνέμοις διὰ δὲ τὸν τοῦ Ἄρεως οἶκον λαμβάνει τινὰ μίξιν τοῦ λιβὸς καὶ συνίσταται βορρολιβικόν, ἐπειδήπερ ὁ τοῦ Ἄρεως τοιούτων ἐστὶ πνευμάτων ποιητικὸς διά τε τὴν τῆς σελήνης αἵρεσιν καὶ τὸ τῶν δυσμῶν τεθηλυσμένον.

     Τὸ δὲ δεύτερον τρίγωνον, ὅ ἐστι διά τε τοῦ Ταύρου καὶ Παρθένου καὶ Αἰγόκερω, συγκείμενον ἐκ τριῶν θηλυκῶν, ἀκολούθως ἐδόθη σελήνῃ τε καὶ Ἀφροδίτῃ, οἰκοδεσποτούσης αὐτοῦ νυκτὸς μὲν τῆς σελήνης, ἡμέρας δὲ τοῦ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης. Καί ἐστιν ὁ μὲν Ταῦρος πρὸς τῷ θερινῷ μᾶλλον κύκλῳ, ἡ δὲ Παρθένος πρὸς τῷ ἰσημερινῷ, ὁ δὲ Αἰγόκερως πρὸς τῷ χειμερινῷ. Γίνεται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ τρίγωνον προηγουμένως μὲν νότιον διὰ τὴν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οἰκοδεσποτείαν, ἐπειδήπερ ὁ ἀστὴρ οὗτος τῶν ὁμοίων ἐστὶ πνευμάτων διὰ τὸ θερμὸν καὶ ἔνικμον τῆς δυνάμεως ποιητικός· προσλαβὸν δὲ μίξιν ἀπηλιώτου διὰ τὸ τὸν τοῦ Κρόνου οἶκον ἐν αὐτῷ τυγχάνειν τὸν Αἰγόκερων συνίσταται καὶ αὐτὸ νοταπηλιωτικὸν κατ’ ἀντίθεσιν τοῦ πρώτου, ἐπειδήπερ καὶ ὁ τοῦ Κρόνου τοιούτων ἐστὶ πνευμάτων ποιητικός, οἰκειούμενος καὶ αὐτὸς ταῖς ἀνατολαῖς διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον αἵρεσιν.

     Τὸ δὲ τρίτον τρίγωνον, ὅ ἐστι διά τε Διδύμων καὶ Χηλῶν καὶ Ὑδροχόου ἐκ τριῶν ἀρρενικῶν ζῳδίων συγκείμενον καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὸν τοῦ Ἄρεως μηδένα λόγον ἔχον, πρὸς δὲ τὸν τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τὸν τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ διὰ τοὺς οἴκους, τούτοις ἀπενεμήθη πάλιν, οἰκοδεσποτούντων ἡμέρας μὲν τοῦ τοῦ Κρόνου διὰ τὴν αἵρεσιν, νυκτὸς δὲ τοῦ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ. Καί ἐστι τὸ μὲν τῶν Διδύμων δωδεκατημόριον πρὸς τῷ θερινῷ, τὸ δὲ τῶν Χηλῶν πρὸς τῷ ἰσημερινῷ, τὸ δὲ τοῦ Ὑδροχόου πρὸς τῷ χειμερινῷ. Συνίσταται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ τρίγωνον προηγουμένως μὲν ἀπηλιωτικὸν διὰ τὸν τοῦ Κρόνου, κατὰ δὲ τὴν μίξιν βορραπηλιωτικόν, διὰ τὸ τὴν τοῦ Διὸς αἵρεσιν τῇ τοῦ Κρόνου πρὸς τὸν ἡμερινὸν λόγον συνοικειοῦσθαι.

     Τὸ δὲ τέταρτον τρίγωνον, ὅ ἐστι διά τε Καρκίνου καὶ Σκορπίου καὶ Ἰχθύων, κατελείφθη μόνῳ λοιπῷ ὄντι τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ λόγον ἔχοντι πρὸς αὐτὸ διὰ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Σκορπίου, συνοικοδεσποτοῦσι δὲ αὐτῷ διά τε τὴν αἵρεσιν καὶ τὸ θηλυκὸν τῶν ζῳδίων νυκτὸς μὲν ἡ σελήνη, ἡμέρας δὲ ὁ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης, καί ἐστιν ὁ μὲν Καρκίνος πρὸς τῷ θερινῷ κύκλῳ, ὁ δὲ Σκορπίος πρὸς τῷ χειμερινῷ μᾶλλον, οἱ δὲ Ἰχθύες πρὸς τῷ ἰσημερινῷ. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τὸ τρίγωνον συνίσταται προηγουμένως μὲν λιβικὸν διὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἄρεως καὶ τῆς σελήνης οἰκοδεσποτείαν, κατὰ μίξιν δὲ νοτολιβικόν, διὰ τὴν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης συνοικοδεσποτείαν.

19. Of the Triangles

     The familiarity by triangles is as follows. Inasmuch as the triangular and equilateral form is most harmonious with itself ⁹², the zodiac also is bounded by three circles, the equinoctial and the two tropics, and its twelve parts are divided into four equilateral triangles. The first of these, which passes through Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, is composed of three masculine signs and includes the houses of the sun, of Mars, and of Jupiter. This triangle was assigned to the sun and Jupiter, since Mars is not of the solar sect ⁹³. The sun assumes first governance of it by day and Jupiter by night. Also, Aries is close to the equinoctial circle, Leo to the summer solstice and Sagittarius to the winter solstice. This triangle is pre-eminently northern because of Jupiter’s share in its government, since Jupiter is fecund and windy ⁹⁴, similarly to the winds from the north. However, because of the house of Mars it suffers an admixture of the south-west wind ⁹⁵ and is constituted Borro-libycon, because Mars causes such winds and also because of the sect of the moon and the feminine quality of the occident ⁹⁶.

