The Anthologies of the second-century astrologer Vettius Valens (120-c.175 CE) is the most extens... more The Anthologies of the second-century astrologer Vettius Valens (120-c.175 CE) is the most extensive surviving practical astrological text from the period. Despite this, the theoretical underpinnings of the Anthologies have been understudied; in general, the work has been overshadowed by Ptolemy's contemporaneous Tetrabiblos. While the Tetrabiblos explicitly aims to present a systematic account of astrology, Valens' work is often characterised as a miscellaneous collection, of interest to historians only for the evidence it preserves about the practical methods used in casting horoscopes. In this article, we argue that the Anthologies is also an invaluable resource for engagement with the conceptual basis of astrology. As a case study, we take a section of Anthologies Book 1 which lists the possible astrological effects of planets, both alone and in 'combinations' of two and three. We demonstrate that analysing Valens' descriptions quantitatively with textual analysis reveals a consistent internal logic of planetary combination. By classifying descriptive terms as positive or negative, we show that the resulting 'sentiment' of planetary combinations is well-correlated with their component parts. Furthermore, we find that the sentiment of three-planet combinations is more strongly correlated with the average sentiment of their three possible component pairs than with the average sentiment of individual planets, suggesting an iterative combinatorial logic. Recognition of this feature of astrological practice has been neglected compared to the mathematical methods for calculating horoscopes. We argue that this analysis not only provides evidence that the astrological lore detailed in Valens is more consistent than is often assumed, but is also indicative of a wider methodological technique in practical astrology: combinatorial reasoning from existing astrological lore. 1
This article makes the following case: according to Artemidorus of Daldis’ Oneirocriticon one mai... more This article makes the following case: according to Artemidorus of Daldis’ Oneirocriticon one main task of the dream interpreter is to identify, through knowledge of the dreamer, which components of a dream are internal in order to assess—as far as possible—the external components of a dream. I argue that very similar hermeneutic issues were being extensively theorised in Artemidorus’ period by Jewish and Christian writers who were concerned with the problem of prophetic interpolation: in particular, cases in the Bible in which prophecies do not come true. In making this comparison, I hope to clarify a number of features of Artemidorus’ hermeneutic, including the relationship between the origin and structure of dreams and the exegetical practice of the dream-interpreter.
Origen and Prophecy presents a new reading of the concept of prophecy in the work of Origen of Al... more Origen and Prophecy presents a new reading of the concept of prophecy in the work of Origen of Alexandria (c.185-22 AD). While prophecy in classical antiquity was focused primarily on telling the future, Jewish and early Christian writers began to discuss prophets as moral leaders and sages, understanding their prophecies as moral and mystical proclamations as well as predictions. In this book, I show how Origen developed this model of prophecy using his own principles for reading scripture. The chapters move through several centuries of Greek, Jewish, and Christian thinking about prophecy, divination, time, human nature, autonomy and freedom, allegory and metaphor, and the role of the divine in the order and structure of the cosmos.
Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos is not usually considered as a meteorological text. I examine the sections ... more Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos is not usually considered as a meteorological text. I examine the sections of the Tetrabiblos that deal with weather prediction and argue that Ptolemy considers it part of astrology. I show that the way Ptolemy categorises weather prediction differs significantly from other Greco-Roman writers, including Cicero (On Divination) and Sextus Empiricus (Against the Astrologers). I argue for these conclusions: first, that Ptolemy considers weather prediction to be part of astrology – i.e., a scientific practice which includes giving an account of the causes of phenomena with reference to the stars; to give such an account for the weather requires a practitioner to go beyond the observation and cataloguing of weather signs. Secondly, I argue that understanding weather prediction as astrology means that the distinction between horoscopic and general astrology is more fluid than is sometimes thought. Finally, I will show that Ptolemy’s views on weather prediction provid...
The Marcionite movement of the mid 2nd century rejected the Old Testament God, claiming that he w... more The Marcionite movement of the mid 2nd century rejected the Old Testament God, claiming that he was separate from the God of Christ. The Marcionite movement posed difficult questions about prophecy: what it was, who had access to it, and what we could know from it. Particularly, the Marcionites questioned the long distant past of the Israelite prophets, throwing doubt on their legitimacy and on whether they could be relied on as sources of true divine knowledge. But they also prompted discussions on a number of related theological issues: in particular, what does it mean to know God and Christ? What does it mean to know the world through prophecy? And what can we say about God in a world in which scripture is not the basis of sound knowledge? This chapter tracks these two closely related strands, examining Marcionite theological views and how they fit into the broader picture of pagan Greek and early Christian epistemology. It provides the context in which to understand Origen’s ant...
