Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Allegory of Trivium and Quadrivium
Allegory of Trivium and Quadrivium
Allegory of Trivium and Quadrivium
and the
Seven Liberal Arts
VOl.UM E 1
THE QUADRIVIUM OF MARTIANUS CAPELLA
LATIN T ItADITlONS IN THE MATHEMATlCAL SCIENCES
50 .. C. - .. O.I 'SO
by RicharJJohnMnl wilh E. L
RELIGIOUS IDEAS
Tht M.m..gt optns wirh a hymn ro Hymen the god of marru.ge,
Aside froro the obvious dictares of tradition in $IlCh an opening, Uy-
• Muriomu' ....,.tn><J\t of H)'II><Q .... JO<! oí .....m.g. (1)_IIIJ. a.ndlan',
Epilb.' 'UUM P.J/4diut md C,I...... (Co.Ih" " ed Tb<odor lIirT. .110'''''''''''''
O., " ....... N/ltln/e.. 10 [1Ioor1in. 1119> 1, poem xoil, Iines jI'!!; this porm p«>b-
obIy d .... from .... 199- Mstti4nuo' poem ro .. ction "l _.u. a.ndlan'. p _
o"" "" <b# CHNh¡';p 01 flloi<a Mmliut TbroJo,,,,,, (C."'U".. ed,lIirT. p<><1l'1
nii) . lineo '''''''; this C'kW1"bip w... in. ...... j\1l>
• Se< abono PI'> '1"0.
86 TJlE ALL[GORV ASD TIlE TRIVIUM
men lKu has an allegorica.l role: he is pn:scnte<l as d ...t divinc coocord,
that principie of unification, whieh permeateS and inttgraces a universe
made up of infmitcSirml elerne"," I physical concepc whieh originate<l
as euly as Empedocles, 'ud ehen passed inco Plaoonie philosophy.·
With tbis Ir.eynote MartiOlIlus esablishes ehat his physics, and in par-
ticular bis cosmology, ¡, broadly Pbronic. It is within me frarnework
of • Neoplatonie aplanation of tbe univcr.;c and of aU being that
Martianus' religious beliefs ore Kt- TIU. is noetO uy that he is in simple
tem\S • Neopatonis1:; many strands make up hit teligion. Bur bis apa_
mcion of tbe universo, insofor as it is is Neoplotonie,' and me
rcligious ideas Ire broughe into. measun: uf colUÍSttney witb chis.
A1tbongh the niue boob, partieularly Boolr.s 1 and 11, are sct in ehe
heavens amongst lbe .. tbere are thrce p ....gcs where lbe religious
lore is .:speciaUy cieh. One describes roe surnmoning of che inhabitlllts
oí heavOD ro. conclave (,P -6S); in the sec<Jnd Juno answcn Philol_
ogr'. question aOOm "w/ut gocs un in me VlIS!neSS uf roe sky" ('S ....
68); Ihe third is Philology', hymn ro Apollo (,85-93)' The fim has
becn cl06ely srudied by Srefan Wcinstock,' who corrected mueh uf
me earlier speculation by Car\ Thulin;' f.he xcond has becn discl1!ll'lCd
by Roben: TUrcan.lO
Ftom these passages it is cltar c/ut while the nomu Ind manyehar-
acreristics of tbc Olymplan deiti .. have beco n:rained, tbe Olymplan
panthcon has beco intcgn.ted into the tstral. n:ligion whieh penne.res
Neoplarooism, Ncopytbagoreonism, and Stoicism. T heir 1Ibod.. IR
aronnd me rodiac, and tbey are idmtified with celestial bodies. The
rep ..... otalÍon of Mercury varies from an antltropornorphie brido-
groom (S, 35, aod p.usim) and of che gods, to cbe Neo-
plaronlc Mind (9'), ro I planet with. f'IXW aod known orbit (8, 'S,
'9). Apollo is Ir une time tbe god of prophecy sitting on o rock I t
• Pl.." T""""", Fe. Q<>rp. joSa; /o.Empodocl.., ... JI. [);elo ud W. Knnz,
.do., ¡ , _ e <kr' .., '1:17-9'> ,"po 1'''''8''' ,a.'9> ¡J.,
, Seo abo ... p. ,o.
• "Murianus Copolb aod me ('.ocmic Sy=m of di. Etm ........ " J-..M
Rqm..,. SIIId/ts, XXXVI ('1>1'1), 10'-'9-
• "Die: GOuet d.. M.nian.., CopoJh. un<! de< Ik<>ttukbcr >'OII Pi>c<au." 1M;"
¡ivwS<",bi&b,li&b. V..#i<b.""¡ V<>r..-hMm, Vol. UI pt. ,¡'906) .
" "Mortionus Copell. CI Junbliq ...• R..... dt. I...u. Imnel, XXXVI ('9j8),
'Jj-j+
RELIGIOllS IDEAS 8,
Dolpm ('0.' " ,0-",
'6), ar orber rimes rbe sun (: S, '9), ar orbers rbe
syncrctization of a host of uligious figures ('9'·9'), and again the
NeopLotouic Mind ('9,). This conversioo of the O lympians into dti·
tics of orber, pmlosophictlly ba..d, uligions WIS frcqucnt io late
antiquity." lo Muti3nus, howevcr, oo! ooly rbe Olympians are mus
absorbed, rbe sacred figuru of anciem l rslic are similarly tuatcd,
lArs Jives in me secood regioo of betw«n MIU"S aud Juno
(,,6); Omsus io tcDm r.gion. ",itlt N.ptunc (54); VejovQ io tite
fiftccoth, oen to Satum ($9) . "What weu "' onc time sepanttc and
relatively hornogeneous currents of beli<::f-philosophictl, asuological,
.ltmonie, aomropomorpmc-bave coal<:<e<:d. The minun: is enric:hcd
by a Lorgc stream of uumerology, wmch adds oignifu:ancc ID auy ltind
of group ula,able ro numbcr. ln alI of tillo, particular ancotioo is paid
tO Mcrcury, nOt only aS the personificarioo of eloqueoe. but also as l
god who enjoycd a special cult in N orth Africa."
10 tms tielt blend of flirhs a reasonably consistcnt "theology" can
he disct:mcd. nuoughorn: mOS[ oí ,he worl<, ]upiter is presentcd 0$ me
supreme delty. ltis rus comem that mUS! obtained fOf che wcddiog,
his word tltat convenes me councit of tbe gods. He has dispbced
Sarurn, the former ruler, now rilegatcd ro a minor role. So flr Mar·
tianos accords witb me cradiriol\lll Olympian mydwlogy. H owevcr, in
section '85 aud 'o' we glimpse ,he Suprcme Deity, the Unknowo 2nd
Unkuowable of NeopLotonic rboughr.," fmm whom, by the emanation
of iotennediotics, In heing, inelnding me array of Olympim godo, Iw
itl cDstenee. "This blcod of Ncoplatonism.nd Olympian rcligioo does
on, nec' rily involve a contntdiction; ir simply pusltes rhe hi«ar<:hy
of being ooc mge higbcr, postulatco onc or mOu deiti .. of more
cnltcd .atus, and fitl me irracional O lympian figure, into an inteUte-
tualIy deIemib1e philosophie ¡ystem.. An infinire numbcr of minor dei.
ria can men he accl>JJll11Odatcd, eimcr by simple addiriOD, just as tite
eigbty·four atttu.uot5 ('00)," me ionwuenble gcnii and
" Se. J. HiJroiT, pclitlqw " pt)',b<JlDgiqw d< l. "Iigkm Ni"";"', PI'
' ... · 54·
" W. Dtonm. M....,.,.." l• ....pi.... PI'
.. s.. «p. PIocinuo E_4th 6. 9- i"1.
"s.. Turan, PI' 'J",,9-
88 T HE ALLEGORY ASO THE TRI\'IUM
(152-51) are introduced; or by of gods from fltirhs origi-
nally diverse, .. Latin, G=k. and Asian religions meet in tite wile of
So>turn 6) Of Egyptian. Libyan, Persian, aod Phoeniciao. gods are syn-
cretized in Apollo (19 1-92) .
The dwelling place. of aH these delties are distribllRd in me sky,
borll in plane aod in clevation, .. a draftsman migllt "'y. Their celestial
abodes are describod O$lying in a planc: around the )60 degrees of tite
zodiac (4S-60)¡ rh.y are also described (1;0-ó6) 0$ being at differeot
ltvds in ekvanon, frorn the celestial. 'phcre.t>ove the son, ,..Itere the
muot ualred godIllive, ro the regioru¡ between ¡un lQd muon and then
beN,'(en muon I nd (atth, in t descending sal. of belng nntil we =ch
the surftce of tite •• nI\, inhabired by mankind. Since men', souls Irt
m""" of fire (originaring (rom the divine srm) ;md h'ove • rvtunll
rendency ro rille if unhindered by tite body. the purer souls mayo w hen
rdeüed from the hody, ucend more or less high in tlW seale of being.
Thos • eoncept Ilcin ro the o,ristian COllCOpr of ""lvJ.[;on, oí crem. l
folicity merited by life un ea",h, H implicit in thi. originally Neopythag_
oreon .ystem;" .nd related ro rhis C<lncept H the . uitudo of tsettici.sm
wruch condemns tite body as impure, an obstaclt 2nd hindr.mce tO tite
divine fire-an arotude rcjectw in theo'}' by orthodoJ Ouistimiry but
nonetbeless illnUflKial un mucll uf medienl. OIristian thoughr.. We
begill ro lit< anorhu reunn for tite populariry of Mattitnus' work in
moMStÍc culture.
However, whercas th. Olristian ottoiru¡ wvauon by fo.im, trust in
God's merey, and love manifesred in deeds none of whic h virtUes de-
m;md inrellettual gifts-tl!e men w ho in MutWtus' !lttO.in im-
mort:llity are (with the uoeption of H ercole.) men w hose wisdom, io
marre" of religious lore, agriculture, .00 =hnology, or the &eVen Ins,
h25 bcnefited mankiOO. Th. ide;o !:hat an unturorw pcasant, by the
mere qualicy uf bis Iove for God and Hi! =rures, nuy attain sanctiry
and etemal bl!ss, is alien ro MartiaIlUS¡ irnmortaliry in bis eyes H camed
by fame WOII througlt semce, nut by lov. or ionocence tlone. H e \W5
th. Iast Lotill uponem: uf w hat M.lrrou calls religion uf culrure, "lO
s:alvatioo through p.ridri.. TII. wedding of Mercucy and Phi1ology
allegorizcs the unioo uf etoquence, ;md intellccrual prowcss which
.. F. o.u.-,. 'lft" Uf' 1ft R _ pp. '0" 6,
" Mlnoo. A ffltt»r, of ,t.";qrm,, pp. ,""" ,.
makes thar prowcss effcctive an<! sc:rviecable to manlcind. May ¡hece
not aliO be a futther ,Jimension ro ¡he aUegory: ¡hot Mercury, whu as
"
Herroes Psychopompos CQndllcrs ¡he iOuls of the eleee ,fter death to
beatirude, 1f j, rhe spouse whu brings PhiloJogy, the learning of moml
men, to the eteIlw OC>ciety uf rhe godo?
lo lhis AAvmg afrer immortallty mm are aided Ot impeded by fate
(J J., S, 11-2 " p, 88), which implemtflllS the deci,;ons of tlle gods (18,
64-65, 68-69); ¡hey are gre.tly ..sisted by ;ntenectua/ po",er, which
dirocwers t:hc C<lmpulsions binding even on the godo (H); lhey =y
.Iso ohmio. by propiciatioo rhe bclp of the gods; .Ieh individllllllus rus
personal glludian spirie (, S J. lOO) and al ¡he same time musl conlend
wiili /ml.volent dcio...nd spiria (47, Hl"l-6S). Tu find his way
Ihrough the rurmoil oí litis Iife. man should seek che will of Ih. gOO.
by aU kinds of divinotion-tbrollgh bírds, thunder, entnúls, prophets-
.ud even through numerologica¡ calculadon (89J-94); he shollld aIso
"y tu .ppeue, propinare. and influence rhe wiU oi Ih. gods by .. cri-
ficc and rhe tending of their ;< no crhic.¡ rtAChing <lis-
cernibk in Manianus. no ,uggesoon of moral laws or guidance for
pcnoml conduct eompar:o.ble to the M"",ic cottllm11dment$ Oí the
Q¡ristian beacirude.. There i.s aho no suggestion of i.nici>.cion ;nto a
mystCTy, of salvaoon through divine interc=ion, such as Apuleius'
Metamorpho,u reveals. lmmortality comes not from diwine gilt or
perwnal hoUness bur from tite fame won by intcllectual achievement,
aftee eifort 2nd saerifice.
Aput fmm tIUs interpretation, the religious lore ;n Marri.og.
U; of considerable interest to rhe hl,tori.tn of rdigion. The description
of tite assembly of the gods (4'-6$) i.s one oi the tbree major ""orces
for OUr pitifn1ly slight kuowledg.:: oi Eouscao w hich wu ""
highJy regarded by the Roman •• Tm Marri.og. admirably
the conflnence of rdigious mditions in tite late Ronun Empire and
the role of rkc:ayed Ncoplatonism in bleuding the me3lIl5. Both W ein_
stock I1ld Turean ague rhat Ibis bleoding is OOt tite wock of Ml nianus,
bur tlu.t be used the now-lost leaching of Cornelins [.aben, who had
brought late Grcck .ud ¡",He religion and cosmology mro • synt.l=is.
Martianns' particular achievcment wu ro combine th.Jlt religious syn_
" Uuno... p. 'j.
"W.inorook. P. '0"
I)Q THE ALLEGORY AND TI/ E TRIVIUM
theas with lhe secular "religion of by placing bis creacise on
me seven am in m..t conren.
.. 5<. M:am:ro, Soim AuR ....... ti ¡, 1m dt 4 <W"'" _íqw, PI'- 21' -21 .
.. 5<. O",!<II<! u.:,,¡uo J';"", J.- '
.. M.,.,..,." sm.: Au,..,..., PI' "NJ (my "*"'IdotioD) .
.. lbid., po 216•
.. tu¡"'¡'¡;c 7. jlj"J'"
91 Tln: A LL EGORY AND TIlF.
.. &''''''''4 6. ,<)-, ,.
.. Morrou, s.;", Augum", P. ' 9'. See ''''''', P.l. n.' ,.
94 THE ALLEGORY TUE TI\IVIUM
• Cicero Or."" l'; V. fi1lÜ>w •• 6.. 'n Sams Empiricm AJ_ _ ..,..Imn__
ti,,,, •. 7.
96 THE "'I. LEGORY "':;-0 TOE TIUlliUM
j= <mner aOO procwurts, ..coped ehe ootice of tt. t ..chers ond mose
oí its studma btause oí the gte.e .aentioo it poid, afrer ies foshioo, to
comprehenslveness. D id it not require the srudy of a1l the seveo
am "" e;:seoti.J f"r 10y e<!ucate<! man? Aod if these srudies were
not .. cohereot inteUectual discip1i= bU! as SCf1Ipi of iníor-
mation like m= picked up al nndom in Ihe grmllIlO.r class--<l prac<:-
dure whieh tO us vitiaees their eduañoJlllI nJue--ir does nor mean they
were dismisscd as unimpornme. "Leaming" wu dcsired ,nd tdmired
in I lIWl insofar as it might hclp his onto'1' Mmphors from ostron_
omy, appeoJ. bosed on ethicol • ..gomenes, examples dnwn froro
history (or mythology), thesc w ere sought and V31ucd. So ame those
Iwtdboob of many subj<:ets which Martiaou. used as SOUI'CH, pocket
histories Iikc tbat of Valerlus Muirnll$; ond rhough the "encyclopc<lW"
hJ.d h.d. differem genesis, chey eoo were pue ro
'f'/W; ttadition of polymathy, 01 leaming, was ID old-
enablished one. H ippios the Sophist in the fifth = ' 1 M.e. hJ.d an
encyclopedic nnge of intereslS;" Aristoue lu.d trie<! and mu<t lu.ve
pnctially in mureñug tite whole fle!d of lcalmng in his
doy; the ochol.!1 oí H eUenistic Ak,..ndñ . Iu.d tried by eondensing tnd
epieomizing t" reduce the fieJd oí knowledge to mon2geobJe propor-
tion¡. N o one, however, ..eros ro hove tried alone ro write an aceaun!
of a11 tru.I is l<nown unril Varro in tite fitst cenNry Le. H is ...orl<s
eovered nOe only trtatisc. on che Lorin I"'gulge and 011
agrn:uJture bue .Iso a survey of t he am (including medicine and
architecture),. VJsr eollection of essa)'S in milccd veNe ,00 prole (tite
Mtnipptlm S4tiur), and a long ...oIk, the Amiquüiu, which was •
primitive encyclopedia. Varro ""'" ernuLoted by Pliny tbe E/der, wb"..
nephew has \eft u. a vivid picture of bis unde'. "..:isson-oud-pasre"
rnethod, bis $laves wouJd read aloud tO him tM works oí others, while
he told thern WMI jWlS>ge;¡ ro excerpt tnd capy OUt." Thc c"n-
sequences s:condhaud informarion, an unctitical approach, ineonsiJt-
encics, flilure ro acl<nowledge sources, llclc ni stnlctun--ue a fore-
mm oí ManiaUlI$. Altbough many lu.udhoob 011 individw.l. subiec ..
OI groups of subjects were pRpared in the inter'Val, fmm lOme of
THE TJl.lVIUM
We have .lready observed ¡he origins oí rheroric, dU.lecric, .nd
gl'llmm.ar as clu-u nnrelated subject3, amongst th<: Grecb oí lhe fiflh
.nd fOOM cenrune. R.e. Of rh=, ,he subject with the mosc prcstige
carne to be metoric; bu! mcroric invoJves lhe \lSC of woro. and rhe
.rudy of liter:>lure, ;IS wcll as rhe \llIe of Iogieal argument•• o thal ir is
closely reJatcd ro irs sister ans, grammar "nd dialcctic. 11>e cementing
of mis rclationship seems ro have beco prirn.riIy a Stoic contribution."
Thc Stoics divided rhe fidd of philo$Ophy into c{hics, natunl philos-
ophy. and Jogic; aOO rhis lut included al] aspects of vernal e:q¡lUIion,
hmcc lhe wbole lrivium. &ndys Zcno himself and bis lile-
cessor in rhe school, Oetnthes, os antbo .. of worb OD gnrnmar"
(Zeno'o wc!l·l<nown comparison of dialcctic and rhetonc hos a1ready
becn rnc.miooed here). Thc l.tu Stoics Chrysippus and CuICS of
M.ll"" cerninly wrore and locwred on grarnmatic:al qoe.oons, and
Chtcll iotroouccd {h.,.. srodies ro Rome." In the first cenrury R.C- Ihe
le;¡ding figures of Rornan iotdlecrua.l Jife, V.arro and acero, who
uerted rhe most profound influencc on aIl subsequent Latin tcholar-
• So. especiilly Oios<- Loerti..• opptndi< lO biI Ii€. oí z.t>O: t;w, 1. JI-
,60, "'1'- I9"+!oJj-Ó<l, 'J'"*-
., J. E. Sondys. A Hino'] o( Cu,ñ&1Il S"boJ.,bip, Vol. PI'- obo
G. Pire. S,oú:imu .. piJ.go¡j•• pb. , ond •.
.. SoetoniuI Do ".4JtlmIlIds ••
TUE TII.IVIUM 99
!hip in antiquity, wcre tbCJJlKlves pupils of the StQics Ae1ius StiJo and
Posidonius, respecrively." There were a Stoic Ipproach tO and
I Sroic theory of grarnmar, just 3S there wu a Stoic logic; IUd, by
thcir scholarly inte=r in tbese fields, combined with dteir srudies of
comIology .nd th.ir quasi-religious philosophy, the Stoics had the
most UnpolW1t inf)uence in esrablisrung in the minds of the general
edUC3ted public both me connection bctween die trivium and tite quad-
rivium and the counecrian between the sU'en ond phiJosopby,"
In V inO'. encyclopedia and acero', meroricol worb, gramnu.r, día-
leerle. aud rhotoñe .re me only subjects whieh find
a pl.ce in me prognm oi T his refIects thcír aC<:epted position
in the f>4MeilJ, in which they rc.maiu unril Maro.nus' tim . ...
