FULL TITLE: POETAE CLARISS ASTRONOMICON AD CAESAREM AUGUSTUM
Language Latin
Written by Marci Manilii
Published by Apud Ioan. Tornaesium, & Gulielmum Gazeium, Lugduni, France; 1551
DESCRIPTION:
The Astronomicon is a Latin hexameter didactic poem written, it is presumed, sometime during the reign of either Caesar Augustus or Tiberius by the Roman poet, Marcus Manilius, c. AD 10–20.
This rare 16th century copy was printed by the famous Lyonnais printer, Jean de Tournes, Lyon, France; 1551. The book bound in vellum. The text is decorated with a title vignette as well as engraved woodcut initials. Printer's mark at the end of the work bears the motto, “Nescit Labi Virtus.” Text written in Latin and printed in single column. The work is divided into five books of verses, each preceded by a header and introduced with a summary.
Little is known about Manilius, he not being quoted by any Latin author whose works exist today, and yet, despite this, his Astronomicon was rediscovered by the Italian humanist and scholar Poggio Bracciolini in c. 1416–1417, who made a copy, from which the modern text is derived.
The poem espouses a Stoic, deterministic understanding of a universe overseen by a god and governed by reason. The work itself is very smilar to Lucretius's Epicurean poem, De rerum natura. It is generally believed that the Astronomicon was read by many, including Lucan, Petronius, Titus Calpurnius Siculus, Tertullian, Claudian, and Julius Firmicus Maternus.
In the poetry of the Astronomicon, the astrological systems of houses make their first appearance, Manilius using them to associate human affairs with the circuit of the zodiac. The earliest datable surviving horoscope using houses in its interpretation is c. 20 BC. by Claudius Ptolemy.
The five-book work describes celestial phenomena, explaining the zodiac and astrology: book one ponders the origin and nature of the universe, books two and three deal with the finer details of the Zodiac, while books four and five are chiefly concerned with "the effects of particular celestial phenomena on the native."
Good-very good condition; bound in vellum with hand-written title and year on spine, binding in very good condition, though tight, with worming on front and back attached endpapers; small tears, stains, and edge wear throughout; more significant rip at p. 12, a paint stain on p. 50, and mild water staining from p. 5 onwards. Text for the most part is excellent, clean & unmarked, with foxing and dog-earring; minimal notations on ffep & front pastedown. (see photographs).
BOOK MEASUREMENTS: 12.3 cm X 7.5 cm
Total Length: pp.165 (5)