GREEK ‘CULTURAL TRANSLATION’ OF CHALDEAN LEARNING by MOONIKA OLL A Thesis Submitted to The University of Birmingham For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law The University of Birmingham May 2014 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract The investigation into the relationship between Greek and Babylonian systems of learning has overwhelmingly focused on determining the elements that the former borrowed from the latter, while the fundamental questions relating to the process of transmission of these elements are still largely ignored. This thesis, therefore, offers a preliminary theoretical framework within which the movement of ideas should be analysed. The framework is based on the understanding that all ideas from one culture, when they are to enter another thought and belief system, must be ’translated’ into the concepts and terminology prevalent in their new context. An approach is developed which exploits the concept of ’cultural translation’ as put forward within various modern disciplines. The thesis examines how the ’translatability’ of the material from the perspective of the receiving culture influences its inclusion into the new ’home repertoire’ and determines the changes it undergoes as part of this process. A number of case studies in astronomy, astrology and mathematics are presented to help explain what parts of ’Chaldean knowledge’ were utilised by Greek and Hellenistic scholars, how these were interpreted according to the existing Greek intellectual network into which the new material was inserted and how it was influenced by the ’cultural grid’, a construct reflecting patterns of expectation about a foreign culture. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Arts and Humanities Research Council without whose generous financial support this study would have never seen the light of day. No smaller amount of gratitude goes to my supervisor Prof. Ken Dowden, not just for his invaluable help, guidance and endless enthusiasm, but most of all for believing in my academic ability long before I learned to believe in it myself. His trust and patience over the last months, and his willingness to then correct the final draft in such a short period of time, have been humbling, his insights into the ancient world and especially the way we study it today have inspired me since he first agreed to supervise my undergraduate dissertation. And for this I am indebted to Dr. Martin Bommas and Dr. Gideon Nisbet, who, I suspect, gave me the necessary recommendation. Thanks are also due to all other members of staff who have helped and inspired me over the years, and scholars from other institutions who have kindly shared with me their unpublished work or articles I would not have had access to otherwise. As so often happens in academic life, people have come into my life very suddenly and drifted out of it as fast. I wish I could thank everyone who has helped and entertained me during my time here in Birmingham: my colleagues, my housemates and all friends I have made over the years, but they are too numerous to name individually. Yet, a few have created such vivid memories and made me not just a better scholar, but a better and braver person, that they deserve special mention. First of all, Carlo and Matt, who never failed to make me laugh and, although it is hard for me to admit, provided me with a social life. Alaa, whose very brave life-choices have taught me to just get on with it. And Magda, who succumbed to my blackmail and bribery and helped me with those tedious final checks and who has kept me sane and grounded in the real world. I also wish to thank my family, even if they still have little to no idea about what I have been doing for the past four years. They have always respected and supported my (somewhat unreasonable) choices and I have aspired to make them proud. They have always believed in me and been there for me, although I have been so far from them for so long. I also take full responsibility for the fact that none of my three very talented younger brothers will ever follow my footsteps into academia. And finally, I want to thank my friends at home for not having given up on me as a person. Contents Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................ i Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1: The Theory of Cultural Translation ........................................................................................ 9 1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................... 9 1.2 The Concept of Cultural Translation and Historical Studies ........................................................ 11 1.3 Research Framework of Cultural Translation .............................................................................. 14 1.3.1 Dynamics of Knowledge Acquisition and Diffusion .............................................................. 14 1.3.2 Creation of Meaning............................................................................................................. 16 1.3.3 Primary Cultural Translation Against an Existing Scientific Grid .......................................... 17 1.3.4 Onward Development Conditioned by the Cultural and Intellectual Koinē ........................ 20 1.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 2: Chaldea and the Near East as Greek Cultural Concepts ...................................................... 25 2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................. 25 2.2 Intellectual Context and Extra-Textual Constraints .................................................................... 26 2.2.1 Sources of Oral Traditions during the Archaic Period .......................................................... 26 2.2.2 From Oral to Literary History ............................................................................................... 34 2.2.3 The Barbarian Stereotype and Literary Topoi ...................................................................... 39 2.3 Individual Erzählmotive of the Babylonian Logoi ........................................................................ 46 2.3.1 Babylonian Bride-Market and Temple Prostitution ............................................................. 46 2.3.2 Legendary Rulers from Ninus to Sardanapallos ................................................................... 53 2.3.3 The Hanging Gardens ........................................................................................................... 71 2.3.4 Antiquity of Knowledge and the Emergence of Science ...................................................... 77 2.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 93 Chapter 3: Astronomy ........................................................................................................................... 96 3.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................. 96 3.2 ‘The Source Text’ – Mesopotamian Astronomical Tradition....................................................... 97 3.2.1 Early Mesopotamian Astronomy – Ideas and Ideals ............................................................ 97 3.2.2 Towards More Accurate Functions .................................................................................... 105 3.2.3 Mesopotamian Mathematical Astronomy ......................................................................... 108 3.3 Greek Reckoning of Time: Parapēgmata and the Intercalation Cycles ..................................... 116 3.4 ‘Home Repertoire’ – from Cosmological Speculation to Mathematical Astronomy ................ 125 3.4.1 Hipparchus (c.190-120 BC) ................................................................................................. 138 3.4.2 Linear Methods of Practical Astronomy ............................................................................. 149 3.5 Conclusions................................................................................................................................ 157 Chapter 4: Astrology ........................................................................................................................... 162 4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................... 162 4.2