GRAMMAR
The srudy uf granul1Qr begon with me Sophists of die fifth cenrury
II.C. and wu c.ni.d forward by Plato" "ud tO a Icsser em:m by
Aristode." They moy be possed over cursorlly t.:couse ,he mosr ... pid,
wide-nnging, and iofluenrial develupmem is fouO<! in the Stoic
particularly (in trus early pcriod) in the work oí Chrysippus. He is
kuuwn to havo w rltten on the parrs of speech, on cases and uwnber,
ou solecisms, lO<! e;pccWly on anonu.ly."11Ie StDÍc,- with thcír ethic
oE 1 life in lccordance wim narore and thci.r inwae concem wim
qucsl:ioru of narunl philosopby, dmOit iuevitably "'ere committed to
me vicw that language is a "'tunl procea'l in whieh there =y be re_
sembbnces but not "roleSH tnd in ",hieb eoinages, variet)',
are to be aptcted. An opposing view "'os token by cl>e
gnnunarians such aS Amrophanes of Byuntium .ud AtiSW"Chus and,
later, Dionysius oí "I1mcc; these men, with no philosophical commit-
mem but • mission to preserve and =rore th. tat:!l of cw.;cal G=k
.. Ibld. , -¡ : Cicw> 8""", r",-6. Se.: also Gtldeman, ·'G,..",,,,o<il<." .. Pauly_
w _ Vol p<. l . coh. r7'}ll-r800.
.. s.. «p<ciilly Pi«, pt. r. cllt[>- ¡.. "" PocIdouioJs.
.. For o full .. ocrowu of <b< .Je ...lopme'" of <he nte1cJiD, p.>itkio. ... M _
mm"..]. f'I' r76-li¡; oruI Id"", s.,;", A"P"¡", pp. "r -J! .
.. 1" "'" dioIoguo er«,,.,..
.. Se.: Gude"",,,, cols. r¡¡j-t¡.
• I.ooertiwr Uve, 7, '9'.
100 THE ALU:GOkY AND THE TklVIUM
chac a word can bear al! time tC<:e1ltS AtglIClwn) . Langbcin COlI-
dudes chat in tltesc sections Martilnus prtfund co advanee his own
opinian..
TItere is In espcciaUy dose similariey between Mortionru; _nd Ch ....
risiWl in cheir treatnleJ1t of conjugations and d.densions. Now Clwisius
derives from Colllin4nU$, JuUru; Romanus, and uJcimacdy R.nunius
P.laemon. Did Mntionus follow Olarisius or sorne one of the,e othen?
The iesemblonccs are JO close wc Ltngbcin concludes he followed
Ou.risius directly; whue he differs it is because he wished lO adwnce
his Own opinion or perhaps because he foUowed • differmc source,
...eh as Pliny the E1der. Mortionus' t=tment of words cndiog in u is
not found in Othei eXt:IOC gnmrnarillns. His treatmenl of che vowel io
J.u; does no! correspond wich chac of ocher grarnmarians chough sev-
en l discuss chis point.
M.artianus is cJose ro Muimus Victorinus and Servius io his trelt-
meor of common sylLables, final syllobles, pronnuns, verb!, adverb!,
participles, coojuncriQ!\$, prepositions, and iorerjections, but it is Un-
possible lO establish from which he drcw. Though he has a few poina
of membbnce wieh Probus and with che Aoonyrnous of Borne, these
are slight CDml"'rcd lO his correspondences with other gnmmarians.
le seems eleor ehat he and PrisciAn used thc """'" source for d"""ription
of che lmen--wbether the ..,urce is Papirian"" or 10 earlier wriler
such as Probos or Pijny is agajo in doubt.
Langbein'. is that Martiaous' JOurctS ;ll\": of the founh
cenrory rather dun earlier grarnmarü",,; Wt he (.... well .. Olarisius,
Diomedes, Servius, and .0 anonymous auchor) borrowed from sorne
10Uro.. now lost ro W; thOl Martianll.O ocnsiotuUy inserred inro thi.s
material opinio"" of rus own, of no particular rnerir; and lhat SOrne of
Varro's teacrung, .long with Palaemon's, fOllnd its Wlly tbrough imer-
mediaries jotO Marcianu,' pagos.
The inf[uenee of chis book _ppcars ro have heen very sligbt.
GRgory of T ours" mentio"" M.artianus a, a lnsic in the seven
uts, including gnnunar, buc the Rference is cursory lDd implies no
'pecial use of Mart:ianus' Book 111. Diclt, in bis edicion of Martian......
.. Bib! .... fondo 1... MS u \IÓO. poblisbed by Con E. L""" .. [)wu;1ud: al<> ...
su In M .. n.o oaribmion '" Martín ot Loon ..,d ti>< idenriflCOtion of
futtllor ".."...ml'" ¡" by J..., Pú ..... ''U Commcnulro do M...-cin de LooD .....
I"<rIlWC do M>rtwiU. <Apcllo.- lAr_. XU ¡'9JJ), pp. 417-19- 5<>C obove, pp .
.,1I.¡.aod6¡4
.. A ..... ,.wws In M.. <d. w",
., RHnigiw: oí Auuru Co;m,,,,u,,,,,;,, M...no- C.ptIi_ /l/_IX. td. l.utz.
.. " ' U>dLci di ManiaDo <Apell.; A ......... XXXUl ¡'9J9). XXXIV ('960) .
104 THE ALL,EGORY ASD TUE Tlt.IVIUM
(n01l. 7i, '08, '40), '40) 2nd the fJteenth-century copy .ssociate the
M.ortianus possages willl Book 11 of C..sio<;lorus' 11IStitutionu and othcr
gramrnadcll moteM.
The p;crure ;. fairly clear. Book lilas a ",hole WIIi oalnmst unuscd.
W ....t valoe could ;t llave .... d for people ro ",110m Donsrus' far su-
perior grall"ll1U.r "WU I ""ilabk¡ The treltrncnc of pronunciadon "WU
found useful " nd "WU oflen 'I0oled; "nd a tundbook made op of Cas-
siooorus' Instiruti01lts II, J ulius Severitnus, t ¡me....1 computo!, and
excerpu froro Mtrtianus (JDO-<}, JI '-'4) .... d • minor vogue.
O!ALECTIC"
Tbe $Ubjecc oí Manianb$' foorrh book is in mosr ""'P""'''' che: .. me
... the U"2ditionsl fonnal logic derived froro Aristotle ",bici! tus been
taugbt unol recattly in most univeniry counes;n "Logic." Now il has
becn incrtt.!iingly $Uperneded by "Symbolic logic," I more comprehen-
sive muly whicb includes Aristotelian logic merely ... one of irs mb-
Ordilllte paro. In Martianus' prologue (sectiOll 3)0), Dialectic hendf
claims ro have originmd io Egypt and ro .... ve emlgnted ro AcheD5
witlt me phllO$Opher Ptrmenid .... Arlstotle, howcver, is $UPposed 10
....ve .ttributcd Ihe discovery of dialectic lo me phllO$Opher oí pa:r-o-
dox. Zeno." The alleged Egyptian origin may be puc down 00 a per-
sisten! cendency 00 ascribe che: finer producrs of Greek civili7ation ro
Eastun, .nd espcri·Uy Egypn.n, 5OUn:c&." For inst:artce Plaoo" in •
mytlt amibntes che discovery of number, c:aleulation, Ind gcomrtry
(... ",el! as astronomy, dice, dnughts, and writing) ro me Egyptia:rt
god T hoth, and in I symbolic sense he is problbly right. However, me
of arimmrtic and gcometry as intellectual disci-
plines bued on ¡ogicol deduction sccms ro be purely Greek. In pbilos-
ophy, PalIDenide.s was che fllSt 00 make cotl9ciow use of logical de-
duction as t way of seeking certW. lmowledge. Zeno advanced [he
5Ubjecc by bis use oí che rtducrio .d Qbsurdum, 2 procedure understood
by Aristotle U diaJectical, ¡numuch U ;1 involved positing the views
.. PbuJ.", '69-74-
.. W. ond M. Kneo1e, rile o.wJ9pm.:m of Logie, P. '4-
" Ariotodt D< SDpbimds Ekn<bil 'ós"!)-J7; p¡..., Eutb,dmmJ, poaim.
.. DOogttt< Laenius l. ,06-
,. Prior iI...J,,;« ....._bu .
.. p,.;.". Á,w1';" ...
DIAI.ECT I C J07
puu science of logic lod the practica1 Itt of disputation become in-
txuicably =gled.
As hdr 10 devclopment, compendium of dialectic
1ppears e:rcessivcly wcighled wilh irrdevanl logical UIlItcrial, if viewed
U a debating manual, Or sadly contaminatcd by ies sub,erviernx ro
rheroric, if vicwed as tbe inrroductioo ro logic wlUch it more nearly
".emblco. lo aliditioo. tus work, in keeping m,h ,he Ioog tr1ditioo of
which i, is pln, ¡neludes 1 good deal of. more philo<ophical
eh.neter. nm is because of che circulllSWlce rhar Aristode'. early
work rhe C4ttgories wu pllced by rus edirors or the heiod of che more
stri<:t1y logical work$ De intt1"f"tutwru, Prior md POr/mor ,hu,/y/¡es,
and T opies (of wruch the Sopbitricd Rtfut..ti<>ns originally formed
pan) . As rueh ir ..",ed as I geoe""¡ iotroductioo tO logíc .od philos-
ophy in the AristoteliQn uadition. lo MartiilllU5, secaoos JSS-S) are
bascd Illtimately on the The preceding distincri"", of
genus, species, differenm, accident, proprium, and ddinirioo ()4<1-49)
.re derived ulrimatcly from tbe doctrine of che predicables in Aristotle'.
To¡Mt." Their position is due to Porphyl)'" influentia11mrodu&tWn
rO tbt c.,ugori6, wriueo io tbe rhird ccorury A.D. M.m.nus' discus-
,.joo of how the ,ingle tenns previously discussed are C<lmbined into
complete s e o = II1d .specio.Uy into assertDrÍC propositioru <388-<}6),
hll its disWlr ancestl)' in Arisrotle's D t i1Ittrfnffllfiont, and in PlatO'S
&phi$! hefore chat." The ""'luare of (4D'-J) is u1timotely
derÍved from rhe same work oí Aristotle, whlle lile Jfucussiou of the
convenion of (397""4"J), Uke thar of che three mood.s of
eattgorical ')'llogism (.¡i>4-'J) , is descended from me Prior AnIIly,ics.
lo this last_ru.med work Aristodc hod introducedlettet'S of che .Iphabet
ro stand as variables in rus infuencc pmerns. l o thls ""'y he Qchicvcd
both clariry and geneniliry, ;as wcJJ os showing thtt syUogi.tie rcasor>-
ing was vilid by virme onJy of ia fonru.l eharactt.ristics. Martitous
iIIld hi. 10Ur« refl= Aristode's earJier pnctice of giving specific
eumples ("All justice is advaougeous") which are ro be undcrstood
in a gtmul nunner ("AlI A is B") . That M.rtianus mows no twiU"e-
tte:\ll of Aristode', modal logic;" oot SIIrprisiog, On the ocher hillld hit
.-
... Seo B-. od., c" "'UF"'" loo
Vi."" . "' 11
,,,, ,--
1""0'"
<1m ""tI<J ......
A""",tk.ot G'M"" Vol. IV, pt.
4p/)_ q.- ¡"
J, P. >:ni:
Lom/>"oij¡
DIALECTIC 115
which are exp,msions of the material in Apuleill!, ,.. and other pes-
ages'" wherc Apulcius expreases file thought not ooly moa clearly
dlJn Mlrtianus bOl also more briefly. The possibititr of • common
ArisrottlWt $Ource cannot be rouUy aclud«l. If, howcver, Apuleius
is uuty M.rtimus· prinle ...urce, oue Cln only wish dIJe Martianus had
plogiariud IJIOre whotcheane<lly, sinee Ihe copy in no way improves
upon !he presumed original
The inOuence of Martianu$' Book IV emuges oorly from a srudy
of l.eooardi·s cemU$. lrom Ihe cntire lk nuptiif, fiffWl of!he
manu5Cl"iptll he Iist:s contlin IH oc part 01 Book IV .." T wo of these (1lO$.
76,105) ore fngmenc.ry, md one otIIer (no. ll) consists of notes fmm
Hook IV. Tbe rcmaining twelve conWn either the entire book oc !he
.nOre teehnicoJ discipline, omitting !he alJegorical setting. Thirteen
!IWluocripts ore dote<! betw<en ¡he nineh and t\velfth centuri • ., witb
Ihe biggest concentntion (five manuscripts) in !he tenth =ry; NO
are doted bnwceo !he fourtttn!h aud sixtttnth «nrones. Two nan-
uscripts (nOló. '35 Ind '16) = from Fleury in the mmh or tcmh
«nrury; One (no. 151) from westem Fnnce and oo. (no. 105) froro
OrJ6m.'llt!he same time; one (no. 17') from Be.: in Ihe [Welfth cen-
tury. JI would stem !h.e Ibis book enjoye<!. a vogue in northwc:stem
Francc up to the end 01 !he eleventh = r y bm w.. litt!e used alttr
Ihe dnmatic developmene of togic from dIJe time omvard.
ItHE T OR IC
The otudy 01 rheeorle origirulted in Sicily in ebe fueh c:entury •.Co'"
sud ..... hroughl by the Sophist:S to Athens, where jt found a ready
.udicntt in a political dc:mocncy with a p..S;on fOI lirigo.tion. In the
uen genention, hoent.,. wu its princip:al exponene, Plato the leoding
... Ci. lo< insta"" .. tlI. 011" '"" of tht ptiIIciplo of ''minimtJ in=pr"0t2-
<ion", qu"';"'" id potWi",,,,,, ."""""MJdum, quo4 .......... Iu/m inuIk........
Whf_ pro IU:cipótw (1tbrti>.nUl j96) IDd pro p.r<kWrl
wJtt, quJ" ,""Ws ." Id 1m.... , • ..eI"..-., quo4 minus en (A.poleius P"'; iH<-
>66; <d. Thomu, p. m) .
, " Nos. 19, 19, 'j, '9.]6, 'Ol, "¡' "8. Ijl, [JS, [¡oS, Ijl. '7" 'Oj")9-
<.a.
' .. Se .. Keno<dy. pp. ><i, jU"
116 THE ALLEGORY AND THE TRIVIUM
voicc oI me opposition; • coufIjct between philosophy ,..,d rbetoric
endure<! io G reek higher eduation (or AltOrher ,wn tenturies.'" De-
spite ÜIiS conflict, Ari5totle W2S the autoor of the ,tarHest majoe me-
rorical trntise we posuss: His RbttlJric is • srudy of the principIes
implicit in the pnctiet he observed in fOUM-«rttury Athens, ond
undee the wcight of his luthntiry ,..,d the precedent of his amlysis.
the observ:ations Ind clusificauons Ippropriate ro the pnctice of
Athem in his time beamc: enshrined u principIes oI rbetorical
theory.'" Arinode's $OC«S!Or in rhe Lyccl1D1, Theopbnsrus, cootrib-
uted ro thc theory of Iirenuy sry!e, but otherwise wo.s. linl.
tdnnce in rbetorical tbeory ro match lhe wid. dissemination oi its
in education the time of Hennagm.., in lhe middle of
the seoond ccntury ...c.
Hennagoru of T emnos wrotc on foratSi<.: orarnry, in partiCllbr, un
inwmiIJ, rhe discovery of arguments. He laid grQr st=s 00 rhe de-
tumination of the lima, the essemi.l ¡....e in ,..,y given ase, .nd
fommlatcd ptccepts for ia dUcovery Illd uuoocnt. Thus me emplwis
in rbetOrical teaching, w hich liad for 5OD1e time bun on diccion and
sryle (getttflting (he "Asianist" $Chool, and Iater, by reaction, me
MAtticist''), DOW bcc:m!e focosed 00 the more objective llnd ntional
upect, inwmiIJ. Ir W2S at this point of developmenr tlu.r Greek rMe-
orle fIn! beg:on ro comrnarod the seriOIlS .ttention of the Romans.
T he carlicst Rornan tredtise on rheroric wc 1"""'.'5, me aoooyrnous
Rbttorico lid HntMium, is probably of the early fim cencury I.C.'"
ir is thuefotc clase in time to acero'. fim uutise, inuffltione,
and. in late outtiquity and me Middle Asa' me two worb togW>u
wcre gencnlly reg:>rded "" Ocero's, despite the differeru:es between
thern. Ocero', other major rbetorical treaWes-Df 01,"01,
,..,d fu optimo O1llIorrm< 00 me ideal ontor; Brraw 0Il great
Ontol'S of me past; Topia 00 argwnentatioo; and Orllforill, p¡.rritionel
'" N"., ,6, u. 'J. 190 J<Io p. ,,6, 'só, '7'. ,Ji, '<». "l. ,,6. "7. "7,
'l'" ')9. "t,.
'" N"., ... 'l. f', J<Io p, 6" ,s.. '<»' rol, .. 6, "7. ')90 ' 4"
", la I Ph. D. disouta<io" .. 8<yII M ..... CoIleg< omided Ji u......,Ro ........
IwtlMo <>f ,N D. ""fl';;' PbóJol"p- '" Mlrcuri/ <>f M."Ja:not c.pdIo.
RHF,TOII[C
'"
able ro enmine only briefly tbe basic reJigious idea. "ud me union
bctween them "nd me seven tmltises. The ",t<lkowes of Marmous'
work, in conteot and ;0 sryJe, have beco poioted out almndandy, yct
when one speculattl on me intwt of tbe work ss a whoJe, one may
",en enncur wim Miss Le Moine Wt ir is a "g=>d attempt" and ss
such ro stand in tbe long tn.dition of works which are ron-
sciously designed ro presenr a synthesis of tbe total panero 01 die
cosmos-"'"
The Quadrivium
O. Geometry
u,oa. me bridesmaid Ge<J(tIctry ",.k"" hcr entr.nce joro the celes-
tilal lWl. rwo attcndanm' 'ppear, bearing In
.wcus' sprinldcd witb greenish powder. This object, i¡ is explained,
is dc:signcd foc deUntaring geometric figures and can .Iso rtpresent
the cirdos of the world, gr.at and smaU. Geom<try coter.!, carrying
a r""'ita' in he. rigbt Iwtd wd • globe in he .. left. T he globe is •
replica of me universe, wtought by Archimedes' lund.' In ir
The plantou)' orbs gloam in rhe dusk of night,
As precious gems ',,"ricio in. oetting of goW.
I SatÍu • momcoI lo.., identif_ tt. ...... .nJ !'..Jia. n- 011<_
gorictl I.oili« r«niod !lO ol '''''' omu., with rh< ...... lWIlU, '"00 fJgllf<d in Ihc
CuecD 01 promineo' wn<ers. LucWI. m bis .utObIogtap/llcol dre>m (Somni_
9).1»_..,.,. Pudia, lb< cuWnted Iody "''''' drew JUm into, car= of Jesrning
ud phiI_phy. 1\oWI¡1l<' De r .....""""" phíloropbiu is • dw"",e
m...m.or &nd on oIleJoricsl )'O"'Ig-old fomde 1WIlOd Philooopby. Sopenmuhl.
youog-<>ld figures Hu !bese ...... frcqunclr introd"..d into otOtieo ¡., tmiqui<y
."d by thc fiftb «Dt>Iry bod beco".. th«Ofieol diehéo, ><:<»<ding to Olrtin<,
pp. lO'-\". 0JrWu (1'> I<>V po;.u. to ,is of Abttianos' bridesmoido .. ruch .no-
gotIooI oter<o><yp<a. [ rol! '" .....hy lit omi¡rod furmony, who, tIlouJh JlO'I
"ddcr>..... in drtill," .. "" ")'$o lo dopO>=! by M.m.nllS (909) . . . "Io{ry figure
...boto ..... odiouo beod wu odomrd ",id> omuneo" af glitteling JOld" lIId . . .
maideo ",bo "moved _ • ¡¡roce ..... her motbtr cQUld hardly nu.td>,"
• Abot",: • tray. rov<mI with .."d o, f'O"'d<r, ... d by lo<
d<a"'u., dis¡fU'I.
, A g«>m««'. nde (...... ,._tri,,};,), occordinfr ro Remigi .. (ed. Luto. U.
'lo), In medien! .n tbe ,lid;", ..... •bo .... n ti> be """'ro-.."d ¡., "... 10-
....,." Gto<no:try b /<><Ind wilh • ntle in o,," hsnd."d """'1'""'" in the othor.
See bille Mil<, J«Iifiotu A" ... 1''''''''. XI/J C"""':t, PI' 7R 8J .
• Arcllimedeo deYiood _ CODItntcted "" o«<ry in whicb tbe t<I.otl .. motions
of .... pWteu ...d me cc1..uol .pb<,.. ..... <e oc.:"",'dy I"<pTOd\lced onJ in whi<h
1...... «:111*" eould be _ ... cd. He I"<!!udcd "'¡" ",he« .. his
teehnicoI ocltio ....... 1lt. 1, ,.... brousbt ti> R_ 01.. t.btcdl.... "P""'< o/ Syn-
.... la ". a.c. Fo, .. 10 It ¡., .... lAtin writ<" ... J. G. Fru.er'. """" ti>
(hid 1'."¡ 6. '71 in his editio<>. Vol. IV (London, '9'9). P. '''4. Accotdiog 10
,,6 THE QUADRIVIUM
...,...,.
