USING MEDIEVAL ASTROLOGY

18. Aggregation 16

19. Refrenation 16

20. Predominating 17

21. Prevailing 17

22. Homoresis 17

23. Void of Course 18

24. Casting Rays 18

25. Chariots 19

26. Joint Possession 20

27. Incongruity of Position 20

28. Affliction 20

29. Doryphory 21

30. The House-Ruler and the Ruler and Ruling Planet 22

31. Obeying Signs 25

32. Equipollent Signs 25

33. Seeing Signs and Maximum Days 26

34. Inconjunct Signs 26

35. Cadent [and Succedent Houses] 27

36. Effective Signs 27

37. The Conception Sign of the Sun 27

38. The Conception Sign of the Moon 28

39. The Dodecatemory [of the Moon] 29

40. Masculine and Feminine Signs 29

41. The Rising Time of the Signs 30

42. In How Many Times Each Degree Rises by Signs 33

43. The Determination of the Angular, Cadent, and 35

Succedent [House] for a Particular Degree

44. What Sort of Part of the Body Each Sign was 36
Allotted

45.What Sort of Part [of the Body] Each Star Rules 3 7

46.The Apparel and Dye or Complexions the Stars 40 Rule

47.The 36 Decans and their Paranatellonta and Faces 40

48.The Powers of the Bright Fixed Stars and their 41 Paranatellonta

49.The Terms According to the Egyptians and 42 Ptolemy and the Bright and Dark Degrees

50.The Melothesis of the Signs 43

51.Trines, Squares, Sextiles, Oppositions, and 44 Disjuncts Having Testimony to Each Other

as in the System of Oppositions

52.The Times of the Angles, the Succedents, and 46 the Cadents

53.In How Many Ways the Influences of the 48 Planets are Generated

54.Exposition of the Testimony of the Planets 49

55.                                                                                                 The Rays (Orbs) of the Planets    50
Concordance                                                                            51
Index of Persons                                                                     53
Bibliography                                                                             55

Serapio of Alexandria's Astrological Definitions

Translator's Preface 59

Astrological Definitions 61

Index of Persons 71

Bibliography 73

"our Porphyry," which probably means that as a young man he had studied under him.^{^[1]} And it is possible that Porphyry's interest in astrology was what first aroused Firmicus's own interest in the subject.

In his Introduction, Porphyry says that Ptolemy had failed to explain some of the fundamentals of astrology adequately in his Tetrabiblos and had omitted some others altogether, so Porphyry proposes to supply the necessary explanations. This is consistent with his efforts to make philosophy intelligible to non-philosophers. Actually, his Introduction to the Tetrabiblos goes further. His work is in fact a short dictionary of astrological terms. He cites Nechepso and Petosiris, Teucer of Babylon, Timaeus, Antigonus, Phnaes the Egyptian, Apollinarius, and Antiochus of Athens. He seems to have copied more than a dozen chapters of his Introduction more or less verbatim from Antiochus's Treasury, a work written a century earlier, which unfortunately has not come down to us intact.^{^[2]}

In astrological history, Porphyry is best known for the so-called "Porphyry System of Houses," a method of calculating the cusps of the intermediate houses by dividing the zodiacal arcs between the astronomical MC and the ASC and the astronomical MC and the DSC into three equal parts. This was the first quadrant system of house division and the third system of house division, the first being Sign-House, and the second Equal House.^{^[3]}

However, Vettius Valens (123-C.175) describes the same system in his Anthology, iii. 2,^{^[4]} and attributes it to an otherwise unknown astrologer named Orion. Whether Porphyry had learned of the system from Orion's book or reinvented it independently is unknown. At any rate, it now goes under Porphyry's name.

According to Pingree, Chapters 1-45 are probably part of Porphyry's original work; but Chapters 47-52 correspond verbatim to the Paris Epitome^{^[5]} of Antiochus's work, where they are Chapters 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 46. And Chapters 53-55 are spurious from an unknown source.

However, I note that Chapters 53-55 closely resemble four chapters of Sahl ibn Bishr's The Introduction to the Science of the Judgments of the Stars, Book I, so they are probably from a Greek text that was translated from the Arabic text of Sahl's book and mistakenly tacked on to the end of Porphyry's book by the medieval compiler.

Thus, Porphyry's Introduction, as it has come down to us, is a composite work probably patched together by the Byzantine astrologer Demophilus, who was active at Constantinople in the last decade of the 10th century. Some of the chapters 1-45 are very similar to chapters in the Astrological Compendium written by Rhetorius the Egyptian around 500 A.D. These are most likely chapters from Antiochus's Trea-

'See my paper, "Ancient House Division," in the AFA Journal of Research, Vol j (Tempe, Az.: A.F.A. Inc., 1982).

^Vettius Valens Anthologiae ed. D. Pingree (Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1986). ^Edited in CCAG VIII 3.

Rhetorius the Egyptian Astrological Compendium trans, by James Herschel sury, independently copied by Porphyry and two centuries later by Rhetorius.

Hephaestio of Thebes (380-after 415) in his Apotelesmatics¹ cites some passages from Porphyry that do not appear in our received text, so the original work was evidently somewhat more extensive than that which has come down to us. Hence, as mentioned above, the received text of Porphyry's Introduction does not contain all of the chapters of Porphyry's original text, but only those chapters that Demophilus could find.

The first printed edition of Porphyry's book was published by Hieronymus Wolf at Basel in 1559. There is a new modern edition by Stephen Weinstock and Emilie Boer in the Catalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum, vol. V, Part 4, published in 1940. It is from the latter edition that I have translated Porphyry's book into English. Weinstock and Boer say that Wolfs edition was evidently made from the MS Monacensis 59, which they characterize as being of poor quality. (Wolf says the same thing in the preface to his edition.) The principal MSS used by Weinstock and Boer and the sigla that they adopted are these:

S Monacensis 419 saec. XIV paper ff. 157

contains Chapters 1-43 & 46-52 on ff. 108-114, and

Chapters 53-55 onf. 104 D Laurentianus Plut. 28,20 saec. XIV paper ff. 267

contains Chapters 1-55 on ff. 1-18 M Marcianus 314 saec. XIV parchment ff. 286

contains Chapters 1-55 on ff. 182-195

L Laurentianus Plut. 28,34 saec. XI (vel X?) parchment ff. 1-170

contains Chapters 47-52 as Chapters 10-12, 14-15 & 46 of Rhetorius

H Scorialensis II. ^x¥. 17 saec. XV paper

contains Chapters 49 on f. 5^V and 45-46 on ff. 38^v - 40^rВ Baroccianus Oxoniensis 94 paper ff. 189

contains Chapters 45 on f. 111^v, 35 on f. 118, a fragment

of 41 on f. 114, and excerpts of Chapters 1- 44? on ff.

121^v-125^v

The editors found MS S to be the best MS. MSS D and M often offer the same differences from S, so they are perhaps copies of a now lost MS 5. However, MSS H and В appear to be copied directly from the archetype. If I understand them

the same time, not plainly stated, and to present them quite clearly and in a customary and befitting manner. And so, for instance, mention is made of testimony, and doryphory, and predominance, and domination, and the things we are going to include below; which, if not absolutely explained by this, will be raising new questions for the one entering upon the approaches to prognostications. Wherefore, concisely as well as clearly, following our predecessors, we are setting forth this timely Introduction, which ought to be easily comprehended by those uninitiated in these matters.

2. Changes Produced by the Transfers of the Sun, Moon, and Stars}

The Sun was assigned to be just like a most powerful King among the celestial stars, clearly governing and arranging and setting in order the things that exist in the air, and those that exist on the earth. And the rest of the stars, presiding over the smallest change in their joint combinations with him, work with [him], or work against [him]. Naturally, therefore, the Sun is called to enumerate the seasons; since, according to its own declination, spring, and summer, and autumn, and winter hold sway; and, when they are being forecast in the seasons, hot spells and cold spells. Besides too, it is generally causative of the winds.

But to keep things in order and to create life, the Sun brings to light the disorderly and lifeless substance of life arising from incessant birth, since it has the seed of the fully completed living things, and the monthly cause of that which lies underneath. And similarly too, the things spawned by the

'This chapter is similar in content to Tetrabiblos i. 2, including the use of rare words, such as the verb symmeioo 'become less along with'.

solar warmth from the mud of the earth, and the offspring of the living things in the waters; which, in the pervading living things, from its lights, and from its skillful power of arranging, it endows with form in the arranged periods. Yet still it also naturally regulates the seeds that are seasonably concealed in the earth for sprouting.

But again, the Sun arranges all the actions appointed for the seasons, and of course they influence farmers and also those aboard ship, and the plants, along with the living things. But it leads the farmers and those aboard ship to observe the configurations of the wandering stars¹ and the fixed stars along with it for safety. It prepares those living things that are without reason² to stay in winter in warm dwellings and those having calm, and in summer to go to the more breathable and well-watered regions. But it also prepares the plants following it to have a sequence in the solar journey; for, according to those same seasons, they bring forth pleasant and fine-smelling flowers, and they put out buds, and they continue bringing forth all kinds of fruit.

And the Moon, being of all the stars the nearest to the earth, and blending together with her applications in their configurations, and with the magnitude of the lights of those from the same ones that are reaching into the ones there, she bears the lesser portion of the energy with respect to the Sun. And just like a Queen that is strongest in the world of the heavens, she has struck proportionately to the Sun, arranging the hours for instance—-indeed the four weeks of the month—for, with the Sun running through the zodiac in its entirety in a year; the Moon, from its growing bright and taking a run, moves in nearly 29Vi days from new Moon to new

^That is, the Planets. Animals.

Moon, and shows the closest relationship to the four quarters of the year.

From its first appearance down to the First Quarter, it is like Spring; and thence down to the full Moon like Summer; and down to the Second Quarter like Autumn; then, next in order down to its disappearance,' it is like Winter. And it does not arrange a nativity according to its creating, but it does something similar. For it influences the things subject to it, and it ripens and increases and decreases. And it corresponds to those things that are called maritime creatures—crabs, lobsters, and sea urchins, and of course the hard-shell [creatures] of the same nature as these—[that are] increasing and decreasing along with the Moon.

But again too, the plants swell and ripen with fruits and seeds from the full distribution of the wetness that is being put together along with modest warmth. But also there is made known the successive arranging of those things lying under the Moon, along with the things occurring according to nature. In women for instance, the cleansing of their menses takes place at a monthly time for the most part. And the rivers, and also the springs, and the straits increasing together and indeed emptying out together, just as is customary for them—they change with the increasing of the Moon.

And she makes 7 phases with the Sun: crescent-shaped, then when the Moon is 60 degrees distant from the Sun down to the following; and the quarter, when she is distant by 90 degrees; and gibbous, when [she is distant] 110 degrees; and full-Moon, at 180 degrees; and second gibbous because of the lessening of her light when her distance from the Sun goes less than 120 degrees; and the second quarter when it is

'At the time of new Moon.

90 degrees distant; and the crescent-shape when it is 60 degrees; and when it is less than those configurations, she goes under the Sun beams into the so-called conjunction.¹ And it indicates the surrounding condition of the air, for all the indications of the weather are made according to the Sun, as it draws near to each of the indicating stars.

And following after those that are defined thus, it is necessary to explain the notable risings of the planets and the distinctive combinations of the fixed stars with them, since really the morning risings of the planets, and their stations, and not in the least the magnitudes of the eclipses of the Lights with the concurring conjunctions or full-Moons by opposition, and in the tropical and equinoctial signs. And yet also the disposition of the heavens occurring at the time of birth, from which the whole determination is obtained for us. The most useful things occur from the natural sympathy of the signs, in which the signifying <stars> are posited in their passages, for the declaration of the way the houses are arranged and their appearances.

And from the ruler of the stars and the blending that it partakes with the others, it is possible for us to forecast about the probable good or bad things that are going to happen in addition to these, and also those of the diverse combinations of nativities.

