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Transcript
0:00 The new star was faint at first, little more than a glimmer in the summer dusk.
0:06 But as the Romans gathered to celebrate Caesar’s funeral games, it blazed brilliantly – a
0:11 sign, it was said, that the great man’s soul had joined the gods.
0:16 For seven days it was visible over the tile roofs and umbrella pines, a rival to the setting
0:22 sun.
0:23 Then it faded, with the majesty befitting a god, into the shimmering calendar of the
0:28 heavens.
0:30 Although a few scholars flirted with heliocentrism, virtually all Greeks and Romans accepted that
0:36 the earth occupied the center of the universe.
0:40 Around the earth revolved the seven planets, named for the gods.
0:45 First came the moon, near enough for its distance to be estimated by parallax during eclipses.
0:51 Beyond were Mercury, Venus, and the sun, which Aristotle described as a globe of luminous
0:57 ether.
0:58 Then Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, all embedded – like the other planets – in “spheres”
1:05 that carried them around the earth in a geometric dance of orbits and epicycles.
1:08 The outermost sphere of the universe carried the stars, which the definitive ancient catalog
1:16 grouped into 48 constellations.
1:19 The Greeks had identified some stars with figures from myth from a very early period
1:24 – Homer, for example, mentions the Pleiades.
1:28 But the division of the entire night sky into constellations seems to have taken place only
1:34 in the fourth century BC.
1:37 Of special significance were the 12 constellations of the Zodiac, aligned with the tracks of
1:42 the planets along the ecliptic.
1:44 The Zodiac had first been defined in Mesopotamia, where scholars had observed the heavens for
1:50 millennia, keeping careful records of eclipses, planetary motions, and other phenomena.
1:56 In the wake of Alexander’s conquests, these records became accessible to Greek astronomers,
2:02 along with the Babylonian tradition of using the motions of the planets to foretell the
2:07 future.
2:08 [embedded ad text redacted]
3:27 Back to the stars.
3:30 Astrology was born from the fusion of Babylonian astronomy with the methods of Greek science.
3:36 It seems to have originated in Hellenistic Alexandria, probably around the end of the
3:40 second century BC, when new developments in Greek scientific astronomy were being fueled
3:46 by the translation of Mesopotamian records.
3:50 Like its modern descendants, ancient astrology attempted to determine outcomes from the positions
3:56 and interrelations of the planets and signs of the Zodiac.
4:01 With knowledge of an individual’s birth date, astrologers claimed that they could
4:05 chart the whole future course of a life, and pick the most propitious time for undertaking
4:10 anything from a voyage to a bath.
4:14 Although some doubted that the stars influenced human affairs – pointing, for example, to
4:19 the fact that twins born in the same place and under the same stars often led very different
4:25 lives – most Greeks and Romans regarded astrology as a natural and legitimate extension
4:30 of astronomy.
4:33 Astrologers were especially popular in early imperial Rome, where they became confidants
4:37 of the emperors.
4:39 Augustus put Capricorn, his Zodiac sign, on his coins.
4:44 Scorpio, Tiberius’ birth sign, became the emblem of the praetorian guard.
4:50 Hadrian considered himself a master of astrology, and foretold the hour and day of his death.
4:56 Another emperor married a woman whose horoscope predicted she would become a queen.
5:02 The astrological manual of Firmicus Maternus, who wrote during the fourth century, illuminates
5:07 the degree to which the stars were thought to govern mortal lives.
5:12 According to Maternus, for example, any man born in the first degree of Libra will be
5:17 handsome and lovable.
5:19 If the ascendant is in the feminine stars, unfortunately, he is destined to be a male
5:24 prostitute, but one loved by all for his charm and sophistication.
5:29 Those born in the seventh degree of Libra, Maternus continues, will be captured by pirates
5:34 at some point, or possibly devoured by wild beasts.
5:39 Those born in the twentieth degree will be great doctors – unless Mars is in that degree,
5:44 in which case they are doomed to fall from a great height.
