TRANSLATED FROM THE THIRD BOOK OF THE MATHESIS OF JULIUS FIRMICUS
MATERNUS.
“O Lollianus, the glory and ornament of our country, it is requisite to
know, in the first place, that the God, who is the fabricator of man,
produced his form, his condition, and his whole essence, in the image
and similitude of the world, nature pointing out the way[35]. For he
composed the body of man, as well as of the world, from the mixture of
the four elements, viz. of fire, water, air, and earth, in order that
the conjunction of all these, when they were mingled in due proportion,
might adorn an animal in the form of a divine imitation. And thus the
Demiurgus exhibited man by the artifice of a divine fabrication, in such
a way, that in a small body he might bestow the power and essence of
all the elements, nature, for this purpose, bringing them together; and
also, so that from the divine spirit, which descended from a celestial
intellect, to the support of the mortal body, he might prepare an abode
for man, which, though fragile, might be similar to the world. On this
account, the five stars[36], and also the sun and moon, sustain man by
a fiery and eternal agitation, as if he were a minor world[37]; so that
the animal which was made in imitation of the world might be governed
by an essence similarly divine. Hence those divine men Petosiris and
Necepso[b], who deserve all possible admiration, and whose wisdom
approached to the very penetralia of Deity, scientifically delivered to
us the geniture of the world, that they might demonstrate and show that
man was fashioned conformably to the nature and similitude of the world,
and that he is under the dominion of the same principles by which the
world itself is governed and contained, and is perennially supported by
the companions of perpetuity[38].
“According to Æsculapius, therefore, and Anubius[39], to whom especially
the divinity Mercury committed the secrets of the astrological science,
the geniture of the world is as follows: They constituted the Sun in the
15th part of Leo, the Moon in the 15th part of Cancer, Saturn in the
15th part of Capricorn, Jupiter in the 15th part of Sagittary, Mars in
the 15th part of Scorpio, Venus in the 15th part of Libra, Mercury in
the 15th part of Virgo, and the Horoscope in the 15th part of Cancer.
Conformably to this geniture, therefore, to these conditions of the
stars, and the testimonies which they adduce in confirmation of this
geniture, they are of opinion that the destinies of men, also, are
disposed in accordance with the above arrangement, as may be learnt
from that book of Æsculapius which is called Μυριογενεσις, (i. e. Ten
Thousand, or an innumerable multitude of Genitures,) in order that
nothing in the several genitures of men may be found to be discordant
with the above-mentioned geniture of the world.
“We may see, therefore, how far or after what manner a star accommodates
the testimony of its radiation to the luminaries. For the luminaries are
the Sun and Moon. But Saturn first conjoins himself with the Moon: for he
follows the condition of the Moon. He does this, however, because, being
constituted in a feminine[40] sign, he diametrically receives the rays
of the Moon, which is also constituted in a feminine sign. But when the
same Saturn, in that geniture, makes a transition to the sign Aquarius,
he again conjoins himself to the Sun by a similar radiation, and is again
disposed in the same condition as that of the Sun. For being constituted
in a masculine sign, he associates himself by an equal testimony of
radiation, since he diametrically looks towards the Sun, with a radiation
similar to that with which he regards the Moon. After this manner also
Jupiter is constituted in Sagittary, and through a trigon affording a
testimony to the Sun, first conjoins himself to his condition, and on
this account being constituted in a masculine sign, and associating with
the Sun, who is constituted in a sign of the same kind, first follows
the power of it; but when he has made a transition to Pisces, he again
conjoins himself in a like condition to the Moon. For he, in a similar
manner, being posited through a trigon in a feminine sign, looks towards
the Moon, who is constituted in a sign of the same kind, with an equal
radiation of condition.
“In like manner also the planet Mars, being constituted in Scorpio,
because he is in a feminine sign, through a trigon, affords a testimony
to the Moon; but when he comes to Aries, he affords a testimony to
the Sun, and making a transition, being placed in a masculine sign,
he conjoins himself by a trigonic radiation with the Sun. This mode,
however, is changeable; for Mars being constituted in Libra, which is a
masculine sign, yet he affords a testimony to the Moon through a square
aspect; but when he has made a transition to Taurus, being constituted
in a feminine sign, and looking towards the Sun by a square radiation,
he again affords a testimony to it. These [divine] men, however, were
of opinion that the planet Mercury is common in the above-mentioned
geniture, this star affording no testimony either to the Sun or Moon
by a square, or a trigon, or a diameter; nor does it conjoin itself by
radiation either with the Sun or Moon. But if Mercury is a morning star,
he is delighted by day with the Sun, but if an evening star, by night
with the Moon. All that we have here said, these men were of opinion
ought to be observed in the genitures of men[41], and thought that they
could not discover the destiny of man, except those radiations were
collected by a sagacious investigation. Lest, however, the fabulous
device[42] of these men should deceive you, and lest some one should
think that this geniture of the world was contrived by these most wise
men, without a cause, it is requisite that we should explain all things
particularly, in order that the great sagacity displayed in this device,
may, by the most diligent expositions, be intimated to all men.