And all of these stars rise as morning [stars] whenever they are distant from the conjunction in the direction preceding the Sun by 15 degrees more or less. And likewise, when the [star] of Saturn and the [star] of Jupiter and the [star] of Mars are morning [stars] and they are distant [from the Sun] by around 120 degrees they make their first station [where

'The new Moon.

they begin] retrograding.^{^[6]} Coming into the 6th sign; and also retrograding more, they move into the acronychal [position] aspecting the Sun by opposition—and at the time of its setting they rise at the beginning of night. And likewise, retrograding from the acronychal [position], and going into the trine following the Sun, they make their second station^{^[7]} [And] again coming to the epanaphora^{^[8]} of the Sun and making the vespertine setting, they arrive at the conjunction. For the conjunction is lordly whenever it chances to be parti le [conjunct] the Sun in the same sign, not being separated from it by more than 59 minutes.^{^[9]}

But the star of Mars alone also makes two other "phases" with the Sun, which those who are attentive to such things usually call "anomalies." And the first anomaly is made whenever as a morning [star] it goes before the Sun 82 or 90 degrees, and the second in the vespertine setting whenever the star is the same distance away from the Sun.^{^[10]} And always these, as is clear, make their motion less than that of the Sun.

Both the [star] of Venus and the [star] of Mercury make the things that change the livelihood of men and the things on the earth through their configuration with the Sun when they are accomplishing their daily courses rapidly or slowly. Wherefore, they also make two phases with respect to the Sun: morning appearance,^{^[11]} when they are rising before it, or following after it by more or less than 15 degrees^{^[12]}; and evening appearance, when they are setting after it, or preceding it by less than 15 degrees, or by setting further after it.^{^[13]}

And when they have chanced to be within the said distance in the going before [phases], they make the morning setting; but in the following after [phases], they make the evening setting. And the [star of] Venus is stationary when its distance from the Sun comes closest to 47 degrees; but the [star of] Mercury around 23 degrees.^{^[14]} But in those following the first station, they end up being retrograde; but in those leading after the second [station], they are moving forward [again]. One must see in general, that all the stars always make a shift in the following [phase]. And only a trick of sight produced the appearance of the planets in the same degree. And the notable ones of the fixed stars, as it is stated in Ptolemy, are combined in their natures that are mixed together with regard to the planets, [and] with the natures of these they are made joint rulers and they act conformably both in the universal occurrences of the regions and in the individual peculiarities of the nativity.

The text actually reads "when they are rising before it or rising after," but it means "rising before or following after," as I have translated it. When a planet is "rising before the Sun," it is behind it in the zodiac; hence, it is "following after the Sun."

Here, where the text has "following after", I have written "setting after", since the planet must actually be "preceding the Sun", i.e being further advanced in the zodiac, in order for it to appear in the west after sunset. Either the Greek text is corrupt, or else Porphyry has simply given an incorrect definition.

These values are from some pre-Ptolemaic planetary treatise. They are similar to the values 46 degrees and 22 degrees given by Pliny, NHII, 38, and are of course only approximations. For a comparison table, see O. Neugebauer, HAMA (New York; Heidelberg; Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1975. 3 vols.), Vol. 2, pp. 804-805.

3. The Configurations that the Stars Make in their High and Low Points, the Apogees, and the Perigees.

It is necessary to understand the preceding statements thoroughly in order to trace out the observed principles of astrological influences, because in their high and low points in the signs the planets make four configurations. The first is when going down from the highest apside^{^[15]} to the middle they have fallen from a high point. And the second is when they have gone from the middle into the lowest apside, returning to their perigee. The third is when from the down point they go up again to the middle, being raised up from the perigee. And the fourth is when they have come from the middle to the high point, arriving at the apogee.

For the stars when going down from the lofty apside, after becoming synodic^{^[16]} to the Sun, begin to move forward. And going down from the middle of the apside, making the first station, they come into the acronychal phase^{^[17]}; and rising up from the perigee, still making the acronychal phase, they begin to retrograde, and they come into the second station; and going up from the middle apside to the highest, making the second station, and following that, the greatest change, coming into the synodic relationship with the Sun, they make their opposition.

4. Diurnal and Nocturnal Stars.

Whenever they say diurnal stars, they are signifying Saturn and Jupiter, declaring them to be of the Sun's sect because they do not make many settings or [other] configurations.^{^[18]} For they rejoice by day when they are effective and in the domiciles of diurnal [stars]. But when they say nocturnal stars, they are referring to Mars and Venus, establishing them to be of the Lunar sect. And in fact they have many configurations, often going under the setting and being obscured.^{^[19]}

However, they declare the [star] of Mercury to be common, for with whichever one it happens to be in configuration, to that one it is related—oriental, to the Sun; and occidental, to the Moon.

5. The Houses which are also called Zones of the Stars.

Houses^{^[20]} and zones of the stars [are what] they term the 12 twelfths of the zodiac, which they also call signs. Of these, the most northerly and closest to us are given to the luminaries—to the Moon, Cancer; and to the Sun, Leo. And [then] in order to the one nearest them, Mercury, [they give] Gemini and Virgo; after which, to Venus, Taurus and Libra; then, to Mars, Aries and Scorpio; then, to Jupiter, Sagittarius and Pisces; then to Saturn, the one farthest from us, Capricorn and Aquarius.

^Since they move more slowly than the other planets. ^That is, being under the Sun beams.

It would be better to translate the Greek word oikous 'houses' as 'domiciles (which I have done hereafter), since in modern astrology the technical term house refers only to the celestial houses. And modern astrologers speak of the signs of the planets. But the older writers, such as William Lilly, still used the term houses of the planets, despite the ambiguity.

6. Exaltations.

They establish [as] exaltations of the stars the [signs that are] trines of their diurnal domiciles and those agreeing in nature. For example, the Sun. Since Leo is its domicile, its exaltation is Aries, which is the trine of that [sign] and one that is quadrupedal; and the Sun has its exaltation around the 19th degree. Saturn, since its domicile is Aquarius, the exaltation will be Libra around the 20th degree. Jupiter, since its domicile is Pisces, its exaltation will be Cancer around the 15th degree.

For the nocturnal stars, which are of the sect of the Moon, because of the weakness of its ray, the sextile of the domicile is the exaltation [sign]. Let, then, the Moon's exaltation be the sextile of Cancer, i.e. Taurus, around the 3rd degree. The exaltation of Mars is the sextile of Scorpio, i.e. Capricorn, around the 28th degree. The exaltation of Venus is the sextile of Taurus, i.e. Pisces, around the 26th degree. But the [star] of Mercury, since it is common and its ray is dimmer because of its frequent setting, has the same domicile and exaltation, i.e. Virgo, around the 15th degree.¹

And the signs opposite the exaltations are their falls, in which they have weaker powers.

7. Co-rulers.

They are said to be co-ruler with each other, whenever it is their domicile or their exaltation. And they say that some co-rulers are rulers of the domiciles, and some are rulers of the triplicities. For example, in the case of Aries, the co-rulers are the Sun and Mars; of Taurus, the Moon and Venus; of Gemini, Mercury and Saturn;¹ of Cancer, Jupiter and the Moon; of Leo, the Sun alone; of Virgo, Mercury alone; of Libra, Saturn and Venus; of Scorpio, Mars alone; of Sagittarius, Jupiter and the Sun; of Capricorn, Mars and Saturn; of Aquarius, Saturn and Mercury; of Pisces, Venus and Jupiter. And similarly too with the rest.

They say that the Sun and the Moon are luminaries, Lights, and Kings² and rulers of the day and the night. In those co-rulerships in which the exaltation of one [of them] is not taken, they say they are luminaries of the sect.³

8. Aspects.

They call the mutual configurations of the stars aspects. And their configurations are these: the trine [consists] of 5 [signs],⁴ whenever there are 3 signs in between the two; and the square of four, whenever there are two signs in between them; and the opposition of 7, whenever there are 5 in between; and the sextile of 3, whenever there is one sign in the middle of them.

And the configurations by trine are sympathetic and helpful, and if it is destructive,^{^[21]} it is less hurtful. The square is harsh and discordant and able to cause trouble if it is destruc-

'Saturn is a co-ruler because it is a triplicity ruler of the Air triplicity, being exalted in Libra and ruling Aquarius. Or, rulers.

A special technical term. Usually called Lights of the Times. ^he ancients counted both ends of a sequence rather than only the intervening items and the far end as we do. Hence, from their point of view, the interval from Aries to Leo consists of 5 signs, not 4.

When one or both of the end points is afflicted.

tive. The opposition is antagonistic, and worse if it is malefic; the sextile [is] feebler. It is [also] necessary to see whether the configurations are perfect according to degree¹ and not just by sign: the trine by 120 degrees, the square by 90 degrees, the sextile by 60 degrees, and the opposition by 180 degrees, for many times they are configured by sign but not by degree.

10. Platic.

They term [it] platic whenever the stars surpass the configuration by a degree of the equal-sided line; for example, [when] the Sun is in 19 Aries and Saturn is in 20 Libra.¹

9. Dexter and Sinister Aspects.

They say that it is a dexter trine or square or sextile from which the star departs, but a sinister one to which it comes.³For example, with the Sun in Leo, the trine of Aries and Leo is dexter, but the one to Sagittarius is sinister. And the dexter square is that of Taurus and Leo, but the one to Scoipio is sinister. And the dexter sextile is that of Gemini and Leo, but the one to Libra is sinister.^л

For each star sends forth seven rays, three upwards and three downwards, and one to the opposite, of which the upward ones are dexter and the downward ones are sinister?

11. Application and Kollesis.

They say that an application is a kollesis¹ whenever they apply partilely, according for example to a configuration at some particular time, or even when they are about to come together within three degrees. It was also said if it was thus: it is a kollesis whenever one star moves toward another star, the swift one moving to the slow one that is not distant more than three degrees. And in the case of the Moon, some say within thirteen degrees; that is, in both her day and night course to observe the conjunction when she applies to one of them.

those cast against it are sinister. But it is incorrect for a point in one of the western quadrants, where dexter aspects are downward and sinister aspects are upward -just the reverse of the definition.

The phrase 'configuration by degree of the equal-sided line' requires some comment. The first three words refer to an aspect measured by degree rather than by sign. For example, 15 Aries is sextile 15 Gemini by degree (what we call partile) because the distance between them is exactly 60 degrees, but 5 Aries is sextile 25 Gemini by sign, but not by degree because the actual distance between them is 80 degrees. Originally, aspects were reckoned by sign (as the Hindus still reckon them), but later in the Classical Period they began to be reckoned by degree by some astrologers. The remainder of the phrase isoskelous grammes 'equal-sided line' apparently refers to the original concept of an aspect as being one of the equal sides of a polygon inscribed within the zodiacal circle. Hence, the whole phrase means 'the exact number of degrees in the aspect'. The term platic is thus applied to an aspect that is not partile, but only by sign.

The Greek word kollesis means 'gluing together' or sticking together—within an orb of 3 degrees, as was mentioned in Chapter 11 above. This definition is not used by modern astrologers. Since there is no modern equivalent, I have kept the Greek word in italics in the translation.

12. Separation.

Separation is when one star moves away from another star, and its conjunction [with it],^{^[22]} and application when it moves toward that or toward its aspect. For example, the Moon in the 20th degree of Scorpio, Saturn in the 10th degree of the same sign, and the [star] of Jupiter likewise in Scorpio in the 25th degree; it is plain that it will have its separation from Saturn, and it applies to Jupiter. Again let the Moon be in 20 Scorpio, Saturn in the 10th degree of Aquarius, [and] Jupiter in the 25th degree of Leo; therefore the Moon will have her separation from the 10th degree of Scorpio, which receives an aspect cast by Saturn by square, and she applies to the 25th of Scorpio, which receives an aspect cast by Jupiter from the previously mentioned sign.

13. Another [Definition] of Separation.

And they also explain separation thus: separation is whenever a star separates from another star—the swifter from the slower—whether from the kollesis that had been made nearer, or from the application to it by aspect, whenever it begins to have more than half of the degrees of the binding^{^[23]} for the aspect.

14. Blockade.

They say [it is] blockaded whenever a star comes to be in this configuration. For example, let the Moon be in Virgo [and] Mars in Aries; Leo and Libra surround Virgo, and a ray of Mars, which makes a trine to Leo and an opposition to Libra, the Moon is blockaded by malefic rays. Whenever, then, the malefics blockade either the Moon or the ASC, with none of the benefics having effective testimony to those that are blockaded, they say that the native becomes short-lived.