, s...dom f'/O'1'OJ ... dn<>tcd .., &cOfnphy¡ kCrions
f.,.. _ <leol;" .. id> dio ""'; " • I oí G,oo\< ""'" el ' ,,1 .. bjecu, tho ....J e..,...
rt. die 0Qbi«''' reodus.
.. SOO ....... "'" _ 7.
"e ' l·,·, " 01-.. die "J" ., of '1- ¡';"'n ........
t ..... IV.,;,., l. jI. 7)
.. 1m dooy' "No _ ott , +. Ioaorc "" ori:hmorio, I ...... a ' ......¡ fot
<p«::iolioa; .•. ÜopuC<O _ _ ' - - ' " ..... 10ft .. pool . """ .., .. , .....' s...
"C , L<)' in rbc o\Irdj' .aI QuadriñIm," P. ,(\o, "" " ....
1"""- ......... "" .,,6, . _ ... C
'.' ,...... u, ..
""'*" ....""" """'.cipll'"l'"
do<
OC>
tho ui,'" ........,..... :o tho oo>d oool, .... 'o ......"a, /hin............
My_), .....". ...._ •
1/, ocI. booII .. _ic.
book :ti (runmot, • ood •
.. do< ....... qooodm-¡',,,n, 1'00"'''y • IÍ"'" orJ, _ P"P'
in ",hidI
I.E>"
lO
,'.,iN. ocI.
s... oIxI.., p. ,.
Ülld!ay) .
,,'
he """,Id
TU I': Q UADlll'lUM
geomury is no< knoown. ði.......110 cune
ÑU. Minian ... and ..... thc fir.u wrirer 10 "*
lM u""
did complete. DI ,!<'JUUII;" U pan of hiI oet: 01 quadri"'¡"m maooo1s.u
n.,;, work _ • trlIlSIf;óoo 01 olI or put of EueIld', Ekmnu•. As
ofeen I I medien] l.üin fngnotlltil ol g<'OMCa')' tutn up ond are found
ro ... KCUnt<: translaÓOll$ uf Euclid, dlCY m: ItnUllly considcred
by scllolan ro be vcstigcs of Boedúui venion." Rut, lo! sfWl see.
tltere are sorne fmly faithful tranSlatiQnJ uf Euclídean propositions
(widloul me proofs) in Muo.nus' •• venth hook, whlch show thll
good t..tin IftOsl' ÓOru of al leut pottions uf me EInnnu. w_n in
.Drtence befo", lIoethius' Cassiodoml muchos cvcr JO lighdy
011 thc diJciplinc: uf geomeay (/"rrin.rio ... , 1. 6) tnd his ueaanent
"",''d ha... COOlttib.n.ed nothi:lg to contomporo.ry Imowlodgc uf tht
subjea.
Why <:lid MartWms peder geognphy 10 ¡eOmetir u. subjea for
Itis Dt gt_nir and why did be inrmduce moR Eoclidetn mucrial
in Book VlI lhan in Book VI ? Eao:h al hiI brid s".ids is ... imp<a
Ji.oly .",e Iody and tKh holds 10M iD • !cG¡thy dio<:oane.. Mu-
n.RusHlo'1d DOt, .. Cu,iodorus <lid, give. twO-pag-e. dacunin lreI.l·
mtfI( ro romeUY. H. had ro find sorne subj= ro mI OUt Book VI
ro IIQrmtllen¡th, and onc dw: would D<H: repo:l his readus. The Eudid-
M,utwr... Priocion, Aldhdm, Sed., DicuiI, ""d thc Ambo, of <he 0A01l_
)'11>0" Do ,;¡u ""bit) from Solinus, is • nluablc fO tite delCrionlio:t of
cluoiclll writings "' tht Iund. of Intd;....] c<omp;¡u..
"Sto: lbo.... p. '7'
'JO TUI': Q UADRIVIUM
even more popular than itl well-\nwwn forebear. And, as we have _no
Martianus furmer digcsted che work of Solion. ond Pliny ro produ«
me gcogra.phlcal txCUrsus whicb fonns me bulk oí BOlOk VI.
The geognpmcd writings of me Greeks reflttt two ""Iiem CtlLrural
pencJunt foc tbeorctical stu.ms, including mathe-
macia, ond. love for, and de¡>C1ldcnc<: upon, the sea. In matbt:matical
geognphy they were outstanding. Thc accomplishmenr:s of mros-
th(;nes, Hipparchus, Ptolnny, and others ranlo: high in !he history of
grodcsy.1t D=ripave gtognphy, 011 tIle otile. hand, Wa5 not a w. U-
devdoped or wdl_defined fidd. From che begUllting me di";nctiol15
bctwecn history and geognphy w= blurrcd; hisrorims lil«: Hero<!-
otw ugular!y introduce<! gwgn.phical and geog•• pbers
fele Impclkd to deal with lúswrical backgrouods." Grc.k treotise. on
geognphy tended from .. rliest times ro assume the fonn of • pt"rit-
glm, a 5IlI'VCy of cicles, peoples, and COllOtnes uranged in the order
char. navigaoor would come upon he saiJed che coas< of che
Medituranean IJld oucu seas. The commo .... t starting poin. foc such
surveys wu che Str.l;t oí Gibraltar." A ptritguis natunlly gav. di ...
proport:iomre attcndon ro regions, ro tIle neglect of the imcrior.
Geognphical writings of rbc classical period are now represente<!
oolr by fragmentl Or by borrowings in =ndary sm1l'<:"'. T ite litera-
ture surviving froro the Helltnistic Age is writtcn almost exclusively
on • popular leve], and hu a standardiud fonn. Introduaory chap€m
contain stereotyp:d doctrines (lf mathematictl ge(lgnphy, Nch as .re
fmmd in thc handboob (lf Thcon oí Sinyrna, Geminus, .nd Qeom-
cdcs:" thc « le";.] sphere and circlcs define<!, and the positions
" Fo< • dMo . o/ di. _ti< o/ ...... _ ... uiccl geoscop ....... "". Tll=-
.."., chapo. V ood XI; ..,d e.
H. Bunbt>ry, A Hin • .., ., AtJ&i<m a"'vqhl,
....po. XVI, XVII. ood xxvm .
.. F. W . WoIbonl< .... wrjlt<1l • brilliaot orticl. with e....irW¡hto ¡JItO die
populu tr'djtiom o/ G,...k ¡cognpby: "Th. G""I!,"phy o/ Polyhlllo. Cw,;co
« ""'.¡....,.¡,.,IX (>941), 11. onribnteo <be geognphksl digr...>oo ...
nrumsI f..""" of hiororiogroplly '" tII. n>ethodo o/ the srory-<dler.
b I ionol Pnnon, Enl, 1"';"" HitwrlMu (Orlord, '939), P. In, thlnI<s di..
11" "' ¡"", Por;",.';' (e. l"" a.c.), th< <.ru...: Greok googrophic:d ceolio<.
"'" ",""" begun ¡.. """oy"' Gibftlru .
.. T ' - <d. Hiller. pp. """11; Gemio.., o..po. IV, V, XV, XVI; Clto<nod<.
lh """" .;,-• ..uri l. "J.
GEOMET!l.Y • 3'
of planetlry orbits and che carth are locatcd¡ then lollow disemsions
of tilo locadon ol me carth'. zones of human habitadon and me diri-
sion ol ¡he mown world into ¡hrcc condmnt'l. Polybius interrUpts me
oi his HistOrUl, ¡use beiore IUnnibal's crossing oí me Alps.
ro introduce a digrcssion (J.)6-)8) on the tItree continenoll divisions.
Sc:nbo, afeer • historical introduetion, devotes fifteeo of me "venteen
booles of his O:ogr¡¡pby oo. descriptioo of che conntries of the world.
Bnt nest:led betwcen bis historical inttoduction and regional desaip-
tion is a Jengthy chapeer (,. S) containing all che stueotypeB of •
popular handbook 00 eosmography, che .lIape "nd che ZOIlC$ oi heaven
and earth, che rehdve position and siu: oí me earth, che four zones of
huma.n habitWon, " coasCll SIIrvey of me Irnown world, and lasdy •
discussion of che climates and me bours ni dayUghr lit eaeh of che P'lnl-
Jet. It che time oi che solstice. A similar introduction to C<lsmography
is found in che pseudo-Aristordian Dt mundo.
The Rom.ns mad. theiI" fim emnsive contacts wim che Greek io_
tdlecrual world in che =nd Wltury I.c. Bcing unable ro comprehend
che meoretical ueatiscs oi che thinkers Uke Fntostheneo and Hippar_
chus, they depended upon populanw-s for thcir tech.nical infornu.tion.
WriteIs ni rhe fim centuri.. I.c. and ...1>.. gave. <:anoUlcal form to Latin
gt'Ographical treatises, diriding them into two P'I"CS' . concise OCO)\Iot
of tilo dernents of mathematical geograpby, and. chorography of che
mown world, prepondcrandy of eouul rcgions and coruisting Iargely
of lisa oi phcc namcs, with remorles about U<OCi<tted persons OI things
irnerspcrsed. Sinee me RolIW"IS lwI linle or no interest in geomctry
and thcir C<lnqutSts lUId adrninistrativc operations were eondue... d in
me interior more rhan in coastal regions, ir is cltar titar Roman grog-
rapllen blundered in adhering ro t=!iUonal parteros of Grcek geog_
nphy. Fonnal Lo.rin ehorograpllies wue of linle use ro provincial
administraron and milit:ary commonders, who dtpended instead on che
daUI compi!ed by MOlCU$ Agrippa in a grOIll2.Uc survey oi che higb_
way' and proYinees oi me Empirc, eonducted under me sponsoHhip
of Augusrus. The Iesula oi this survcy were made u.iJable in itiner-
aria and C<lpi.. of rhe master map, one of whlch, the "Peutinger
T1ble," survive:s in a late form.
Mela offers rile ilinten traecs of mathematical gcography in • few
sentenees in me opening ellapter of his DI ritu Drbis (c . ....D. 4'). H e
'l' TUE QUADlllV l lIM
titen move& on ro me divisiom Qf the world ud ro a <:horognphy. by
provinces, sarting at Gibnlc:.r. Pliny begins bis monumental
History, rhlrty-seven boob long, with a book on me uniVCISe (lIook
11), tbc convencional opating ot Guck matltemlotical but
he does DOe compuhend the .nthoritie. he is nsing. H e then divkks
tIle known world ineo two inhabited islands, os it weu. bisected by me
Meditcmlnean and the Black Sea, and procceds on • CO\lSOI survcy oí
me nonhun half (III-IV) and the SQuthem hall (y-VI), eadI time
starting Ir Gibnlw. Pliny show. a high regar<! fOl' the ebt::l compiled
by Agrip¡n and makes fn:quent use of them in rec<lrding disances;
but he fails ttJ rta&e mat Agrippa's $Urvey would llave made a sound
basii for bis chorogn.phy. os a Greek-.¡ylc pniegtsiJ (prohablr
Varro', )<lid noto gives mease:..
uearment tO interior r.o:gions
wllicb were of viul importtnce ro me Empire. Though he se,..,cd in
military campaigns in Gernlany and wrote an authoritaove history oí
the Gaman mlr. in twcnty boob, he devotts aboot one hundred ud
flÍry words to this pare oi thc: world. 'lb. reaoon is dear. He is dn.w-
ing ¡mm boolrs nmor than from rus oWft aperien«." Solio\!! omits
a mamenutical inuoduction altogether and begins bis chorograpby
witb luIr, though he uses Pliny ud Mela throughouc 1$ rus sollfCel.
Dividing die known wodd mm hall'CS and assuming that m ocean
f1owro continuously .bout both halvcs sacisflcd Greck gcognplten
tIw: • wouJd serve Il$ .,. adcquatc h2si$ f« world
nplly. Bot ro Roman geographen. lware of militllly
and uplontions in BriTllin, Gennany, Uppe! Egypt, and the Middlt
East, it ' ppeared th>t pr""f. wcrc rcquircd ro dcmonsuate the .do-
qnacy of coast:al surveY' ro cncomp'" remoce r.:gions. Lltin ",ritul
eustonwily inaodu=! proofs of • COntinUOllll oceau-Ñbulous circum-
navigations of the nortbcm and southem eontineuts. Pliny's proofs
are gublcd by Maniaous. Pliny (l. '70), 011 the IUthority of Corndius
Nepos. say' tbat MeteUus Cele! u a prneru froro the lring
of the Sw1tbi2m some Indians wbo liad beco driveo from thcir coorse,
by stOml!, o.Il the w:ay ro Germany¡ MartWws (6u) has it that Cor-
oelius, alter aking sorne ludians captive, sailcd post Germany. Mar-
rdoer mon u';"bIe
.. He bad atcd talÜ<r ( •• " 7-,8) tbt. writuo can oh:o.I
dota .bout tbeir own region from boob ., ...... by oudIott '"'" 111ft <IOTCr
been tIIere th1n from llIti_
GEOMETRY
-
n.iD< ..... dt..""d _ I."gtt.y obap<et ro <han;" hio ,"'-_ d. S¡,,¡¡u, 11,
Hio eIobo ..... providoo ...... oi puoIWo in cl...nJ ond modievtl
......unment d En.-ben .. 10<" the eanb"s circwrtf<rmce. ...... "'" Mori, "Lo
t1UO.!U!tlc. dd podo <d al .... D<IfÍ<k I<ogttf!cbe dell. '0."""",.;.'
di M....,¡."o Capellt," RMt<. /toJl;""" xvm ('9")' ¡!16, thinb "'"'
Bcr¡¡er'. npw..ooa "'" cotTectiort al MMtWtus' ,ooiuoed ...t<mem ¡, the ortly
""",,"bI.. 00<. Both ocbobrt oR girirtg M""¡"' ... "",di, 10<" ",.".. matbomatb.l
. 1dIl m.n h, pe " ""d.
" Remi¡iuo (ed. ,W. "8000... . circle Jo di-rid<d iota """ <qua! 1"""",
lro:. circlo ¡, 'dooble· """"" diultetu dirid<s the cir<:le iota equal poons."
.. Mmiaml:I nI (Dkk ¡JO. ,¡-,.v,."..kIng d "'" """,bu fI.o, ..yo: H"""
_ _ qull ...,,, .,,, J'..-" ,_, N _ J.u4# P"1"rJ.> ,lrrul"'qt<I ¡".¡,.,
btmitpb4t"fio .dmu-. IWbo wotdJ deny <ha. thlo n_be< Rpcnen<:llhe dio-
m< .. For the dtcod, perfecdoB "'" me circl<, is =: in bill by the
..micircle d thi< numbu.l Romi¡in<"¡ 1"". (<>:1. Lutt., 11. ,iS) , H""" _" .........
id Ir< quiurium. Dim>mum qt<II/ Jimidium J"""¡¡ ",1 d/l>li4ium [1 .. ,
tIt. 00_ (iyo. Th< dÍ2lll<tcl" ;" .. jo; W<<C, holf d ten ot hall d • circle.) Fro:
• f""'Íb'" oxpIanlcioo <>f thi< rnillOk<, ... bel<>w, p.'.¡6.
.. D. Jil.-mo... _ U ) . Il (MigD<, n, VoI. ",,1s.],6-,th Duplo noJm
,.;".,m"..b;¡". m",", 1m 1/>b4<r4, mu m.Jkw •• "'m..¡, ..... N_ .. dtnM/I
....,...¡, """" """".t.m e!..<'lSII, "..,....."" di "''''''' en. J.n,t io. tht I"""'g< Jolm
gi... f.,.... ¡M the • •¡.,ooo xad .. ud Ay>
dw: the dWnet<r ¡, ,,6,00<> '''di. the ...... f'lr"" .. the di.... « lO the DIOOJl.
Jol,,' wu disturbed by the veo' dio=pucy l><twCI<Il the figu.<el d twO m>« •
• bIe .uthoriti.., Emootbencs hjl,o<lO xadW ... d Ptok"'Y (,-.,- ""dio), "'"
oought to «<:Oocil. than by. diff....!ICe ir> ..... duda. Sto: Anbtey Diller, "Tbo
, l' THE QUADRIVIUM
Before bcgiuning bis Martianus divides tIle known world
inro thtee continents: Europe. Asia, md Afria. The Strait of Gibnl11l'
sqm\ltu Europe md Mrica, tIIe Don forms die deroatation
betwttn Europe and Asia, and die Ni!e separares Asia and Alriea.
ore Pliny's divisions. ,'\{uti;¡nus concludC$ by observing (ÓJ6)
tllat "very many prefor f.O '.gard die Sea oí Mmnan. os
the boundary betwcen Europe and Asia. The "very many" Ir<: acto.Uy
Solln\lll."
Spain seIS tIun its ¡11m: of notice {roro MartianU9-fi ir di<!
fmm Pliny, rhe usool upL>nation for this bcing tItot Pliny servcd as
procuutor in Spain. ond dt.tt Vuro, Itis presumed IUthority, had
•• rvcd .. militory conunander in Spo.in in tite Ovil Wu apinst
01 t." But Varro and Pliny drew their gcognphy fmm boaks and
r«<mls nmer tlwl from persoDil txpc:rienee. Pliny also Mld procun-
rorshipi in Gaul ami campaigned in Germany but those countrks got
5Cant actention fmm him. Pliny givcs undu. cover:ag<= ro Syrio., I
ptovince which di<! noI figure in bis carter, if M evcr did visir it.
Indiatlons are tila! it WllS the G",.k gwgnphecs who, just.,.
¡hey btqu.. thed the fnmework of the ro Rom.o gwgn.phcrs,
detennin«l rhe amaunt of discussion ro be giveo ro «eh province of
tite Empke ro me outtr resiON of rhe world. Spain w.s • Jand of
keen inrerest to Greek geographm from thc time of Hccataeus (c.
soo s.c.), while d!e attention gilT<'n to Syrla probably ren= Posido.
nius' inrus in Pompcy's campaigns. Pliny in turn determincd me
propornonace length of treatment of each region fOf IAtin writerS
who compilcd from him directly or indirectly, such u Solinus, Mil{·
Uanus. l5idore, and Dicuil;" and mus. throngh him, Greek anmorities
bamos races" {6$0) ..... glib way nf acconnting for fifty wptcl'S in
Pliny (3. 101-SO). NttiollS are lumped together 00 me shadowy =ro
borden oi the uorthem half of the world-Getae, Dacians, Sannatians,
Wagon-Dwellcrs, AJan!, Ge.rnuns. Then the Danube
mouth, tite Dnieper and Bug Rivers. Beyond ore che Gelon!, Agathyr-
si, Man_Eatcu, Arimospi, md the fabulous Rhipaean Mountains. Across
thcse are the Hypcrboreans, living in blis, aud in l trice \Ve on the
.. """"....,. Mat<xUInus i> <he only LIÓn ...rit« ..... 1 know ol bol.".. di.
ptriod of Anbio Whu:nc. ""'" .... ' oJly tead Ptolemy'. ÚMIlT'ph" IIDd be ....
• Symn Guek wbo ntb<.r surpri>U>¡ly cl>ooc ro wrlte la r..do. MutlonoJ ".,.
'\O'I>u. Iodic:otu lID iDdinoliOD ro pcru« • techoical W<Irl< bb Proiemy's. I..oomrdJ',
temUb _ disc...,. ...... , _ Ptolemy tod MutiIlDUl ("N.... iuuodutci ...•
pp. 'lt..,S) ......holly in.lennt. Manlo.u> ond Solinuo we<" no< wish
Prolomy <rSdicio .... Prol<my'. í.,.....
.vo.iIobl. ro Pliny in Vorro', writiogo.
onp....d 'Ori<b Posldo.!j'lI ..,d wu pt<Ibobly
L E. Dnbkin, ''Pnoid<Jnino ond <he
Qn;umf..."", of rbc Eartb," 1m, XXXIV ( 'lit}), 1"9'-"•
.. M.m.m.. (6,'¡ wriooo "'" di. q-tirr .. oigb. tItouutd fi.. ltortd=I tod
.. vtnty..... n. a..!dwn. oJitor ot <h. Loeb odition ot PIlny, wu an>wuo ot <h.
MmlonoII contOponJen<ea. Rackh>m rudo l.!;c18. ond tus í-.gum fo< me Iottr·
veniog d j......... do """ Jin " ",",Uct """'- J..,. &onj"", In me lIodé edkion ot
PLiny, n, '09I,...d> 000 hU figures fo< <h. d i v ...... do Ji....
