Carmen Astrologicum

Carmen Astrologicum – David Pingree, Dorotheus of Sidon

David Pingree’s translation of the 1st century text Carmen Astrologicum by Dorotheus of Sidon, gives us a fascinating insight into the astrology of the ancient world. The book was originally written in verse – hence its title which means ‘Song of Astrology’ – but there is nothing impractical about its style or content. Not only is this one of the oldest astrological texts, it is also one of the most interesting and useful. The book begins with an exploration of the rules and techniques of nativities, covering such timeless issues as the manner of upbringing, family relationships, wealth, property, marriage, children and length of life. It goes on to explore in detail the ancient art of `Interrogations’, now more commonly known as horary astrology. It is clearly the source for many of the rules still used in horary and electional astrology today. For those interested in tracing the philosophical origin and development of astrology, there is much of interest. The text is firmly rooted in Pythagorean principles and reveals an astrological foundation based upon the numerological and geometrical understanding of the classical world. In short, with its clear instructions and example horoscopes, the Carmen Astrologicum is an excellent demonstration of ancient astrology in practice which deserves the attention of all serious astrological students.

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This is a translation of the only Greek astrological work ever written in verse. This book is a reprint of the first modern translation, done by David Pingree in 1976. This book also retains the pagination of the original, which begins with page 161.
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alle boeken van Dorotheus of Sidon