15. Besieging.

Again, they declare besieging to be thus: besieging is said whenever two stars besiege one in the middle, with no other interposing its ray in between; or again, a star has come into these 7 degrees, or it is going into these 7 degrees by aspect, others have cast their aspects, or the same one and one from different aspects, as was said previously.' And when this besieging happens by malefics, it is dangerous, but by benefics it is beneficent.

16. Intervention.

Intervention is whenever a star casts its ray into the middle degrees; for example, with the Moon being in the 10th degree of Leo and Mars in the 25th degree of Leo, then [there are] 15 degrees from the 10th degree of Leo to the 25th degree. If then the [star] of Jupiter chances to be in Aries possessing the 12th degree or more from the 10th degree to the 25 th, the ray of this [star] intervenes in the middle degrees.^{^[24]} And in the

'This definition is not entirely clear, but it seems to define a space of 7 degrees, consisting of the degree the besieged star is in and the three degrees on either side of it. If then two stars are either within this space or casting an aspect into it, one on one side and the other on the other side, the star in the middle is said to be besieged. Modern astrologers would widen the surrounding space to the "orb" of the besieged star on either side. This also called prohibition.

same way too if the Moon is in the 10th degree of Leo and Jupiter [is] in the 25th, and Mars is in the 12th degree of Aries or more, as we said [before] of Jupiter, Mars intervenes between the Moon and Jupiter.

17. Transfer of Nature.

It is said to be a transfer of nature when one star applies to another star, and the former again to [still] another; for it conveys the power of the [first] one into the power of the other.^{^[25]}

18. Aggregation.

It is said to be an aggregation when several stars apply to one [other] star; for then [that] star takes the power of those [other stars].^{^[26]}

19. Refrenation.

And it is said to be a refrenation when the ruler of the ASC is not joined to the ruler of the house that is signifying the things of the questions.^{^[27]}

20. Predominating.

And the [star] that is in the tenth sign is said to be predominant and to prevail over the one in the fourth [sign from it], e.g. the star that chances to be in Libra is dominant over the one in Capricorn, and the one in Capricorn is dominant over the one in Aries.^{^[28]}

21. Prevailing.

Every star prevails when it is posited in a dexter trine or square or sextile to one on its left, for that one goes toward it. For example, one that is in Capricorn prevails over one in trine aspect in Taurus and one in square in Aries and one in sextile in Pisces; and it is itself prevailed over by one in Libra and by one in Virgo and by one in Scorpio. They say that prevailing is more powerful when [the planets] are in trine or square. For the prevailing star is thus stronger, whether it is a benefic or a malefic and also angular. For when it is a benefic, it shows a notable nativity, but a harmful [planet shows] an undistinguished [nativity]. And in general every star that is on the right^{^[29]} prevails over one that is on the left that is carried to it.

they are related to each other by aspect [and are both] in the terms of the same star.

23. Void of Course.

It is termed void of course whenever the Moon does not conjoin any one [of the planets] either zodiacally or partilely or by aspect or by kollesis or within 30 degrees of the next conjunction or when it is going to make a conjunction [with the Sun].^{^[31]} And nativities of this sort [are] undistinguished and lacking in advancement.

24. Casting Rays.

The preceding star^{^[32]} casts a ray to the following one by aspect; for example, the one in Aries casts a square aspect to the one in Capricorn and a trine aspect to the one is Sagittarius; and the one following beholds the preceding one, and, when the preceding one is moved over it, it prevails over the following one, as was said previously, but it does not cast a ray [to it].^{^[33]} For the sight of every beam is borne to the front, and the ray itself to the rear, and then it is necessary to see whether it casts its ray only zodiacally or whether it applies partilely.^{^[34]}

And there are categories about these two, for having put the casting a ray star by square from the 'meeting' sign to the 'one of the following [star]', for example the one in Cancer casting a ray to one in Aries, and the one in Aries beholding the one in Cancer. And if it is a malefic, they say it is anaeretic} For the one casting a ray is anaeretic, not the one that is beholding. But the one that is in opposition both casts a ray and beholds. Of course the one never casts a ray by trine, for it supports itself on the ray towards the square that is quite near, rather than on the trine, just as it is easier in the case of the trine to assume its sympathy. That is the way then that these things are.

And Thrasyllus says that casting a ray is a destruction, and those are anaeretic that are occupying a position in the square configurations or in the oppositions in the interval between the ASC degree and the testimony of the trines that are not incurring destruction. And the one they carry from anywhere, it will not carry the ray across, he says, whether from the right or from the left into the succedent of the ASC or of the star holding the rulership of the Moon, then it will be the aphetic place. And he says that if the Moon chances to be having the Ruler of the Nativity with her or by opposition, we shall make the aphetic place to be from the Ruler of the Nativity; for example, if the Moon was in Sagittarius with Jupiter, or if Jupiter is in Gemini with the Moon herself being in Sagittarius, we shall begin from Jupiter.

25. Chariots.

Stars are said to be in their own chariots whenever they are posited in their own domicile or triplicity or exaltation

'That is, it indicates death or destruction. Cf. Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, iii. 10.

and [are also] in their own terms. And a star will also be most powerful thus, even if it has come under the Sunbeams, for [then] it is even more powerful. And if it also has an oriental [position], or if it chances to be angular and it aspects the Moon, it will make nativities possessing power and ruling.

26. Joint Possession.

Joint possession is whenever the one jointly possessing the sign is present in or aspects its own domicile; and the one that is jointly ruling is in joint possession of the sign; and it is jointly ruling when [the sign] is its domicile or its exaltation.¹

27. Incongruity of Position.

Incongruity of position is said whenever the diurnal [stars] occupy the domiciles or the exaltations of the nocturnal [stars], or when the nocturnal [stars] occupy those of the diurnal [stars], or whenever the stars posited in the signs are effective, and the rulers of the signs are afflicted, since they happen then to be ineffective.

28. Affliction.

It is said to be an affliction whenever a [star] is aspected by the malefics, or when it is besieged, or is in application with a malefic, or is coming into a kollesis [with it], or is being opposed, or prevailed over, or when its house-ruler is a malefic badly situated and cadent in ineffective [houses].

29. Doryphory.

There are three kinds of doryphory.¹ First, if there is an angular [star] in its own domicile or exaltation, [and] another [star] posited in its own domicile or exaltation beholds it by aspect, casting its ray upon the preceding degree of that one. For example if the Sun is in Leo [and] Saturn opposes it from Aquarius, or Jupiter trines it from Sagittarius; or again, if Jupiter is posited in Cancer and Mars in Capricorn opposes [ it], or if it is in Sagittarius and Mars trines [it] from Aries, or Mercury opposes [it] from Gemini; or if the Moon is posited in Cancer and Mars trines [it] from Scorpio, or Jupiter or Venus from Pisces; or again, if the Moon is posited in Taurus [and] Venus or Jupiter sextile [it] from Pisces; or if the Moon [is] posited in Cancer [and] Venus sextiles it from Taurus or Jupiter or Venus trines [it] from Pisces. And this is a great nativity if the rulers of the sect are in doryphory, and not a bad one otherwise, except if the malefics do not chance to be there, and these harm those and help those. For a star acting in its own domicile or exaltation is effective.²

We call another kind of doryphory that of "the casting of rays." For example, if a Light is angular in the ASC and posited in the domicile of another [star] [and] a star of its sect casts a ray, to the Sun in its preceding degree or to the Moon in its following [degree], throwing the ray towards that one

'The word doryphory literally means 'spear-bearer', and it was used commonly to designate an armed guard who was the guardian of the king. In astrology it means a planet closely associated with the Sun or the Moon. Cf. this lengthy chatper with Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, iii. 4 and iv. 3; Hephaestio, Apotelesmatics, i. 17; and Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, Chapter 23. Ptolemy mainly speaks of Planets that are close to the Sun or Moon, such as "morning stars" or 'evening stars," which is similar to Porphyry's third kind of doryphory, and this was probably the original definition. But Hephaestio and Rhetorius give definitions that are merely copied versions of Porphyry's three kinds of doryphory. The text has anenergetos 'ineffective', but we should read simply energetos 'effective'.

which moves according to an equal-sided line. And all the doryphories by trine are stronger than those by square or opposition or sextile.

There is [also] a third kind of doryphory. If [there is] a star posited in the ASC or in the MC by day in a diurnal nativity or by night in a nocturnal one, the [stars] that precede or follow it will be its doryphories according to the following scheme. The Sun will be doryphoried by those [stars] that precede [it], and the Moon by those that follow it within 7 degrees; however, those [stars] that are doryphories that precede it by 15 degrees do not harm the Sun if they are oriental and have force. And according to these same [conditions], the Sun itself can be a doryphory to an angular [star] of its own sect, and the Moon similarly. The doryphories become out-of-sect whenever the diurnal [stars] are doryphories to the nocturnal ones, or the nocturnal ones to the diurnal ones; but nevertheless, if the doryphory is made by benefics, not even in this case will the nativity be undistinguished.

30. The Ruler of the Nativity and the Lord and the Ruling [Star].

Furthermore, it is necessary to explain in detail in what [respect] the Ruler of the Nativity,¹ and the Lord, and the Ruling [star] differ from each other. For the ancients devising the nomenclature did not distinguish their function. For each has its own force, just as the sailor and the steersman. We shall explain, therefore, in what respect they differ from each other.

Some, then, put the Sun to rule by day and the Moon to rule by night; and this will be accurately set forth thus: in a diurnal nativity, the Sun, if it is rising in the east, will take the ruling position; but when the Sun is declining in the west, if the Moon happens to be in the east, she will take [that position], and if she is succedent to the ASC,¹ through her rising into the east; but if they are both cadent in the west, the ASC will have the ruling position. And in a nocturnal nativity, if the Moon rises into the east, she will take the ruling position, but if she is declining into the west and the Sun is under the earth succedent to the ASC, he will be in the ruling position.

And if both of them happen to be under the earth, angular or succedent, the Moon will have the ruling position because of the sect,² but if she is found to be cadent, and the [Sun] is angular, he [will be selected]. For the angular one of the Lights and the one that is more in the east and of the sect is judged to be the Ruling [Star]. And if both of them are cadent, the ASC will obtain the ruling position then. And whenever you appoint the Ruling [Star]³ from this, the House-ruler and the Joint House-ruler will be left remaining. For the Lord of the sign in which the Ruling [Star] is will be the House-ruler, and it is necessary to look at it and the Joint House-ruler of the terms to see how they move and in what aspect they are, and whether they behold the ASC or the Moon, for the whole distinction will be from these. And

'That is, in the 2nd house.

The Moon is the ruler of the nocturnal sect.

A scholium of Demophilus: "as soon as you appoint the Ruling [Star], look at the anaeretic rays of the malefics, the squares, the oppositions, [and] the sextiles, as far as the ninetieth degree, and from the rising times is generated the evident length of life. A benefic casting a ray into the [parts] following the anaeretic degree as far as the 5th degree or even more, if it is the same term, is able to counteract the evil."

some simply put the Lord of the Terms of the ASC as the Ruler of the Nativity and the Joint-ruler of the sign.

The Lord of the Nativity on the one hand and the Ruler of the MC they define, particularly if it is angular [and] effective, but if not, the one that is close to the MC, for instance in the highest part of the nativity—which is the one ruling actions—and if not that one, then the one that is cadent to the MC. And the first, the Lord of the ASC or the one that is posited on it in the domicile and the terms, either the one of the Moon, or the one of the MC, or the one of the [Lot of] Fortune, or the one 7 days before birth, or within 7 days making a phase of the rising or the setting or of a station.^{^[35]} For this one of the cosmic sign is then being rendered authoritative by common consent and [chosen] to rule those being born, and if there are two of them, they put the one rising as being more powerful. To these they join the ruler of the preceding lunar conjunction^{^[36]}; and I say the Ruler of the Terms in which the conjunction of the Sun with the Moon occurred, if indeed the Moon is moving away from the conjunction; but if she is waning, the one becoming the Ruler of the Terms of the full Moon.