     The second triangle, which is the one drawn through Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, is composed of three feminine signs, and consequently was assigned to the moon and Venus; the moon governs it by night and Venus by day. Taurus lies toward the summer tropic, Virgo toward the equinox, and Capricorn toward the winter tropic. This triangle is made pre-eminently southern because of the dominance of Venus, since this star through the heat and moisture of its power produces similar winds; but as it receives an admixture of Apeliotes because the house of Saturn, Capricorn, is included within it, it is constituted Notapeliotes ⁹⁷ in contrast to the filet triangle, since Saturn produces winds of this kind and is related to the cast through sharing in the sect of the sun.

     The third triangle is the one drawn through Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, composed of three masculine signs, and having no relation to Mars but rather to Saturn and Mercury because of their houses. It was assigned in turn to these, with Saturn governing during the day on account of his sect and Mercury by night. The sign of Gemini lies toward the summer tropic, Libra toward the equinox, and Aquarius toward the winter tropic. This triangle also is primarily of eastern constitution, because of Saturn, but by admixture north-eastern, because the sect of Jupiter has familiarity with Saturn, inasmuch as it is diurnal.

     The fourth triangle, which is the one drawn through Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, was left to the only remaining planet, Mars, which is related to it through his house, Scorpio; and along with him, on account of the sect and the femininity of the signs, the moon by night and Venus by day are co-rulers. Cancer is near the summer circle, Scorpio lies close to the winter one, and Pisces to the equinox. This triangle is constituted preeminently western, because it is dominated by Mars and the moon; but by ad­mixture it becomes south-western through the domination of Venus.

20. Περὶ ὑψωμάτων

     Τὰ δὲ καλούμενα τῶν πλανωμένων ὑψώματα λόγον ἔχει τοιόνδε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος ἐν μὲν τῷ Κριῷ γενόμενος τὴν εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν καὶ βόρειον ἡμικύκλιον μετάβασιν ποιεῖται, ἐν δὲ ταῖς Χηλαῖς τὴν εἰς τὸ ταπεινὸν καὶ νότιον, εἰκότως τὸν μὲν Κριὸν ὡς ὕψωμα ἀνατεθείκασιν αὐτῷ, καθ’ ὃν ἄρχεται καὶ τὸ τῆς ἡμέρας μέγεθος καὶ τὸ τῆς φύσεως αὐτοῦ θερμαντικὸν αὔξεσθαι, τὰς δὲ Χηλὰς ὡς ταπείνωμα διὰ τὰ ἐναντία. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Κρόνου πάλιν ἵνα πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον ἔχῃ διάμετρον στάσιν ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οἴκων, τὸν μὲν Ζυγὸν ἀντικειμένως ὡς ὕψωμα ἔλαβε, τὸν δὲ Κριὸν ὡς ταπείνωμα. Ὅπου γὰρ τὸ θερμὸν αὔξεται, ἐκεῖ μειοῦται τὸ ψυχρόν, καὶ ὅπου τὸ ψυχρὸν αὔξεται, ἐκεῖ μειοῦται τὸ θερμόν.

     Πάλιν ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῷ ὑψώματι τοῦ ἡλίου τῷ Κριῷ συνοδεύσασα ἡ σελήνη πρώτην ποιεῖται φάσιν καὶ ἀρχὴν τῆς τοῦ φωτὸς αὐξήσεως καὶ ὡσπερανεὶ ὑψώσεως ἐν τῷ τοῦ ἰδίου τριγώνου πρώτῳ ζῳδίῳ τῷ Ταύρῳ, τοῦτο μὲν αὐτῆς ὕψωμα ἐκλήθη, τὸ δὲ διάμετρον τὸ τοῦ Σκορπίου ταπείνωμα. Μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ὁ μὲν τοῦ Διὸς τῶν βορείων καὶ γονίμων πνευμάτων ἀποτελεστικὸς ὤν, ἐν τῷ Καρκίνῳ μάλιστα βορειότατος γινόμενος, αὔξεται πάλιν καὶ πληροῖ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν, ὅθεν τοῦτο μὲν τὸ δωδεκατημόριον ὕψωμα πεποιήκασιν αὐτοῦ, τὸν δὲ Αἰγόκερων ταπείνωμα. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Ἄρεως φύσει καυσώδης ὢν καὶ μᾶλλον ἐν Αἰγόκερῳ διὰ τὸ νοτιώτατος γίνεσθαι καυστικώτατος γινόμενος, καὶ αὐτὸς ὕψωμα μὲν ἔλαβεν εἰκότως κατ’ ἀντίθεσιν τῷ τοῦ Διὸς τὸν Αἰγόκερων, ταπείνωμα δὲ τὸν Καρκίνον.

     Πάλιν ὁ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ὑγραντικὸς ὢν φύσει καὶ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς Ἰχθύσιν, ἐν οἷς ἡ τοὺ ὑγροῦ ἔαρος ἀρχὴ προσημαίνει, καὶ αὐτὸς αὐξάνων τὴν οἰκείαν δύναμιν, τὸ μὲν ὕψωμα ἔσχεν ἐν τοῖς Ἰχθύσι, τὸ δὲ ταπείνωμα ἐν τῇ Παρθένῳ. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ τὸ ἐναντίον μᾶλλον ὑπόξηρος ὢν εἰκότως κατὰ τὸ ἀντικείμενον ἐν μὲν τῇ Παρθένῳ, καθ’ ἣν τὸ ξηρὸν μετόπωρον προσημαίνει, καὶ αὐτὸς ὥσπερ ὑψοῦται, κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἰχθύας ὥσπερ ταπεινοῦται.

20. Of Exaltations

     The so-called exaltations ⁹⁸ of the planets have the following explanation. Since the sun, when he is in Aries, is making his transition to the northern and higher semicircle, and in Libra is passing into the southern and lower One, they have fittingly assigned Aries to him as his exaltation, since there the length of the day and the heating power of his nature begin to increase, and Libra as his depression for the opposite reasons. Saturn again, in order to have a position opposite to the sun, as also in the matter of their houses ⁹⁹, looks, contrariwise, Libra as his exaltation and Aries as his depression. For where heat increases there cold diminishes, and where the former diminishes cold on the contrary increases.

