Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos : $b or Quadripartite, being four books of the influence of the stars ... with a preface, explanatory notes, and an appendix containing extracts from the Almagest of Ptolemy and the whole of his Centiloquy, together with a short notice of Mr. Ranger's zodiacal planisphere and an explanatory platePtolemy
Religion
Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos : $b or Quadripartite, being four books of the influence of the stars ... with a preface, explanatory notes, and an appendix containing extracts from the Almagest of Ptolemy and the whole of his Centiloquy, together with a short notice of Mr. Ranger's zodiacal planisphere and an explanatory plate
Ptolemy
Astrology -- Early works to 1800
The remaining quadrant is the vast tract known by the general name of
Libya. Its several parts, distinguished by the particular names of
Numidia, Carthage, Africa,[78] Phazania, Nasamonitis, Garamantica,
Mauritania, Getulia, and Metagonitis, are situated in the south-west
of the entire earth, and have due familiarity with the south-west
triplicity, composed of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces; their rulers
therefore are Mars and Venus, in vespertine position. From this
figuration of the planets it results that the dwellers in these regions
are doubly governed by a man and a woman, who are both children of
the same mother; the man rules the males, and the woman the females.
They are extremely hot in constitution, and desirous of women; their
marriages are usually made by violence, and in many districts the local
princes first enjoy the brides of their subjects: in some places,
however, the women are common to all. The influence of Venus causes the
whole people to delight in personal ornaments, and in being arrayed
in female attire: nevertheless, that of Mars renders them courageous,
crafty, addicted to magic, and fearless of dangers.
[77] It is usually understood that the male deity, coupled by the
Phrygians with Cybele, “the mother of the Gods,” was called by them
Atys; and that Adonis was the name used by the Phœnicians in addressing
the associate of Venus. It has been said that these divinities were
identical with the Isis and Osiris of the Ægyptians.
[78] The name of Africa was, in Ptolemy’s time, limited to those parts
of the coast on the Mediterranean which contained the ancient Utica,
and in which Tunis now stands. Josephus says the name is derived from
Afer (one of the posterity of Abraham by Cethurah), who is stated to
have led an army into Libya, and to have established himself in the
country. This Afer is, of course, the same with Epher, mentioned in the
fourth verse of the 25th chapter of Genesis, as a son of Midian, one of
the sons of Abraham by his concubine Keturah.
Again, however, of the above-named countries, Numidia, Carthage, and
Africa, are more particularly in familiarity with Cancer and the
Moon: their inhabitants, consequently, live in community, attend to
mercantile pursuits, and enjoy abundantly all the blessings of nature.
The natives of Metagonitis, Mauritania, and Getulia, are influenced by
Scorpio and Mars, and are consequently ferocious and pugnacious in the
highest degree; eaters of human flesh, utterly indifferent to danger,
and so regardless and prodigal of blood, as to slay each other without
hesitation on the slightest cause. The people in Phazania, Nasamonitis,
and Garamantica, are connected with Pisces and Jupiter, and are
accordingly frank and simple in manners, fond of employment, well
disposed, fond of the decencies of life, and, for the most part, free
and unrestrained in their actions: they worship Jupiter by the name of
Ammon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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