And from all these, the one posited [so that it is] harmonizing most with the nativity [is the] Ruler, i.e. the one posited in front, the most easterly, or the one that is most in its own domicile, and that has the most force for the scheme of the nativity and those that are mutually configured with it. And in connection with the Ruler that has been found, it is necessary to look at how [it is disposed], in those things that have been said in order, and what is the power [derived] from this. For there is much dispute about this, and almost all of it is very difficult [to understand]. Sometimes, however, it happens that the same [star] is found to be both Ruler and House-ruler, whenever the Ruler that is found is the House-ruler of the dominant Light,^{^[37]} which same will preside over a great destiny.

31. Obeying Signs.

One sign obeys another sign, as Libra obeys Aries because Aries increases the [length of] the day, but Libra decreases it; [similarly] Pisces [obeys] Taurus because Taurus has more rising time and Pisces less; similarly Aquarius [obeys] Gemini, Capricorn Cancer, Sagittarius Leo, and Scorpio Virgo.^{^[38]}

32. Equipollent Signs.

Those signs are said to be equipollent to each other that have equal rising times and are parallel^{^[39]} to each other, as Aries and Pisces, and Virgo and Libra, and through the 3rd and 4th and 5th [pairs of] equal rising, as Taurus and Aquarius, Gemini and Capricorn, Cancer and Sagittarius, [and] Leoand Scorpio. But some say these only hear each other, but do not see each other because of the shadow of the earth.^{^[40]}

33. Seeing Signs and the Length of the Day.

Seeing [signs] are those that deliver the lengths of the days and nights in equal hours. For since the greatest length of the day in the Fifth Clime, when the Sun is in Cancer, is 15 [equinoctial] hours and the least, when the Sun is in Capricorn, is 9 [equinoctial] hours, and the lengths are equal in Libra and Aries, there will be in Gemini and Leo a day of 14 [equinoctial] hours, in Taurus and Virgo [a day] of 13 hours, in Aries and Libra of 12 hours, in Scorpio and Pisces of 11, [and] in Aquarius and Sagittarius of 10 hours. These then are the signs that see each other.^{^[41]}

34. Inconjunct Signs.

Those [signs] are inconjunct each other that are related to each other neither by [equidistance from] the tropics nor by aspect.^{^[42]}

35. Cadent [and Succedent Houses].

The 4 [houses] that precede the angles are called cadent, and similarly the 4 following the angles are called succedent. They say the eastern region of a nativity is the one from the ASC degree to the MC; the southern, the one is from the MC to the DSC; the western, the one from the DSC to the IMC; and the northern, the one from the IMC to the ASC.

36. Effective Signs.

According to Timaeus, 7 signs are effective in each nativity—the 4 angles, the 2 trines of the ASC, and for the remaining one, the cadent of the MC^{^[43]}. And the remainder are ineffective. But many times, if the majority of the degrees of the rising sign have already risen before it, and the last degrees are rising, the succedent sign will be jointly effective with the rising sign.^{^[44]}

37. The Conception Sign of the Sun.

They say that the conception sign of the Sun is [the one] in the tenth month, [namely] the [one that is the] sinister square of the one from which you set out; for when it was there, the conception occurred.^{^[45]} And on the seventh month the opposition.

the trine, and the opposition as aspects. Consequently pairs of signs like Aries & Taurus, or Aries & Virgo were not "in aspect"; hence, they were said to be inconjunct. And they are of course not equidistant from the tropics. Namely, the 9th house.

Here, as often, the word 'sign' is used instead of'house' because the Sign-House system of houses is assumed. In this, the original house system, the rising sign constitutes the first house, the next sign the second house, etc. But Porphyry is saying that if, say, the 28th or the 29th or the 30th degree of the rising sign is the ASC degree, then you should also consider the next sign to be as effective as the rising sign.

By 10th month, of course, Porphyry means what we would call the 9th month.

Подпись: 'Note that the final measurement is made from the beginning of the sign that the Moon or the Sun or the ASC is in.
2Reading tes Selenes 'of the Moon' rather than tou Hliou 'of the Sun'.
3This must mean the total longitude of the Moon (measured from 0° T) rather

38. The Conception Sign of the Moon.

As for the Moon, others take another [approach]. And Antiochus says two approaches are true. "Observe," he says, "how much of the Moon anyone is born in,^{^[46]} and to that number add 5, and take away 29 in return from the month in which the birth took place, and wherever the number leaves off, then was the day of conception. Be sure then to step back in the table in which sign the Moon was then."^{^[47]}

But Petosiris says, that "wherever the Moon was at the [time of] conception, that same [place] or its opposite will rise at birth. And wherever the Moon was posited at [the time of] birth, that same place was rising at the [time of] conception."

Furthermore, some also take the ASC of conception in the same way. Observe which particular degree of the sign is rising at the [time of] birth, and multiplying what has risen by the full [number of] hours and measuring off the product by 30 degree [intervals] from the rising sign at birth, and wherever the number falls, there [is the] rising [degree] [at the time of] the conception of the seed.^{^[48]}

39. The Dodecatemory [of the Moon].

The dodecatemory of the Moon is taken properly, first by looking at how many degrees of the sign the Moon has; of that [number] measure off by 2Уг degrees to the succeeding [signs], and wherever the number leaves off, there is the dodecatemory. For example, let the Moon have 13 [degrees] of Aries; give to Aries 2Уг, to Taurus 2Уг, to Cancer 2Уг, to Leo 2 Vi, then the dodecatemory is in Virgo, the domicile of Mercury. The dodecatemory of the Sun is taken similarly. [And the degree] of the ASC is taken in the same fashion. For whenever it is seen which degree is rising, measure off of that number by [multiples of] 2Уг degrees.^{^[49]}

But some take the dodecatemory of the Moon otherwise. Seeing how many degrees of the Moon^{^[50]} it has, from all those,^{^[51]} take away how many thirties it has, and the remaining ones^{^[52]} distribute by 2Уг from whichever sign the Moon holds. And if it does not have [more than] 30, take away from those it has by 2^{^[53]}A, [and] distribute them.

And it is necessary to determine the ASC [degree], by calculating very accurately according to the table.

40. Masculine and Feminine Signs.

The [signs that are] masculine by sect are those of the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn. And let [every other one of] the signs be

Подпись: the rising-times are transformed [thus] for each sign and each degree. ^Tetrabiblos iii. 10 (Robbins's edition). 2By twelfth he means house.
3This is plainly a reference to the Equal House method of House division. 4This is an early attempt to try to adapt what Ptolemy says to a quadrantal method of House Division. It is of course futile.

Taurus in the same clime 33°23',' [etc.]. In order that we may know in how many [times] each degree rises, we will reduce the rising-times of the entire sign to sixtieths. For example, in Aries, reducing the 24°20' to sixtieths, we will find the total [number of] minutes [to be] 1460. Dividing these by 30 (for that many degrees are in each sign), we will find each degree to have 48'40".

By this same analogy, getting the times of the risings of each sign in years or months, we will apportion to each day the times allotted, both to the months, and also to the years. But we shall do so thus: the rising-times of Aries in the Clime of Meroe being 24°20', we shall multiply by the 12 months. The 24 degrees become (counting [1] for each month of the year) 288; the 20 minutes (look what part it is of 60—it is 1/3), which [part] of a year having taken, makes 4 months; altogether [then] it becomes 292 months, and I divide by 30 degree intervals, and they make 9 months for each degree, and 22 months are left over, which changing into days, I have 660 days; these again I divide by 30, and it makes 22 days. So that applies to each degree of Aries and of Pisces—for in all [climes] they rise in equal times. Therefore, in the Clime of Meroe, for each degree there are 9 months [and] 22 days. Doubling these degrees [gives] 18 months [and] 42 days,^{^[60]} and the triple of them [is] 2 years 5 months [and] 6 days. This same approach [is used] both for each sign and for each clime.^{^[61]}

43. The Determination of the Angular, Cadent, and Succedent [Houses] for a Particular Degree.

Ptolemy says in his [chapter] "The Length of Life"¹ that the [region] around the ascending twelfth^{^[62]} is certainly to be taken as aphetic, [i.e.] from 5 of those degrees rising before the horizon itself down to the remaining 25 degrees rising beneath. He took [those degrees] rising before the ASC and the 25 degrees following as constituting the 30 degrees of the twelfth.^{^[63]} But this is done in these climes when the equinoctial sign rises^{^[64]} because the semicircle of the commanding [signs]—those rising from Aries to Virgo—always makes the eastern quadrants greater than the whole 90 degrees, but the western [quadrants] less. Conversely, if one of the obeying [signs] rises, it makes the eastern quadrants less than, and the western [quadrants] more than, the 90 degrees.

And [he says] plainly^{^[65]} that the degrees of the quadrant, those from the MC to the ASC, must be divided into three [parts], and the third allotted to the ASC and 5 degrees of however much is taken as rising before, [and] to have the remainder following; and to do similarly also in the rest of the quadrants. But if anyone says, when alluding to the [particular] number of degrees for any house, [that] a sixth must be put before, he does not understand [the procedure] rightly, for if by chance there are 72 degrees between the MC and the

ASC, the following quadrant will obviously have 108 degrees; then, in the one case there will be 1/6 of 24 degrees, and in the other 1/6 of 36 degrees; and so the degrees before the MC will be 4 degrees [with] 20 degrees following, and in addition, from the 11th and the 12th [houses], 48 degrees, and left over for the ASC only 4 degrees. For there were altogether 72 degrees, from which [having subtracted 68 degrees, there are only] 4 degrees remaining which the ASC will have. [But] it is necessary by this method to have 6 [in the following quadrant], for 6 is 1/6 of 36.

Such a method, therefore, is ineffective; and not even in the rising times, for example, is it useful, therefore, to assign 30° to each house. For with the 6th degree of Pisces rising in the 5th or 6th clime down to the Midheaven under the earth,^{^[66]}the rising times are hardly 60, and thus we will not have anything to give to the third house; therefore, this cannot be done, and 30 degrees cannot be allotted to each house. For again, with Aquarius rising and Sagittarius culminating, 70 degrees are found in between, and 90 was required if indeed each will have 30 degrees; out of necessity, then, there remains the 5 degrees rising before the ASC angle, and the remaining amount still needed to go with that from the quadrantal distribution.^{^[67]}

44. What Sort of Part of the Body Each Sign was Allotted.

Moreover, each one of the signs was allotted some parts of the body, which it is necessary to be mindful of whenever they speak of injuries. Aries [rules] the head; Taurus, the tendons and the neck; Gemini, the shoulders and the arms; Cancer, the chest and the sides; Leo, the diaphragm and the stomach and the belly; Virgo, the abdomen and the flanks; Libra, the kidneys and the buttocks; Scorpio, the pudenda and the hidden parts and the generative parts; Sagittarius, the knees, and according to some, the groin and the hollows of the elbows; Capricorn, the loins and the hips; Aquarius, the calves and the ankles; Pisces, the feet.

45. What Sort of Part [of the Body] Each Star Rules.

In accordance with those things that are allotted to the stars, he says of those things that are internal, that Saturn [rules] the moister phlegmatic [parts] and the throat and loosening of the bowels; and Jupiter, the liver and the fatty tissue around it, and the sinews under the throat; and Mars, the blood and the kidneys and the spermatic passages; and Venus, the lungs and the bile; and Mercury, the hearing, the blood-vessels, and the tongue; and the Sun, the heart, and the respiration, that is the sensory movement, and the sense of sight—in a male on the right side, in a female on the left. And the Moon, in general, [rules] the whole body, but particularly her own [parts]—the spleen, the membranes, and the marrow, and the sight of a male on the left, but of a woman on the right.