     And since the moon, coming to conjunction in the exaltation of the sun, in Aries, shows her first phase and begins to increase her light and, as it were, her height, in the first sign of her own triangle, Taurus, this was called her exaltation, and the diametrically opposite sign, Scorpio, her depression. Then Jupiter, which produces the fecund north winds, reaches farthest north in Cancer and brings his own power to fullness; they therefore made this sign his exaltation and Capricorn his depression. Mars, which by nature is fiery and becomes all the more so in Capricorn because in it he is farthest south, naturally received Capricorn as his exaltation, in contrast to Jupiter, and Cancer as his depression.

     Venus, however, as she is moist by nature and increases her own proper power all the more in Pisces, where the beginning of the moist spring is indicated, has her exaltation in Pisces and her depression in Virgo. Mercury, on the contrary, since he is drier, by contrast naturally is exalted, as it were, in Virgo, in which the dry autumn is signified, and is depressed in Pisces.

21. Περὶ ὁρίων διαθέσεως

     Περὶ δὲ τῶν ὁρίων δισσοὶ μάλιστα φέρονται τρόποι καὶ ὁ μέν ἐστιν Αἰγυπτιακὸς (ὁ πρὸς τὰς τῶν οἴκων ὡς ἐπίπαν κυρείας), ὁ δὲ Χαλδαϊκὸς (ὁ πρὸς τὰς τῶν τριγώνων οἰκοδεσποτείας). Ὁ μὲν οὖν Αἰγυπτιακὸς ὁ τῶν κοινῶς φερομένων ὁρίων οὐ πάνυ τι σῴζει τὴν ἀκολουθίαν οὔτε τῆς τάξεως οὔτε τῆς καθ’ ἕκαστον ποσότητος. Πρῶτον μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς τάξεως πῇ μὲν τοῖς τῶν οἴκων κυρίοις τὰ πρωτεῖα δεδώκασιν, πῇ δὲ τοῖς τῶν τριγώνων, ἐνίοτε δὲ τοῖς τῶν ὑψωμάτων.

     Ἐπεὶ παραδείγματος ἕνεκεν, εἴτε τοῖς οἴκοις ἠκολουθήκασι, διὰ τί τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου εἰ τύχοι πρώτῳ δεδώκασιν ἐν Ζυγῷ καὶ οὐ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης; Καὶ διὰ τί ἐν Κριῷ τῷ τοῦ Διὸς καὶ οὐ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως; Εἴτε τοῖς τριγώνοις, διὰ τί τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ δεδώκασιν ἐν Αἰγόκερῳ καὶ οὐ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης; Εἴτε καὶ τοῖς ὑψώμασι, διὰ τί τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως ἐν Καρκίνῳ καὶ οὐ τῷ τοῦ Διός; Εἴτε τοῖς τὰ πλεῖστα τούτων ἔχουσι διὰ τί ἐν Ὑδροχόῳ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ δεδώκασι, τρίγωνον ἔχοντι μόνον, καὶ οὐχὶ τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου; Τούτου γὰρ καὶ οἶκός ἐστι καὶ τρίγωνον. Ἢ διὰ τί ὅλως ἐν Αἰγόκερῳ τῷ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ πρώτῳ δεδώκασι, μηδένα λόγον ἔχοντι πρὸς τὸ ζῴδιον οἰκοδεσποτείας; Καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς λοιπῆς δὲ τάξεως τὴν αὐτὴν ἀναλογίαν ἄν τις εὕροι…

     Δεύτερον δὲ καὶ ἡ ποσότης τῶν ὁρίων οὐδεμίαν ἀκολουθίαν ἔχουσα φαίνεται. Ὁ τε γὰρ καθ’ ἕνα ἕκαστον ἀστέρα ἐπισυναγόμενος ἐκ πάντων ἀριθμός, πρὸς ὅν φασιν αὐτῶν τὰ χρονικὰ ἐπιμερίζεσθαι, οὐδένα οἰκεῖον οὐδὲ εὐαπόδεικτον ἔχει λόγον· ἐάν δε καὶ τούτῳ τῷ κατὰ συναγωγὴν ἀριθμῷ πιστεύσωμεν ὡς ἄντικρυς ὑπ’ Αἰγυπτίων ὡμολογημένῳ, πολλαχῶς μὲν καὶ ἄλλως τῆς κατὰ τὸ ζῴδιον ποσότητος ἐναλλασσομένης ὁ αὐτὸς ἀριθμὸς ἂν συναγόμενος εὑρεθείη. Καὶ ὃ πιθανολογεῖν καὶ σοφίζεσθαί τινες ἐπιχειροῦσι περὶ αὐτῶν ὅτι κατὰ παντὸς κλίματος ἀναφορικὸν λόγον οἱ καθ’ ἕκαστον ἀστέρα σχηματιζόμενοί πως χρόνοι τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπισυνάγουσι ποσότητα, ψευδές ἐστι.

     Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἀκολουθοῦσι τῇ κοινῇ πραγματείᾳ καὶ πρὸς ὁμαλὰς ὑπεροχὰς τῶν ἀναφορῶν συνισταμένῃ μὴ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐγγιζούσῃ τῆς ἀληθείας, καθ’ ἣν ἐπὶ τοῦ διὰ τῆς κάτω χώρας τῆς Αἰγύπτου παραλλήλου τὸ μὲν τῆς Παρθένου καὶ τῶν Χηλῶν δωδεκατημόριον ἐν λη′ χρόνοις ἑκάτερον καὶ ἔτι τρίτῳ θέλουσιν ἀναφέρεσθαι, τὸ δὲ τοῦ Λέοντος καὶ τοῦ Σκορπίου ἑκάτερον ἐν λε′, δεικνυμένου διὰ τῶν γραμμῶν, ὅτι ταῦτα μὲν ἐν πλείοσι τῶν λε′ χρόνων ἀναφέρεται, τὸ δὲ τῆς Παρθένου καὶ τὸ τῶν Χηλῶν ἐν ἐλάττοσι.