<OtIl. IUckh..,,'. tdiriot> ;, motted by ""deo. miottbt, m.u..'¡OÓOlII,
tod mi<rtodingo ot me "".,,,,,,ipto. k is bopeJ "'" die Ion,......n.d Iludo! tdkloo
of PIlny. BooblII·VI, will >OOQ "1'1"'"'" k O"eh< '" clear "1' mIIIy ol ti>< f • • hy
,.tdiog> ot Pliny" 00 rbc problomo ollDln\Jlcript tronrm¡""- oí Pliny',
n""","'" seo BeaujOll. pp. '44"f6.
p Joidou of Cho.ru. Ollt ot .._ wotb 00 .... rl""d TIu r.tM.too
S,m.", (c. UI. ' I¡, Iw ..,,,,I...d. n.o G_k <ni _ cdittd.od tuIIIl...d,...;m
rommenruy, by Wilhcd H. Scldoff O'hiIaddpbia. '9'.,) '
141 TIIE QUAD1I.IVIUM
Pliny. Gcomrtry's own esómatc: of thc dist:l.nce by Jand md sea, coc_
roOOrucd by Artemidorm, U 8,6B1 miles."
Martim... give:. the Jatitudinal distancc, íroro tbe shoIes of the
Ethiopim Octan ro the mouth oí the Don River, 15 5",6> miles." That
estima« is reduced by 678 miles, if made over the scas." Acoording
{o ArrcmidonlS <he mouth oí the Don marked <he uppc1" limit of gco-
graphical knowledge, but lsidorc colcnlottd anodter 1,>50 miles-the
distance ro UlIirn2 Thult--an ururublc conjtcture, in Mmianui opin--
ion (6t6). Tbis figure of '.250 miles, itl auribution ro Isidore, ll1d
the skeprlcal attitude come ftoJO Pliuy, but Pliny had good reasons
fOI bcing skepticaL Martimw pmers "" absurd uplanation, perM.po
rus own, thu the caro. wu earlk.r shown ro be tpbcricaJ ,00 it u im-
possible fOI a 'l'here tu M.VC unoqual sides.
Ac this poim Geomeny is a pitiful ';ght, winded {rom che aertiom
of her long reOtation. Venus hu bttn frowning through it aU; this i:s
nOl her idea of. wedding cdebntion. Desirc, une ol Venus' .ttend.
ants, la5hes OUt It tlIe nWden unmercifully, alling hu senseless .00
boorish, beI limbs 00 rougltened by tn.ipsing over mmtntoms, stnits,
ami highwsys, and her 'ppe.",nce so shaggy that she could be token
fot a mau. Ne«ttheless me is directed to get on with her WscoIll!iC
on gcomeuy, md tO be brief about it (7"'1-5) .
Gemnctry', ten-pagc digest of Eudidcan clements is, for i13 time
and place, a remarbblc treatment of <he subject. TI is also. docu01Cnc
of JOme ';guificance among me seant vcstigc. of Euclid in che Loan
world of me =Iy MiddJc Ages..... It m :mbles a Grcek systematic
" Martiolmo (6'1) writto"... <he U>CIl in latiD. PIJoy (l. IM-4'!) si"-
disto"..... botwceo inrervaLing satiom, ... imp«ooi... 1m, es¡-<.,)ly siI>OC ""-
dimnces o.re ginnlo hall mil ... lnIt tbe r¡guro. adoptod by RKkham md IIeoujeu
do 00< .dd up lO the toWo, ond Pllny'• ...w. in botb odltio.-. ... diffonm ftom
Martiamu'. On Plioy'• ...-oro _ Millor, VI, llJ+
.. Apin Mortim... ...me. <>lit the toW d#unoe ond upcoco PIiny'. lbt oi
Imenoning "'óom, lnIt he doeo 00< gi•• tbe dinso«o botw..., sruiono. n..
f1gal .. adopcod by lIeoojou md Rsddwn diHor, ond ... ithor oddo "p '" Plli>y'.
( •. '.1) toW ....hlob is <h. _ .. Ahnim ....
.. MOttisnoo ....... "'" tIlO quoatity. a.:.,,¡.......do 7'1 mita; iU<khu> omils.
'-
.. M.m.m.. is Ji-! >OfDt oI.ip< weight in quesrions oi tho """..ricny oi
E1IClid.. «no Seo TIH Tbirt_ ,,,,,A:t
01 lW<!¡ot, I!:' .......,,,....d. Sil ..-..o-
H..th.l6,. 'fl7
GF.OMETRY '41
handbook," aJullitiug a rtUOno.ble tense of order, and containing
defmitions and <livi5ions ni me subjecr. We may s.fdy """"me, from
our knowledge of rhe habits of Mnoanus, rhar he <lid not make
rus own compilioon of enncts fron, a brger Eucfidean work but ap-
propnated sorne aln::ody prepued digest, enmples of which Ire di ...
cussed by Tannery," Hearh, lO Gnld:>.t," and UIlman," and reIts of
which are found in Tannery," Bubnov," rhe Friedl. in edioon of
Boethius' mamematicol writings." me Corpus Gnldat's
e<lioon of a twolftb-century versinn of rhe Ekmrnts
Nation.de, Fonds Iatin lO,'H)" and Geymorut's .<lition of tbe Vero,,"
MartilInus includes m.ny of me r,..ditio"..1 rudimenu
found in medieval digem and extraCts nf che EInn<'1lIP. rhe definitions,
postulates, 100 firn mtu txiom5 ol Boo!< 1; classifiadons of angle$
and of plane l nd solid figuus; . nd 1 few definitiGn. {"'m Boob V,
" Se< .00-. .. "'lbc W ork," n. .
.. MM of I'>ul Tuoery·' writingo on geomotry in th< Lotin We", luve beet>
colJe=d PI hit Sd", ... =te", ....,.... /r,I , .d. J. L. H .."bug. ..d .,.., rtiIl
W<lrm porull&!. Su "lA. Géomkñe on XI' oi!de," PI'- 79""', esp. PI' 91""'" lUId
OUt J. pseudo--¡¡iométrie d. Bob, PI' al ,_,B.
.. Su h.Ir «Imoo o/ Enclid"J El""""" Vol 1, lmrodncÓOtl ood cht.p. viii.
.. TI><- &<1, T .../irknu f,,,,/i¡J'. El<:moo .. diocnas m. geom<lr)"
iq th< Corpus •• ,h,.....,_ (pp. )'-J9) .ud m. outhonhip o/ m. "Boethi&n"
nrsIon< of E""Ud (PI' ,.-,9).
""triu " .mbm<tk... BQm; in fi"" boob.
Gol"",
0I00 • .wyu. <he contmIJ o/ rbc ti.,1M-
" Ullimo. P. ditcusoeo lIoIbuo' EzpomiD " ,4& ."" ' ... fOmt4n6>< (,d
......h <he Cc>da Ao:eriomu (Wolf..,bilncl), whiclt Tonnuy d ... d in <h •
.mi> '" oc.""'" e""'-1rie< bur lo..,... <b",d in rbe fillb ot sixtb (pp. z6¡"'I,): <b.
fWO g<ometties oscrib<d ro BoerhlI1O; ond m. ,¡.,.., fottbcotnlug Cleyzr>on>r M1óoo.
(now publiobed, ... n. obovc) o/ <he V. mm. frwgm<nl> (p. '7') . UlImJ.n alto
prnvid<o.., up-<O-d ... biblJosrapby .
.. "Un Nou ...n T.- <le tuiI& d'orpentage .. de gtorotule d'Epopl>.rodiau
.. de V"lIrIlviwo Rufu," in ScIm&"
.. In hit .dition o/ Gubut'.
.ut:t<, ""
O"". __.k., """ ...
1,., PI'- >9"'Ili.
PI'-
.. Se.: ,u,.,.c, ......
.. F. mamo. K. 1Aclunoon. A. Rudorff, . do. G.-Iel V...r .., DI< S.bt/f,m
di' r6m1s."", FtI4""" .. (r vob.. IXriin. '14I-'Sj'.1I eatl Thoilln, «l. e...,...
4' ¡"."""'...... ''''''''''''"''' «<litio.!
no< compIottd), Vol. I i.Lelptig, ' 9'¡) '
.. PI' S8 fl .
.. Se<..,.,.., n. ' J. L. W. JOM> b" b:luded oN><bu m<dievol ocupt. found
Ir>. """"""ripr o/ Q - iodonzo' /-.,.;...." in hio .......... tion of tbat work, ti"
l .....qdz,-do" 'q DiWw ..., H _ &..dmv. PI'- ,,60'9-
TIfE QUADRIVIUld
'44
X, and XL Also included lre sorne mattUJ that are not found in
Eudid; and, u times, as we sIWI see. MartiaIlUS foUows thc definitions
of Heron of Alenndrill more closcly tban mosc nf Euclid. n.. mdi-
oons oí Euclid and Heron dominated medieval geometr)'. It is Iikcly
that me immediate antceedrnt of Martianus' Book VI presented ji CQlI-
fution ol both UlIditions, just as the antecedtnt ni Book VII probably
p_ted • conflaóon oí Euclidcan md NlCOmaehean trittunttic.
A suitllblc .pp.roach ro • trc:atise oí this son is to compare le with
che Art germurrilK, a compendiurn ...pposcdIy translatcd fMm Euclid
2IId falscly attributed ro Boetllius, "'lUd\, as UJhnan las ucaldy
shown, tuC115 up with great frequenq;n <XIp;es or c:nnClli in medienl
mmuy coUecri<J... ni GIl geometry and $UIVeyillg.- Bat ";!ICe
rherc are al.., indicatioru uf U.rome tradition in Mattitnlll'
I
it would be ",el! ro kcq> a copy oí Heron', It hand for
comparison.
Sorne opening rerrwb abont the derivlOon of linos from il1COr-
porcal pomtl arul of nnmbus fmm che indi...¡m,le morw:I (¡06-7) bear
• striking rcsemblance ro Maaobius' dicussion of corpormties lIIld
incorporealities.. md serve ro sIlow the cIose relationslUp betwo:n
Gxmtctry and her sist« Arit:hmetic. Then follows thc division of
figure!! inro plane (q,;pedi'm) .00 ",lid (muan), tbe former origi-
nating in. point (stmtion), [he tattet in. 1IIrN« Nen
.. tJllinan, pp. •.....", prd... to reprd tbo Art , __ =<leased, mItor
""'" l(III"ioIIo, Bocthlus. Tbe tu< ;. fOlllld iI> !he Fricdlein al lIoechiGo'
votb, pp. 11 .....1. Fricdl<in reprded tbo wruk .. opurious. whi<:b
1, tbo..t.w usualIy by histruisno oí motbolD!rics s.. H_', dhion of
tbo EI........-.u.. 1, 9'1 HeMh, Him><, o{ 0....1, 1, )!9-Ó<» The-n:
<:OIIUlns p<oo& of Book 1, &o¡.. [o), ..¡.-Jence, lIO:<>rdi!lg .., Hwh, thot <he
pooudo-llouhIuo b<d tbo .... oí • lAtiD <nnSIotion of l''''¡ld (Henh oí """""
"'"""''''''Y' of .. *- pon;.- of F""¡jd) MonIWI Oogett, 0... .1,
'j',
...
Sdenu ;" P. coUo <he ..... oltdm> • "Wncnrobl< te!>dorinfI:." s..
<he di-, ·on. of d>io e.. 1".. in Toanery, Sri_., eZlWt<s, PI'- 97-\l!I> ... -[s.
"'_
Hoiberg.
lO MoaobNo C,;;_.k. I ,. j . J-); . . d for odtor porollels se< my.......a.don.
. ¡" ....,,.,. (od. Fti..n.;n 40).
.. a. MI [4->41 1 GdI ... [. [o. "" 0.001."".
,. 6 .•, Ioid= J. ti. "'1 J. n . l . lIhniuwo' f ......... oí GreeJ¡
GEOMETRY '45
come the definitions from Book 1 oí Eoclid. Mlrtianul; Oefmi-
Do", '" 7, md ,,; the A,. gt011Ultriu gives. lairly lit=.! mnslotioo
01 aII rwemy-three deFmitions but invem tIIe ordcr 01 Euclid's 1) and
'4 (Mu1ianus does nol inven tbtm). Manianus mistranslates Defini-
tion 1; A polo1 is tIIn whosc pan is notbing," instead oI "A point is
tbat which hu no patt.'''' AfIle giving Euclid'. definitioo (.) ol a
line, Mudan". in=¡ooses definiMos oI me four kinds ol l¡nes
stnight., circular, 'pinJ-shaped, and curved-as does Heron (Defim-
';/'nIt s 3-7) ' The Ars gtom!triIM defers dclinirlons oI threc kinds oI
lineo--stnight., circular, and curved- to .later part oí tIIe book (Fried-
lein ed. 394- 1-'4)' Eoclid omits. cl>ssificatioo oI species oI lincs."
Marcianus amplifics Euclid'li deFmition oí I surface., Idding tbat il
bcks deptb, i t doe¡¡ color no. body, and tbat tite definition .pplics
ro both plane and curved Euclid defines onty . plane S<II'Úcc.
FoUowing rus trarulation of Defmition ,8 of Eoclid, Muo..nns inrer--
poses I cJ.ssjfiClltion and definitions of three kinds oí plane figures:
t/toso; conWned by &rWghe Iina ( ... 'bygr....""m), tbosc coulllined by
.. a. H.ron'l cb.osificrdott. (D.f. 74> imo Inoompoo&te :utd COOIpoolto or. opln.
imo rimpl< &/Id mied. Se< II• .,¡,,·, odirioo of the E l _.. l. '1"-
.. en fi""., _ dUmIm> .. pt>Iph..u .....u., _ H<lnIo.u....
_ , dt ;nto#. tommm... a . .4" (col. FriodJe¡" )?J. "" v' s...,¡..
tri f;p,. q_"'¡' ..... _ &-.". 14 'Pi"-
Ionulit.
" Se< oIoovc, lUJ. J' and l"
GEOMETRY '47
Prodll5 in bis Cummmtl1ry I'm Eudid f¡" tnd dissoJutjQ (reduction ro
absurdity], included in die Adclard 111 version of Eudid."
Mutianll5 fecls dur a furthcr dis<.:ussion of angles is Meded (7'7).
Once agtin mere tre three kiuds: righe angles an tJways che ame and
t<¡uaJ¡ acure IIIglcs "od obtuse Ingles are alwo.ys "variable" (mQbílis)_
ony Ingle broader duo I right angle is obtusc¡ a narrowcr Ingle is
KUte. The compiler of thc A". fele • similar nccd ro dab-
unte bter un me three kind. of anglu.1t
Thcn fullow me defioitioru uf four eenns that used eo describe
proportional relaoonships, gublcd Uf reduced in dIe Latin tnnSmis-
sions uf Eudid. fsotls [equaliry): twu lint$ of t<¡u.llength are com-
pared with • thlrd that is of double or t<¡ual Iength. .. Homologo.
(com:sponding) : magnitudes compared are "in "S' nent" {coll.ú.
comemiu1Jf).O\ An%gos (proportionsl]: a line b.lf as long as onolMr
is twiee 0.510118 as I thlrd. Alogos [disptoportionalJ: Unes ucimer are
equal!lOr bear IOy Otllef noonal rclationship ro eKIt other."
Non Mlr(l..nu< defines and briefly comrn.ots un (7'8) cornmensur-
abl•• od incommensunble lines "ud lines commensurabJe "in powcr"
OI "in square," as H eath prden to tnrulllte me EucUdean tem\."
Then
foUows a list (po) of the thirreen lr.ind. uf ¡rnrio",l straigbt Unes, in
me order in wbich dtey are found in Euclid."
Martianus' discussion of solid figures is very brief (7' ,·n). He gives
EucUd'. definitioll': of a ,..,ijd ond iu ext(emioes," tnd points to me
generation uf I pyramid from a trianglc, a cone OI I cylinder from a
circle, 11 cuhe from a quadr.te, 1t1d. spllere from 11 circlc. To dlese Ir•
• dded rhe "noble figures" (nobili4 fashioned from the othm:
rhe octahedron, dodecahedron, ami ic:<l$lhedron.-
Martianus' digest nf Eudidc.o.n element:o concludes with translations
of thc: five posrubtes and of the first dute of Euclid'. five txiolm for
Book 1. Heroo gives only Ouee uioms. Th. Arl geumetriae gives the
fir.;t foor and add:! ro the group Dc:finitiollS , and l of Book 11 of
Euclid."'
Hee [USOIIS in Euclidean principIes concluded lt1d accepted, Geom-
etty dn.ws 11 stt"tight Une 00 !ter aboc:u:s and osks oow onc gocs .bou.
constructing on "'Iu.ibtenl criangle upon 11 given straigllt lino Í7'4) .
n. plúlosopbe.... in th. imme&>tely recognize cbat sbe ¡,
prel"'ring tQ work Out the construetion (or .he ¡In< proposiaon oí
Eudid and rhey bre3k joto acclaUn oI Euclid. Geomeuy, pleoscd with
this 'pprobation oi her disciple, sn,uches fmm his Itmd rus preciOIlS
bookl-which undoubtedly contain me proof. oI all tite propositions
in the Ihineen boob oI the Elm1nIlJ*_ and gives dtem ro Jupiter ..
a tel[tbook for che flll'thcr instruction oI the heavenly eompany •
.. Primuy -dio¡ ti> Pbto Tm... ... H 1>-<:. And ....... ""'" iD ....
Cornford .dition.
" 00 tite qIItSIioo 01 tite UIbeoticlty of Euclid'. rnom. ... II"'¡". ediclo",
<S., ,,,.,, •
.. lo. 1m o<>ciqoky th< ""'" "pIW<>oopb«" w .. oppIiod m III<Q in 011 br>1ICbco
ol Iutning, indudiDg soo:h uebnicol fioldo .. otiDing eoglacuing. s.. 0Jrtiua,
p¡>. ,o¡,." .
• Whether • """,pi«< EI_,,....
ol!llt .,..;loN. in tb< W ...
die twdhb cenwry- tht baic quertion lar 011 in...,..;g.t<>n 01 r.;., geom-
=y-hss -)'t'I b<en t.IlOW=<I deci<ivdy. tu Mucboll ilig<tt ("Tho Mow.nl
Lt.tin Tru>oItcicmo Imm die Arobio oí tbe 8"="" 01 Eucli.d, 1m, XLIV ( '95 11 •
•6-'7) points inveotigaron hlv. beoo UDlbl. ro pto"o tII. """''"''OC of •
""",pi... EI-..". Ac<;o'diog t<I GoId.. (po )7), th< .nillIhIo .. j..Jc.v.. dooo "'"
indic... <hu thtn wo> • <»n>pIcn! tl'tJl>!odon of do. EItmMu inro Lotin befo«
<be Anl>lo: veniono t>e< ..... 1<1>0"", ro th< Wm ¡., tbt twcUth <eotury. A• ..,y
....." .. /o cuuiDly clear duo. lo< Mortiamto Eudid .... oltgeoduy f!pfc, 0<10 oí
"tbe (wmn, .,.,J,¡uIl. wbose ropuatilm owed IDOIO to tnditioo thao
t<I ¡eoohx "''''P'- or Oppt<dltioIL
0" Arithmetic
..
oaribnt<t of .... rnIJIIbuos wi<hiD lI.
I Oa whot ir? Ia>own obout r"""._.....
konlng lo tilo ....Iom world seo D. '"
• Pubol" .... b<ot uplaootioA of the IoIencifIC>ciott of thll onunbor wi<b Japi='•
.,..,.. ¡, off... d by Romlgi<>o -.1 lo<; (<<1. L..... 11, (79): Jupiter '" ti>< Greeks ......
lDlown .. H A. P X H IThe 1le¡inniI>¡1. n. nlllllOric:oJ ni.... of the Gredt: Jettu.
...., H=Ii; k:.; P= .oo; X=-. H=tl l<I0II:=7'7.
A R IT II M E TlC .S'
that MortWIUS did not consult dircctly: thc 11llroduction 10 Arith-
mltie by Nicornach ... of (c. A.D. 100);' and Boob VII_IX of
Eucijd's ElemmtJ, the books dcating wm.. aritlunetic (see . bove,
pp.
T he Greeb recognized two divisions of tite subjcct of arithrnetic,
botlt bcing induded in Aritbrnetic'. presentation: arithmology llIld
arithmetic proper. Arithmology, a srudy oí thc mystical propcrtie. of
tite numbcn in rhe decad, de. lr with the attributes, epithets, and rDlIgi-
ca! o( tbese numbcrs, which ir identified with the gods and
witlt I variety of animare and inanirnate obj= Arithmetic proper
was a rigid rnathtm1tical di<ciplinc, u!ating ro the properties and
rheary of numbcrs, .00 involving proofs." N aturilly treatiscs on the
rntgical properties ha<! wider circulatiou duo those on rhe rntthe-
marical properti(S of numbers. Many of the writers on number deak
oolr witlt .nthmology." It is ro me credit of MarrianUl that he givCl
"'""
....