And of the things outside [the body], Saturn rules chronic complaints, moist and chilling, and also old and stored up things, foundations and lands, old things and elder persons, and sterile and childless persons, sailors, [instances] of complete and deep and concealed wickedness, and false accusation, and slander, envy, and misery, and the most terrible [things], and prisons, and letting the hair grow long, and shamelessness, and everything most abominable, and severe

Подпись: 'Greek for "shining."
2Greek, another word for "shining."
3Greek for "fiery."
4The Greek text is corrupt. Perhaps it should read, 'just like a fire burning above the ground shines through the smoke'.
tortures. Acting in its own places and chariots, and well configured in the nativity, it does help by supplying improvements from damage to others; but badly configured, it causes hardships and misfortunes. And it is called Phainon.^{^[68]}

And the [star] of Jupiter [rules] magnificence or glory, dignity, enjoyment, and also fatness, and also rulership and distinction, and many children, and approbation by the leadership and the common people. And it is called Phaethon?

And the [star] of Mars is fiery and bloody and like a branding iron. Therefore it speaks of the hot blood in us, as was said, and of the spermatic impulse and of feminine fetuses, of action and of both dangers, and courage, and anger, and daring, and violence, and perilous affairs, and of severe suffering, of military service, and both of war and the employment of iron, and wounds, and all of those things that happen with quickness and panic. And it is called Pyroeis?

And the Sun governs breath and the perceptive spirit that is in us, and the motion of breathing, and the paternal or the principal person.

And the [star] of Venus, being near to the Sun, and having greatness and shining by its brilliance, f when the smoke, just as it does with a fire burning above the lying below of that flat, it shinesf,^{^[69]} it is seen best shaped and bright. Then, through the great cheerfulness of its light, it rules shapeliness, beauty, cleanliness, brilliance of life, neatness, being crowned, priesthood, wearing gold, very delicate [things or conditions]. And through its presence and its casting beams of sympathy through the living element of the cosmos, it rules tender love, desire, longing, marriage, religion, skill in the arts of the Muses, and well-arranged beginnings, and the theatre. It is called Phosphoros}

And the [star] of Mercury, being joined to the Sun, appears to be alternating,^{^[70]} and is more rarely seen.^{^[71]} And always when it has been disposed very near the forward beam of the Sun, and very often when it is rising and setting under the Sun beams, it indeed rules those things that are very near to the authoritative part of the soul, to the ruling element of the mental motion, of wisdom and reason and knowledge, and those things directed by reason—education, commerce, occupation, friendship, fellowship, agreement, companionship, and assistance. And it also [indicates] younger persons, children too, and nurslings. And it is called Stilbon.^{^[72]}

And the Moon, the one that is nearest to the Earth, and the one having separations from all [the other stars],^{^[73]} and attending upon the magnitude of it lying close to the Earth; it rules all our body and its health, and the condition, and the mother, and women in authority.

46. The Apparel and Dye or Complexions the [Stars] Rule.

Saturn rules beaver-colored^{^[74]} dyeing; Jupiter, pale blue^{^[75]}and inclining a bit towards white; Mars, fiery—really flame-colored; the Sun, golden yellow; Venus, white-colored; Mercury, dark blue; the Moon, pale green.^{^[76]}

47. The 36 Decans and their Paranatellonta and Faces.

Although the zodiacal circle was divided into 12 divisions, i.e. into 12 signs, the ancients recommended another 36 divisions, which they called decans, and these they apportioned by sign to govern 10 degrees; therefore, they are called decans.^{^[77]} And the previously mentioned paranatellonta^{^[78]} lie under these decans in the zodiacal circle, and they have the faces of the 7 stars, which have sympathy with the stars that lie upon them.

For example, suppose the Sun to be in 10 degrees of Aries in the first decan, the face of Mars; then, since we have said that the Sun signifies the spirit, you will find the spirit of that [person] to be manly, irascible, fond of fighting, fond of weapons, and such like. Again, suppose the Sun to be in the

20th degree of Aries, in the second decan, the face of the Sun; it signifies that [person] to be bright-spirited and ambitious and proud and not at all fond of fighting. Again, suppose the Sun to be in the 30th degree of Aries, in the third decan, the face of Venus; it signifies that [person] to be womanly-spirited, feminine in appearance, shameful, lustful, and such like. See how in a single sign they indicated three differences of spirit.^{^[79]}

And the astrological influences of the decans and their paranatellonta and the faces are included [in the works] by Teucer the Babylonian.^{^[80]}

48. The Powers of the Bright Fixed Stars and their Parantellonta.

The character of the signs and of the paranatellonta from the combination of the stars he has put below.^{^[81]} Therefore, they have in them bright stars and dim ones and the more gloomy ones. Observing these, the ancients said that the brightest of them were of the first magnitude, and the dimmer ones of the second magnitude, and the more gloomy ones of the third magnitude, and so on in sequence they found them down to the sixth magnitude. And they shared in common the natures of the planets, as we have said before, both those of

them that are located in the zodiacal circle, and those that are north of the zodiac, and those that are south of it. Taking note then of the brighter of those stars, they found that there were 30 of the first and second magnitude. Then, whenever these were found partilely in the ASC or in the MC, or configured with the Sun or the Moon, or with some star, they alter the nativity in accordance with their stated nature. For example, if it is of a benefic nature, the [native's] fortunes will be better, but if it is of a malefic nature, they will be worse.^{^[82]}

49. The Terms According to the Egyptians and Ptolemy, and the Bright and Dark Degrees.

Again, the ancients, cutting each sign into regions^{^[83]} or places that they called terms—not according to equal degrees, as we have said in the case of the decans—but divergently in accordance with another scheme, which they placed under the periods of the full periods of the stars; and I mean those which you will find earlier in them. But these degrees of the terms are constituted by sign. Some of them are found to be [the terms'] of Jupiter, and others of Venus, and others of Saturn, and others of the rest of the planets.

Now whenever one of the stars is found in the domicile of a benefic and in the terms of a benefic having significance for the nativity, it makes the luck good. But if it is found in the domicile of a benefic, but in the terms of a malefic, the goodness of [the native's] luck is lessened. And if it chances to be in the domicile of a malefic and in the terms of a malefic, they render his luck bad and obscure. Consequently the force of the terms alters the astrological signification of the stars, as was also said in the case of the faces of the decans.

Now Ptolemy in some terms does not agree with the Egyptians. Therefore I have been obliged to make mention of them and to set forth the terms in their own individual significations. And also the bright and the dark and dim degrees have no small force, if in fact the stars chance to have been found in the bright degrees. Wherefore, I was also obliged to list these previously.^{^[84]}

50. The Melothesia of the Signs.

He^{^[85]} arranged the melothesia^{^[86]} of man—which parts each of the signs rules and each of the stars—to make known to us the injuries and the illnesses that are happening to men from the Lots of Fortune and of the Daemon and of Injury and their rulers. For from those there are known, for the most part, the illnesses and the injuries. Now, having said all the preceding, following also the explanation of them which we have put plainly, I shall also^{^[87]} put next the manifest force of the configurations.^{^[88]}

51. Trines, Squares, Sextiles, Oppositions, and Disjuncts Having Testimony to Each Other as in the System of Oppositions.^{^[89]}

Differences of the trine and square and sextile configurations were established. And the first and greatest of all is the degree taken according to the Handy Tables of Ptolemy, as we have said in the previous [chapters]. And the second is the temporal, which Antigonus^{^[90]} and Phnaes the Egyptian^{^[91]} and some others established and named the equilateral triangle, with the risings of the signs. And the third is the zodiacal or common and general, into which we all wander.

For many times with the Sun in Leo around the 1st degree, and with Jupiter being in Sagittarius around the 5th degree, there appeared to be a trine of Jupiter to the Sun, but they were inactively configured with each other. For neither were they posited platically within the 120 degrees, nor were they placed temporally within the 120 degrees of the [horary] times, nor within the 120 degrees of rising times. {The rest then comes from the chapters about the planets.}^{^[92]}

Now the triangular side^{^[93]} is always called "zodiacal," which again had force, since both the degree-wise and the time-wise embraced it. Therefore, since we have established the side of the trines and squares and sextiles by degree in what follows through the tables of Ptolemy, now we have indicated the zodiacal, having believed it necessary to add also the temporal by an example.

Suppose the Sun to be in Aries in the 1st degree in the clime of Alexandria, and Jupiter in Leo in the 2nd degree, and Mars in Leo in the 5th degree. I do thus: the rising of Aries [is] 21°40' [horary] times, and the rising of Taurus 25°00' times, and the rising of Gemini 28°20'j and the rising of Cancer 31 °40'; the times of the four signs make 106°40'; they are less than 120°00' by 13°20', which I will find around 11/4 degrees of Leo.^{^[94]} For doubling the 35 times, they make 70 times; doing 11 Vi times these, I will find 805 times, these I divide by 60; they make 13°25' times. I combine the 106°40'; altogether they make 120°05' times. And so the 1 l'/г degree of Leo in the clime of Alexandria is found to be [the side of] an equilateral triangle prognosticating for the first degree of Aries. And we say that Jupiter is beheld by the Sun both zodiacally and temporally.

Since there remains 21°35' times of Leo,^{^[95]}1 add these to the second equilateral triangle thus: of Leo 21°35', of Virgo 38°20' times, of Libra 38°20' times; altogether they make 98°15' times; there remains again of the 120 times 21°45'.

These I find around the 18 1/2 1/7 of Scorpio, for doubling the rising time of Scorpio, i.e. the 35 times, they become 70 times; multiplying these by 18 1/2 1/7, I find 1305 times, which I divide by 60; they become 21°45', which same I add to the 98°15'; altogether they make 120 times. And so the 18 1/2 1/7 degree^{^[96]} of Scorpio in the clime of Alexandria is found to be the second equilateral triangle prognosticating for the 11 ^{^[97]}A degree of Leo.

Again, since there remains 13° 15' times of Scorpio,^{^[98]}1 add to these the third equilateral triangle: of Scorpio 13°15', of Sagittarius 31°40', of Capricorn 28°20', of Aquarius 25, of Pisces 21°40'; altogether they make 119°55' times, which same prognosticate the third equilateral triangle of the zodiacal circle.^{^[99]} For the remaining 5 degrees were assigned to the 120 times in the first triangle. And by the same method you will also find the sextile and square aspects, which are called temporal.

52. The Times of the Angles, the Succedents, and the Cadents.

The ASC shows the first age [of life], the MC middle age, the DSC the end [of life], and the under earth angle (1С) death and the praise or disparagimg things happening after it.^{^[100]} And again, the cadent of the ASC signifies the labor pains of the parturient woman and the things happening in the womb when the native was in the belly; and the ASC the delivery and the times immediately after it; and the succedent to the ASC the end times of the first age. And the cadent of the MC signifies the first times of middle age; and the MC the middle times of middle age; and the succedent the end times. And the cadent of the DSC signifies the first times of the end time; and the DSC itself the middle times; and the succedent the end times. And the cadent of the 1С signifies the time before death; and the 1С itself death; and its succedent the time after death.

And each of these 12 houses has the 5 degrees rising before and the 25 degrees following after, if the quadrants happen to be 90 degrees, but if they are different numbers, divide the number of degrees in the quadrant into three equal thirds, and you will know how many degrees of the zodiac each house has.^{^[101]} For example, if the [arc of] the MC from the ASC has 96 degrees, the DSC has 84 degrees from the MC, and the under earth angle from the DSC 96 degrees, and the ASC from the under earth angle 84 degrees. Of these [degrees], distribute equally to each house the degrees that are its due from its own quadrant, making the beginning of the extent from the ASC degree and the 5 degrees rising before it; [by doing this], you will learn how the houses have [their division].

53. In How Many Ways the Influences of the Planets are Generated.¹

The astrological significations of the planets are made in eleven different ways. And the first of these is whenever the planet stands in a good house from the ASC or in one of the angles, or in the houses following the angles that the ASC aspects.

And the second is whenever the planet is in some place of its own worth, i.e. in its domicile, or its triplicity, or its exaltation, or its terms, or its face, or in the house in which it rejoices.

And the third is whenever the planet is not retrograde, but is direct.

And the fourth is whenever the planet is not joined to another malefic planet or in opposition or square to it.

The fifth, is whenever it is not applying to a planet, [that is] not aspecting the ASC, or to one that is in its fall.²

The sixth, is whenever it is being received.