     Ἔπειτα καὶ οἱ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἐπιχειρήσαντες κατασκευάζειν οὐκέτι φαίνονται κατηκολουθηκότες οὐδὲ οὕτως τῇ παρὰ τοῖς πλείστοις φερομένῃ ποσότητι τῶν ὁρίων καὶ τὰ πολλὰ διηναγκασμένοι καταψεύσασθαι καί που καὶ μορίοις μορίων χρήσασθαι τοῦ σῶσαι τὸ προκείμενον αὐτοῖς ἕνεκεν, οὐδ’ αὐτοῖς ὡς ἔφαμεν ἀληθοῦς ἐχομένοις σκοποῦ. Τὰ μέντοι φερόμενα παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς διὰ τὴν τῆς ἔτι ἄνωθεν παραδόσεως ἀξιοπιστίαν τοῦτον ὑπόκειται τὸν τρόπον.

     Ὅρια κατ’ Αἰγυπτίους.

     Συνάγεται δὲ ἑκάστου αὐτῶν ὁ ἀριθμὸς οὕτως· Κρόνου μοῖραι νζ′, Διὸς οθ′, Ἄρεως ξϛ′, Ἀφροδίτης πβ′, `Ερμοῦ οϛ′· γίνεται ὁμοῦ τξ′.

     Ὁ δὲ Χαλδαϊκὸς τρόπος ἁπλῆν μέν τινα ἔχει καὶ μᾶλλον πιθανήν, οὐχ οὕτως δὲ αὐτάρκη πρός τε τὰς τῶν τριγώνων δεσποτείας τὴν ἀκολουθίαν καὶ τὴν τῆς ποσότητος τάξιν, ὥστε μέντοι καὶ χωρὶς ἀναγραφῆς δύνασθαι ῥᾳδίως τινὰ διαβάλλειν αὐτούς. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ πρώτῳ τριγώνῳ Κριοῦ καὶ Λέοντος καὶ Τοξότου τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοντι παρ’ αὐτοῖς κατὰ ζῴδιον διαίρεσιν πρῶτος μὲν λαμβάνει ὁ τοῦ τριγώνου κύριος ὁ τοῦ Διός, εἶθ’ ἑξῆς ὁ τοῦ ἐφεξῆς τριγώνου, λέγω δὴ τὸν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης, εἶθ’ ἑξῆς ὁ τῶν Διδύμων ὅ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ὁ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ, τελευταῖος δὲ ὁ τοῦ λοιποῦ τριγώνου κύριος ὁ τοῦ Ἄρεως.

     Ἐν δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ τριγώνῳ Ταύρου καὶ Παρθένου καὶ Αἰγόκερω πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν κατὰ ζῴδιον ἔχοντι διαίρεσιν, ὁ μὲν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης πρῶτος, εἶθ’ ὁ τοῦ Κρόνου πάλιν καὶ ὁ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ὁ τοῦ Ἄρεως, τελευταῖος δὲ ὁ τοῦ Διός. Σχεδὸν δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν δύο τριγώνων ἡ τάξις ἥδε συνορᾶται. Τῶν μέντοι τοῦ αὐτοῦ τριγώνου δύο κυρίων, λέγω δὲ τοῦ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τοῦ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ, τὸ πρωτεῖον τῆς κατὰ τὸ οἰκεῖον τάξεως ἡμέρας μὲν ὁ τοῦ Κρόνου λαμβάνει, νυκτὸς δὲ ὁ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ. Καὶ ἡ καθ’ ἕκαστον δὲ ποσότης ἁπλῆ τις οὖσα τυγχάνει. Ἵνα γὰρ καθ’ ὑπόβασιν τῆς τῶν πρωτείων τάξεως καὶ ἡ ποσότης τῶν ἑκάστου ὁρίων μιᾷ μοίρᾳ λείπηται τῆς προτεταγμένης, τῷ μὲν πρώτῳ πάντοτε διδόασι μοίρας η′, τῷ δὲ δευτέρῳ ζ′, τῷ δὲ τρίτῳ ϛ′, τῷ δὲ τετάρτῳ ε′, τῷ δὲ πέμπτῳ δ′, συμπληρουμένων οὕτως τῶν κατὰ τὸ ζῴδιον λ′ μοιρῶν.

     Συνάγεται δὲ καὶ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ μὲν τοῦ Κρόνου μοῖραι ἡμέρας μὲν οη′, νυκτὸς δὲ ξϛ′, τοῦ δὲ τοῦ Διὸς οβ′, τοῦ δὲ τοῦ Ἄρεως ξθ′, τοῦ δὲ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οε′, τοῦ δὲ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ ἡμέρας μὲν ξϛ′, νυκτὸς δὲ οη′. Γίνεται τὸ πᾶν τξ′. Τούτων μὲν οὖν τῶν ὁρίων ἀξιοπιστότερα ὡς ἔφαμεν τυγχάνει τὰ κατὰ τὸν Αἰγυπτιακὸν τρόπον καὶ διὰ τὸ τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτῶν παρὰ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις συγγραφεῦσιν ὡς χρησίμην ἀναγραφῆς ἠξιῶσθαι καὶ διὰ τὸ συμφωνεῖν αὐτοῖς ὡς ἐπίπαν τὰς μοίρας τῶν ὁρίων ἐν ταῖς κατατεταγμέναις παρ’ αὐτῶν παραδειγματικαῖς γενέσεσιν· αὐτῶν μέντοι τούτων τῶν συγγραφέων μηδαμῇ τὴν σύνταξιν αὐτῶν μηδὲ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἐμφανισάντων, ὕποπτον ἂν εἰκότως καὶ εὐδιάβλητον αὐτῶν γίνοιτο τὸ περὶ τὴν τάξιν ἀνομόλογον.