• 11. l. MutO<>, IIII"","r 01 &J1U1IriMI no 1I..,;q..¡"" p. On <be Infl.....,.
of N'<eomo<huo' I_odwdot> oo. dup. X of <he 0'00¡e, Robbin<, utd lWpiIuki
,,6 T"E QUAORIVIUM
A second translation of cbc work, by Boethius, go"" I:he srudy of
arirhmetic impcC\l';. The openiog argumenn af Nicomacbus' book
appear ro havo shoped Bo«hius' catttr. Niromachus giv.. fervmt
npres:.ion to che Pytlugoreau attitudc, flnt foon<! in Plato'. Rqublic,
th.tt tlle path ro plliJosophical truth Jies in the mastery of che four
I\1I.memnieal sciences, and he ro argoe tIlot arithmetie is me
00
found •• ion of .JI mathemaOcal smdies. Boet!Uus, probllbly not y(t
cwenty ye= oí Ig<' le tite time, besan bis career of philosophkal
study and writing by tnnslating Nicomach... ' l'f1fToducfion, befo", he
proett<:led (O the C<lmposition of ruS omer marnemacieal man ...1!i and
ro lhe srudy of philosophy. Boethius' transbtion of NiCOl1UChus'
tmltJ'(s mirboda; [four rnetlt<xbJ as quminwium (sic) is Ihe carlien
Imown instan.e of me use of the urrn."
Martimul>' extended section 00 .rithmetic, forty-six pagts long in
th. Dick edition, is one of tlle most importam Lttin apositions of
G,.ek arithmctic from tite early Middle Ages." Although bis ultimatc
NLCOlIIaChus .ud Euclid, it is .videnl from a comporison
oí the thru works thu Minian",' immediatc source wa5 sorne compi-
lacion (or compilations) 01 tlle Nicomachean Il1d Euclidml tnditions,
quite drasrially revise<! during the intcrvening centuri .... Martianus
presen", tlle definitions from Book VII of Euclid, with nwnerical
eumplcs, .nd che enunchtions of of lile tltitty-si:< propn-
sitions of Boolr IX ... d of the sm.pler ones fmm Book VIIl, arnnging
bu. "" .......... (, . ,6. J) "'" uoW. l....w.rity witfI "'" loor oerito. 00 "'-
O<rios _ F. E. Rol>bia<, "Aridunt<io la PbiIo Jodotno, ep, XXVI h9jll, l49"!"-
"a, Mocrobi.. Ca", M''''' •.•. !I. On tito momd .. "'ol>oginniDg of num·
b<n...d 1>0<. numbo< incJf _ Nw-lnu, .... D"Oogt, PI' ,,6-'1•
.. N_,cb.. (, . 1. l.ll 0100 _ tho onoIo¡y I><tm:en tII. S""" lClcoI paiox
."d tito mooad .
.. 'Tho 001. """""rrt ol mcioor Ilo_ rmgor =knning irr r-.d lo cl.op. I of
!lede', D< ..."po""" Thi< OCCOUnt ¡, freq ..ndy fouod .. , .. pon..
tnctato Lo mod.i<n1 m.noK1ipa. PO<"' bibllognphy "" .ocie", r"'B"" =koniDg
«< B.d.. OfJtr6 tU Imf11DribKl, ed.. Jones, PI' l'?"lo,...d lo. ,!in ol illwrrirr.oood
_ripor _ing tho pooióo"" ol .... boDds ond body ... J",..., ooL, B.4M
P. S40 s.. obo MMT<HI, Hin""., f:Ju.:.w.., PI' 'S1. _ "
.. Wlth N"""""'..... b . 1' J) lir>oar mItIIbus bofILo wltIr.., pbJr. ltIIInben wkb
l (nniuo oí. 1I'IongIo), ..,.¡ (1, '1. 8) oolld onunbets (pyumid ,..;,¡, o:riongnW
buc) with + s.. Hcoth, HInM,. 76-s., Nk......,lnu• .... D'Oog<, pp.
'49"!' ,
.. As 1IOtt<I obo •• (PI' P-J), )1), it wuaIly 112pptns, whm M U. modo . mee
oí • brideamId .. tito rpcol<er, th<t M........... irnr<Hl1lc .. mol"" ..... fonnd lo
COflnodorW. J...u!boo"'.
ARITHMETIC '59
l.ta (147) shc spcaks oí 4 as the firse oqual'll numbor .nd 9 :as the
second, .nd sil. poinl3 Out tlat each succusive odd numbcr in a scl'Íes
progressing fmm the monad mUS{ produce a "'luOfe numbcr_ process
that extends tO infuli<y,"
Alter chis interpoladon M.ro.nus ro his d·"ific.tion of odd
Ind C"cn numben. giving Eoclid', ddinition of .n evcn number <7,
Dd. 6) U one tlat is divisible into I:WO qual parts,lIld the fU"St part
oi Euclid', ddinition of an <><Id numb<r (Dd. 7) as one tlat cannot
be dividcd inro l:Wo quil pam.1O H. then obscr¡ts tltat sorne odd
numben ate uneveo, lik. J, $, 7; while others (9, 'S, ") ue
Uso multiples oi odd numbers; the Greeks d"'ify thc: lmor as <><Id
times odd. M.rtionU6 gives the correet Greek forffiS for me ttlmll evcn
times even dpuoo.;). odd times even ... ptto .... ),
lIld even times odd (dpu....:¡,; ""pt<Joo6<;), adding to the general im·
prcssion mat by his time the Nicomachtan handbook tradidon had
not detuiorattd :as greatly as Md the Eudidean tradition.
Nen, and in proper order, come, thc das.meatioo, wim dennitions,
oí numben imo (,) prime and incomposite, e,)
composirc in retation
ro themsclves, () in relacion ro one 1UlOther, and (4) eompositt
in rebrion ro one momero Tñc iirst .nd $IIlJllest mearure oi.1l num·
bers is me urut. Numbers ue susceptible of other measure., such as
duplicacion or triplicatiOll. Sorne numbers Mve {heir sole me .. ure in
me Wlit; om.,.., like 4.nd \lo can be dividcd inro om.r numbers; aOO
,ti11 othen, Like 8, MVe more mm 0[[(; measu.re. Oí uumbers tMt are
cousidered individu.Uy, those tMt have no measure but the unit .re
called prime ond incompositt;" mase that con Uso be meosured by
sorne other callcd composite in rel.tion ro them,dves." Of
l:Wo or more numben tahn togethet, those,like .I . ud i, that Mve no
cornmon measure a...,p! rhe ullÍt are caUed prime ro one another;..
,-
• point. A !iDe..
C!
lo duo """ of po1na urutgcd ¡., <>DO t\imcDIion; ond 00
..... ros: futhct diocwoion al lhiI y;.",. 01 numbon, ... &'¡id, er. Hcath. PI'-
" Itetniflus In. al"'" ca JI+- '0 (ed. L"", ,06), Onmb a"';,w" ...".,.¡"'"
oJios buiw .lis .ru&toR, _ Iubn m medio quOd ""'" .",IrilJr"
1«•• ,. ............ ji< ",o _ _ _ M<r#_ JJibIl b.blj inttdus ud
_ .... ",p .. ,,,,,... Fo< tbe "'"1 01 tteadn¡ oolid non>ben iD fogu«>
... Nlcom.chu. , . 17. 6 (.... O'Oop. PI" ,¡6-J1).
" Tho 1u¡cr "umbet lo tbto coIIed • ·"""tiplo" (pnJ'/¡Jik_). O . Niw-
mochw. l. ,8. 1 ( .... trOo,e. P.".v .
.. R.tit> .... "'..., ..... "Tbe Iotger nwnber k dIcn coIIed by hiaDrWu DI _
motioo .....pupsttieulor.". "'"" gr. ... currmcy by Boethius, iD bis tnmlorioD oi
N"JCOJD2Chus. 1, co""'¡'" widWr. ll: <he 1DIAIIe:r numbe.r &nd ORO ftc<Ot DI i< in .,¡.
dkioJI. .. 9 compucd lO 6. CJ. Nlcomadros 1. '9- 1 (a. D'Oo¡c. pp. "1 ff-l •
.. Rmo l-M',hmo. "Tbe BoedIIu = lo< <he nnmber is .....peqooniem..
dof..... tI><...na "..tia. bdow (7)91' "000 nwnber .... 1 " ll!IOdru
numbu by • ntio of pon> if <he Iotger _ • ..,..,.;". wIddn kooIf bo<b <he
anotle:r rnomber .nd ..",.,. pon or pom of k, .. ,.;m 7 """ +. O. Nlcoma<:hwr
l ..... I (.... O·COge. pp. ,.., fI.l .
" TIte anoIlet aumbo. 1: <>lIcd by Boorbitu o.
N">COJDOclI ... 5. ,,-., lIotdWo D. ;",,;tutiotJ< .m_tic. l. 'J.
O> TIte l!DOlIe:r _ jo coIIed .• O. Nloomaob.. l. 19- ';
1Ioe!:hi... ,. ".
" TIte omoIkr n!ll5lbot ;. ..ned "suboupuponicm" CJ. P. ..,. ¡,
Boed>iur ,. ,l.
ARITIlMETIC '6,
the omer ,maUer. The bmr rel.otioo occurs with. a oumlxr tNt tJ¡-
ceed. anomer io a ratio nf members or nf por"" nr Ú acceded by rhe
otl,,:r." Numbers which. beor the relatiou of equality ne preferable
ro orhers, "fOl what coo be better thao 00 eqUJ1?·' Tltough the differ_
cnce h.ctw<len two numbe"" greoter aod smaller, is the wne, che ntio
betwun tltOiSC oumbers is contTal)". There is the .. me diiference be·
ru'eto J ood 4 as between 4 and 3, but the NOO between t!tose numo
be", i. ooC cm sorne." (758) TIIk \Vill be explained brt!, he soys, bur
the promise iJ; noe kepe.
Following tbe cuscomary procedor. oi lu.ndbook aothnrs, Martianus
no'" el.oborateS on hi, cI.os&ificatioo of the ratio, of oumben: multiple.
(759-60), ntios of memh<:rs (759, 16'), and raoos of parts <76.-63). lo
multiples rhere are the noos of doublc, triple, quadropk, beyond¡
• nllIIlh<r iJ; divided through the .. me ""ps, in reven;e order: 4 is brger
than , by tite doubk ratio and , is srnaller Ihoo 4 by tite ..",e. In
NOOS oi members vorious I\3JDCS are givcn; wheo o brgcr oumber
uceeds • smoller by h.olf of tlle srntller (11:6), ir be.", tlle 1"2Iio of
suptrdimWtu lo tbe mWJer¡ by a third, superlorlM
(hlrpttoo:;); by • qUOIrrer, ruperqu.rrtlls (tKlritopW;); by a futho super-
qumtus; by • sinh, tupt1'w:ttu; .ud so 00. Tbe reciproco.! of
dmaJius is called wbdimidius oi th.e suptrttrtiu$, sub-
rertius (Ó'tÓTP'W;); ond of the suporquartus, subquM'tus (ltbotStop-
t<><;)i and SO 00."
Thc: renuindcr of Book Vil iJ; given over brgdy ro numerical
eu""ples. Reoo.ders should no! suppose thlt Martianus' absorptioo in
simple arithmetic, at a levd of tite lowtcr primary sebool gndes, iJ;
otee ....ily char:octeristic of • medie:>'i1 scienru.c mind. The same
simple eumple, an: fouOO in Nicorulchus; and Augustine, a precursor
n t<:kooacluu lo '1. ,., uI<a up <he ffiWoo. 01 equllty but do.. not diocwI
diffe=<. Mntian...... in "';"<1 wh ..... by me WOM< "multiple of"
ond ·'(,etot 01:·
,. o.. tilo diffetencco I><ing tilo ..".. bm di< raóoo 1><1"8 diffemu: ef. N"ICO-
machl><'. '). ,.
" Udd<H ond Soon'. A a,uk-E..,Usb (Odoro. '!>t") ci= _1'''0:;
.. found la M.nI."u> Mly,..,d d!ey ",.y 1>< ""'"
forms, bi< ".."...tioo of di< '"""" bacI! iDro G=k. P. TIUIOUY, "Ad M. Ülp<llu
Iibrom VII," R....., d. pbiloI.¡j., XVI (,Sopl, 'J]. sug .... that!bey 1>< omended
ro tite «guIor fomu ""d lntcmUiMj><O'l.
,.,. THE QI1ADRIVIUM
of che Middl. Ap bue lurely o(lt himsclf medieval, shows a simibr
ahsorption in me clemcnt:ary arithmctic he derive.:! frorn Varro."
Simple ewnptes are ofiero:! ro .how that the ntio of pam is dos«
ro the in cerr.tin munben ;md ro supcrquartus in
others. Wben a luge, nwnber (!OnWns a smiller number tild sorne
third ptns of ir, che ncio is like cht superurtius: Or if quuter
paru of ir., lik. me fIlp<rquutus. FOl' eumple, 5 exC«ds). COfla>ining
lt and two third part!i of le: 7 C<lnWns 40 and emee pam of it.
Bu. then: is no ratio oí ¡mts IDat is <he sup=tdintidius; for if •
number cont:ains another numbee lJld a hill pan oí ir, le is a sup«-
dimidius, as;o che case of 6 and 4. (762)
N.u MarWnus g;ves numencal cxo.mple, ro ¡Umtrate che ase of
largcr numbers heing produeed by • C<lmbi""tion of multiplicaOon
aOO a ratio oí membus or oí p:ms. Tau 4:md "': [O is produ«d by
(he double and che superdimidiuJ. O r tak. 4 and '4: '4 is produced by
the triple alld che supetdimidiU$. In me elI'.
of J and 7, ? is produccd
by the double and che supertertius. O. with 3 .ud 'J, ') is produccd by
the qnadruple and the suptmm .... And SO 00, with several more cases
and enmplcs." bó¡)
Multiplicacion begins with me smaUcst n.tio (double) and procccds
ro and largcr anos (triple, quadruple, et<:.), one uceeding an-
other by ratio of rncmber:s of of pans. But the ratio of rncmbers begins
with che superdimidius and proceeds to eh<' supertertius, 5Uperqll2.rtus,
aOO tu evcn smaller ntíos. In che ntíos, rerrns tMt =
minimal are
caBed /l11hmttltl [root-forms )" by the Gr<:eks. The mittinW turnS
of eh<' superdimidius are • and J, of eh<' supereertios J and 40 of eh<'
Sllperquartus 4 and 5. (764-66)
Al this poim Martiao.us inuoduccs au atuactive little digression
(767)-dte soun:e js nnlmown, but cm obsuvotion is obviously noe his
mm_on t1Ie scquence of che discoverics of ehe ntias, Multíples_r<:
.. De rir.iuu Dn l. 101 ,1, 'J. Reoden moy wioh ro skip ou:r tII. knIlIndu oi
--
Mani&nu!' 0IlC0unr, wbi<b moIr:a duU roHing bu< "' iocluded b«e for tbo .. ke
.. O. N;c.m...huo l . .. . ¡..so
• a. ilnJ. l. '9.6-, l. >l. M.tnWtuo' <en", eorrup< here. Tmnety. "Ad M,c
librum pp. 1¡7-¡1, oil... ni 'W"".
"",,,;,ubot, whl<b Diek .ro.. "'" ...... ¡" hlo .ppuo.....
AI!.ITHMETIC ,6,
pfobably discovered fjm, then nao. of mcmbcrs, titen puts. The
nao. oí double, trjple, quadruple, and SO on, pre.. nted no complai.
tieso Ir is 1llIrur:a.l ro supposc ehllT the superdimidim; procceded fwm tbc
doubJe ntio, the supertertius fwm che triple, and the superquutus
from the quadruple. FOT a person comprchending the doubJe is be.
ginning ro comprehend the dinudius (as " is the donbl. oi " SO , is
che half, or dimidius, of ,,) . Thc superdimidius W2S disco ... ered by
adding, again ro ... the swn of, and ,. Tlle number 6 W2$ thcn ¡;ccn
to rcsult fmm tbc tripliog oi ,¡ in 2dding , more, the ntio of
mpenettius W2$ d.iscovercd. Finilly, when nwnbers arose chal did nOC
fir jnto tite rtgu\ar ratial, qucstions narur:a.lly wc .. posed about how
many para oi O!le number werc found in anothte-"in oroer thu. to
esabtish sorne rcJationship of one number ro anoth.er."
.. n.. Pythtg<mon riew o/ ti>< DlODad .. botb oven ..d odd was wI.wy
>d<>p«d by popular ,....;Ieh. o. M.. t<>bius l. ó. 7: n""... od.. Hm.... po ]J; CaI_
cid ... Ji. And ... li...... Ni.."", l. 7" ro. ¡>OOSib1o ..pJanonlona. MllfIluuo bao
iD miod oqUM< (pi • .,.) nnmben orisinoti<>g fMm tbe DlODad (. poi<ul ,
.. From ber< w tbe cnd of !be book Mortitnuo folle.... Euclid·. propo<irions.
bu, DO[ hU proo/L Euclid dovdol'" hio proot, by lineo; ill---. by
DumI>en. el. Euclid 9- II!.
.. O . ;¡'IJ. J9-
.. el. 1614. u-u .
.. a'·"
.""'. 'J .
.. O . lhIJ.
.j.
JI •
.. eI.1hIJ.
,66 THE Q UADRIVIUM
number i$ .. ken fmm in odd numbc:r, rhe remainder is odd;· if an
odd number is t2ken from an odd, me renuindcr is cven." (768-7<»
Any numbcr that has an e\"cn half is In .ven M'es .ven numbcr;
likewisc any number chat is doubled, beginning with " OI any number
that is produced by quadrupling, ocrupling, Ind Nch bcloogs to die
clus of .ven times .ven." Any number that has tn odd hall is tvcO
times odd." If any number arise5 from I by doubling oor tw;
a half trutt is odd, it bclongs ro tIle .ven times .ven class, but j{
originares in the dass of oven times odd." Considu tite nunmor !l.
It mithe. arises by dollbling froro two ROl has an odd hilf; bm it
arises by duplicaonn, from 6, • numbu that bclongs ro the evm limes
<><Id cW:s. (111)
Mattianu:¡ has airead)' classifiGd numbees into prime OI coml""'ite.
He II(IW mborates on rhes<: d· ..... '00 provides numerical =mples
of ""ch. All prime and incomposite numbers are odd and havo nO
factor bm the urur." (773) Even numben ue composit<: in rd. tian ro
rbemsdv ... whether rhey come from .vem OI odds. Odd numbers tTU.y
liso be composite in Id.tion to thernsclves, if che)' are me product of
odd numbcH. (771) No two .ven numbers 1 . . prime ro 011. another,
beco .... ,hey luve so¡ne cornmon O1t2S1lre (in duplication) . If a num-
ber du" i. prime .00 incomposice is token with anocher numher tita,
;. compoolte in rd.tion ro itSt;lf, tbe rwo oue found ro be prime tO uoe
anomer ti] 1, docs no' matter ir one number ;. nlt2S1lred by some
o,her pan: dun the llIlit if this is not tIlle of tbe othe! (77,.). Or take
rwo or mOre nwnh«s thQt are compnsite in relation ro dw:mselves ,nd
.150 in relacien ro each orher: thc .ddition of an incomposice number ro
thc group cause:¡ thtm ro hecome prime ro One annther () inclndtd
with 4. 6, and 8). Two nwnh«s du,t ore compnsite in rebtion ro
themselves (9.nd 'S. or 8 and 9), can, when brought rogether, be
.. Ci./bid.'l.
" Cf. <bid. ,<1-
• a··". ,""'o J"
.. Cl. iblJ. JJ .
N Cf. ibid. l+-
.. Ci. Eltdid 7. Dd:. "; N .........hus lo ti . '. n.. o\lll>bu • ..n.r... Euclid'.
o.finltion oí. primo numboor ond i< «gtrded .. prime by t.risoode, bllt in N"ICO-
",..hu<' ..... tm<nt .ti primo numl>.on I><l00, ro the claso of odd nwrt.en. Su
N".,bomochus, tI". 0·00ge. po •• r. n. l.
All l THMET I C ,,)
prime in rdation ro eoeh. other. (77S) In <=t2ln casa odds ,00 evens,
like 9 and !l, are composite co ..eh ocher, sinee boch ""se from
triplicotion. Noteworth.y is the faec tha, no even number from cvens,
only cveos from odds, can be eomposit<: with an odd Dumber (776):
9 is Dot composicc with 4, 8, 16, but is eomposicc with 11, 14- Not
cvery odd numh<:r that is composite in relation to itsdf can be eom·
posite with cvery Rumber that comes from odds, bttausc: the cwo
numbers may not be divisible by the same measure. Thu:s 9 and So
.re no. composite, bec:>use So does not arise: fmm triplicacion (777).
