A Roman Astrologer as a Historical Source: Julius Firmicus Maternus

Abstract

During the Italian Renaissance astrological treatises were thought as important as other classical writings, and were -frequently printed. As astrology came to be considered a worthless delusion, they were forgotten or were stigmatized as spurious writings when encountered among the works of well-known authors like Ptolemy and Lucian. Today the importance of the magical and astrological writings of the ancient world, if only because of their bulk, has been again recognized. Greek papyri filled with magic texts are being brought to light and published; many dissertations on ancient superstition have appeared. The revived interest in classical astrology is seen, not only in such a work as Bouch6-Leclercq's L'astrologie grecque,l but also in the Catalogus Codicum Graecorum Astrologorum,2 a series of volumes now appearing in which a group of European scholars are co-operating under the leadership of Professor Franz Cumont in providing a guide to the many astrological manuscripts in European libraries. Besides this, in recent years several astrological treatises have been edited and published separately. In fact, the movement has advanced so far that already German scholars are busy in detecting in those astrological writings which are extant their indebtedness to, and dependence on, earlier works which we no longer possess.3 The value of astrological books to the student of ancient religions,4 or indeed of the whole mental life of the times, is being appreciated; and the influence of astrology