5:47 To move to a different sign, those born in the first degree of Sagittarius will be pious
5:52 and just, but those born in the second degree are sure to be ill-tempered sacrilegious liars.
6:00 Occasionally, Maternus is quite specific: those born in the tenth degree of Capricorn,
6:06 for example, will be charming adulterers, who will seduce all their friends’ wives
6:11 but never be caught.
6:13 Their own wives, however, will be equally adulterous.
6:18 They will become rich, and die abruptly.
6:21 Understandably, in the view of such dire predictions, Roman parents took care to note when their
6:27 children were born, sometimes stationing a man with a gong to inform a waiting astrologer
6:33 of the exact moment.
6:35 Doctors studied astrological manuals to determine the moon’s effects on the human body; philosophers
6:41 hailed astrological predictions as manifestations of omnipotent fate.
6:47 The seven laps in a standard chariot race and the seven degrees of Mithraism were pattered
6:52 on the seven planets, as was the seven-day week we still use, each of its days named
6:58 for the planet that governed its first hour.
7:01 During the early imperial era, astrologers were repeatedly expelled from Rome, largely
7:07 from fears that their predictions would encourage plots against the emperors.
7:11 Later, when the Roman world became Christian, they fell under suspicion again, since the
7:16 idea that the stars influenced human affairs seemed to contravene divine omnipotence.
7:22 Astrology, however, outlasted the emperors and their anxieties, and enjoyed unprecedented
7:28 prestige during the Renaissance, when astrologers were employed by popes and kings.
7:34 Despite comprehensive debunking of its principles and practices, astrology is with us still,
7:40 an uncanny offspring of Greek science.
7:44 Thanks again to Blinkist for sponsoring this video; see the link in the description to
7:49 subscribe.
7:51 Check out my two other YouTube channels, Scenic Routes to the Past and Toldinstone Footnotes.
7:56 If you enjoyed this video, please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon.
8:02 You might also enjoy my book, Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants.
8:07 Thanks for watching.

Transcript
0:00	The new star was faint at first, little more than a glimmer in the summer dusk.
0:06	But as the Romans gathered to celebrate Caesar’s funeral games, it blazed brilliantly – a
0:11	sign, it was said, that the great man’s soul had joined the gods.
0:16	For seven days it was visible over the tile roofs and umbrella pines, a rival to the setting
0:22	sun.
0:23	Then it faded, with the majesty befitting a god, into the shimmering calendar of the
0:28	heavens.
0:30	Although a few scholars flirted with heliocentrism, virtually all Greeks and Romans accepted that
0:36	the earth occupied the center of the universe.
0:40	Around the earth revolved the seven planets, named for the gods.
0:45	First came the moon, near enough for its distance to be estimated by parallax during eclipses.
0:51	Beyond were Mercury, Venus, and the sun, which Aristotle described as a globe of luminous
0:57	ether.
0:58	Then Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, all embedded – like the other planets – in “spheres”
1:05	that carried them around the earth in a geometric dance of orbits and epicycles.
1:08	The outermost sphere of the universe carried the stars, which the definitive ancient catalog
1:16	grouped into 48 constellations.
1:19	The Greeks had identified some stars with figures from myth from a very early period
1:24	– Homer, for example, mentions the Pleiades.
1:28	But the division of the entire night sky into constellations seems to have taken place only
1:34	in the fourth century BC.
1:37	Of special significance were the 12 constellations of the Zodiac, aligned with the tracks of
1:42	the planets along the ecliptic.
1:44	The Zodiac had first been defined in Mesopotamia, where scholars had observed the heavens for
1:50	millennia, keeping careful records of eclipses, planetary motions, and other phenomena.
1:56	In the wake of Alexander’s conquests, these records became accessible to Greek astronomers,
2:02	along with the Babylonian tradition of using the motions of the planets to foretell the
2:07	future.
2:08	[embedded ad text redacted]
3:27	Back to the stars.
