When I was preparing an edition of the Nativitas of Henry Bate of Mechelen, a medieval philosophe... more When I was preparing an edition of the Nativitas of Henry Bate of Mechelen, a medieval philosopher and astronomer of the late 13 th century, 1 I noticed in a Latin manuscript of the 14 th century, preserved at the Bibliothèque municipale de Limoges, among works by Bate, an Introduction to astrology attributed to a certain "Cosmas Alexandrinus". The treatise is mentioned in Thorndike-Kibre's Catalogue of Incipits of Mediaeval Scientific Writings in Latin (n° 764), but nobody took further notice of this text or started reading it. At first, I thought, it might have been a medieval falsification or a translation from Arabic. However, a full transcription and study of the text made clear that it was a medieval translation of a lost Greek treatise. Moreover, this lost Greek treatise can be situated in the school of Alexandria in the late sixth century. In this contribution, I will edit the Latin translation and offer an English translation and annotation of this unknown treatise, which presents a remarkable philosophical discussion on the status of astrology at the end of Antiquity.
Book IV of Proclus' commentary on the Parmenides is devoted to an examination of the different pr... more Book IV of Proclus' commentary on the Parmenides is devoted to an examination of the different problems about participation that were raised by Parmenides in his discussion with the young Socrates. Proclus begins by introducing three metaphors that have been used in the philosophical tradition to elucidate how sensible objects participate in intelligible Forms: reflections in mirrors, impressions of a seal in wax, images made by crafts (painting or sculpturing).' Proclus introduces each of them briefly.
Daß das Interesse und damit auch die Arbeit zur spätantiken Philosophie und speziell zum Neuplato... more Daß das Interesse und damit auch die Arbeit zur spätantiken Philosophie und speziell zum Neuplatonismus in den letzten Jahren rasch angewachsen ist, zeigt schon ein Blick auf die zahlreichen Publikationen und die steigende Anzahl von Konferenzen und Forschungsprojekten, die sich diesem Themenkreis widmen. Der folgende Artikel soll einen Überblick geben über die verschiedenen Forschungsaktivitäten zum Neuplatonismus in den letzten Jahren. Erste Grundlage für die Beschäftigung mit der Philosophie der einzelnen Neuplatoniker sind verläßliche Neuausgaben ihrer Werke. Hier sind vor allem in der französischen Reihe "Collection des Universités de France (Budé)" eine Anzahl von Editionen zentraler neuplatonischer Texte erarbeitet worden, allen voran Proklos' Platonische Theologie und die beiden Hauptwerke des Damaskios: Über die ersten Prinzipien und der Kommentar zum platonischen Parmenides. Darüber hinaus ist eine Anzahl Institutionen, die sich vorwiegend dem Neuplatonismus verschrieben haben, ins Leben gerufen worden. In Dublin (Irland) wurde 1997 das "Center for the Study of the Platonic Tradition" 1 unter der Leitung von John Dillon gegründet. Im westfälischen Münster gründete sich 1999 die Academia Platonica Septima Monasteriensis 2 unter dem Vorsitz von Matthias Baltes †. Im "De Wulf-Mansion Center" in Leuven (Belgien) widmet sich das Projekt "Plato Transformed" der Erforschung und Edition der neuplatonischen Kommentare zu Platon. 3 Im Jahre 2001 erfolgte in München die Gründung der Gesellschaft für antike Philosophie (GANPH), 4 innerhalb derer sich der Arbeitskreis "Spätantike Philosophie" 5 formierte. Unter der Leitung von Francesco Romano existiert an der Universität von Catania (Sizilien) das "Centro per lo studio della tarda antichità". 6 In diesem Zusammenhang ist auch auf die schon 1973 von R. Baine Harris ins Leben gerufene "International Society for Neoplatonic Studies" zu verweisen. 7 In den letzten Jahren haben ferner eine Reihe von hochrangigen Konferenzen zum Neuplatonismus und zur spätantiken Philosophie stattgefunden.