The seventh, is whenever the superior planets, the masculine ones, i.e. Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, are oriental or appearing in the east in the morning; and the inferior planets,

'This chapter is very similar to the Chapter "The Strength of the Planets" in Sahl ibn Bishr's The Introduction to the Science of the Judgments of the Stars, trans, by James Herschel Holden (Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 2008), Book I {Liber Introductorius). It and the following chapters may have been translated from Arabic into Greek and mistakenly added to Porphyry's Introduction, by Demophilus.

²Some words seem to be missing. The Greek version of Sahl (edited in part in CCAG V. 3, p. 109) has, '5. That it is not configured with a star that is cadent, or with a star that is in its fall, or that the Moon is not in its fall.' And the Latin version has, 'The fifth is when it is not joined to a star that is cadent from the ASC, or to a planet that is in its own fall, or when it itself is not in its own fall.' i.e. Venus, Mercury, and the Moon, are occidental, or appearing in the west in the evening.

The eighth, is whenever the planets are appearing in their own light, i.e. when the masculine planets are in the upper hemisphere by day, and in the lower hemisphere by night; but the feminine planets are by night in the lower hemisphere and by day in the upper hemisphere.

The ninth, is whenever the planets are in a fixed sign.

The tenth, is whenever the planets are in the Heart of the Sun, or [their] degree is next to its degree; for then the benefics strengthen their good and the malefics their evil.

The eleventh, is whenever the masculine planets are in masculine quadrants, and the feminine planets in feminine quadrants; and again, when the masculine planets are in masculine signs, and the feminine planets are in feminine signs.

54. Exposition of the Testimony of the Planets.¹

This is the testimony of the planets, so that it is not ambiguous in the yes or no. Whenever a planet is in a [place] in which it has dignity, i.e. when it is in its own domicile, or in its triplicity, or in its exaltation, or in its terms, or in its face, then, if it signifies something, it fulfills it.

The astrological influences of the Joys of the planets are four [in number], and they are these: the First Joy is whenever Mercury falls in the ASC, or the Moon in the third house, Venus in the fifth, Mars in the sixth, the Sun in the ninth, Jupiter in the eleventh, and Saturn in the twelfth.

The Second Joy, is whenever Saturn is in Aquarius, Jupiter is in Sagittarius, Mars is in Scorpio, the Sun is in Leo, Venus is in Taurus, Mercury is in Virgo, and the Moon is in Cancer.

The Third Joy, is when the masculine planets rejoice, [i.e.] whenever they are oriental; and the feminine ones rejoice, whenever they are occidental.

The Fourth Joy, is whenever the masculine planets are in masculine quadrants and the feminine planets in feminine quadrants. Mercury rejoices with both, i.e. whenever it is with masculine [planets], it rejoices with them; and, whenever it is with feminine [planets], it rejoices with the feminine [planets].

55. The Rays (Orbs) of the Planets}

The rays of the Sun reach as far as 30 degrees, 15 forward, and 15 backward. Those of the Moon, 24 degrees, 12 forward, and 12 backward; Saturn and Jupiter, 18 degrees, 9 forward, and 9 backward; Mars, 16, 8 forward, and 8 backward; Venus and Mercury, 14, 7 forward, and 7 backward.

Concordance of Similar Chapters in Antiochus's Treasury, Rhetorius's Compendium, and Porphyry's Introduction}

Antiochus	Porphyry	Rhetorius	Porphyry
Treasury	Introduction	Compendium	Introduction
E3	3	1	45,4
El	4	2
E5	7	3
E6-9	8-11	4	44, 45
E12	15	5	7
ЕЮ	20	6	8
Ell, 13-14	22-25	7	9
E16-17	26-29	8	10, 11
E28	30	9	11
E18-19	35	10	47
E18	36	11	48
E20-21	37-38	12	49
E22	39	13	(41)
E22	41	14	50
E4	44-45	15	51
	45	16	(34)
E10	47	17
Ell	48	18
E12	49	19	(31,33)
E14	50	20	37,38
E15	51	21	38
E46	52	22	39, (41)

23 24 25 26 27 28

36 (36)

112 23

Petosiris, astrologer, viii.,28,31

Phnaes the Egyptian, astrologer, viii,44

Pingree, David, scholar, viii n.2&3,ix,xn.l,xv,51n.l

Pliny, historian, 6n.5,7n.3

Plotinus, philosopher, vii

Porphyry,philosopher, vii,viii,ix,x,xiin.3&4,ln.l,7n.2, 2 In. 1,22n. 1,27n.2,30n.2,34n. 1,39n.2,4 In. 1 &3,43n. 1 &2,44 n.2&3,45n.l,47n.l,48n.l

Ptolemy, science writer, viii,l,7,19n.l,21n.l,25n.2,30,31, 32,33,34n. 1,35,42-43,44-45,47n. 1

Rhetorius the Egyptian, astrologer, viiin.3,ix,xi,xiii,xv,xvii, 17n. 1,18n.2,20n. 1,2 In. 1,26n.2,41 n. 1 &2,42n. 1,43n. 1 &5,44 n.l

Riske, Kris Brandt, editor xvii Robbins, F. E., translator, 25n.2 Rome, A., scholar, 34n. 1

Sahl ibn Bishr, astrologer, ix,xv,xvii,48n.l&2,49n.l,50n.l

Teucer of Babylon, astrologer, viii,41

Theon of Alexandria, astronomer, Bibliography

Thrasyllus, astrologer, 19,31

Timaeus, astrologer, viii

Weinstock, Stephen, scholar, x

Vettius Valens, astrologer, ix,26n.2,28n.2,47n.l

Wolf, Hieronomus, scholar, x

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Catalogue Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum (CCAG) [Catalogue of Greek Astrological Manuscripts] Brussels, 1898-1953. 12 vols, paper.

Dorotheus of Sidon Carmen Astrologicum. (The Pentateuch) ed. & trans, by David Pingree Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1976. xx,444 pp.

Firmicus Maternus, Julius Matheseos Libri VIII ed. by W, Kroll, F. Skutsch, & K. Ziegler Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1968. 2 vols.

Mathesis.

ed. & trans, by James Herschel Holden Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 2010.

Hephaestio of Thebes Apotelesmatica. ed. by David Pingree

Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1973-1974. 2 vols.

Holden, James Herschel

A History of Horoscopic Astrology.

Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 1996.

Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 2006. 2nd ed. rev.

Lilly, William

Christian Astrology...

London: John Partridge & Humphrey Blunden, 1647. Exeter: Regulus Publishing Co., 1985. repr. in facs.

Neugebauer, O. and Van Hoesen, H. B. Greek Horoscopes.

Philadelphia: The American Philosophical Society, 1959.

Neugebauer, Otto

A History of Ancient Mathematical Astronomy.

New York Heidelberg Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1975. 3 vols.

Parisian Epitome of Astrological Works, edited in CCAG VIII 3. Brussels: Henri Lamertin, 1912.

Paulus Alexandrinus Е12АШПКА. ed. by Emilia Boer

Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1958. XXVI,181 pp.

Paul of Alexandria Introduction.

translated by James Herschel Holden Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 2010.

Pliny the Elder Natural History, trans, by various writers Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1949-1962. 10 vols.

Ptolemy, Claudius Tetrabiblos.

ed. & trans, by F. E. Robbins, Ph.D.

London: William Heinemann

Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1940.

Ptolemy & Theon Procheiroi Kanones. [Ptolemy's & Theon's Handy Tables] ed. & trans, into French by the Abbe Nicolas Halma Paris: A. Bobee, 1823, 1825. 2 parts.

Rhetorius the Egyptian

Astrological Compendium.

trans, by James Herschel Holden

Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 2009. paper xx,222 pp. 22 cm.

Sahl ibn Bishr

The Introduction to the Science of the Judgments of the Stars, trans, by James Herschel Holden

Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 2008. paper xxi,213 pp. 22 cm.

Vettius Valens Anthologiae. ed. by David Pingree

Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1986. XXI, 583, [III}

had two or more MSS, from which he made a selection and put together what has come down to us.

In any case, we have here a set of definitions that can be compared with those that are found in Porphyry's Introduction to the Tetrabiblos, and in the works of other astrological writers. Some agree and others disagree.

SERAPIO OF ALEXANDRIA ASTROLOGICAL DEFINITIONS

Effective signs is said of the four angles and their succedents.

Effective stars are termed those "in power," angular, or in Fortuna, and those "in phase," or the trigons of the Sun when they occur.

Jointly-effective are those jointly angular, or in Fortuna,

and those "in phase."

Ineffective are those not so situated.

Helpers are termed those stars that are receiving at the same time, or those bearing witness, or intervening.

Working together are those in conjunction; while rendering service are those throwing themselves together (sc., in aspect).

In concord are those receiving equally, with reference to aspecting in harmony with each other.

Not in concord are those that are in no way aspecting each other, which comes about from the turning away of the inconjunct signs.^{^[102]}

Inconjunct are those signs that are numbering 6 or 8 signs past each other.^{^[103]}

Commanding is termed [a planet] when [it is] in its own house above the earth, angular^{^[104]} to Fortuna, and [when] thetwo Lights are in aspect; wherefore it is [also] termed commanding when it is in its own house angular to a Lot and similarly situated with respect to the Moon. If anyone of the five stars is angular to Fortuna [and is] not bearing witness to the Moon, it is effective; if it bears witness to the Moon [by] trine, square, or opposition, it commands; if the Sun is in the ASC, it commands; even if the Moon [is in] trine to Fortuna itself, and the Sun commands and is effective.

Dominating are termed those stars that are on the important houses of the geniture, i.e. those that are angular, and those "in phase," and those "on the Lots,"^{^[105]} and those that are exactly in the conjunctions (sc., New Moons).

A star is impedited whenever it is not in suitable [signs], or whenever by chance it is present [with] or surrounded by malefics, or opposite [them], or in dexter square [to them]. Because the benefic signs (sc., houses) are the ASC, the MC, the 11th, the 5th, [the one called] God (sc., the 9th), [the one called] Goddess (sc., the 3rd). And the malefic [signs] are the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, [8th], and the 12th.

Approaching is termed the one that is following (sc., in the diurnal rotation) the one preceding.

Neighboring is termed a sign that is succedent to the Moon towards which it moves; for that one is also called on the same meridian (lit., "glued together").

Lying at anchor [is termed] the sign that is not even neighboring the Moon.

They say it [is] prepollence by force whenever a star is on the 9th sign; but whenever none is present on the 9th, it is

'That is, in conjunction with the Lots.

[not] strong. But they become prepollent by degrees in this manner—whenever two stars are present in the same sign, and the one having fewer degrees prevails over the one having more degrees, e.g., the star of Mercury in Aries around the 10th degree, that of Saturn in the same sign around the 25th degree—it is evident that the [star] of Mercury prevails over that of Saturn by degrees.^{^[106]}

The stars are said to be in their own chariots whenever they are in their own exaltations.

Doryphory stars are said to be those that are oriental and rise before the Sun. But those rising after the Sun are occidental, and [also] those succedent to the Moon.

The 15 degrees before the Sun are said to be pious because then they are released from the Sun beams; the 15 degrees after the Sun [are said to be] impious because the stars found there are less efficacious, having fallen under the Sun beams.

The Moon is said to be in evening rising whenever she moves from the new Moon to the full Moon, but in morning rising from the full Moon to the new Moon.

Archetypal is said to be the so-called Part of Fortune, [and] the four sides of this foundation.^{^[107]}

Powerful stars are said to be Saturn, Jupiter, [and] Mars. A sign is called powerful in each geniture, that is the 10th and the 9th from the Moon, i.e., the dexter square and trine.

The first trine and square and sextile are said to be the

Подпись: 'Presumably, Serapio.
2The text has Jupiter in Capricorn and Saturn in Libra. But this must be a mistake for Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn in Capricorn, so I have corrected it.

sinister ones [because] the Moon first joins [herself] to some one of the stars.^{^[108]}

On the 10th is termed the dexter square.^{^[109]}

As soon as the Moon separates from the Sun by 15 degrees and rises, it is termed shining. Similarly too, the stars [with that separation] are termed shining.

Of the succedents, the 2nd house is better; of the four cadents, the 6th is better because of the trine to the MC.

