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(IV.) HISTORY - The Imperial Planets

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Bianca
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« on: August 17, 2007, 03:07:56 pm »





The sceptics were thinning out, and fighting a by no means successful rearguard action. Cicero remained unconvinced, even after a stay on Rhodes with the Greek Stoic Posidonius, and a close friendship with Nigidius Figulus.

He seems to tolerate the idea of astrology in his On my consulate, but later unequivocally states his opinion that 'the condition of the heavenly bodies may, if you will, influence some things, but it certainly will not influence everything.' He was not silly enough to deny that the Sun influenced the growth of plants, or the Moon the tides, but was very doubtful about any effect the planets might have on human life.

And still later, in his essay On divination, he pressed the attack, giving eight specific criticisms, including the old question of the birth of twins, the possibility of astrologers not being able properly to see the sky, and the effect of environment - also bringing in the fact that 'the parental seed' contributed to a person's appearance, habits and outlook, and that the new advances in medicine meant that 'natural defects' with which a child might be born could be cured.

On divination is perhaps the coolest example of early Roman scepticism; another occurs in Lucretius' poem De rerum natura, in which he argues in favour of free will, and that the soul is as mortal as the body, and thus no celestial panacea is acceptable.
                                              
                           JULIUS CAESAR

Among the myths perpetuated by some astrological historians is that representing Julius Caesar as a proponent of astrology, or even himself an astrologer. On the contrary, he seems to have been almost entirely sceptical, although he accepted the obvious planetary effect on weather and plant growth.

Otherwise, he not only rejected old-fashioned omens, but at least two horoscopes presented to him by celebrated astrologers promising him a happy and peaceful death at the height of years of success. Perhaps the legends of his interest in the subject arose because of his choice of the symbol of the Bull as his legionary standard (Taurus is 'ruled' by Venus, and Venus herself was said to be Caesar's ancestress).

Most likely, he chose this deliberately, pandering to the superstition of the ordinary soldiers. There seems to be no reason to reject the story that tells of his refusing to accept his wife Calpurnia's warning dream of the night before his death; and it seems, too, to be a fact that an astrologer called Spurinna warned him to 'beware the Ides of March'.

He seems to have known Spurinna quite well; he mentions him in his letters. It is also likely that it was this astrologer who, in 46 BC, had advised Caesar against crossing to Africa until after the winter solstice - advice Caesar rejected, and without catastrophe.

Cicero knew him well, too, and scorned his abilities. Well, he was accurate enough when he warned Caesar that he 'should beware a danger which would not threaten him beyond the Ides of March', as Plutarch reported it; and Cassius Dio, the Roman historian of AD c 150-235, pointed out that here was a good example of the fateful nature of a firm astrological prediction.

At Caesar's death, a splendidly showy comet appeared, to blaze through the night sky for seven consecutive evenings; clearly he had become immortal, and was on his way to shine among the stars
« Last Edit: August 21, 2007, 09:17:36 am by Bianca2001 » Report Spam   Logged

Your mind understands what you have been taught; your heart what is true.


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