The Astrological Autobiography of a Medieval Philosopher, 2018
Building on the example of Emile Littré (1801-1881), Aleksander Birkenmajer (1890-1967) identifi ... more Building on the example of Emile Littré (1801-1881), Aleksander Birkenmajer (1890-1967) identifi ed the Nativitas as the single most important source for Bate's biography before 1280-81. 12 One can readily understand why: in this unique text, one fi nds Bate obsessively searching for reliable evidence of the precise time of his birth, of other important events in his life, in order to confi rm the predictions based on his nativity chart. Bate's self-analysis sought to triangulate the evidence of historical events, the "supercelestial disposition" signifi ed in his natal chart, and "the teachings of the philosophers". 13 Convinced that his nativity chart never failed to reveal the life story into which he was born, Bate provided his readers with an unusual amount of biographical and personal detail. Th e following biography thoroughly exploits the information found in the Nativitas, while supplementing it with data from both archival sources and his other works. 14 2.2. Bate's biography 2.2.1. Family background Bate was born in the city of Mechelen on Saturday the 24 th of March 1246, shortly after midnight, after a pregnancy that was hardly noticeable to his mother's acquaintances. 15 Both of his parents died before 1280, 16 although Bate considered them to have had a rather long life. 17 Friendship between Bate and his parents was signifi ed in the former's nativity. 18 Th ere were at least four children in the Bate household, of which Henry Bate was the second youngest. 19 Th ere was one older brother, whose nativity Henry Bate cast as well. 20 His older sister was born on the 11 th of November, 1244. 21 We know nothing about Henry's younger sibling. Bate was clearly from a well-to-do patrician family. In 1259, a "Henricus dictus Bate"-probably his father or uncle-is mentioned as one of the landlords of Grim-12 Birkenmajer 1970, p. 109.
Steel Carlos. La place du Vat. lat. 11600 dans la tradition de la traduction latine du commentair... more Steel Carlos. La place du Vat. lat. 11600 dans la tradition de la traduction latine du commentaire « In Parmenidem » de Proclus. In: Scriptorium, Tome 31 n°2, 1977. pp. 262-266
When I was preparing an edition of the Nativitas of Henry Bate of Mechelen, a medieval philosophe... more When I was preparing an edition of the Nativitas of Henry Bate of Mechelen, a medieval philosopher and astronomer of the late 13 th century, 1 I noticed in a Latin manuscript of the 14 th century, preserved at the Bibliothèque municipale de Limoges, among works by Bate, an Introduction to astrology attributed to a certain "Cosmas Alexandrinus". The treatise is mentioned in Thorndike-Kibre's Catalogue of Incipits of Mediaeval Scientific Writings in Latin (n° 764), but nobody took further notice of this text or started reading it. At first, I thought, it might have been a medieval falsification or a translation from Arabic. However, a full transcription and study of the text made clear that it was a medieval translation of a lost Greek treatise. Moreover, this lost Greek treatise can be situated in the school of Alexandria in the late sixth century. In this contribution, I will edit the Latin translation and offer an English translation and annotation of this unknown treatise, which presents a remarkable philosophical discussion on the status of astrology at the end of Antiquity.
Book IV of Proclus' commentary on the Parmenides is devoted to an examination of the different pr... more Book IV of Proclus' commentary on the Parmenides is devoted to an examination of the different problems about participation that were raised by Parmenides in his discussion with the young Socrates. Proclus begins by introducing three metaphors that have been used in the philosophical tradition to elucidate how sensible objects participate in intelligible Forms: reflections in mirrors, impressions of a seal in wax, images made by crafts (painting or sculpturing).' Proclus introduces each of them briefly.