Theo follows the upid cnunciation of many propositions from
.Euelid's Ekm.,lI>. (718.801) The runsbted st:aCemenCS are wordicr
than che original and aTe not in Euc1id'! order. In place of Euclid's
pl'OOf1, M.m.nus offers numericaI illustr;>tions.
If either oí cwo numben; mat ue prime to ..eh. ocher is composite
in rclation to i"",If, a mcasur. of !hac number is not composite wich
the other Dumber (Euclid. 7. 13). If two Dumbers are prime 00 each
o!lttt and onc of thcm multiplies ir,df, thc p.-oduct ",ill he composite
with the other If two numben!hat ore prime to each other
multiply Ihemsclvcs, the producrs will be prime co ..eh other (7.27).
And if twO numben are prime lO • .eh other and Ofl(; of them mul.
dplies jadf, .ud if that numher muh:iplies the produce og:o.in. the re-
5Ulting numh<:r wil\ not be composite with!hac ocher number (¡. 27) '
If two nwnbe", are prime ro each ome. and if each onc multiplies
ir¡df, and multiplies the product ogain. the rcsulting numbe" wiU
also he prime co each other (7. 27) . If two numbe",!hat are prime 00
each other ue added, the !Um of the tWO numhers cannot be com·
posite with cithu of the former Dumben <7. ,a). lf two numhers ue
cogeeh.er with a mird and . n are prime tO one anocher, the
product of the tWO nwnben etnnot be composice with the third
number (7. 24) . If numbers do not contain !IOIJle pan- of 2 numbcr,
lbey cannO! be composite with it <7. '9)' If three numben joined
together" are the lout of those which nave !he .:une ntio wieh tltem,
any CWO of mese added together are not eomposite with the third
.. TIla <tU<lI\ent uf M.rtiaooi a .., <mmcou> of E"did 1- 's
("If twO nllll>ben .... primo '" 011< .POther. m< ptodact uf """ uf Ihem inro irseU
will ¡,., primo '" mo «",",nln¡¡ "",,").
" Le. in ""ntinuod p<oporrion.
.68 THE QUAllRIVIUM
(9- (5). If an odd number is noe compogte with another Rumber, ir
wilJ not be comJ>O$itc with tite double of chat Dumbe. (9.13) . Given
tWO p;oirs of numben in which neither manber of m e fine pair is
composite with eitlle. member of the second, me product of me first
pait anuot be composite with eithtr Rumber of the second poi< (7- 16).
Th least numbers of those whiclt Mve the oame ratio wirb mem ore
prime ro ead> other ( j. "J. Any nwnber" either prime and incom-
posite or, if it is composite in rclation ro itself, is measured by some
prime number (¡. )'.)1),"
Nen cornes (¡85--<Jó) ch. staterncnt of sorne problems from Bao\:
VII of tbc E/mlnlfS. Tbe are uplained Tf
twO numbef!" a grealtt and a smallcr, ate composite ",ith each othcr,
find their brg<:st and thcit smtllen common (Euclid 7.•). Of
thrce numbers wlUch ore oomposite witl! one anomer, fmd cheir
largest and thti. smallest c(lIIunM measures (7- ). Given twO Dum-
ben, fmd me smallest numberwru.:h chey measute (7- 34). Given three
numbers, find the $!TIlllest nun,ber which they measure (7- )6).
Martianus conclud.. me scction on uithmetic with statem.""" uf
".riOD' Euclidean propositions, with an aeessive use uf numuical
eIamplcs. (79,,80') Given twt.> pairs of oumbers, largor and SIIt3Uer,
oí rueh son thac tltue is tite same ",tio between me Wgcr and smaller
pain, as oleen as ,be Iarger meamres the larger, tite smaller will rutaS-
ure tite SlNU... (7- 10)," If the unit measures tny number as many
times as anodler numbee mtasutt!! • fourtb number, ie will happen
dtat, as many cimes u tite unit meuures tite fu-sc number ol tite =nd
pair, che nurnher which had les measurc in tite unit w ill measun: tite
!.:as, number of the second pair (7. '5).'" If two numbers are multiplied
and sorne prime tnd inc<Impositc numher meuures che product, le
mllst also rneasure both ol tite originol numhers..'" Lec os many num-
bers as you wish be placed in increasing order;o. e<>ntinued propor_
,.. For .. lc<>¡ .. locin ociet>oe ..... ..,1< ro maimtin. I""'irioo. of rupe<' in
W<=rn Europe. tite T""",w , ..u iD bibJe (ou abo .... P. U¡, (The T;.m,,,,, ¡,
me I>ook in Pi>!<>', Iwtd ¡., Ropbs<!'. po.inring ol me .ncion, pIúlo>oopb<n. "Th<
School of A,hens.") Arino<elion "'"... ue widely <llio<minatcd ¡., Larin eoomo-
!!""p!tio: tn.diriot>s of !he fino au;m." millcnniom, bu, the bao", ",,,..,,,,,,, ..,d
,,(,,><,pMn. of c-""l!ropt.y ¡., Ihio petiod _ .,.".. dw> Ariorotellin
clt:anc«ristics,,, De"'. defmiriv, .dirion af Cakidins by J, H, Wmink oppeated
in '9'1'; Wuzink pbc<o Calciditu u: me el.,.. ol <he _ CtnNI)'- w1<I>out
muc.b Previomly "" _ gener.tly p"ced io the f;<n holf ol "'" founb
"""", .
... Juvenal SIlIir.. 7, 'Jo-J+
On Astronomy
TUI! SlLEN<;E following!he acclarnation for Aritbmetic'. discoursc is
brol<en by a 5C<:ne of rowdy brawling. a trave,ty of che rcfin.d
imogery 2nd precious bonter in a seco. by Vergil which may have
inspired !bis on• .' Sil.nus, rus veins swollen wim an overdraugbt of
wine, Iw been snoriog through Ar;rhmetic'. l<:cture. Suddenly he
cmiCl a thund.rous belchoTh. enoro party is convulsed witb Iaughtcr.
and pandemonium erupl!;, T hc 3nendool!; of Venus and Bacchus cake
over .00 che wine flo""". &lucy Cupid runs up lO 5jlenus . nd gives
ruS ruddy bald head a mounding clop of che p.lm. Th. besJtccd old
mon 510wly aw.k<:ns and, peeriog Ihrough blood,hot oyes, ,caggers to
hU; feer. He sway' 3nd rcel. abone. che" olumps ro che Ooor. &itrr,
on oro"," from Bacchus, h."ve. Silenus to rus ,houlders and drapes
rus bl03ted body. a wincskin, aboo! tus neck.
At rhis mornent Marcillft... is .barplr reprimanded by Sarire io!
introducing a b!':l.wl inlo an angust.enate of the god.s when Astronomy
is abour ro discou ... 00 "tht lWIowed plancu," Herdsman
Botites," "brilliant Canopus, "the b1azing boros of the .ver-changing
moon," and "tlle slmting belt of Ihc wdiac," .11 pbinly visible from
the gods' notage in the canopy of the heavens. Mamanus responds to
Satin', abuse ",ith . questiom "Am I tu esch_w tU erutor", of me
inugination and not nJi_ve tbe boredom of my readen ",itb !!ODle
minh and droIlecyl Come to your senscs, Satire, ka... off your tngic
... ming, and mke a hint from tbe youDg Pdignian poet: Young
tgJ,:e my advice and omilc."· Apoll<l steps OUt to usher in the nut
bridesmaid:
B,I..... thcir eyes . ... ion oppetted,. bollo ... boJl el be.venly Ii¡rbr, fdlcd with
,¡;;""'_ 6. '4·,6-
• n.o T<1'IO ¡, quotcd /rom MutW <Epivom> , • • ,), wh<> ploinIy _ in me
non line dut be thinb the Pel;gn¡... po« (0.>:1) ofler<d mio odvicc. Mutianu,,·
...:ribing me qooa.tioo ro the ".,Iiu """'" _ ."pp<uslng <be intetn'l<diory',
"..,... io lo kcepln¡ wirh the g<......t pnctice al bte Latin and "",di,nI writt:n.
17! THE QI1ADRIVII1M
file. gelltly fOtUing, .<Id ."cl"""jf • ""¡deJ\ wid'>1a, SeYonI pllOUU)'
deiciel, omino", O< propiti<tIu. were bm<d '" ¡,. gl ..... "'" mym<y of thoi< be-
"".ior tnd orbito rt..-J<d. EYen d>o fobric of rbe u!esóal .pb<re """'" fonh
'" rile fWhin¡ light. u-, doidos, etberesl, tcr=nW, morino, &nd _ " .. ,,41,
wue .. rounded .. tbe mirKalo.. oight ... ood off.... d tilo _;den. ocsr of honor.
Dcchd wirh g<IDI &nd decorou5Iy UfOyed ........ pped fortb. nlmbIy from tbe
.ph.re. Hu brow wu ...rlih and her locb tptrkl<d. n.. plumagt Od het
wingo "'.. cry>Ulline, 0Dd .. obe lilded t1u0"8fl dle . ky k toOk "" • goIden 1Iue.
[o ooe haod "" hoId • (""Ud "' ........ in tbo otbet • book COIUWIlng coladai<>no
of <he oroa of tbo plU!d:J &nd thdt for.nrd ood rtcrngrtJc motioo<. These
-n ... dellnated ¡" ".....¡, of ..no... oolors [., ... " 1,
Astronomy, like her mttr Geomeoy, is t peregrinator of the universo.
She has traverse<J tU d.e heaveos ond ..,.0
reveal the constellatioll5
lying benetth I;he cdtstio.l anurctic cirde. There no reason ro sup-
pose here thal Mart:ianus, OS a N orth African, wu more funiliar with
soulhern sities tIlan dassical ostronomers ond ge<>gHphen. He wu
strio:tly a handbool< compiler, llSiog data p... :d down fmm cla&!ical
and Hdlcnistic Greck SOIIrces. Morcover, Canhoge, the city of which
he calls himself a fosterling, is acm.lIy oIightly ro the north of Rhodes,
Ihe horne of Posidonius, the Hcllenistic Gr«l< who figored rnosl
prominently in the popular mditions of Latin comtography,>
Astronorny tdls us that 5he is also famiijOT with lhe occult lore of
Egyption priests, Imowledge hoarded in their sanct\Inl.'I; .be: kepl her-
•• lf in $1'('1"';0" in Egypr fo. o=ly foft)' thousond yea1$, not wishing
ro divulge th .... secret!;. She is aI.o familiar with antediluviao Atheo,.'
She lrnows rhal ,he might have ncused hersdi from dis<:oomng al
cM time by referring rhe wedding guesl5 10 the astronomical boob
of Eralosthenes, Prolemy, and lIipparchm; but .he f«1s a seose of
• SI I lDil:k 4'9- J-V: <"I'bItJ.... fw_ _ _.....--prob<bly not to be
*.
tnnd>t«I .. o tod, o eubiI ¡,. longtb. b:ille MOle <PI" 79. 'j). UIIIfo
loen, it .. beru: insaumoD . . . . ...hich ....... ¡,. mo..uriOS <be oIóntd. 01 <rllS,"
liad ¡,. miDd d>o inwl"e ...... to <t<bltaJ.... by m<dic:.t.l iUustnton ond
ptll\lt<l. Ren!:lgiuo SI""'" both ..,J1tu (te< .hove, p. " j ) &nd _ _ ... .,¡,.,.
ie""u"koJ;, (<<l. L ..... ')<1, • .¡!I) •
• Seo StshI, - . . sa...e., <:hop. IV.
I Tho otory of Athons befare doo nood--on tu1ior flood eb.., _ of Deuct.llon.
>=><di., to Produs--o>meo /""" I'bto', Tmu ..... 'Je. 00 <be oojourno
01 A'''ooo,''Y &nd othu &nd on <he renontioo of <he Iibonl "'"
:0(..., <be fIood.. oee Um. "'Rtwigiui Ideos on <he o . of rile s.v.., Libert.l
A ...." PI'- J-t")9.
ASTRONOMY '71
obligation «rwwd Mercury, and sincc bis brido Philology ilio wants
ro hear her, .he wiU bcgin.
Finr it mould be out tllat Astronomy's rderence ro
major G=k astronomers was a doception pr:octiced by noarly ..u the
Latin handbook aumorities of me Empire and oarly Middle Ages.
Link was known aOOut meso:
G=k writen beyond the awesomcotss
of thcit repuuti<>n. Hipparchus' g=test discovery. mor of me p=-
sioo of me equinoxcs, is not eveu mcntioned by the Latin writen.
Er.>tost:hencs' brilliout mcthod al coleubtiog !be circornference of the
globo, and the figu« he obained ('5',000 stadia), was lcnown in the
Wesr on/y as an isobted dantm. Ptnlemy's was read ond
me<! rn gond dfcet by Ammianll'l Marcellioll'l in bis H;UOt-;tl, but
Arnmianll'l was t Syrian Greek. not Latin. That Boetltius
sorne Ptolemaic "'ork 00 astTonnmy seems likely from contemponry
and loter U:Srimonics ro soch a ttansLtrinn and a cicle De «ft,ologilJ. The
ttansLttiun, if it wn made, wu oot nf the Alm4g<Jf, but nf a sbomr
nunw.1 by Prolemy nr a hartdhook io the PtolemJic tndition.. The
solutioo tn chis vaing quemoo appt1U'5 to a\nit any Ichobr who will
avail himself of. discovery made by Profes5Qr Ullrmn shordy befnre
tus dam.' the fnuduleoce of ¡\hrtiaOll'l' citations
• Fin, 1... 111 re ....... <he eridenu fur • BoedUon ttmslation ro • 0001< on ...
"""""'y by Ptoluny. Boet/úus 91" Jobo hnmt."., 111 th< Prehc< ro hiJ r.m
"",,1<, D. oÑtlmt,,/t•• '" w""",* ....a... on.<Oto oi tbt dio<jpljne.
No", "'. hove 'Q ambiguouo tnd fbm:ring k<ter (1'..... ,. tS). odd"""'¡ by c...
<ÍodonI< ao 'l'Modo,ic'. nom<) '" BoeIhiu<, ,......, Boedti......._ .... oty.
oon» )'Ul'I 01 oge, tnd ...1iDg Iho, me mosici1n. "",1=y tbt ...
"""""'er. N""'-ch.. tIIe uithmcticion, E-.cli<I obe PI..., "'"
theolotian. luistode tilo !cro;.n. ond """ luchln>tdoo m. rnecloonicion lwI
•...a.bIe ¡" I.orin. "'"""" '" Boothlou. Thio ku<. 00< indic • .." .. hao
«>m<rim<. be<n .. ppoo«!. dio< Doetbitu trmd-.! ProI<mf. Almogtn ond "'"
m<dwtical lrOoti= el An:himedeo. Cuoiodo .... ' " ' 00.-;""'1, implUO<d wi<h
Ik><thio:.s' <>J ..... ond '"' <:<>nf""ing •• p<=ed ¡"tun/ono,.w, ......,¡ ...",mplid>-
......... Ludy <here ... tIO'O le ...... ro Getbert (Noo.' ond 'Jo [Mignr, PL, a.XIII.
colo. '0), '!JI), ¡" tbt r"", he uf... ro. Bobbio IfWlUICl'ipt WJltlining.Jstn-
boob oi Bocthiuo De 4ItroI0fÚ' ¡" tb. """,0<1, be .. loo • monl< .. Dobl>lo '" mol«
oopi .. ro M. M...w.. D. mrolo¡/to. Victoorimoo D •• bo,,,/<,,ond De" ..· I· ....
M...u .. "" i""enlJy b.." Id_ir...... Monliuo lIoetbi<II, ood jo
'" ..ken by • =om tf'ON!<tO<' (I!uri« Pnn Lottin, Tbe Lmn. <>f a"bm. l'
'69), but R. EUio (o'¡" Ntm" M 11;. . . . (Orlord, '8911. PI'- "9')0) ond h . E.
'14 T H I: QU AD R IV IUM
_."
Imncb .. uf ",ionc. in all tbo o<ba cultures tbe", ¡, no<hi"ll '" _ tIUo ""'1
.,ti..1 01 • rdinod ond od<onced cotp<U 01 eotito::Jy motbeInoticoJ .xplllUtion uf
ASTltONOMY '75
gesteO =lier,' ,hat the profCMional charactcr of Martianw' ue.cisc
rdJecn. sound .nd weU·pr..erved G=k tradition w hich lI\3y "cm
from • Varroni.n handbook derivcd froro Posidoruus.
Morcover, Book VIII \VIS the most popular of Martianw;' quadriv.
iuro books in che Middle Age'" IJld estabIishcd ;ts ,uthor as one of
the leadiug authorities on astronomy. Martnnus' principal rivals, C.l.
cidi"" ,nd Macrobius, ",ere populor Iargely beco_ chey expounded
Neoplatonic cosmognphy. Calcidius' lSUonorny wu too abstruse to
be appn:ciated bdorc tbe Jate Middle Ages. H¡" Itngthy section on
anronomy in his commentary on Pbto', Tm..n.s ¡" • o:ecltnkal treot·
mene im'oJving mathenurici m..t wouJd no{ have comptehenslble
to Mutiaous; {(Ir, U T. H. Martín discovered in ,s.w," ;, ;" actually
• largdy free, occuionally literil, tnnslotion of put of • TimIleus
C<lmmenlltry compiled by Thcon (lf Smyrm." The cosmognphlal
"etioo of Macrobius' C_tntD"y, like Martianus' Book VIIl, was
circw..tcd 's I "F"'te trtarise (In astrOnomy. la popw..rity nuy be
lIlCJ"ibcd to in .unplicity and darity oí upo>irion and to ia overton..
of Neoplatonic fervor.
It is !lOe $Urprising ,hat Rook VIII h.. becn of greateSl inlereSl to
historian<; of scieoce. As we shall se .. their inrertst has beco stirnulatcd
by Copernicus, who singles out Mattianus to besoow LlVish prai$e upon
hin! for propoundin¡ a cheory oí heliocentric orbits lor Veous and
Mereury- though Copernicus w.. a....... re, as he soys. !.hat (lcher Lstin
writers heJd che same new." The theory, on good .uthority ascribed
eo Henclid.. of Pont\l1l (c. ¡.¡o I.C.), beame a regulu feaNre oí
popular harulboob in aOOquity, Copernicus could have refc:rrcd eo •
fuller aecoum oí Heraclides' meory. In fa"l he wu.1w .wore !ha!
Arístorchw; of $amoo (c . ,60 • .c.) went. ""p furcru::r than Heracijdes
" Thio "PJ'<SfO '" IIovo b«:n ..wa< .. idy .. pp"..d by Coperniouo. A f""""""
in !he ochoIorly Thorn odióon, wbidl di _ _ =terwy 01
Copornlcus' birtb (NkI>IG C<>f'<"Iki Tb ...... JLU D•• ...bámo ."..
It"i.." UItrl ,VI ITbom, ,"')1, p. ¡.¡;J, 1:<l ., 1'" • _ _ ddeted by Copa-
e.,m, _bJJit_ . . ,tttSin"
nlca f.om tito f""¡ dnf. ot hit
q_.
.... Then la <he ded.i<st<>ry Preface, la whio::h
b • .aJs ol hil oean:h dtrooglt !be cl"ricol lirIontuu ro< pr<cunory ......" ..... oí
btllocentricism. ko P' S" Ir"", !¡.eodo- l PIlItttdl oboot tilo ......... oi
H""",1ideo ud Ecpbon<uo b"Of oaúa <O lDtIItIoa the cltor - - . • fe,., pog<S
..ru.r abo", .... be1h : , '0'" Y","" of Aria:ardu>o. Soe Heath, Arin"",""'. P.
0\1'
JO'. who eT«lill Go.npen wldt poimiag tilo fooaKa in the n..... odlóoa;
ond MgI» Annitop. TbI f"""¡" qf MI>krn Aw........., (Loodon,
'9)3), PI' RndoU...", Etbotd< ond Erib y.". &bud-:.skbold (1m, XXXIII
Itl't'l, uped .he olmott C«t&in ""'10. ;0 ...... oí Capomlcus wi::h
ArclJimedes' A"'... ;.." the ,.,otk "'" ron .. ;o ..... 111"" wthoritadv< ond beot
=<>1II>'L oi Arinan:hus' <beoty. On the del,i"a by Copornicm oí di. !*'OS<
Ilbout Arioutch ..... T. W. /úrica, "Coptrni.... Rduioa to Arltt>tch", o.nd
I'ytbo¡ara, Islt. LO (00)6.), 406-7.
"Ic'nr oinoe Arinode {O. J , 't"otl ... fanh ü duw.... ud prooú oí
"'" """"" pl.a«o of m. foor el...,..- Knh, boiaJ tite he..ie<t al the lo... elo.
oh. bortom of oh. uniftroe, ud objOClS folling
......... jo O"< r"""
tU diteaio..
upon tilo ......'. Rltboo fol! toIfO'Ud "'" cootU-<he nodoa tUt .... ""'" .......
m. (= !>ottom) of the ual.-ene beco"",. <;oIDILlO1lfIIocc in com><>ppbN:
a. PIiay l. "; Oeomeda J. "1 Mocr<>bius C." ......,.., ,. n . , .