     Ἤδη μέντοι περιτετυχήκαμεν ἡμεῖς ἀντιγράφῳ παλαιῷ καὶ τὰ πολλὰ διεφθαρμένῳ, περιέχοντι φυσικὸν καὶ σύμφωνον λόγον τῆς τε τάξεως καὶ τῆς ποσότητος αὐτῶν, μετὰ τοῦ τάς τε τῶν προειρημένων γενέσεων μοιρογραφίας καὶ τὸν τῶν συναγωγῶν ἀριθμὸν σύμφωνον εὑρίσκεσθαι τῇ τῶν παλαιῶν ἀναγραφῇ. Τὸ δὲ κατὰ λέξιν τοῦ βιβλίου πάνυ μὲν μακρὸν ἦν καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τινος ἀποδείξεως, ἀδιάγνωστον δὲ διὰ τὸ διεφθάρθαι καὶ μόλις ἡμῖν αὐτὴν τὴν καθόλου προαίρεσιν δυνάμενον ὑποδεῖξαι καὶ τυπῶσαι καὶ ταῦτα συνεφοδιαζούσης καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς τῶν ὁρίων ἀναγραφῆς μᾶλλόν πως διὰ τὸ πρὸς τῷ τέλει τοῦ βιβλίου κατατετάχθαι διασεσωσμένης. Ἔχει δὲ οὖν ὁ τύπος τῆς ὅλης αὐτῶν ἐπιβολῆς τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον.

     Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς τάξεως τῆς καθ’ ἕκαστον δωδεκατημόριον παραλαμβάνεται τά τε ὑψώματα καὶ τὰ τρίγωνα καὶ οἱ οἶκοι. Καθόλου μὲν γὰρ ὁ μὲν δύο τούτων ἔχων ἀστὴρ οἰκοδεσποτείας ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ζῳδίῳ προτάσσεται κἂν κακοποιὸς ᾖ. Ὅπου δὲ τοῦτο οὐ συμβαίνει, οἱ μὲν κακοποιοὶ πάντοτε ἔσχατοι τάσσονται, πρῶτοι δὲ οἱ τοῦ ὑψώματος κύριοι, εἶτα οἱ τοῦ τριγώνου, εἶτα οἱ τοῦ οἴκου ἀκολούθως τῇ ἐφεξῆς τάξει τῶν ζῳδίων, πάλιν τῶν ἑξῆς ἀνὰ δύο ἐχόντων οἰκοδεσποτείας προτασσομένου τοῦ μίαν ἔχοντος ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ζῳδίῳ. Ὁ μέντοι Καρκίνος καὶ ὁ Λέων οἶκοι ὄντες ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης ἐπεὶ οὐ δίδοται τοῖς φωσὶν ὅρια, ἀπονέμονται τοῖς κακοποιοῖς, διὰ τὸ ἐν τῇ τάξει πλεονεκτεῖσθαι, ὁ μὲν Καρκίνος τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως, ὁ δὲ Λέων τῷ τοῦ Κρόνου, ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡ τάξις αὐτοῖς ἡ οἰκεία φυλάσσεται.

     Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ποσότητος τῶν ὁρίων, ὡς μὲν μηδενὸς εὑρισκομένου κατὰ δύο τρόπους κυρίου ἤτοι ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ζῳδίῳ ἢ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς μέχρι τεταρτημορίου, τοῖς μὲν ἀγαθοποιοῖς, τουτέστι τῷ τε τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης, ἑκάστῳ δίδονται μοῖραι ζ′, τοῖς δὲ κακοποιοῖς, τουτέστι τῷ τε τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεως ἑκάστῳ μοῖραι ε′, τῷ δὲ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ ἐπικοίνῳ ὄντι μοῖραι ϛ′ εἰς συμπλήρωσιν τῶν λ′. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔχουσί τινες ἀεὶ δύο λόγους, ὁ γὰρ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης μόνος γίνεται οἰκοδεσπότης τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ταῦρον καὶ Αἰγόκερων τριγώνου, τῆς σελήνης εἰς τὰ ὅρια μὴ παραλαμβανομένης, προσδίδοται μὲν ἑκάστῳ τῶν οὕτως ἐχόντων ἐάν τε ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ζῳδίῳ, ἐάν τε ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς μέχρι τεταρτημορίου, μοῖρα μία, οἷς καὶ παρέκειντο στιγμαί.

     Ἀφαιροῦνται δὲ αἱ προστιθέμεναι τοῖς διπλοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ μοναχῶν, ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ τοῦ Κρόνου, εἶτα καὶ τοῦ τοῦ Διὸς διὰ τὸ βραδύτερον αὐτῶν τῆς κινήσεως. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἡ τούτων τῶν ὁρίων ἔκθεσις τοιαύτη.

     Ὅρια κατὰ Πτολεμαῖον.

     Γίνεται καὶ τούτων ἐκ τῆς ἐπισυνθέσεως Κρόνου μοῖραι νζ′, Διὸς οθ′, Ἄρεως ξς′, Ἀφροδίτης πβ′, Ἑρμοῦ οϛ′· ὁμοῦ τξ′.

21. Οf the Disposition of Terms

     With regard to the terms two systems are most in circulation; the first is the Egyptian ¹⁰⁰, which is chiefly based on the government of the houses, and the second the Chaldaean, resting upon the government of the triplicities. Now the Egyptian system of the commonly accepted terms does not at all preserve the consistency either of order or of individual quantity. For in the first place, in the matter of order, they have sometimes assigned the first place to the lords of the houses and again to those of the triplicities, and sometimes also to the lords of the exaltations.

     For example, if it is true that they have followed the houses, why have they assigned precedence to Saturn, say, in Libra ¹⁰¹, and not to Venus, and why to Jupiter in Aries and not to Mars? And if they follow the triplicities, why have they given Mercury, and not Venus ¹⁰², first place in Capricorn? Or if it be exaltations, why give Mars, and not Jupiter, precedence in Cancer ¹⁰³; and if they have regard for the planets that have the greatest number of these qualifications, why have they given first place in Aquarius to Mercury, who has only his triplicity there, and not to Saturn, for it is both the house and the triplicity of Saturn? Or why have they given Mercury first place in Capricorn at all, since he has no relation of government to the sign? One would find the same kind of thing in the rest of the system, secondly, the number of the terms manifestly has no consistency.

