Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos or Quadripartite. Being four books of the influence of the stars

The Tetrabiblos, or 'four-part book' of Ptolemy is one of the most important surviving ancient texts on Astrology. Claudius Ptolemy, the second century C.E. author of this book, is best known as the originator of the Ptolemaic system. The Earth stood fixed at the center of the universe, with crystalline spheres within spheres whirling around it. In balance, the universe had a vast influence on earthly events, which was the basis for the belief in Astrology. This explanation stood for nearly a millenium and a half, bolstered by its acceptance as orthodoxy by the Catholic Church, until Copernicus and Galileo demolished it and placed the heliocentric (sun-centered) system in its place. PTOLEMY'S TETRABIBLOS OR QUADRIPARTITE BEING FOUR BOOKS OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE STARS NEWLY TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK PARAPHRASE OF PROCLUS WITH A PREFACE, EXPLANATORY NOTES AND AN APPENDIX CONTAINING EXTRACTS FROM THE ALMAGEST OF PTOLEMY AND THE WHOLE OF HIS CENTILOQUY TOGETHER WITH A Short Notice of Mr. Ranger's Zodiacal Planisphere AND AN EXPLANATORY PLATE By J. M. ASHMAND NEW EDITION "Ye stars, which are the poetry of Heaven! If, in your bright leaves, we would read the fate Of men and empires,--’tis to be forgiven." LORD BYRON. London, Davis and Dickson [1822] NOTICE OF ATTRIBUTION Scanned at sacred-texts.com, March 2005. John Bruno Hare, redactor. This text is in the public domain worldwide. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies. The Tetrabiblos, or 'four-part book' of Ptolemy is one of the most important surviving ancient texts on Astrology. Claudius Ptolemy, the second century C.E. author of this book, is best known as the originator of the Ptolemaic system. The Earth stood fixed at the center of the universe, with crystalline spheres within spheres whirling around it. In balance, the universe had a vast influence on earthly events, which was the basis for the belief in Astrology. This explanation stood for nearly a millenium and a half, bolstered by its acceptance as orthodoxy by the Catholic Church, until Copernicus and Galileo demolished it and placed the heliocentric (sun-centered) system in its place. PTOLEMY'S TETRABIBLOS OR QUADRIPARTITE BEING FOUR BOOKS OF THE __INFLUENCE OF THE STARS__ NEWLY TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK PARAPHRASE OF PROCLUS WITH A PREFACE, EXPLANATORY NOTES AND __AN APPENDIX__ CONTAINING EXTRACTS FROM THE ALMAGEST OF PTOLEMY AND THE WHOLE OF HIS CENTILOQUY TOGETHER WITH __A Short Notice of Mr. Ranger's Zodiacal Planisphere__ AND AN EXPLANATORY PLATE By J. M. ASHMAND NEW EDITION "Ye stars, which are the poetry of Heaven! If, in your bright leaves, we would read the fate Of men and empires,--’tis to be forgiven." LORD BYRON. London, Davis and Dickson [1822] NOTICE OF ATTRIBUTION Scanned at sacred-texts.com, March 2005. John Bruno Hare, redactor. This text is in the public domain worldwide. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies.