A collection of astronomical and astrological writings from ancient Greek and Latin writers. It is a noteworthy volume for many reasons: as scholarship, as an editorial project, and as a typographical turning point.

The contents

Julius Firmicus, a 4th Century CE Latin writer, is the first author in this volume: his Matheosos or “Eight books of Astrology” takes up nearly half of this book. The translation is by Aldus’ contemporary Francesco Nigri, who dedicated it to the Cardinal Ippolito d’Este.

The second part is the the Astronomicon of Manilius, a 1st-century CE Roman: a poem that presents a cosmology explaining the heavens and providing astrological information as well.

It is possible that the third part of this large book, the Phaenomena of Aratis, a Greek poet from the 3rd century BCE, is the key text here. The Phaenomena is an astronomical text describing the appearance of constellations in the night sky – which are shown in this book by a large series of woodcut illustrations. The Aratis is presented in this volume in both Latin, translated by the Roman general Germanicus, and with commentaries by Cicero and Avienus – and in Greek, with ‘scholia’ commentary by Theon of Alexandria. There is also a brief biography of Aratus written by Aldus himself.

Last, the volume includes, in Greek and in Latin translation (by English scholar Thomas Linacre) Proclus’ Sphaera – which isn’t, it turns out, really a text by the Greek philosopher Proclus, but rather a fragement of the Isagoge of Geminus, a Greek astronomer of the 1st century CE. (See Todd 1993)

The edition

The Scriptores Astronomici Veteres (“old astronomical writers”) was originally published in at least two parts: Firmicus’ Matheosos and Manilius’ Astronomicon, forming the first part of our volume, printed in June 1499. The second half – Aratus in Latin and Greek (with commentaries) and Proclus’ Sphaera – bears a different colophon: October 1499. The entire collection and title page are collected together with Aldus’ preface, dated November 1499.

Pontani & Lugato (2017) note that the whole arrangement of the book, moving from relatively recent to ancient, from Latin to Greek, and from astrology to astronomy, forms a “chronological chain [that] almost looks like a manifesto for the return ad fontes, namely from each text to its model, a process which as always in Classical culture – inevitably leads to a Greek source.” (269)

The whole book is therefore a masterful edition, not just of writers on astronomy and astrology, but one tracing the history of these ideas.

The book also features numerous prefaces: a primary one written by Aldus and dedicated to Guidobaldo Montefeltro, the Duke of Urbino; Firmicus’ translator Francesco Negri to Cardinal Ippolito d’Este; a second preface from Aldus to his personal sponsor and former pupil Alperto Pio III; and one from Proclus’ translator Thomas Linacre to young Prince Arthur of England. Also included is a letter from Linacre’s English colleague William Gorcyn to Aldus, praising Aldus for his contributions to public knowledge.

The publication

Printed between June and November 1499 means parts of this book were probably on the press at the same time as the famous Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of December 1499, and there are some striking connections between the two: Some of the woodcuts featured in the Aratus chapters are very similar to some of the woodcuts in the Poliphili, perhaps by the same artist (Beltramini, 226). Pontani & Lugato note close personal connections between Francesco Negri, who translated Firmicus, and the sponsor of the Poliphili, Leonardo Grassi.

The typography in the Scriptores Astronomicon also reveals a connection: the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, hailed as one of the most beautiful books ever printed, featured a new version of Aldus’ Roman typeface, an evolution of the Roman he used in 1496 for Pietro Bembo’s De Aetna, with more elegant capital letters. If you look carefully, you’ll see the transition between the older version of the type in the early parts of this volume (Firmicus and Manilius) while the newer, more elegant Roman appears in the latter half of the book (Aratus and Proclus) as well as the frontmatter (the first two dedications and the title page itself.)

References

Beltramini, Guido, Davide Gasparotto, and Giulio Manieri Elia, eds. 2016. Aldo Manuzio: Renaissance in Venice. Marsilio.

Pontani, Filippomaria, and Elisabetta Lugato. 2017. “On Aldus’ Scriptores Astronomici (1499).” In Certissima Signa: A Venice Conference on Greek and Latin Astronomical Texts, edited by Filippomaria Pontani. Antiquity Studies 13. Edizioni Ca’ Foscari. https://doi.org/10.14277/6969-165-2/ANT-13-11.

Todd, Robert. 1993. “The Manuscripts of the Pseudo-Proclan Sphaera.” Revue d’Histoire Des Textes 23 (1993): 57–71. https://doi.org/10.3406/rht.1993.1387.

Full Title

Scriptores astronomici. (Marciana)

Author

Firmicus Maternus, Iulius (Edit16)

Edition details:

Pub Year

1499

Place

Venice, Italy

Colophon

Venetiis cura, & diligentia Aldi Ro. Mense octo. M.ID.

Edition

NULL

Format

Folio

Languages

Latin

Columns

1

Numbering

none

Typography

R Bembo, R Poliphili, Greek

Copy-specific details

Leaf WxH

207 x 312 mm

Type Area

128 x 212 mm

Thickness

54 mm

Extent

NULL

Copy notes

NULL

References

Identifer

https://data.cerl.org/istc/if00191000 (ISTC)

SFU Call no.

QB 41 F5 1499

SFU Subjects

Astronomy--Early works to 1800.; Astrology--Early works to 1800.; Astronomy; Science; Astrology; Astronomie--Ouvrages avant 1800.; Astrologie--Ouvrages avant 1800.; Astronomie grecque.; Astrologie grecque.; Sciences.; Astrologie.; sciences (philosophy); astrology.; Science.; Astrology.; Astrology, Greek.; Astronomy, Greek.; Astronomy.; Early works.; Incunabula--Italy--Venice--1499.

IIIF Manifest

https://digital.lib.sfu.ca/node/505101/book-manifest-original

Notes

NULL

Comparable digital copies:

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Digital Vatican Library

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Freiburger historische Bestände – digital

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Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (The State Hall of the Austrian National Library)

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Herzog August Bibliothek

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Getty Research Institute - Internet Archive

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Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla - Internet Archive

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Library of Congress