     For the number derived for each planet from the addition of its terms in all the signs, in accordance with which they say the planets assign years of life ¹⁰⁴, furnishes no suitable or acceptable argument. But even if we rely upon the number derived from this summation, in accordance with the downright claim of the Egyptians, the sum would be found the same, even though the amounts, sign by sign, be frequently changed in various ways. And as for the specious and sophistic assertion ¹⁰⁵ about them that same attempt to make, namely that the times assigned to each single planet by the schedule of ascensions in all the climes add up to this same sum, it is false.

     For, in the first place, they follow the common method, based upon evenly progressing increases in the ascensions, which is not even close to the truth. By this scheme they would have each of the signs Virgo and Libra, on the parallel which passes through lower Egypt, ascend in 38 ¹⁄₃ times ¹⁰⁶, and Leo and Scorpio each in 35, although it is shown by the tables ¹⁰⁷ that these latter ascend in more than 35 times and Virgo and Libra in less.

     Furthermore, those who have endeavoured to establish this theory even so do not seem to follow the usually accepted number of terms, and are compelled to make many false state­ments, and they have even made use of fractional parts of fractions in the effort to save their hypothesis, which, as we said, is itself not a true one. However, the terms most generally accepted on the authority of ancient tradition are given in the following fashion:

     Terms according to the Egyptians ¹⁰⁸.

	6 12 20  25 30
	8 14 22 27  30
	6 12 17  24 30
	7 13 19 26 30
	6 11 18 24  30
	7 17 21  28 30
	6 14 21 28 30
	7 11 19 24 30
	12 17 21 26  30
	7 14 22 26  30
	7 13 20  25 30
	12 16 19  28 30

 

     From these, the number of each one is derived thus: Saturn’s degrees are 57, Jupiter’s 79, Mars’ 66, Venus’ 82, Mercury’s 76, in total 360.

     The Chaldaean method ¹⁰⁹ involves a sequence, simple, to be sure, and more plausible, though not so self-sufficient with respect to the government of the triangles and the disposition of quantity, so that, nevertheless, one could easily understand them even without a diagram ¹¹⁰. For in the first triplicity, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, which has with them the same division by signs as with the Egyptians, the lord of the triplicity, Jupiter ¹¹¹, is the first to receive terms, then the lord of the next triangle, Venus, next the lord of the triangle of Gemini, Saturn, and Mercury, and finally the lord of the remaining triplicity, Mars.

     In the second triplicity, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, which again has the same division by signs, Venus is first, then Saturn, and again Mercury, after these Mars, and finally Jupiter. This arrangement in general is observed also in the remaining two triplicities ¹¹². Of the two lords of the same triplicity, however, Saturn and Mercury, by day ¹¹³ Saturn takes the first place in the order of ownership, by night Mercury. The number assigned to each is also a simple matter. For in order that the number of terms of each planet may be less by one degree than the preceding, to correspond with the descending order in which first place is assigned, they always assign 8° to the first, 7° to the second, 6° to the third, 5° to the fourth, and 4° to the last; thus the 30° of a sign is made up.

     The sum of the number of degrees thus assigned to Saturn is 78 by day and 66 by night, to Jupiter 72, to Mars 69, to Venus 75, to Mercury 66 by day and 78 by night; the total is 360 degrees. Now of these terms those which are constituted by the Egyptian method are, as we said, more worthy of credence, both because in the form in which they have been collected by the Egyptian writers they have for their utility been deemed worthy of record, and because for the most part the degrees of these terms are consistent with the nativities which have been recorded by them as examples. As these very writers, however, nowhere explain their arrangement or their number, their failure to agree in an account of the system might well become an object of suspicion and a subject for criticism.

     Recently, however, we have come upon an ancient manuscript, much damaged, which contains a natural and consistent explanation of their order and number, and at the same time the degrees reported in the aforesaid nativities and the numbers given in the summations were found to agree with the tabulation of the ancients. The book was very lengthy in expression and excessive in demonstration, and its damaged state made it hard to read, so that I could barely gain an idea of its general purport; that too, in spite of the help offered by the tabulations of the terms, better preserved because they were placed at the end of the book ¹¹⁴. At any rate the general scheme of assignment of the terms is as follows.

     For their arrangement within each sign, the exaltations, triplicities, and houses are taken into consideration. For, generally speaking, the star that has two rulerships of this sort in the same sign is placed first, even though it may be maleficent. But wherever this condition does not exist, the maleficent planets are always put last, and the lords of the exaltation first, the lords of the triplicity next, and then those of the house, following the order of the signs ¹¹⁵. And again in order, those that have two lordships each are preferred to the one which has but one in the same sign. Since terms are not allotted to the luminaries, however, Cancer and Leo, the houses of the sun and moon, are assigned to the maleficent planets because they were deprived of their share in the order, Cancer to Mars and Leo to Saturn ¹¹⁶; in these the order appropriate to them is preserved.

     As for the number of the terms, when no star is found with two prerogatives, either in the sign itself or in those which follow it within the quadrant, there are assigned to each of the beneficent planets, that is, to Jupiter and Venus, 7°; to the maleficent, Saturn and Mars, 5° each; and to Mercury, which is common, 6°; so that the total is 30°. But since some always have two prerogatives for Venus alone becomes the ruler of the triplicity of Taurus, since the moon does not participate in the terms there is given to each one of those in such condition, whether it be in the same sign or in the following signs within the quadrant, one extra degree; these were marked with dots ¹¹⁷.

     But the degrees added for double prerogatives are taken away from the others, which have but one, and, generally speaking, from Saturn and Jupiter because of their slower motion. The tabulation ¹¹⁸ of these terms is as follows:

     Terms according to Ptolemy.

