Customer Reviews

Ptolemy: Tetrabiblos (Loeb Classical Library No. 435)

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The wonderful thing about this translation of Ptolemy's seminal work in Astrology is the conscientious and painstaking work to adhere to the original text which appears on the opposing side of the english text translation. I am in a position to corroborate myself its accuracy. As a result however the English text is not an easy or flowing contemporary style. This is not a quick read, and probably should be used as reference. It covers a multitude of Astrological areas and can serve as a springboard to further inquiry. The book is a compact size, typeface and spacing pleasant and non-fatiguing.

This book is the source for most astrology - the ancients as well as the moderns students - who have respect for the art. Claudius Ptolemy was born in Egypt and lived in the years 100-178 (ref. Tetrabiblos)and left the scripts which is presented here in the four books "Tetra Biblos".

It is from this scripts astrologers through the times has found the descriptions of the strength of dignities and debillities of the planets, the methodes of making predictions, subdivisions of the science of nativities, bodily descriptions etc.

Ptolomy's "Tetrabiblos" (as most call it today) is the seminal work on western Astrology. It covers a tremendous area including nativities, astrology of events, and advanced matters of interpretation. The work has been one of the most influential works assembled in its day and had a wide-ranging impact on the later developments in Hellenistic times, among the Christian late middle ages, and the Islamic golden age as well.

This book is nicely typeset with facing page translation. The translation is clear and easy to read, but careful to preserve the original meanings and hence preserving more of Ptolomy's style than many readers might desire. The footnotes are generally helpful and the introduction places much in context.

Anyone interested in studying the Hellenistic world, Astrology, or the Classics will want to get this book. Highly recommended.

Astrologers and astronomers searching for the Star of Bethlehem have long overlooked this primary source for an important piece of evidence: Aries the Ram ruled over Judea. This helped me reveal the Star that pointed the Magi to Judea where the King of the Jews was born on April 17, 6 BC - two years before King Herod died. My book, The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi also made use of other astrological primary sources which showed that to understand the Magi's Star, we need to understand astrology as it practiced as Ptolemy described.

The Tetrabiblos belongs on every classical historian's bookshelf. It is a major primary source on astrology as it was praticed in Roman times.