The Anthologies of the second-century astrologer Vettius Valens (120-c.175 CE) is the most extens... more The Anthologies of the second-century astrologer Vettius Valens (120-c.175 CE) is the most extensive surviving practical astrological text from the period. Despite this, the theoretical underpinnings of the Anthologies have been understudied; in general, the work has been overshadowed by Ptolemy's contemporaneous Tetrabiblos. While the Tetrabiblos explicitly aims to present a systematic account of astrology, Valens' work is often characterised as a miscellaneous collection, of interest to historians only for the evidence it preserves about the practical methods used in casting horoscopes. In this article, we argue that the Anthologies is also an invaluable resource for engagement with the conceptual basis of astrology. As a case study, we take a section of Anthologies Book 1 which lists the possible astrological effects of planets, both alone and in 'combinations' of two and three. We demonstrate that analysing Valens' descriptions quantitatively with textual analysis reveals a consistent internal logic of planetary combination. By classifying descriptive terms as positive or negative, we show that the resulting 'sentiment' of planetary combinations is well-correlated with their component parts. Furthermore, we find that the sentiment of three-planet combinations is more strongly correlated with the average sentiment of their three possible component pairs than with the average sentiment of individual planets, suggesting an iterative combinatorial logic. Recognition of this feature of astrological practice has been neglected compared to the mathematical methods for calculating horoscopes. We argue that this analysis not only provides evidence that the astrological lore detailed in Valens is more consistent than is often assumed, but is also indicative of a wider methodological technique in practical astrology: combinatorial reasoning from existing astrological lore. 1
This article makes the following case: according to Artemidorus of Daldis’ Oneirocriticon one mai... more This article makes the following case: according to Artemidorus of Daldis’ Oneirocriticon one main task of the dream interpreter is to identify, through knowledge of the dreamer, which components of a dream are internal in order to assess—as far as possible—the external components of a dream. I argue that very similar hermeneutic issues were being extensively theorised in Artemidorus’ period by Jewish and Christian writers who were concerned with the problem of prophetic interpolation: in particular, cases in the Bible in which prophecies do not come true. In making this comparison, I hope to clarify a number of features of Artemidorus’ hermeneutic, including the relationship between the origin and structure of dreams and the exegetical practice of the dream-interpreter.
Origen and Prophecy presents a new reading of the concept of prophecy in the work of Origen of Al... more Origen and Prophecy presents a new reading of the concept of prophecy in the work of Origen of Alexandria (c.185-22 AD). While prophecy in classical antiquity was focused primarily on telling the future, Jewish and early Christian writers began to discuss prophets as moral leaders and sages, understanding their prophecies as moral and mystical proclamations as well as predictions. In this book, I show how Origen developed this model of prophecy using his own principles for reading scripture. The chapters move through several centuries of Greek, Jewish, and Christian thinking about prophecy, divination, time, human nature, autonomy and freedom, allegory and metaphor, and the role of the divine in the order and structure of the cosmos.
Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos is not usually considered as a meteorological text. I examine the sections ... more Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos is not usually considered as a meteorological text. I examine the sections of the Tetrabiblos that deal with weather prediction and argue that Ptolemy considers it part of astrology. I show that the way Ptolemy categorises weather prediction differs significantly from other Greco-Roman writers, including Cicero (On Divination) and Sextus Empiricus (Against the Astrologers). I argue for these conclusions: first, that Ptolemy considers weather prediction to be part of astrology – i.e., a scientific practice which includes giving an account of the causes of phenomena with reference to the stars; to give such an account for the weather requires a practitioner to go beyond the observation and cataloguing of weather signs. Secondly, I argue that understanding weather prediction as astrology means that the distinction between horoscopic and general astrology is more fluid than is sometimes thought. Finally, I will show that Ptolemy’s views on weather prediction provid...
The Marcionite movement of the mid 2nd century rejected the Old Testament God, claiming that he w... more The Marcionite movement of the mid 2nd century rejected the Old Testament God, claiming that he was separate from the God of Christ. The Marcionite movement posed difficult questions about prophecy: what it was, who had access to it, and what we could know from it. Particularly, the Marcionites questioned the long distant past of the Israelite prophets, throwing doubt on their legitimacy and on whether they could be relied on as sources of true divine knowledge. But they also prompted discussions on a number of related theological issues: in particular, what does it mean to know God and Christ? What does it mean to know the world through prophecy? And what can we say about God in a world in which scripture is not the basis of sound knowledge? This chapter tracks these two closely related strands, examining Marcionite theological views and how they fit into the broader picture of pagan Greek and early Christian epistemology. It provides the context in which to understand Origen’s ant...
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