Daß das Interesse und damit auch die Arbeit zur spätantiken Philosophie und speziell zum Neuplato... more Daß das Interesse und damit auch die Arbeit zur spätantiken Philosophie und speziell zum Neuplatonismus in den letzten Jahren rasch angewachsen ist, zeigt schon ein Blick auf die zahlreichen Publikationen und die steigende Anzahl von Konferenzen und Forschungsprojekten, die sich diesem Themenkreis widmen. Der folgende Artikel soll einen Überblick geben über die verschiedenen Forschungsaktivitäten zum Neuplatonismus in den letzten Jahren. Erste Grundlage für die Beschäftigung mit der Philosophie der einzelnen Neuplatoniker sind verläßliche Neuausgaben ihrer Werke. Hier sind vor allem in der französischen Reihe "Collection des Universités de France (Budé)" eine Anzahl von Editionen zentraler neuplatonischer Texte erarbeitet worden, allen voran Proklos' Platonische Theologie und die beiden Hauptwerke des Damaskios: Über die ersten Prinzipien und der Kommentar zum platonischen Parmenides. Darüber hinaus ist eine Anzahl Institutionen, die sich vorwiegend dem Neuplatonismus verschrieben haben, ins Leben gerufen worden. In Dublin (Irland) wurde 1997 das "Center for the Study of the Platonic Tradition" 1 unter der Leitung von John Dillon gegründet. Im westfälischen Münster gründete sich 1999 die Academia Platonica Septima Monasteriensis 2 unter dem Vorsitz von Matthias Baltes †. Im "De Wulf-Mansion Center" in Leuven (Belgien) widmet sich das Projekt "Plato Transformed" der Erforschung und Edition der neuplatonischen Kommentare zu Platon. 3 Im Jahre 2001 erfolgte in München die Gründung der Gesellschaft für antike Philosophie (GANPH), 4 innerhalb derer sich der Arbeitskreis "Spätantike Philosophie" 5 formierte. Unter der Leitung von Francesco Romano existiert an der Universität von Catania (Sizilien) das "Centro per lo studio della tarda antichità". 6 In diesem Zusammenhang ist auch auf die schon 1973 von R. Baine Harris ins Leben gerufene "International Society for Neoplatonic Studies" zu verweisen. 7 In den letzten Jahren haben ferner eine Reihe von hochrangigen Konferenzen zum Neuplatonismus und zur spätantiken Philosophie stattgefunden.
The Astrological Autobiography of a Medieval Philosopher, 2018
Building on the example of Emile Littré (1801-1881), Aleksander Birkenmajer (1890-1967) identifi ... more Building on the example of Emile Littré (1801-1881), Aleksander Birkenmajer (1890-1967) identifi ed the Nativitas as the single most important source for Bate's biography before 1280-81. 12 One can readily understand why: in this unique text, one fi nds Bate obsessively searching for reliable evidence of the precise time of his birth, of other important events in his life, in order to confi rm the predictions based on his nativity chart. Bate's self-analysis sought to triangulate the evidence of historical events, the "supercelestial disposition" signifi ed in his natal chart, and "the teachings of the philosophers". 13 Convinced that his nativity chart never failed to reveal the life story into which he was born, Bate provided his readers with an unusual amount of biographical and personal detail. Th e following biography thoroughly exploits the information found in the Nativitas, while supplementing it with data from both archival sources and his other works. 14 2.2. Bate's biography 2.2.1. Family background Bate was born in the city of Mechelen on Saturday the 24 th of March 1246, shortly after midnight, after a pregnancy that was hardly noticeable to his mother's acquaintances. 15 Both of his parents died before 1280, 16 although Bate considered them to have had a rather long life. 17 Friendship between Bate and his parents was signifi ed in the former's nativity. 18 Th ere were at least four children in the Bate household, of which Henry Bate was the second youngest. 19 Th ere was one older brother, whose nativity Henry Bate cast as well. 20 His older sister was born on the 11 th of November, 1244. 21 We know nothing about Henry's younger sibling. Bate was clearly from a well-to-do patrician family. In 1259, a "Henricus dictus Bate"-probably his father or uncle-is mentioned as one of the landlords of Grim-12 Birkenmajer 1970, p. 109.
Steel Carlos. La place du Vat. lat. 11600 dans la tradition de la traduction latine du commentair... more Steel Carlos. La place du Vat. lat. 11600 dans la tradition de la traduction latine du commentaire « In Parmenidem » de Proclus. In: Scriptorium, Tome 31 n°2, 1977. pp. 262-266
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