	6 14 21  26 30
	8 15 22 24  30
	7 13 20  26 30
	6 13 20 27 30
	6 13 19 25  30
	7 13 18 24  30
	6 11 16 24  30
	6 13 21 27 30
	8 14 19 25  30
	6 12 19 25  30
	6 12 20 25  25
	8 14 20  25 30

 

     From these is derived by addition that Saturn’s degrees are 57, Jupiter’s 79, Mars’ 66, Venus’ 82, Mercury’s 76, in total 360 ¹¹⁹.

22. Περὶ τόπων καὶ μοιρῶν ἑκάστου

     Διεῖλον δέ τινες καὶ εἰς ἔτι τούτων λεπτομερέστερα τμήματα τὰς οἰκοδεσποτείας, τόπους καὶ μοίρας ὀνομάσαντες καὶ τόπον μὲν ὑποτιθέμενοι τὸ τοῦ δωδεκατημορίου δωδεκατημόριον, τουτέστι μοίρας β′ ἥμισυ καὶ διδόντες αὐτοῦ τὴν κυρείαν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς ζῳδίοις, ἄλλοι δὲ καὶ κατ’ ἄλλας τινὰς ἀλόγους τάξεις, μοῖραν δὲ ἑκάστην πάλιν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἑκάστῳ διδόντες τῶν ἀστέρων ἀκολούθως τῇ τάξει τῶν Χαλδαϊκῶν ὁρίων. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν πιθανὸν μόνον καὶ οὐ φυσικὸν ἀλλὰ κενόδοξον ἔχοντα λόγον παρήσομεν·

     Ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἐπιστάσεως ἄξιον τυγχάνον οὐ παραλείψομεν ὅτι καὶ τὰς τῶν δωδεκατημορίων καὶ τὰς τῶν ὁρίων ἀρχὰς ἀπὸ τῶν τροπικῶν καὶ τῶν ἰσημερινῶν σημείων εὐλογόν ἐστι ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ τῶν συγγραφέων τοῦτό πως ἐμφανισάντων, καὶ μάλιστα διότι τὰς φύσεις καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ τὰς συνοικειώσεις αὐτῶν ὁρῶμεν ἐκ τῶν προαποδεδειγμένων ἀπὸ τῶν τροπικῶν καὶ ἰσημερινῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ οὐκ ἀπ’ ἄλλου τινὸς ἐχούσας τὴν αἰτίαν· ἄλλων γὰρ ἀρχῶν ὑποτιθεμένων ἢ μηκέτι συγχρῆσθαι ταῖς φύσεσιν αὐτῶν εἰς τὰς προτελέσεις ἀναγκασθησόμεθα ἢ συγχρώμενοι διαπίπτειν, παραβάντων καὶ ἀπαλλοτριωθέντων τῶν τὰς δυνάμεις αὐτοῖς ἐμπεριποιησάντων τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ διαστημάτων.

22. Οf Places and Degrees

     Some have made even finer divisions of rulership than these, using the terms “places” and “degrees”. Defining “place” as the twelfth part of a sign, or 2° ¹⁄₂, they ¹²⁰ assign the domination over them to the signs in order. Others follow other illogical orders; and again they assign each “degree” from the beginning to each of the planets of each sign in accordance with the Chaldaean order of terms. These matters, as they have only plausible and not natural, but, rather, unfounded, arguments in their favour, we shall omit.

     The following, however, upon which it is worth while to dwell, we shall not pass by, namely, that it is reasonable to reckon the beginnings of the signs also from the equinoxes and solstices ¹²¹, partly because the writers make this quite clear, and particularly because from our previous demonstrations we observe that their natures, powers, and familiarities take their cause from the solstitial and equinoctial starting-places, and from no other source. For if other starting-places are assumed, we shall either be compelled no longer to use the natures of the signs for prognostications or, if we use them, to be in error, since the spaces of the zodiac which implant their powers in the planets would then pass over to others ¹²² and become alienated.

23. Περὶ προσώπων καὶ λαμπηνῶν καὶ τῶν τοιούτων

     Αἱ μὲν οὖν συνοικειώσεις τῶν τε ἀστέρων καὶ τῶν δωδεκατημορίων σχεδὸν ἂν εἶεν τοσαῦται. Λέγονται δὲ καὶ ἰδιοπροσωπεῖν μὲν ὅταν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν τὸν αὐτὸν διασώζῃ πρὸς ἥλιον ἢ σελήνην σχηματισμόν, ὅνπερ καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἐκείνων οἴκους, οἷον ὅταν ὁ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης λόγου ἕνεκεν ἑξάγωνον ποιήσῃ πρὸς τὰ φῶτα διάστασιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἥλιον μὲν ἑσπέριος ὤν, πρὸς σελήνην δὲ ἑῷος ἀκολούθως τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἴκοις. Λαμπήναις δ’ ἐν ἰδίαις λέγονται εἶναι καὶ θρόνοις καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις, ὅταν κατὰ δύο ἢ καὶ πλείους τῶν προεκτεθειμένων τρόπων συνοικειούμενοι τυγχάνωσι τοῖς τόποις ἐν οἷς καταλαμβάνονται, τότε μάλιστα τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῶν πρὸς ἐνέργειαν αὐξομένης διὰ τὸ ὅμοιον καὶ συμπρακτικὸν τῆς τῶν περιεχόντων δωδεκατημορίων ὁμοφύλου οἰκειότητος.

     Χαίρειν δέ φασιν αὐτούς, ὅταν κἂν μὴ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ᾖ ἡ συνοικείωσις τῶν περιεχόντων ζῳδίων, ἀλλὰ μέντοι πρὸς τοὺς τῶν αὐτῶν αἱρέσεων, ἐκ μακροῦ μὲν μᾶλλον οὕτως γινομένης τῆς συμπαθείας, κοινωνούσης δὲ ὅμως καὶ κατὰ τὸν τοιοῦτον τρόπον τῆς ὁμοιότητος, ὥσπερ, ὅταν ἐν τοῖς ἠλλοτριωμένοις καὶ τῆς ἐναντίας αἱρέσεως τόποις καταλαμβάνωνται, πολὺ παραλύεται τῆς οἰκείας αὐτῶν δυνάμεως, ἄλλην τινὰ φύσιν μικτὴν ἀποτελούσης τῆς κατὰ τὸ ἀνόμοιον τῶν περιεχόντων ζῳδίων κράσεως.