.. Tbo ""","in¡¡ pra¡ <O ,.,.,1Ibar by oh. TU.
ASTRONOMY '77
,imi/;s tmtniJ ,¡mbjlU¡ "14m pos-
_ I..,;",m circuli wri.:re). \Vhen w. wc the word
"cireles," we do not intcnd ro convcy a nonon oí corpore:al denurea-
tions of a fluid mbstancc; we are mereJy iUustnting the ri.<ings and
setrings oí pbneelly bodies as they appcar ro \1$ (nos igifUl" circuWs
"On ¡'D dicmms, ut liqumtil Mlur4t di¡crimi"" corpulent4 fi"g.mous,
sed Uf ,sctmUS desummquc tJd ""$ CrTimlÍllm dmwmtremus [8'4-
'5]) .
Asuonomy is piqued by mere mottals who try rO thc
celestial uis and po:>les on .... armiIlary sphere." Th. po:>ks, ¡h. ex_
pWns. protrud. írorn the hollows oí the perfol"llted outer "PMro, and
openings and pivots have ro be irnagined--romethíog mae you may be
",re could noe happen in nrefied and suprnnundane aonoepbere
(cum fWli wlul perforQu, uurimis ,pbller'C cwemis "";". Il1II, el
bi4tm quid¡zm c"dimsqt« fmg.mnn, quod ufÍq/U subrilibus utbrrns_
que «cidrre """ potuisse eumprrtum). Her referenoe tO am, poles,
.nd ""l..rid circles muU: be undem:ood in • th.oreo","l .. rue, u di._
linctions applied nol ro tnnsirory conditioos oí 1M b.. vens hUI ro
calculaoons of inlervals (.icubi igitur imdligem"e edi""Tt.mdU¡Ue
propOJiw vel ufflI .,eI polos "el eitculos ¡m-hit>eflo, ide.rli quadlfl1l
ptudent", "O" diversil4u e.e/; dUCTet4, sed spafÍ()YWI/ TW(J1lil>us [8, 5-
'61) .
Such is thc fbmboyant jargon of Martianll5' bridesma.ids, of sorne
interese ro philoiogist:s but of none ro histoIÍ3ns of seicn«. The
audien« duly awed, Mortianus is now ready t<J preunt 50beT hand-
book materuls. The opcning is • convencional one, listing and defming
celestial paullels and cirdes." Thero are in all ten great circles, five of
them ClIU.d or by Latin writers, "equidistants." Firn he
defines the panllels, whícb gird the oky latitudilllll1Yl then thc: colures,
which are longirodillll1l then the obUque circles (zodiac and Milky
Way) ; and Iastly tite borizon. (8'7-16)
" Vot.., p<>imo 10 lOJ>Otbo.r limiation in tho """ 01 onnilluy . phueo in. po<-
..,. q""",d by A ...... a-m.. (Ame NI,m. ¡. ,o. ¡l. n..r. lo nrMl oimiIori<y
bU<,."d oid>er V...... or Gelli .. U>spited Morcio<mi thougbt.
" O . The<Jn (ed. Hmo.r), PI' '>9"j); Ooomod .. l • •. "-U; GeminIa " Col_
cidius 65-68, Moerobius C.-nuM1 l. '5. u _,I, ¡lIdor. ¡ . 44-.jÓ.
'7 8 TOE QUADRlV I UM
His ddinitions of me ptnillds ",.., ones:" Th ponllcls
have tite same poJ.. the universo. Tho Ircric circk, 2t ir< low<:,(
point, jllSt gnzcs the northcm horizon, che comtcllations witrun ir
always being visible; the antarctic circlc, aC il:!! highest poine, grazes
rhe Wllthem horizon, the C<lnstellatioM within ir always ¡nvisíbk. OuT
rcosoning powcn indicate ir ro he of the $lime CXtent the trctic
cirde. Tht twO rtopies mark me northem md SlJuthem limllS reacmd
by me sun ar rhe summer md winrer solscices. The cclestio¡ eq"'tor,
equidisw!t be.,..".,o ,be tropies, rrwb Ih. qua! !ength of day and
night. (817-»)
Th. two .01= are longitudinal celestial circlcs, passing dtroogh
the polea ar lig"t anglos ro each other and cutting the ginb of the
univene ioto (ool qua] scgmCDts. Some allthoritia p."fu ro U'aC<:
[hcm by heginning ar the notUl or south polc. MarUanus says he
pruers ro toUow th. autlmrity of Hipparchus, who troces (hcm fmm
the equ;ooccial and solstitial points ;n the ecliptic, precis<ly al the
eighth d<g= of Aries tnd OIlU':"," (8'3-'4)
Of che two obliqw: circlcs tite zodW: is tlngCDt ro me ceLesri.]
tropics of Canee< aOO Capricom¡ ir bisects me equaror, but
the oí inr«SeCtion llCe no. C<Jual. Ir is mllCked off mro twelvo
segments .nd fumishcs • paro fo. me SIIll, the moon, the C.ve
pbnets." (8.S) Rtg.rding the Milky W.y M.rtilnnt tt1ively remarks
mat it plainly has. muc:h greater girth. tha.n the other ceJesri.1 cirdes,
since ir riscs on me borders of me areric circle and sct!l on .he hOrlwn
of {he antarctic circlo:, . nd 'ppeors ro tr.verse near!y the entire "tles-
ti.! sphere. H e scorns thme writtrs who reroS/: tO ¡ncludc: ir among
" n-.. corr<sp>oden<:.. witb Ge...m... (j. '-9) ate el"",. a . Theon (ed. HiI\orl,
pp. "9-l"", o.""",,¡ .. ,. l. " ' ''; C."OOk·""'" ,. 'jo 'l .
.. Cf. Go""" .. S. _ Tbeon (od. HiIler), p. 'J', SOY' <hu oa:ordint 10..,.,..
wtiten tbe rneridiaD iacall.d. colo, .. M"",obius {t. 'jo ' 41 hu tbe 001 ..... imu·
seo, lit ,be nonh poi. ood Out the oodioo .. ,ht. oobtitial ."d oquinoccial pom..,
bur "" do<$ no< bdieve "'"" tIIey enend 10 "'" oouth poi •. TI>< rnditioD .,.¡gnlng
tu HiPl"rclu" tbe Ioe";"n of tbe nnW poi", or Aries" moy \leen 0 =
Ono Ncu¡¡doaI¡or, n . &... Scient:< .... p. ,18, po .... out <hu tbe
.... of Afies S' .. tbe .<mlI point .ppett.d ... G ....,. lboo., tbe time of Hip-
puch ... ElIdo.... "'" tatliet ... rituo -..ed Arics 'j',
" O. Getninw. l . 1' "! Jl Theon (ed lIiller), P. 'lO; a""modes J. '4- JI¡ M ..
crob ... COlO"' .."'.' l. 'S. g.".
me cdesWl circlcs," TI>t. horizon, me demuation of the
."
upper and lower worlds, concludes Martianus' list oí cclc:stW cin:lcs."
(8,6)
Astronorny n!ates th.at me heneIf Iw; dnown rhe celestial cirdes in
me sky with her COffipa ' El, She has set a brilWnr sta! at me
pole and obout it has drawn the an:tic citcle, tracing it ftom the head
oi Onco through the right foot of Hucules, the of the brCiSt
oi QpI>eus, die (tont p2ws of Ursa Malor, and back to Oraco's Ilead,N
(8'7) The [I...ocal G=k astronomers unclerstood th.at the locatioo
of the arcric circlc: would vary with d.e latitude of tite observer;
Gemioo' poims out tIlat a arele tflIced tluough me front paW5 of
Ursa Mojor .pplie:s to ot.;erve.. on the islmd of Rhodes,"
Again sen:ing I compass point on me polc:st.r .he Iw traced the
.ulTIme! tropic tbrough rhe cighth dcgree of Cancer, me cllest and
bc:lly oí Leo, the .houlden oí Serpentllrius, the IIe:Id of Cygnus, the
hoofs of Equus, rhe right h.nd oí Andromeda, die left .hin and Jeft
.houlder of Perseus, the knees of Auriga, the head of Gemini and
bid: tu me cighth degn:e of Cancel." (h8)
The cdcsrial eqoatol', equidistant from me pule:!, is tr2CCd from the
eighm deg= of Ams, ro {he mracced IIoof of Tauros, tbence ro tite
helr of Orioo, through cM dented coil of Hydra, tllrough Cnter and
Corvus ro me eigllth do:g= of Libn; rilen it puses ro me lmces of
.. Moco: b,od"""••"""'" Jo no< tneO ttoe ...1",;'1 cirdeo dvongh <he con-
itelbriooo. Howevu, Antlll' Pl:.=" ...... tho bibI< of populu --.mr. doeo
,taco tbo tw<> ttopic> md tbo ",,1"';.\ equ=r iIIlhio woy .
.. Ganinua S. J. G<mimu ond hio =cbu Pooidoniu< lived in
• Moní", ...' <ncing of <he Tropie of G'''''''' io m. _ .. _ found ¡.,
""""_.
180 THI': QUADRIVIUM
Scrpenlarius, through AquiJa ro me hcad oi Pegasus, and bttk ro me
eighfh dogree of Aria,"
TIte wmr aopic begins at tite eiglltb degree of O>pricom. P"O:s
through me f_ of Aqwrius _nd thc cod of me tUI of C«us, tlIeno:
ro Lepus aud the front paws of Canis M.jor; it goes tltrough Argo
ond me bacl< of Centauros to thc sting of Scorpio, tlIen through me
cnrcrnity of Sogictarius' OOw, and bttle tO the eighth degree of C.pri-
com." Beyond thc wintec tropic is thc cdesrid totamic
Asaonomy ay¡ she CIlIO tr1Io: this tItrough iIs constdb.tions, too, for
no pan of thc h""vens" unfamiliar ro her; howcver, shc: pIden nut
ro disclote phcnotnCRl dLat are not vcrifl.ble by observ= in me
hcmi5phcre.. (BJC>-JI)
Tracing tite colure. through thc constdlotion. is 1... common, be-
couse they ¡ws beneath the horizoo in che lOuthero llemisphere, The
equinoccial colure begins at tite equinoctial poior, 11.. dghm degree
of Anes, grazcs che far ongle of Trungulurn, rouches Ihe tup of
Perseos' head aud his right arm, . nd cuts through rus hand; crossing
the arctic cirele ro che north pole, ir then puses througb lhe
tUlof Onco ro me Idr side of BoOce., no ro Arcrurus, lo lhe rigbt
and lefl fcer of Virgo, ro me eighth degree of Libro; nen it goe:s tu
me right baod of CentaUl'U!, and, not far fmm me place where it
oouches che Idt hoof of Centauros, it disappean from sight, ro Clmrge
agalo bdow Cetus; ir then puses through rus body and heo.d and
reRln\! tu me eighm degn:e of An ...." (8,.)
The aopical colore originates a' die eigh,h deg= of Caneer, po ....!
ro me !di: frout paw of Ursa Major, tItrougb rus cbesc .nd neck, and
crosses the celestial oorth pole; from here ir goes througb me hind
part!l of Ursa Minor, no through Dnco ond tite leh wjug ond necle of
Cygnus. ro loocb tite tip of Sllgittll and me beale of Aqui.lo; from thls
point it deK:eUds ro ,he cigbm deg= of Caprkom and shordy
fmm view; it rlses aij2in below AlBo, CUfS tbrough tite rudder
" MucioQlIO' <ncing 01 tbc ed...w "'1"""" gtoenlly conf"""" wido dw: of
Hypru.. (Am"""JJJ,: . . . J) ..,d 01_ .,...dy ""'.'"1"'.....
ro dw: of Antus
p""""""",, j1l_'" Anrus, bowever, ..". thu the circle_"bM no sbue in Aqnil.,"
.. TI.. tHcing hu< ' " tbs. of Annu jO'-6 lnd HygInus ....
.. ManiIlos (AmoMmk. 1, 6oJ-17) Wo trt<:cs the col""" bu< ...... Jkdo =-
rupoadc_ '" Moniooui tr1cinQ:,
ASTROIi'OMY ,',
OIld upright $lem, IIIld = 10 rhe eighlh deg= of Cmcer." (8)])
The cwo circles hove b=dt:h. The wdlac is • belt ,,"
wide." LongirudinaUy ir" dividtd mIO cwdve "gmcnts (signs), t<lch
JO" in mento Of tite plmots!he.run (mI) ,. tite only (rol..,) body ro
be borne in a coursc: along me middle line (edipdc) of trus belt."
Twdve very conspicuous coostellatiOll.'l Jie within rhe zodiaco The
other circle, che Milky Way, is apprehensibJc by rhe eye 15
weUa. by the reuon. 1.. brw:lm in ""ny place< diminishes below tite
noma! .... idth, bur litis 1= ,. compcnsartd by rbe grear exp'"'" m
lhe stretch between Ca.WopeLa and the mng oí Scorpio." The Iast
cirde. rhe horízon, connor be tractd through che constclladons, be-
COl1'lC ir always changco with me rotation of the celestial sphere."
(8H-)6)
Apparently fuU oí pride ae her 2ccomplishmeut of dnwing rhe
celestial circl.:s, Astronomy now underukes rO fUI: the locadon oí me
five celestiol pa ... UeIs. Her bornhast makes rhe matter-simple 15 ir is
when treated by other handhook . urnors--o.lmost
dista"".
N_ it jo .pproptUt< '" expWn .. Ita< inteNol oí
mItttd benoeen !he ceI...w circleo by ..,..,....
"..,Ii _",,,.Jo _.m j"., ....;:).
(quid_,,;$ . .
ot sptee bu booa od-
m.
bock in <igItt '1" ..... ..,.¡ JUIIIIDU ttopic, there ¡, .. _ diffotenee in """"
.. betweon i ..,d 6. Sinill.,. ioterjlOCCll[ orcu ore C<If>Ilolned in liInibt 0Jl0C<0 fkkm
immterw ,pmi/< ¡W1buJ _ J ; tbuo it /dJ.,.... dut out lid¡ jo lu¡er ""'"
tite _ by _ aod. tbW tima. ADoIhet d;....... , be<w<ooa the
_ ttOpOc ",d tbo O'J.,,"tot. jo _ 1 [ . . m", m. bek obove it .. "' tbe mo
<>f + to Ó. The irIt<rnk of circloo ore "'.....d in m. ",.d>c...,. h<mispbore ltl/I.
What ¡he is trying ro soy is rhot if • m.ridian circlc is cut inro 71
iruervsls...or a hslf circle, fmm north pole ro 50mh pole, into ¡6-the
arctic circle ¡" locate<! 8 inrervals fmm the pole, the Tropic of Cancer
.. Agoh> tbore", Ilul. <:<>t,espotIdeac:o to thc <nclng oí , . 6''')0-
.. Tbe occepn:d modero flguu k ,6' ,
.. In pite;..., ",¡ o.nd ,4/w wg<1Itor, Mortianuo ;, umming OD etymOIo¡icoJ
cont>Oetion. Vorro ID< ¡;"p /4om. j, li8) aod Ci<loro ID< ......... <1_ l. 6i)
derive wJ /rom sol",; aod /0< 0Iber d ·al portIlcIo te< the ""'" In thc re ...
«Iitioo ol acero', WOitL
.. Geminu <,. 69J "Y' .... , k W'OI beco"· of thc YUiotIou In buodtb .....
",*"y utfO>IOlfIe/'O do """ iDclud. tbil circlo ot> their celootW globes.
.. Gem.in... O' 6J), ¡., remukio¡ upon thlo difftcUhy, _ . a tbat thc botI>4a
can be "'1'" .. ,.,.¡ by thc cond ",hio:h "'1'1"'"" • JIobe.
,8, THl': QUADR I VIUM
oS interVaJs bclow that, 2nd the cquator i inttrvals bdow the rropic,
wilh corrcsponding int«vals IIII.rking tbe Iocation uf tbe wrrc:sponding
parillels in che southem Ilemisphen."
Ir oow time for AstrOtlomy ro ca!llJoguc of the con-
stellations. Th= famili", in addition to muldng the location
QÍ tIle cde:;tW cin:lcs, serve as reí.unce point:s fOI ubsaving plane-
tary motions. According to cusrom, Marcianu. divides me constdL>_
tions ¡neo the zodiacal con.ru:llatioll5 and those Iying to me non" or
$Outh of me zodiaco H. does uot se. fit ro Iist the sigo< uf the zodiac
--me.e Ire too ",en
Imown ro need enumention-but he don say mat
altllough mere are twdvc tqU41 zodiacal divisions, OI sigm, tbere are
only eleven zodiac:tI constelbtioru. Scorpio occupies ir. own space
witl! ¡", body ""d the opace of Libra with jo. claws. The sign mat
the Rornans can "Libr:a" (!.he Bahncc) Greek wmers refer ro lIS ''the
Oaws". (839) (Aitrooomy's IISt .a,ccment H Jargdy bUI not Ilcogethtr
(:()r=")
¡\.brtianus Cflunts '9 consttlbtions nonh of the zodigc: Ursa MajO!',
Ur.. Minor, DuC<), BoOtes, Corona Ariadnes, Hercule., Lyu, Cygnus,
Cepb • ..., C=io¡>W, Perscus, Triangulum, Aurig2. Androrncda, Pcgo.-
NS, Serpentarius, Ddphinus, Aquila, 2nd Sogita. The .. are che con-
.. A m'It, wlddy odopted..,heme, "'. "" . ... d by I'J_, ..... ... igned 60
inurnls ro u.. <n<ridWI, or JO to • hill circle. TIto ....., ..... di.ided .. foil"",,;
6 intetnl> from tbe poi. ro!he....:tic cirde; S ..........1< ro tbe....- trOpio; 4
......... ro <h. oq.. roq ond COltdpoOOiDg imunIo fo< tbe circl .. In _""
hemiophore. .. j . 4S-..6, Theoa (ed. '0
PI'- ,,, ••¡; 5<nbo j . 7'
AclIilI .. Toci .. ¡¡"O,. in .4... _ J • • 6; MIUlil... J. f<S6-6o>' ; Mocrobi.. c.",..
_ftT, l. 6. .-<1.
"n.o Gree' wri..,... .oow • morltod pmOUD<e lo< tbe JWT\e eb.u; ¡!he
0..... ). Af>ttI> .... thio neme tht<:>ughou<. .., dooo Hipporch .... witto tIIe =op-
cioo of """ rú",.,... U.. Ar<1tl" Ewdozl Pb ............ '"'hU'" ,oriI lo l. j) ro
SJ'!O, ¡!he Prok:my """ (hnJ. bnt lo also fotand uing (Tm __
¡,;¡,Jo'.¡.4). Geminn< (,. t) ...... Serrius, in • CO[TUnm[ <ypi<oI of •
"k#ne.r' Lotin compilu, purpon> ro trO<:e (..J G <orvC4 l . n) "'" disereponcy
in'Y"""'" ro tb. o<;g¡.oI 0IItIt0riria0. Ho _ ro !he tbt sys=o
of. rwelve sigm, ro <he 0l0I<10.,.. thu of. e1e_ According ro s.rn", !he ChaI_
deo", toolo Soorpi<> ond Libra ro be """ Iign. 00< _king equlity of . - . . lo.
o.lI !he . . bnt haviog reprd iot tho Iodmdual ronps of. "'" siga<. voryinj:
fmm '0' ro +'1' in ClItc"t, ",hile tite Ji.&ypti>.. ptefern:d ro """Mer .u .. belng
JO' Ia .. te;tt.
"STROSOMY
,.."
details ore disagreeable ond dcpr ing and are bcttu!efe in obscurity.
...
the di.-iHon 01 <he ."diac into rwdn eqml o<gmrnu wu demollSttsWl with •
dioptn. Monianus Utcr (&lo) me<Jtiom me "'" of clepsydros '" "'""""" phnetsry
" Geminuo 11. 9"") ulsoo tilo..",. <¡umloo I1Id obo polms to tite b.l ...."'s
01 "'" po;'" He """,""¡y ouribuus <h. diffetetlOO '" do. obIiqnl<y of <he eelipti< .
.. "TbiJ lo of me Lotio o::ompil<rs. O. Mocrobiu<' b.-.g¡r>n tone
_ be pt<t< ..... to uf.... Er_.oo Pooidonius (Co",,,,._, ,. ,o. '0)
'M Arinodc (ilñd. l. Ij_'6).
