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Table of Contents Table of Contents Foreword xiii Acknowledgements xv Introduction xix 1 EARLY ASTROLOGY IN MESOPOTAMIA AND EGYPT 1 Mesopotamian Astrology .........................................................................................1 Egyptian Astrology .....................................................................................................6 2 ORIGINS OF HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGY 11 The Hellenistic Period ............................................................................................. 11 Alexandria .................................................................................................................. 12 Berossus and the Transmission of Astrology .................................................... 13 The Emergence of Hellenistic Astrology ............................................................ 15 Obscure Origins of Hellenistic Astrology ......................................................... 18 Ancient Views on the Origins of the Tradition .................................................24 Debate Over the Origins of Hellenistic Astrology ........................................... 30 The Development of Hellenistic Astrology ........................................................ 36 3 PRACTICING ASTROLOGY IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE 51 The Roman Empire ...................................................................................................51 The Three Branches of Hellenistic Astrology .................................................... 52 Surviving Horoscopes or Charts ..........................................................................60 4 THE HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGERS 67 Hermes Trismegistus .............................................................................................. 68 Asclepius ..................................................................................................................... 71 Nechepso and Petosiris ........................................................................................... 72 Timaeus ...................................................................................................................... 77 vi Table of Contents Teucer of Babylon ..................................................................................................... 78 Thrasyllus ................................................................................................................... 78 Balbillus ...................................................................................................................... 82 Marcus Manilius ...................................................................................................... 83 Antiochus of Athens ................................................................................................ 85 Critodemus ................................................................................................................ 89 Abraham ..................................................................................................................... 91 Zoroaster .................................................................................................................... 92 Serapio of Alexandria .............................................................................................. 94 Anubio ...................................................................................................................... 95 Dorotheus of Sidon .................................................................................................. 98 Manetho ...................................................................................................................100 Anonymous Michigan Papyrus ..........................................................................100 Claudius Ptolemy ................................................................................................... 101 Vettius Valens ..........................................................................................................105 Antigonus of Nicaea ..............................................................................................106 Porphyry of Tyre ....................................................................................................108 Firmicus Maternus ................................................................................................109 Paulus of Alexandria .............................................................................................. 114 Anonymous of 353 .................................................................................................115 Maximus ................................................................................................................... 116 Hephaestio of Thebes ............................................................................................ 116 Hypatia and Female Practitioners of Astrology ............................................. 117 Julian of Laodicea ................................................................................................... 119 Olympiodorus .........................................................................................................120 Rhetorius of Egypt .................................................................................................120 5 DECLINE AND TRANSMISSION 123 Decline of the Roman Empire and Astrology .................................................123 Transmission to Other Cultures ........................................................................126 The Rediscovery of Hellenistic Astrology ........................................................134 6 PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES IN HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGY 143 Astrology, Divination, and Signs ........................................................................ 143 Divination from Origins ....................................................................................... 145 An Astrology of Causes ........................................................................................146 The Study of Fate ....................................................................................................153 Astrological Determinism ...................................................................................158 Four Philosophical Positions ...............................................................................162 Table of Contents vii 7 PLANETS 165 The Seven Wandering Stars .................................................................................165 Names of the Planets .............................................................................................166 Significations According to Valens ....................................................................167 Benefics and Malefics ............................................................................................184 Sect ....................................................................................................................190 Masculine and Feminine ......................................................................................197 Under the Beams ....................................................................................................200 Morning Star versus Evening Star......................................................................205 Planetary Speed, Retrogrades, and Stations ....................................................206 Ascending and Descending Nodes ....................................................................208 8 SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC 213 TheZōidia .................................................................................................................213 Qualities of the Signs.............................................................................................215 Tropical versus Sidereal Zodiacs ........................................................................ 216 Names of the Signs .................................................................................................222 Masculine and Feminine Signs ...........................................................................224 The Thema Mundi ..................................................................................................228 Domicile Rulership ................................................................................................232 Exaltations and Depressions ................................................................................242 Adversities ................................................................................................................249 Quadruplicities .......................................................................................................252 Triplicities ................................................................................................................256 Irregular Distribution of Secondary Qualities ...............................................272 Zodiacal Melothesia ..............................................................................................273 Subdivisions of the Zodiac ...................................................................................275 Interpreting Planets in Signs ...............................................................................286 9 CONFIGURATIONS 289 Reconstructing the Aspect Doctrine ................................................................289 Definition of Witnessing or Testimony ............................................................291 The Five Configurations .......................................................................................294
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