Astronomy, Weather, and Calendars in the Ancient World : Parapegmata and Related Texts in Classical and Near-Eastern Societies.

Lehoux, Daryn

ISBN 10: 0521851815 / ISBN 13: 9780521851817

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2007

About this Item

XIV + 566 pages, orig. cloth gilt, library stamp verso title, else internally fine. - - Contents: Part I. Parapegmata and astrometeorology: 1. The rain in Attica falls mainly under Sagitta: I. Calendars, weather and the stars, The phases of the fixed stars. - II. What is a parapegma? - III. Towards a history of parapegmata. - IV. Questions and problems. - - 2. Spelt and spica: I. Contexts and margins. - II. Agriculture and the heavens. - III. Astronomy, astrology and the calendar. Time reckoning, The mon, Stellar phases and the Roman calendar. - - 3. De signis: I. What the predictive sign is and what is is not (or at least nor necessarily). - Two sorts of observational claim. - III. How signs are observable. - IV. The move from practical to theoretical sign in astrology. - - 4. When are thirty days not a month? I. There are calendars, and then there are calendars. - II. Calibration of parapegmata. - III. Luni-solar cycles: How does a Greek know when the summer solstice occurs? The Metonic cycle more generally, The octaeteris, The Callippic cycle. - IV. What sorts of sources could the parapegmatic attributions be taken from? - - 5. Calendars, weather and stars in Babyon: I. Crossing boundaries. - II. Astronomy and the Babylonian calendar. Intercalation and the astrolabes generally, Intercalation in MUL.APIN. - III. Astrometeorology. The fixed stars and weather omina in Enuma Anu Enlil 50 and 51, Meteorology in MUL.APIN. - The Astronomical Diaries. - V. Good and bad luck days in the Babylonian calendar. VI. Other texts. - - 6. Egyptian astrometeorology: I. Fount of fabrication? - II. Harkhebi, astrometeorologist. III. The Saft el-Henna naos. - IV. The Calendar of Lucky and Unlucky Days. Meteorology, Astronomy. - - 7. Conclusion. - - Part II. Sources: Catalogue of extant parapegmata. A. Astrometeorological parapegmata. - B. Astrological parapegmata. - C. Astronomical parapegmata. - D. Other parapegmata. - E. Reports of parapegmata. - F. Related texts and instruments. - G. Dubia. - - Extants parapegmata: texts and translations: A. Astrometeorological parapegmata: Papyrus Hibeh 27. - Miletus II. - Geminus parapegma. - Puteoli parapegma. - Ovid's Fasti. - Columella's parapegma. - Pliny's parapegma. - Ptolemy's Phaseis. - Polemius Silvius Fasti. - Antiochus parapegma. - Clodius Tuscus parapegma. - Madrid parapegma. - Johannes Lydus, De mensibus. - Oxford parapegma. - Aetius parapegma. - Quintilius parapegma. - Paris parapegma. - Iudicia parapegma. - al-Biruni parapegma. - Codex Marcianus 335 parapegma. - - B. Astrological parapegmata: Thermae Traiani parapegma. - Dura-Europus parapegma. - Latium parapegma. - Veleia inscription - Neapolitan Museum 4072. - Ostia inscription. - Pompeii calendar. - Pausilipum parapegma. - Trier hebdomadal parapegma. - Trier parapegmatic mould. - Soulosse hobdomadal parapegma. - Arlon hebdomadal parapegma. - Rottweil parapegma. - Bad Rappenau hebdomadal parapegma. - - C. Astronomical parapegmata: Papyrus Rylands 589. - Miletus I. - Codex Vindobonensis. - Antikythera mechanism. - - D. Other parapegmata: Ceramicus parapegma. - Guidizzollo Fasti. - Calendar of 354. - Capua Fasti. - Coligny calendar. - Ariminum nundinal parapegma. - Suessula nundinal list. - Allifae nundinal lists. - - E. Reports of parapegmata: Cicero. - Petronius. - Diodorus Siculus. - Vitruvius. - Diogenes Laertius. - Proclus. - Suda. - - F. Related texts and instruments: Saft el-Henna naos. - Diocles of Carystus, Letter. - [Hippocrates], Peri hebdomadon. - [Hippocrates], On Regimen. - Eudoxus (Leptines) papyrus. - Venusia Fasti. - Varro's season list. - Florentinus season list. - Geoponica phase list. - Byzantine season list. - - Appendix 1. Authorities cited in parapegmata. - Appendix 2. Tables of correspondence of parapegmata. - - Bibliography. - Astrometeorological index. - General index. Seller Inventory # 02991

Bibliographic Details

Title: Astronomy, Weather, and Calendars in the ...

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Publication Date: 2007

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Gut

Dust Jacket Condition: Ohne Schutzumschlag

Edition: 1. Auflage

About this title

Synopsis:

The focus of this book is the interplay between ancient astronomy, meteorology, physics and calendrics. It looks at a set of popular instruments and texts (parapegmata) used in antiquity for astronomical weather prediction and the regulation of day-to-day life. Farmers, doctors, sailors and others needed to know when the heavens were conducive to various activities, and they developed a set of fairly sophisticated tools and texts for tracking temporal, astronomical and weather cycles. Sources are presented in full, with an accompanying translation. A comprehensive analysis explores questions such as: What methodologies were used in developing the science of astrometeorology? What kinds of instruments were employed and how did these change over time? How was the material collected and passed on? How did practices and theories differ in the different cultural contexts of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome?

Product Description:

Astronomy, Weather, and Calendars in the Ancient World This 2007 book explains the popular instruments and texts (parapegmata) used in antiquity for astronomical weather prediction. Full description