3:30	Astrology was born from the fusion of Babylonian astronomy with the methods of Greek science.
3:36	It seems to have originated in Hellenistic Alexandria, probably around the end of the
3:40	second century BC, when new developments in Greek scientific astronomy were being fueled
3:46	by the translation of Mesopotamian records.
3:50	Like its modern descendants, ancient astrology attempted to determine outcomes from the positions
3:56	and interrelations of the planets and signs of the Zodiac.
4:01	With knowledge of an individual’s birth date, astrologers claimed that they could
4:05	chart the whole future course of a life, and pick the most propitious time for undertaking
4:10	anything from a voyage to a bath.
4:14	Although some doubted that the stars influenced human affairs – pointing, for example, to
4:19	the fact that twins born in the same place and under the same stars often led very different
4:25	lives – most Greeks and Romans regarded astrology as a natural and legitimate extension
4:30	of astronomy.
4:33	Astrologers were especially popular in early imperial Rome, where they became confidants
4:37	of the emperors.
4:39	Augustus put Capricorn, his Zodiac sign, on his coins.
4:44	Scorpio, Tiberius’ birth sign, became the emblem of the praetorian guard.
4:50	Hadrian considered himself a master of astrology, and foretold the hour and day of his death.
4:56	Another emperor married a woman whose horoscope predicted she would become a queen.
5:02	The astrological manual of Firmicus Maternus, who wrote during the fourth century, illuminates
5:07	the degree to which the stars were thought to govern mortal lives.
5:12	According to Maternus, for example, any man born in the first degree of Libra will be
5:17	handsome and lovable.
5:19	If the ascendant is in the feminine stars, unfortunately, he is destined to be a male
5:24	prostitute, but one loved by all for his charm and sophistication.
5:29	Those born in the seventh degree of Libra, Maternus continues, will be captured by pirates
5:34	at some point, or possibly devoured by wild beasts.
5:39	Those born in the twentieth degree will be great doctors – unless Mars is in that degree,
5:44	in which case they are doomed to fall from a great height.
5:47	To move to a different sign, those born in the first degree of Sagittarius will be pious
5:52	and just, but those born in the second degree are sure to be ill-tempered sacrilegious liars.
6:00	Occasionally, Maternus is quite specific: those born in the tenth degree of Capricorn,
6:06	for example, will be charming adulterers, who will seduce all their friends’ wives
6:11	but never be caught.
6:13	Their own wives, however, will be equally adulterous.
6:18	They will become rich, and die abruptly.
6:21	Understandably, in the view of such dire predictions, Roman parents took care to note when their
6:27	children were born, sometimes stationing a man with a gong to inform a waiting astrologer
6:33	of the exact moment.
6:35	Doctors studied astrological manuals to determine the moon’s effects on the human body; philosophers
6:41	hailed astrological predictions as manifestations of omnipotent fate.
6:47	The seven laps in a standard chariot race and the seven degrees of Mithraism were pattered
6:52	on the seven planets, as was the seven-day week we still use, each of its days named
6:58	for the planet that governed its first hour.
7:01	During the early imperial era, astrologers were repeatedly expelled from Rome, largely
7:07	from fears that their predictions would encourage plots against the emperors.
7:11	Later, when the Roman world became Christian, they fell under suspicion again, since the
7:16	idea that the stars influenced human affairs seemed to contravene divine omnipotence.
7:22	Astrology, however, outlasted the emperors and their anxieties, and enjoyed unprecedented
7:28	prestige during the Renaissance, when astrologers were employed by popes and kings.
7:34	Despite comprehensive debunking of its principles and practices, astrology is with us still,
7:40	an uncanny offspring of Greek science.
7:44	Thanks again to Blinkist for sponsoring this video; see the link in the description to
7:49	subscribe.
7:51	Check out my two other YouTube channels, Scenic Routes to the Past and Toldinstone Footnotes.
7:56	If you enjoyed this video, please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon.
8:02	You might also enjoy my book, Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants.
8:07	Thanks for watching.