Whenever Jupiter & Saturn are conjoined in Aquarius,

it is a very troublesome indication for the northern climes, those adjacent to our sea.

The MC to be sure and the individual angles give the acquisition, but those in the cadent [houses] declare the quality of the acquisition; for example, with Jupiter culminating, and Mars in the 6th, the acquisition is from Jupiter, but the quality from Mars—for example through military persons. The causing [one is] Jupiter, but the quality [is from] Mars—through that sort of persons.

More powerful are the Malefics in the cadent [houses] if any one of them is placed next to an angle, for the causes of the evil are from them, and especially if they are in the 6th. But the ineffective [ones] of the cadent stars are the most inefficacious in general.

The Fortune of the Daemon is often produced, for whenever the Light of the Sect^{^[110]} is in the terms of [a planet] out of sect, or not according to masculine or feminine; for example, by day the Sun in a feminine sign, or by night the Moon in a masculine sign; and whenever the Light of the Sect is not eastern in the hemisphere of the sect. But if both of the Lights [are] in the hemisphere under the earth, and the rest, not in domicile, have [a position] from the prevailing—that is [the] leading Light—to the following one, the Fortune is understood.

[He says]^{^[111]} that the trines are friendlier. Even if they are malefic, they hurt less; but the squares have the greatest powers; the sextiles [are] relaxed; the oppositions have rivalries, but [when they are oppositions] of the Malefics, the evils become more powerful. Moreover, even if they are angular, the conjunctions of the Benefics rejoicing in their own [signs are] best, but [when the conjunctions are] of the Malefics, the evils become milder.

[He says] that these oppositions [are] stronger: Moon in Taurus, Mars in Scorpio; Sun in Leo, Saturn in Aquarius; Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Capricorn^{^[112]}; because of these gods (sc. the Planets) being in domicile and their being in exaltation, for they become dominant then. But the worst configuration is by exchange, and in general by being opposed in their own terms, [and] it has the prepollence over the one that is exactly opposed. But often the rotundity of the earth hinders and injures the oppositions, for example in Virgo/Pisces; however, Jupiter and Saturn are not injured by the rotundity of the earth, and the Moon in Taurus and Mars in Scorpio are not injured, nor are those (sc., Jupiter and Saturn?). But all the others that are in opposition cannot be seen by each other because of the rotundity of the earth.

[He says] that the [planet], in whose terms the Moon is, is made House Ruler^{^[113]} whenever by chance the Ruler of the Terms [is] in the same sign or degree aspecting the Moon. From [those from] which it goes, it makes a separation, but to [those] degrees which it approaches, it conjoins them. But if the House Ruler approaches the degrees of the terms, and [if] the Moon is with it in the same terms, and if the Moon conjoins it, the conjunction will be powerful. In just the same manner, if it separates, the separation will be powerful. But if it is not thus, [and if] it is about to conjoin one of the planets either bodily or by aspect in those degrees which the Moon enters, it is needful to see if the Moon arrives at those terms that are those of the star to which she applied by aspect, and, if it is so, say [that] she has (dominance). But if by chance the Moon is not about to arrive at those terms, that is the same terms of the aspecting star, the conjunction will not be dominant; but this should be understood [in the case] of applications.

[He says] that the Moon rejoices conjoining the solar sect [when she is] full, or conjoining with her own sect [when she is] waning.

'Here, the term House Ruler probably means Ruler of the Nativity.

²These terms refer to the Moon's rate of motion; for example, slow in motion, but accelerating.

[He says] that the Moon, at the time she moves from the lesser to the medium,^{^[114]} makes those of moderate means; and from the medium to the lesser, those with lower [means]; and from the medium to the greater, it makes fortunate [persons]; and from the greater to the medium, those of moderate means. But these things are intensified or slackened according to the increase of the light; for when she is waning, it is as if it robs her of her power. But the causes of goodfortune or disappointment arise from all these [various] configurations. Unaspected by Jupiter [and] Venus, and void of course, she makes moderate [persons] fond of solitude; but, if she is also waning, those [who are] disappointed. But it is worse if they^{^[115]} are cadent or under the Sun beams.

The Moon separating from Mercury shows habit and purpose; from Venus, it makes enjoyment and such like; from Jupiter, bereft of one's soul and mind; from Saturn, bodily chills and distress in the nerves and some moist disease; but if from the Sun and Mars, [it makes] burnings and those things which are generated through fire.^{^[116]}

[He says] that he selects the phases of the stars in accordance with the [rules of] the divine Ptolemy, and not in accordance with [the rules of] Dorotheus.^{^[117]}

[He says] that the stars are powerful when they are square or opposite the Sun, and if they are [not] in ineffective houses.

[He says] that those things that Saturn benefits, no other star is able to take away.

[He says] that the Moon in square or opposition to Mars when full, and to Saturn when waning, and especially in angles, makes misfortunes and banishments.

[He says] that if any one of the stars chances to be in the first three degrees of a sign, it has its power in the previous

Подпись: 'This paragraph is not at all clear and appears to be corrupt. 2The Greek word amphoristoi is otherwise unattested, but it is related to amphoreus 'ajar with two handles, one on each side', so it refers to stars that have a position on one side of the Sun and on the other side of the Asc. There is no corresponding modern astrological term.
sign; just as if any one of the stars chances to be in the last three degrees of a sign, it has the power of its denotations in the next sign; and this especially occurs in the case of the Moon and the Sun. If any one is found on the dividing [line] of the two signs, it is more powerful and unlimited in its energies.

[He says] that the ASC and the stars in the orient and those in the morning rising signify those things at the peak of the time of life. And the MC and the [stars in the] evening rising and those in the 1st sextile show the [age of] youth ... The DSC and [the stars in] the western rising and the f sextiles and the succedents show the middle [age] ... And [the stars in] the IMC and the [stars that are in the] western rising and those in the 2nd sextile and the succedents signify the [time of] old age

The [stars that are] under the Sun beams [are] weak ...

Amphoristoi stars are those that are oriental to the Sun and occidental to the ASC.^{^[118]}

[He says] that the stars rejoice in benefic houses and in those of the same sect, for instance in their own houses; for then even the Malefics do good.

[He says] that the diurnal stars rejoice in masculine signs and when oriental to the Sun; and those of the nocturnal sect rejoice in feminine signs and when occidental to the Moon.

[He says] that the benefice in malefic houses and out of sect are bad.

[He says] that in masculine nativities the stars rejoice when they are in masculine signs, but in feminine nativities they rejoice when they are in feminine signs.

[He says] that the stars are bad¹ when they are opposing their own domiciles.

[He says] that in the Division of Times, when we make the progressions of the stars, one must recognize that the kollesis of the planets both with the ASC's and the MC's and with the Lots, [causes] the things that come about for them according to their temperaments to have the effects of being in the MC, especially if they both have the same latitude.^{^[119]}

[He says] that first of all, it is necessary to find the Ruler of the Year and its temperament and those aspecting it, and its position according to fixing and according to passage and how it was situated in the nativity.

[He says] that it is also necessary to set up the ASC of the year accurately in the revolution of a nativity and [to note] those aspecting it, and its ruler according to the fixing and according to the passage.

'This is now called being in detriment.

[He says that] the planets rejoice when they are in their own thrones, even if they are under the Sun beams, for the benefice increase their good things, and the malefics change into being benefic.

'See James Herschel Holden, A History of Horoscopic Astrology (Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 1996), p. 63 and n. 158; 2nd ed. (Tempe, Az.: (A,F.A., Inc., 2006), pp. 65-66 and n. 158.

^{^[2]}See the papers by David Pingree, "Antiochus and Rhetorius" in Classical Philology LXXII (1977): 203-223, and "From Alexandria to Baghdad to Byzantium. The Transmission of Astrology" in the International Journal of the Classical Tradition 8,1 (Summer 2001): 3-37.

'See James Herschel Holden, A History of Horoscopic Astrology (Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 1996), p. 63 and n. 158; 2nd ed. (Tempe, Az.: (A,F.A., Inc., 2006), pp. 65-66 and n. 158.

^{^[4]}Pingree says that despite the title and Preface the work is not a commentary on Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos. This is consistent with my opinion that it is actually a sort of Astrological Dictionary.

'See James Herschel Holden, A History of Horoscopic Astrology (Tempe, Az.: A.F.A., Inc., 1996), p. 63 and n. 158; 2nd ed. (Tempe, Az.: (A,F.A., Inc., 2006), pp. 65-66 and n. 158.

'The first station is called static retrograde by modern astrologers.

^{^[8]}That is, when it comes to the sign in the zodiac following the Sun.

^{^[9]}This seems to be an earlier version of the phase "in the heart of the Sun," where the orb is cut down to 17 or 18 minutes (the semi-diameter of the Sun).

^{^[10]}These phase differences are mentioned by Pliny, Natural History II, 60

^{^[11]}Here and in the latter part of the sentence I have translated anatole 'rising above the horizon' as 'appearance'.

'The first station is called static retrograde by modern astrologers.

^{^[13]}Now termed static direct.

^{^[14]}That is, when it comes to the sign in the zodiac following the Sun.

'Literally, a point in the orbit. Usually used only of the farthest and closest points in the orbit, but here also used of the points in between those. The "highest apside" is the apogee or the farthest point from the Earth, and the "lowest apside" is the perigee or the closest point to the Earth. Porphyry is describing the planetary motion in an epicycle.

^{^[16]}That is, "in conjunction with the Sun."

^{^[17]}The acronychal phase is when the planet rises when the Sun sets, i.e., when the planet is in opposition to the Sun.

'This is an attempt to give a reason for the selection of certain signs as exaltations. However, the exaltation signs were actually designated by the Babylonians as "the secret places of the stars." And their reasons for choosing a specific sign for each planet are unknown.

^{^[19]}That is, "in conjunction with the Sun."

^{^[20]}The acronychal phase is when the planet rises when the Sun sets, i.e., when the planet is in opposition to the Sun.

^{^[21]}He is talking about aspects. The definition is correct for a point in one of the eastern quadrants. Aspects cast in the direction of the diurnal motion are dexter and

'Or its partile aspect with it.

^{^[23]}Cf. Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, Chapter 38. "Bonding".

^{^[24]}Cf. Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, Chapter 38. "Bonding".

'This is somewhat like the later term, Transfer of Light, although the latter term requires that the intermediate star separate from one star and apply immediately to another star.

^{^[26]}This is similar to the later term, Collection of Light.

^{^[27]}I have substituted 'house' where the original text has 'ASC again. And this defi

^{^[28]}This is similar to the later term, Collection of Light.

^{^[29]}I have substituted 'house' where the original text has 'ASC again. And this defi

nition seems to be incomplete from the later definition, in which one significator applies initially to the other but then turns retrograde and does not complete the application, thus being "reined in" or "restrained" as it were. And note the explicit reference to Horary Astrology!

'Note that this definition differs from the modern one, in which the Moon is said to be 'void of course' if it does not make another aspect before it leaves the sign that it is in.

^{^[32]}This means "preceding counter-clockwise in the direction of the zodiac," i.e. on the left of another Planet, which is said to "follow" behind it.

^{^[33]}So, a Planet casts a ray to a Planet on its right, which ray is beheld by that Planet. Rather as if one person shone a flashlight forward on another person, and that person looked back and beheld the person shining the light.

^{^[34]}That is, whether the planet is merely in a sign that is in aspect to the sign the other Planet is in, or whether the two Planets are actually in partile aspect.

'This definition is awkward. The term is more clearly defined by Rhetorius, Compendium of Astrology, Chapter 30 "Jointpossession is when two planets are in a single sign or behold it—it happening to be the domicile of one and the exaltation of the other."

'This is the oikodespotes literally, the 'house-ruler', by which is meant the ruler of a sign of the zodiac. But it is often used in astrology to mean "Ruler of the Nativity," and that is what Porphyry is attempting to make clear.

'A scholium of Demophilus: It must signify that one must take not only the phase in the rising but also in the setting and in a station. But Dorotheus also says to include the setting phases of the revolving stars.

^{^[36]}That is, the new Moon.

^{^[38]}That is, the new Moon.