23. Of Faces, Chariots, and the Like

     Such, then, are the natural affinities of the stars and the signs of the zodiac. The planets are said to be in their “proper face” ¹²³ when an individual planet keeps to the sun or moon the same aspect which its house has to their houses; as, for example, when Venus is in sextile to the luminaries, provided that she is occidental to the sun and oriental to the moon, in accordance with the original arrangement of their houses ¹²⁴.

     They are said to be in their own “chariots” and “thrones” ¹²⁵ and the like when they happen to have familiarity in two or more of the afore­said ways with the places in which they are found; for then their power is most increased in effectiveness by the similarity and co-operation of the kindred property of the signs which contain them.

     They say they “rejoice” ¹²⁶ when, even though the containing signs have no familiarity with the stars themselves, nevertheless they have it with the stars of the same sect; in this case the sympathy arises less directly. They share, however, in the similarity in the same way; just as, on the contrary, when they are found in alien regions belonging to the opposite sect, a great part of their proper power is paralysed, because the temperament which arises from the dissimilarity of the signs produces a different and adulterated nature.

24. Περὶ συναφῶν καὶ ἀπορροιῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δυνάμεων

     Καθόλου συνάπτειν μὲν λέγονται τοῖς ἑπομένοις οἱ προηγούμενοι, ἀπερρυηκέναι δὲ οἱ ἑπόμενοι τῶν προηγουμένων, ἐφ’ ὅσον ἂν μὴ μακρὸν ᾖ τὸ μεταξὺ αὐτῶν διάστημα. Παραλαμβάνεται δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἐάν τε σωματικῶς ἐάν τε καὶ κατά τινα τῶν παραδεδομένων σχηματισμῶν συμβαίνῃ ἦ πλὴν ὅτι γε πρὸς μὲν τὰς δι’ αὐτῶν τῶν σωμάτων συναφὰς καὶ ἀπορροίας καὶ τὰ πλάτη παρατηρεῖν αὐτῶν χρήσιμον εἰς τὸ μόνας τὰς ἐπὶ τὰ αὐτὰ μέρη τοῦ διὰ μέσων εὑρισκομένας παρόδους παραδέχεσθαι, πρὸς δὲ τὰς διὰ τῶν συσχηματισμῶν περισσόν ἐστι τὸ τοιοῦτον, πασῶν ἀεὶ τῶν ἀκτίνων ἐπὶ τὰ αὐτὰ τουτέστιν ἐπὶ τὸ κέντρον τῆς γῆς φερομένων καὶ ὁμοίως πανταχόθεν συμβαλλουσῶν.

     Ἐκ δὴ τούτων ἁπάντων εὐσύνοπτον ὅτι τὸ μὲν ποιὸν ἑκάστου τῶν ἀστέρων ἐπισκεπτέον ἔκ τε τῆς ἰδίας αὐτῶν φυσικῆς ἰδιοτροπίας καὶ ἔτι τῆς τῶν περιεχόντων δωδεκατημορίων ἢ καὶ τῆς τῶν πρός τε τὸν ἥλιον καὶ τὰς γωνίας συσχηματισμῶν κατὰ τὸν ἐκτεθειμένον ἡμῖν περὶ αὐτῶν τούτων τρόπον, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἤτοι ἀνατολικοὺς αὐτοὺς εἶναι καὶ προσθετικοὺς ταῖς ἰδίαις κινήσεσι, τότε γὰρ μάλιστά εἰσιν ἰσχυροί, ἢ δυτικοὺς καὶ ἀφαιρετικούς, τότε γὰρ ἀσθενεστέραν ἔχουσι τὴν ἐνέργειαν, ἔπειτα καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πως ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν ὁρίζοντα· μεσουρανοῦντες μὲν γὰρ ἢ ἐπαναφερόμενοι τῷ μεσουρανήματι μάλιστά εἰσι δυναμικοί, δεύτερον δὲ ὅταν ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὁρίζοντος ὦσι ἢ ἐπαναφέρωνται, καὶ μᾶλλον ὅταν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀνατολικοῦ, ἧττον δὲ ὅταν ὑπὸ γῆν μεσουρανῶσιν ἢ ἄλλως συσχηματίζωνται τῷ ἀνατέλλοντι τόπῳ. Μὴ οὕτως δὲ ἔχοντες ἀδύνατοι παντελῶς τυγχάνουσιν.

24. Of Applications and Separations and the Other Powers

     In general those which precede ¹²⁷ are said to “apply” ¹²⁸ to those which follow, and those that follow to “be separated” from those that precede, when the interval between them is not great ¹²⁹. Such a relation is taken to exist whether it happens by bodily conjunction ¹³⁰ or through one of the traditional aspects; except that with respect to the bodily applications and separations of the heavenly bodies it is of use also to observe their latitudes, in order that only those passages may be accepted which are found to be on the same side of the ecliptic ¹³¹. In the case of applications and separations by aspect, however, such a practice is superfluous, because all rays always fall and similarly converge from every direction upon the same point, that is, the centre of the earth ¹³².

     From all this then, it is easy to see that the quality of each of the stars must be examined with reference both to its own natural character and that also of the signs that include it, or likewise from the character of its aspects to the sun and the angles, in the manner which we have explained. Their power must be determined, in the first place, from the fact that they are either oriental and adding to their proper motion ¹³³ – for then they are most powerful – or occidental and diminishing in speed, for then their energy is weaker. Second, it is to be determined from their position relative to the horizon; for they are most powerful when they are in mid-heaven or approaching it, and second when they are exactly on the horizon or in the succedent place ¹³⁴; their power is greater when they are in the orient, and less when they culminate beneath the earth or are in some other aspect to the orient; if they bear no aspect ¹³⁵ at all to the orient they are entirely powerless.