“The world had not a certain day of its origin, nor was there any time
in which the world was formed by the counsel of a divine intellect,
and providential Deity; nor has the eager desire of human fragility
been able to extend itself so far as to conceive or explain the origin
of the world, especially since the greater apocatastasis of it, which
is effected by a conflagration or a deluge[43], consists of 300,000
years[c]. For the mundane apocatastasis is accustomed to be accomplished
by these two events; since a deluge follows a conflagration, because
substances which are burnt can no otherwise be renovated and restored
to their pristine appearance and form, than by the admixtions and the
concrete dust of the ashes, which are a collection of generative seeds
becoming prolific. Divine men, therefore, following the example of
mathematicians in the genitures of men, have prudently devised this,
as if it were the geniture of the world. Hence I deem it expedient to
explain the contrivance of that divine composition, in order that the
admirable reason of the conjectural scheme may be unfolded according to
the rules of art.
“These divine men, therefore, wished so to constitute the Moon [in the
geniture of the world], that it might conjoin itself with Saturn, and
might deliver the dominion of periodical revolutions. Nor was this
improperly devised. For because the first origin of the world[d] [i. e.
the beginning of the first mundane period] was uncultivated and rude,
and savage through rustic association, and also because barbarous men,
having entered on the first vestiges of light, and which were unknown
to them, were destitute of reason, in consequence of having abandoned
humanity[44], these divine men were of opinion, that this rustic and
barbarous time was Saturnian, that, in imitation of this star, the
beginning of life might be characterized by barbaric and inhuman
ferocity. After Saturn, Jupiter received periodical power. For to
this planet the Moon was conjoined in the second place, in order that
pristine and squalid rusticity being deserted, and the ferocity of rude
association being laid aside, human life might be cultivated through the
purification of the manners. In the third place, the Moon conjoining
herself with Mars, delivered to him the power of periodical revolution;
so that mortality having entered into the right path of life, and
inhumanity being subdued by a certain moderation, all the ornaments of
arts and fabrications might originate from this conjunction. After Mars,
Venus received predominating power, in order that, human disciplines
gradually increasing, prudence and wisdom might adorn mankind. Hence
they were of opinion that this time, in which the manners of men were
cultivated by learning, and naturally formed to rectitude by the several
disciplines, was under the dominion of Venus; so that being protected
by the majesty of this joyful and salutary divinity, they might govern
their erroneous actions by the ruling power of Providence. But [these
divine men] conceived the last period to be under the dominion of
Mercury, to whom the Moon in the last place conjoins herself. What can
be found more subtle than this arrangement? For mankind being purified
from rude and savage pursuits, arts also having been invented, and
disciplines disposed in an orderly manner, the human race sharpened its
inventive power. And because the noble genius in man could not preserve
[uniformly] one course of life, the improbity of evil increased from
various institutes, and confused manners and the crimes of a life of
wickedness prevailed: hence the human race in this period both invented
and delivered to others more enormous machinations. On this account these
wise men thought that this last period should be assigned to Mercury[e],
so that, in imitation of that star, the human race might give birth to
inventions replete with evil[45].
“That nothing, however, may be omitted by us requisite to the elucidation
of this subject, all things are to be explained, which prove that man
was formed in the imitation and similitude of the world[46]. And that
the mundane apocatastasis is effected through a conflagration and a
deluge, we also have asserted, and is confirmed by all men. The substance
likewise of the human body, the course of life having received its
completion, is, after a similar manner, dissolved. For as often as,
through the natural ardour of heat, the human body is too much relaxed,
it evaporates in consequence of the inundations of humours; and thus
it always suffers a decoction from a fiery ardour, or is dissolved by
excessive desudation. Nor do the wisest interpreters of the medical art
assert, that the substance of the human race is dissolved by a natural
termination in any other way, than by either moisture dissolving fire, or
again heat predominating, fire being inwardly and deeply extinguished, is
left without moisture. Thus the artificer, Nature, constituted man in an
all-various imitation of the world, so that whatever dissolves, or forms
the essence of the world, this also should be the cause of the formation
and dissolution of man.”