The Greek text has ephexes 'in order', but I think 'parallel' is better—that is, one on one side of the 0-180 line and the other opposite it on the other side of the line.

'These are properly called commanding and obeying signs. They are the pairs of signs that are equally distant from an equinox, but in opposite hemispheres; and they consequently have equal rising times. But the Alexandrian founders originally reckoned the pairs as being equidistant from an equinoctial sign (e.g. Taurus & Pisces, Gemini & Aquarius, etc.); those pairs were also cited by the authors mentioned in the next note.

^{^[41]}These are the original pairings of signs supposed to be on either side of the summer solstice. But the Alexandrian founders customarily reckoned by whole signs; hence, for them the entire sign of Cancer constituted the solstice. These same pairings of signs are given by Manilius, Astronomica, 2.485-519; Vettius Valens, Anthology, i. 7; Dorotheus, Pentateuch, cited by Hephaestio, Apotelesmatics, ii. 23; Paul of Alexandria, Introduction, Chapter 8; and Maximus. Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, Chapter 19, gets them mixed up with the commanding and obeying signs. However, since the solstice is actually at the beginning of Cancer, the pairings should be Gemini and Cancer, Taurus and Leo, and Aries and Virgo. And Firmicus, Mathesis, ii. 29, gets it right.

^{^[42]}We must remember here that the ancients only recognized the sextile, the square,

^{^[44]}These are the original pairings of signs supposed to be on either side of the summer solstice. But the Alexandrian founders customarily reckoned by whole signs; hence, for them the entire sign of Cancer constituted the solstice. These same pairings of signs are given by Manilius, Astronomica, 2.485-519; Vettius Valens, Anthology, i. 7; Dorotheus, Pentateuch, cited by Hephaestio, Apotelesmatics, ii. 23; Paul of Alexandria, Introduction, Chapter 8; and Maximus. Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, Chapter 19, gets them mixed up with the commanding and obeying signs. However, since the solstice is actually at the beginning of Cancer, the pairings should be Gemini and Cancer, Taurus and Leo, and Aries and Virgo. And Firmicus, Mathesis, ii. 29, gets it right.

^{^[45]}We must remember here that the ancients only recognized the sextile, the square,

The rule simply says to count back 9 months (or signs), and there is the Sun sign of conception, which is in sinister square to the Sun sign at birth. 'That is, on what day of the lunar month the person was born. Cf. Leopold of Austria, Compilation of the Science of the Stars, Treatise 7, "By whatever number of degrees the conjunction of the Sun and the Moon or the full Moon preceded the nativity, that same number of degrees will be the angle of a human nativity..."

^{^[47]}None of this makes any sense. The passage is obviously corrupt. Vettius Valens, Anthology, i. 21, gives elaborate rules for making conception calculations. But they depend upon the distance of the natal Moon from the DSC degree.

^{^[48]}Another cryptic set of rules.

^{^[50]}None of this makes any sense. The passage is obviously corrupt. Vettius Valens, Anthology, i. 21, gives elaborate rules for making conception calculations. But they depend upon the distance of the natal Moon from the DSC degree.

^{^[51]}Another cryptic set of rules.

than its longitude measured from the beginning of its sign). Which would be its longitude from the beginning of its sign.

^{^[54]}That is, with the 'Terms According to the Egyptians'.

^{^[55]}The aphetic place, literally 'the starting place', is that point in a horoscope from which a direction or profection indicative of the lifespan of the native is measured. This original term has been replaced in more recent astrological literature by the term hyleg (from the Arabic hilaj from the Middle Persian hilak 'letting loose', a translation of the Greek aphetes 'starter'). The anaeretic place, literally 'the destructive place', is the termination of a direction or profection that is assumed to indicate the death of the native.

'Again, these are the traditional rising times as mentioned above.

^{^[58]}The Handy Tables were a set of astronomical tables prepared by Ptolemy that summarized the tables in his larger work, the Almagest and provided some useful auxiliary tables. Most astrologers from the fourth century on used the Handy Tables because they were more convenient.

^{^[59]}Note that the procedure that follows (using Ptolemy's rising times) determines the average rising time of a degree in each of the 12 signs, not the rising time of a specific degree. Hence, it is only an approximation to the actual rising-time of a particular degree. For example, for the Clime of Meroe (16N27) the average rising-time of a degree of Aries is 0°48'40", but the average rising-time of a degree of Taurus is 0°54'08" (using the correct rising time for Taurus). This discrepancy gets larger with an increase in latitude. Obviously (to us, at least), the use of an average rising-time for a degree would inject some error into determining the time when a primary direction would act.

^{^[60]}It should be 18 months and 44 days.

^{^[61]}Scholium. However that division has yielded the rising-times, both the month

^{^[62]}It should be 18 months and 44 days.

^{^[63]}Scholium. However that division has yielded the rising-times, both the month

and also the rising-times, for the years are also observed from these. In all climes

^{^[65]}Not so! Ptolemy gives no such instructions for house division. He merely states that certain houses in the hemisphere above the earth are in aspect to the 1 st house as he defined it. And his statement is consistent with a slightly modified version of what we call 'Equal House', in which each house has 30 degrees.

'That is, the IMC

^{^[67]}Here again Porphyry is comparing the Equal House Division of the houses, which is what Ptolemy had in mind, with what we call the Porphyry House Division. Naturally they do not agree, for only in the Equal House system (or in the older Sign-House system) can we have 30° in each house.

'Greek for 'light-bearing'.

Greek. Still another word for 'shining'.

^{^[70]}The Greek word palinodes ordinarily means 'throbbing', 'pulsating', 'quivering'; in Modern Greek 'vibrating' or 'shaking'. If this is what Porphyry wrote, its meaning was perhaps 'alternating', referring to Mercury's moving back and forth fairly often from one side of the Sun to the other side.

Mercury is more difficult to observe because it is close to the Sun and is always seen not far above the horizon.

Greek. Still another word for 'shining'.

^{^[73]}Since the Moon moves the fastest, it can both apply to and separate from all the other stars (Planets).

'Whatever color beavers were in antiquity—probably black or very dark brown, nearly black.

^{^[75]}The Greek text has galaizouses, an otherwise unattested word that would appear to mean 'being milky white'. But I assume this is a blunder forglaukizouses 'being bluish-grey', since Zeus is the sky-god.

^{^[76]}This seems to be an unusual color assignment for the Moon.

^{^[77]}The Latin word decanus means 'someone presiding over ten persons'; hence, by analogy someone presiding over 10 degrees. The Egyptians gave each decan a name and considered the 36 decans to be minor divinities.

^{^[78]}This Greek word means 'rising alongside' and is said of the fixed stars that rise with specific degrees of the Zodiac in a particular geographic latitude. The word was popularized by Cyril Fagan (1896-1970) and has come to be recognized as a technical term in modern astrology.

'Whatever color beavers were in antiquity—probably black or very dark brown, nearly black.

^{^[80]}The Greek text has galaizouses, an otherwise unattested word that would appear to mean 'being milky white'. But I assume this is a blunder forglaukizouses 'being bluish-grey', since Zeus is the sky-god.

^{^[81]}This seems to be an unusual color assignment for the Moon.

'This Chapter also agrees almost verbatim with Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, Chapter 11.

^{^[83]}The Greek text has emeiseis choras 'half regions', which makes no sense. I have

'This Chapter also agrees almost verbatim with Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, Chapter 11.

^{^[85]}The Greek text has emeiseis choras 'half regions', which makes no sense. I have

omitted the word 'half.

^{^[87]}Reading kai 'also' with MS L rather than kata 'according to' with the other MSS and the CCAG editors.

^{^[88]}This chapter is nearly identical to Rhetorius, Astrological Compendium, Chapter 14.

The rising times of the signs that he has given here are again the traditional rising times, not the Ptolemaic rising times. What Porphyry is doing here is finding where 120° of rising times (starting from the beginning of Aries) will be in Leo. Adding the rising times of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer, he comes up 13°20' short of 120°. So he then divides 13°20' by 35° (which is the rising time of Leo) and multiplies the result by 30°. That gives him 11°26' or 11 Vi as he calls it. And so he says that 120 rising times from the beginning of Aries comes to 11 Уг Leo.

^{^[90]}This is 35°00' - 13°20' = 21°40' or approximately the 21 °35' that he mentions.

Horoscopes.

'Nothing is known of Phnaes except that he must have written before Porphyry. Franz Cumont thinks that he may have been one of the sources of Antiochus of Athens. If so, then he wrote in the second century A.D. or earlier. "Evidently a marginal note that was accidentally incorporated into the text.

^{^[93]}The classical astrologers viewed the aspects as being the sides of triangles, squares, or hexagons inscribed within the zodiacal circle. Hence I sometimes translate the Greek word trigon as 'trine' and sometimes as 'triangle'.

^{^[95]}This is 35°00' - 13°20' = 21°40' or approximately the 21 °35' that he mentions.

'18 1/21/7 degrees = 18°38'. He got that by dividing 21 °45' by 35°00' and multiplying the result by 30°.

^{^[98]}This is 35°00' - 21°45' = 13°15'.

^{^[99]}And here he has shown that his 18°38' Scorpio is close to 120° from the beginning of Aries. We may note that 18°38' Scorpio is approximately the con-tra-antiscion of 11°26' Leo, since both longitudes were arrived at by measuring 120 rising times both clockwise and counter-clockwise from the beginning of Aries.

^{^[100]}Here, the ages of man are reckoned in a clockwise direction like the motion of

'The material in this Chapter is similar to that which is contained in the two Chapters "Testimony" and "The Joys of the Planets" in Sahl ibn Bishr's Book I.

The contents of these tables are derived from the two papers by David Pingree. The letter E before the chapter numbers in the left-hand column indicates the numbering of the chapters in the Parisian Epitome.

'18 1/21/7 degrees = 18°38'. He got that by dividing 21 °45' by 35°00' and multiplying the result by 30°.

'These are planets in semi-sextile or quincunx—aspects that were not recognized by the classical astrologers.

^{^[103]}That is, those that are in what we call quincunx aspect.

^{^[104]}That is square.

'The reason for this is that the one with fewer degrees will rise before the one with more degrees.

^{^[107]}Perhaps a reference to a system of houses reckoned from the Part of Fortune.

'Namely by moving in the sinister direction.

^{^[109]}Cf. Grant Lewi's "upper square", as defined in his book Astrology for the Millions (New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1940; Saint Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1977 5th ed.), Chapter VI.

^{^[110]}The 'conditional luminary'. This is more commonly called the Light of the Time.

'Namely by moving in the sinister direction.

^{^[112]}Cf. Grant Lewi's "upper square", as defined in his book Astrology for the Millions (New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1940; Saint Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1977 5th ed.), Chapter VI.

'Which planets is he referring to?

^{^[114]}The significations of the Moon's separation from a planet (and applying to none) are given by Firmicus, Mathesis, Book 4.

'Which planets is he referring to?

^{^[116]}The significations of the Moon's separation from a planet (and applying to none) are given by Firmicus, Mathesis, Book 4.

^{^[117]}Hence, this sentence cannot be earlier than the 2nd century A.D.; but, since Ptolemy's works were probably not available to the astrological public until the end of the third century at the earliest, it probably dates from the fourth century or later.

^{^[118]}A kollesis is a conjunction within three degrees. Cumont is suspicious of 'being in the MC, and in fact it is not clear what the author is talking about, unless he means that a close conjunction of two progressed planets in the ASC, the MC, or with a Lot has a 10th house effect.

^{^[119]}A kollesis is a conjunction within three degrees. Cumont is suspicious of 'being in the MC, and in fact it is not clear what the author is talking about, unless he means that a close conjunction of two progressed planets in the ASC, the MC, or with a Lot has a 10th house effect.

^{^[120]}Cumont says that Serapio seems to have taken these comments from Hermes Trismegistus's book on the twelve houses. I would add that Hermes related the native's life to the Sun, which begins the day at the ASC, reached mid-day at the MC, and ends the day at the DSC. And the sign that is in the cadent house would have come to the angle first before the sign that is now on the angle, and the sign that is in the succedent house would come to the angle after the sign that is now on the angle.

^{^[121]}In other classical writings the IMC is assigned to burial rather than to death.