ASTII.ONOM ...
in Sagitwius, ",itlt a varying duntioo of days in the othu signs? Here
h.is explanation is better, thouglt h.is boudul Imusing, if OOt
'"
ludierous. Up tiII now tU roen supposed, tho eanh bcing ot the
ceour oi the unlverse md the celestial spltere, tIlar it is ,Iso at the
cenrer of the 5110', oroit. This is obviously not trUe. T he earth is Mt
.r the center of the mn's orbit, bm is ecceomc ro it." Tite obli<¡ui'Y
of the ediptic causes ¡he sun, wlUch mOVeS along it, ro he depr=ed
0< elevat<od io altemation. depending upon lIS juxupositioo witl¡ tite
signs. Cancer 20d are elevated in the ... reg;ons of the
¡ky, aod &gittarius aod Capricom are depr=ed. QS they verge ,,,,ay.
(148-.w)
Marti.ous oow comes tO the planet:s and their motions; thi.!; mbject
i. umaU)' found Wt in tite handhooks .nd occtIpies h.im for the re--
mtinder of Book VIII. The planets, be tells lI.5, := seven in oumber.
ne)' requin specia1 attentioo broluse. whereas all huvenly bodj""
are .wept .long with the diunul roto.tion of die celestial sphote, tite
planea have jq .ddicion ti ..... owo motioo in a rev ..... direcciono 'ni.
suo aud the mOOo have been giv.n coundess names by the 11ICes of
mankind. TIte otbcr five planets are I<nown by their rnymol<>gical
names and by me descriptive Mmes giveo ro tltero by the Greeks:
&tum, the (Ph«...,.",); Jupiter. the "B1=:r" (PhJtrhon);
Mus, tbe "Fiery" one (Py,otis); VCDUS. the "Light-bringer" (POOI-
pborO/); md Mercury. me "Twiokler-" {StiJb(J7l) ." TItese planets re-
quin varying amounr.. of time ro nt2ke up tite disnoce tltat they are
carded I»ockward in a single diurnal roanon of rhe sky: the moon a
month; the 5110 • year; So. .... m, the out<oooO$t, thitty yeus; aod the
ino:ervening planee;; periods of rime proportioml ro tite distan= they
traverse in thbr omits. (85 '-51) AlIse""n planets are observe<! moving
" Gtrnimls (r. ¡ron) .nd T)ooon (od. AiUer. 1'1' "'-57) g/... tht ....,. OJI_
plmarion fo. me tnOtNIy.
" Moct"¡'im (Ca'''.'''' ......, '.6. ,,) ".d Ooo<no<ko Iz. j. ,, ¡) 'p"'k of m.
......<"ptr" a.c."", of ...... o iD GemiDi.
" TI>< de«rlptl ... n ....... orlJinm:d by m. G",.k " 'r<><><><n<n. <lid _ JO;"
I"'puIarity ... K\jboo,l<y. Puoohly. ond !mi (p. ')1) <>11_ The R.on»no dld
1100 '"""'pI: ro rn.ru.I.o .. tñe<t """'''. Oeero (fk ... ",.. ¡Jeorom l . ¡I_!)) . like
M"";"'", . ..... th< Gre<k fo.",,; lo< od>er oo;e1UI"<1I<" in cl..u.:.d litnotu,.. ...
m. 00"" in ,h. E'ao. «litio ... [L 5).-¡6.
,88 TIfE QUADRIVIUM
.. (n. ,?"-,,) ottrib .... "'" "" tbeory ro "muir pIWooopt.< ....""""
uf .... Í< by pointing om th .. !ho fiud ..... """'. in ponJItl .,....... ."d "'"
ptJl<tS. if !hoy ... t. IlJUcly boiog ootdisunecd. wouId ... y in ponlleI
loaeod tbe plU>«J movo obllqutlr """* "'" rodis<, !ho lIlOOD Ir'iof ocfOS& In
emir< .".,.,.w.. "Th< ...non. ""d u""S .. dmom oloomo plm<cl .,.. fllnller prooi
01 ¡rul<pendon, """""'-
.. 1, lo lIltpIisiDg tIut linJ. 0< no 0><I'Iti<m of m. occolrWoo oí pi ...... lo
f<>und ¡" <he populu Iwtdboo\ Iituuute. Aristod. (o.. "eID , . 19'V repon¡ an
<clip'" oí M", by .... tnOOI).
.. ,,¡ ...... <MI there.,.. ,8, oolor porolldo """"4 di. troplco.
ASTItONOMY .S<¡
moooos of Venus.."d Mercury, for which Copcrnicus expn:ssed grae
adminrlon:<>
Venw."d M.rc""Y. ollhouglt <hoy 1>0« ohiIy rising< and .. ttlngt. do no< ....d
tbout ti\< euth lt oll, n.thor they .I>circle ti\< rnn in wer u.oInti=<. T he
".,..., of <htoit ""bU. ;. lO' in ti\< rDD. M • r«nI. they are """",times .bo ... m.
" " ' ; "",u of.... <bey ..., _ m ir, in • dos« .ppromn.tion ro m. nrth,..
Venus' g""'_ olongstioo [mm"'" rDD ;. <ID< lnd • holf oigm." Wben botb
pW>en. M...e. position abo ... "'" su'" Mer=ry ;' clooor ro <h ........, whe:n dtey
are b<low m. ...... V..,.., ;. d.,..... irwmuclt .. ir ..... 11'10«: "'""1'"
in¡:orbir [1j7 [."
Te il curiQUS that che anclene writers who repore Heradides' theory
of me hdiOCtntric Qrhits of V mus and Mercury gen=Uy "";gn a
f'lXed orde, ro {he planets, Iltbough a r",.d order irreconcilabl. wíth
gcoheliocemric motions. Sometimes they deal ",¡{h both in
succession, and occuionaUy they .."",rk ..oout the problems involved
in reconciling me two theori ... Calcidius attributcs the OIder rnoon,
Mercury, V enus, SUD, ro the Pythagouons¡ and ti«: oroer moon, sun.
Mercury. Venus, ro fu{o,tI«:nt:I. Lacer he cxpound. me H.ncIidcw
theory, ascribing it ro H.nelides by nam"," Vitnlvius gives ti«: ordet
as moon, M=ury, Venus, sun, and immediately thereafter vagudy
describes 1M motiOl1$ of Venus and Mercury as ''wre.med .OOut th.
ray' of tbe SUD, tl«:ir ceneer, as it were, memselves rnaking starions
and retrogracb.tiOl1s,· ... Macrobius discourses [eamedly and a{ length
.. Se< o. 'l abo ...
.. Mucury lnd Ven.. are hoIf of di< timo.boYe, bolf 01 m. timo bdow, tbc
rDD. On tbe _ >id. of "'" su", ...... plmeos ve """'" """ mi>
'ppeon ro 1>0 "'. <:tu>< of Mutioouo' con:fusioll. M.....",.. (C'''.''M ....Y ,. '9-1)
urnub "" <hio ncy ph.,.",...,.,...
n o. 45' . Loter (SS,) be ")'5 46'. Tbt teXt i> eotnlJ'f he<e. ond th= otI.y
ho ... b«ft. !OC..,. "'. oerib4J en"O<. 1, 11 unlib:ly <1>0< M"";..",. W<lIlId hove
...... gnihy of 00 Jfú"S'" error u ro .,..;g.. • INri"""" <loopcioo of 4( ro
tim ..gi_.
Mercury .. woll .. ro V""Ill," Dick'. tur (4jl . 'o,) uods. lo xctioD 180 M....
_<inrom oloof"'ÍO!l of ,, ' ro Met<:UI)'•
.. 00 Mortim..' and <>ther r<ponero.' .' '" """''' obom <bio th<ruy, ...hlch wu
attributed in oatiquiry ro Horodidts o/ Pomos, ... Hesth. An_."",. pp. 'J$-
Oi- Pitrn: OUbem mI, +1_'62) ..,. oh< iool""'"nce of _ in Imoping
btliocenoic ..;..,... .u... In m. MNIdlo ",.. and '""" the _ of d>o rbtol)' in
!he mediovd periodo
.. Calcidius 1'"7l, "'"
.. DI ."In..""". Q. ,. , ....
'9' THE QUAD!l.IVIUM
me two ordo:n. He caOs che ORC pladng !he sun second m..
omor, me omer he alls thc oedor; and he
uplains thc re2$OJl fOI thc division oí opinion. H. then goes on ro
gi". on cvcn nguer ""'temenr than Vitturi... abont the circl.. of
Venus Ind Mercnry about tIIe ""n.... Thcon of Smyma discnsscs rival
views which place Mercury and Venus abo".
OI below me 8Ull,
ehanging tIIe positions oi Mercury and Venus with respect ro each
other, and )ata prtsenn two epicyclic I)"tetnl ro expWn thc motiQRS
oi Mercury .nd Venus, che sec<lnd bcing Iike thot .ruibute<l ro
by Catcidius." E,= Ptolemy d..1s with che rival theones
regarding their positiOll'l and che causes oi m.
confusion, at me open-
ing of Book IX oí hi5 Almlgtlt. Ptolemy the older
mar plaecd them hoth benc.th me SUD ot aU times. Modero ItistoriAns
oí Qttonorny have elCpressed IIIrprise rhat Ptolemy did oot see thJ.t
thc rival theorles oould be reconciled by abandoning his SCpaNt:e epi-
cycles for Ven ... ""d Mercury ond by nulring [he SUR the cent:er of
both their orbits, .., Hel'3Clidcs did."
W. mould noe be surpristd, then, ro find ¡hato immediately alter
M:utianus Iw described tIIe heUOctntric orbilS of V mus and Mel'<:Ul)'
.. alumately above aud be!ow me sun, he deals with che rival view$
of luthoriries wbo mlintairoed a tued order oi the planees. Martianus,
uolike ¡he others, does not indicau. prcference. (858)
Astronorny now cclls me wedding guests tIlat she is going ca alcu-
late me size of tite arbits of all the pbnets. "on undemking that
utronomcn consider a diffocult one."" Once tgajn Martianus rnninds
us of thc bridesmaid's presence when Ite is ca .lepan: from me
standard flandbook rapia. Asttonomy begins with me premise tIlat the
earth'. clrcwnferwce is .¡o6,OfO sbdia. TIús figure, ,he soys, wtS
.. TI.., ,,",o dilf<t<nt ,¡gur<l fo. die eanb', circumf«coco .... I"'''''P' "'" ""'"'
..,'onishiDg of th< lMIly disc,..ponci<s" IolutionlK' work. t, ""'" knowD who
",ig¡,....,d thc Iarger ligur<. Ari<rotl< (O. <.<10 l. >¡I!Ib) r<po<U .., _ 01
_ stadU. ourront in hU doy, Archimed .. (An ... i14 ,,0[#., ed. J. L Hti-
buS' l!.e¡p>.is, '9,) 1. n. m) suggootO J _ SI"ldI>. .. . eaimn< .
.. In rhis """<IId-he virtuoso ""'Q",,,,I)' lo uruwore dio< obo jo
in oIJecr romp&rio¡ !he """",'. dl:tn>ete. with !he ""¡". drrom/o.....,....... disk
of thc DHlOJl wid>.., m: of d>< ....m'o cim1mf«ellCO .
.. Oeom<des h . J. 9J) las me "'" rooolty oclipsod .. ,he Ilelkspoot too po<-
cloUy rna,1c .. Aluandril..
'9' TH[ Q UADRIVIUM
Hipporcll ... Itod de"""""",ed dio, "'" ••In does """ ve..- from <he eclipóc. TI><
orto....,." oboetvllÓOn hu beco attributed to E"donto of QúdQ bu< m.y bn.
origin>t<d «rl"'. O .. <he tttOf ..,d ;., ",ido """""....,. in OMiquil:y oo. He>th.
Arist",ebw, pp. '9S-'"", O«y.... Hinor¡ of Anr0nmn" pp. 'H""9j'. To ".. "'"
darom ... videnc. tb... O.....itu'. utrot>01fO)' "'.. pre-Hipparch"" lo ""worrwted.
Compilen iDoorponlUl d,,,, of .",Iy """ ' - vintoJe, a dtoy fouod it. usualIy
dioregudiog ""Y m.:ODIi=nc....... r rnigb. be iDvolnd.
,. Altbcugh Mattianu. .... ¡.... mur«! '" tbo: moon'. d thc
eclip<ic--1I:D<>wn '" utrO""""'" .. thc -.Jiog oJId 10lllU xx'.. ..d
oldooogh OlIO """'f'k« revolncioo 01 the <><>deo '" d><i<" "",rwud 1nOl"<meot 010"8
the ocliprio occun nuy ,M yeon (opproEimately ,11'1. J'cat"I -dlns lO En-
daI ... ,r'.)'< .... lICc«diog.., Hippotchus). it opp<ln dut Mortioruu' outho.iIy
;. bere nl.ning lO the cycle" ot 'JJ 1.....,.,. wbidl ..... p"'pooed '"
thc f1fth c<nrury • .c. '" brio¡¡ roW- """ Junu ¡rrors in«> "S.cemomt. 00 "'"
MttOIlic c)'<:I. seo Heoth, AriI....eb .... PI' '93""9j'.
"ea<
,. MIII"tÍuU:II gi..... no figuro {", di. durttioo of o yeu, tbc 0Kim0<z0 01
which nry grtotIy ,..;tJo di/k ....... writers. 00 cluAcol m=eo lO tbc 1JIQg .....
.".".. ... th. _ .diñon of Cicero'. (JI -..r. tU"""'" n, -mw
F....
nI thc .....,\lsp'" on.nai' in !he indexes '" tbc volnm<s ot Tborndike'.
Hln/ny of Mq/e",J Ezpt. i" ..",,,, Sc/nu;t.
'"
ASTkONOMY
tite thirtietb day. ln hice nwmcr the moon b; eclipse<! when it crosses
tlle ecliptic on tite fiftccntlt day, in a position of opposition to the
sun. The sun projccts ia .hadow along tite ecliptic and, if tite moon
lUches thillin. on tite fifteentlt day, a lunar eclipse <>cenr.." Eclipses
Clnnot recu.r within sU: months," fOf cb. moon will not be found on
the ecliptic twice on the fútccntlt Of firse days of ia cycles during
that period:
If. in...........u.g 10 lb< eclipti<: lrom tbc oortb, it come. inoo clo .. loteral proliolity
with lb< ..... 1M do<o _ n>OYC inoo In obouuctiog po.moo, ir is slid ro p«>doce
"" .ppr=io>otion jO) tnnSit tv but 11. in coming lrom !he
nonh. it do<o move inoo coojunction ..d obotnlcu m. "'n. le b slid ", prodnc<
... tdil'" in D01'tItero Iftnoit ("" ...llIIk"'.. tv flo ...¡", m>>ó&p). 1I ir """"" 1<0lIl
thc .,,,.Ib ..,d .loes mo, IDO'" into COI!.joocrion, ir prOOlICOO on opproIimo.tioo in
ooutI><rn ........, tv lJ\W/>6qI """"'1; ... d i€. in "-miDg 10 tho oclipti<:
110m the _ . ir ......... tl>o pot/I of lb< $dIl. It .. .,. .....,dina ocl;¡'<
nodo oIMieq&O» ."
"CI. G ....imu chopo. '0, " : Oeomedo: ••• 6. "J'II; lñeon (<<1. Hillorl. pp.
'9J-<]7·
.. A. PuDokock, A Hin •• , '" A, ..."""" tL<>ndon, '<p'), l' .pi, Sin. o:h<
......... and pointJ "'" ti.., lb< _len< BobyIon1<nJ WWl 0WU'0 oí Ibis IICt.
,. CI. Ammi ...... Mucdli"... Re, ""4' ,o. J. f' Ptolecny Amu,." 11. 11: Fo_
.. EoIogtU$ Do ,""m;" &ipioni.t 9 (.d. v.., Wod<liGgell (Btussds, "m I li.
>O _ 'J. 4l - v.., mioftnly tbo puooa:e in F•....,.;", .. te-
fm;"g '" epi<ycle< ..'" eccentria.
,,6 TIlE QU.\.PRIV I UM
''..
Meroe
Syene" " "
,."
'. ,,
Alexandü.
Rhodes"
R=, 'S
HeJlespOlu'
Dnieper
,S ••
"
Rhipaetn Mts.
"
• Hippuchoo' i ...... fQ1" Sr''''', Rhodet, tnd ti><
•
Udl«pon' (Le, Pomus) ,..e,.. giVotl ro m. hall
hour, oocordinJ ro Snobo, Syene, 'J'/,; Rhod..,
'f'I.; tbe Holldp<>ot, IS'I< <Stnbo •• j. JiS, J9- ond
f', ....pecti..lr). HoWgmaon bdX .......... Dj,oIHI_
11,_ ¡" o COI"flIptioo of tIW r.", ....
as A middl. eJimue """"" .ij:h< ;. ol 00."... imp<"'ibl • . In , ... cl..nc.l ocborne
of ond Hippuclmo, Rbod<s marbd oh. middJ. ""cl principallacltudo
01 tho .. veo clirnt. .... MutiaDus odd<d "" oigbtll boj.,.. "'" Rhipo«n
Mouotairu; ba>cc hiI ."",1...;0 ...
.. W. h.... to dopond rnoialy .poo So:nbo (,. S. 1J-+') fo< infonoorioD ,00...
the ""'¡'1Wu,."" of tho pri<>cipol clim>tes. Scrabo'. "'1"""' io 110( cl ... or CODo
.;,............... of hio pe<lClwK for critici1ing hlo.1ItboritKo. ¡'¡O iDI"",,".,. tIu..
Hippare"'" odopted tbe principal cllmotes. 01 En.toethooeo . nd re..,.,<Ied tloo lIours
01 doyllgbc fOl eoeh . ...w.b vuy by hill boun in cluncioo. r.. HOIIigmaruI'. Di<
",/1m KU-. io • cueJ:uI sru<ly el tIIe o.d ... ruerenc .. m tbe climalU Seo tloo
IkInbory. JI, 4-'1-
.. H<>IIigmt.no (pp. so-S') , beJi.-. .. tII .. Mucioous' och ..... 01 cllm .... Jt<mo
froro V.no, for, lIIIlib P1iny. Mortia.nu. U><> tilo G .. ..-wd IOl cU"...." .ud
gi.... G=k ro .bem.cvm ro tlo. 01\0 thn>.\gII Romo (61<1 l. U.
_ _ tIu., m. oId Klima VI, dio micldle of Pontus, bu
becn ood 10.". V, o:broogh tho Hell.. po .... then becomeo VI, mt.king
room ¡.,. <he """'"'" duoogh Romo IX> beoomo V. Thio leodo him ro concludc
", TIIE QUADKIVIUM
A$ OIIe dnw. ncar thc polc, days beCOfm longer and nighlll .honu;
consequendy it is ro be = e d mat tborc is pupctual do.ylight Ir che
pol","lncrements in the omount of dayüght occur as '/a of
tite tol2L in<:uase from the ",¡mer solrtic. to thc summer solstic<l is
added in die flm month, '/. ;n thc scomd, 1/4 in che third, in tite 'l.
founh, 'l.in che fifth, and in me sirth,"' The f"'SOQ for me
variation Í5 chlr die wdiac winds around Cancu and Capricom bUI
cua across me almost diw:cly (878). So mocil for the SUIl and
the moon.
Mercury aOO Venus """" th";r orbits.bout me sun, "off f.O one side,
in • cerain nwmcr," and do not encompass me eartb in thcir <><bits.
They are impeJled bad: and forth alternately. n..y are obaerved
rising and Ktting becarn;c tbey ore .wept along by che motion of thc
celestial ""hen:.
Mercury uquius nearly • yCa[ to complete lIS oroit l OO moves
through S' nf laticude.lts nwcimum clongation is u · ¡" never does ir
gel: IS fat away as twO signs from die sun, ahead of bchind it. Mercury
therd'ore never has acronical risings, fOI these occur ooly ro planets
tllat are Utuatcd dia.mrriC<illy opposirc che sun." Mercury's risings are
inroospicuous and bri.f:. OOe when clongation )'Umia and m e plan«
;. not obliteratcd by me run'. brilliant "')'1¡ . soc<In<! whcn. as it retrO-
di.. <he tibie of clbn...,. hod beco rnioed by 00<lIO Wesrun-o,io<=d compilo"
p""iW y Poddoniu< '" NijidJno Fi¡uI.... Seo tJoo Miller, ' ....
.. Pliny tJoo . ... ibit> coofuoion obottt rhe <Iunciort of doyliglrt in <he Iv nonb.
H. <»rrectIy "po'" {'¡""4l ... bours 01 ••• ThW. ot "" ....,."... ookric,.,
bu< \lo ¡",:orrtcdy "po'" (•. ,8ó-t¡) Pyth<ao .. .. ocilI. tItot "",o .... ,;. a-m.
ai doyliglrt •• Thul. jo rhe ..."",,,,, .. _no Gen>inuo 6. 'J"f) sba"'l' ="""
W>dotsroodirtg of "" dumIo.t ai oarlishl: .. tilo poleo
*' TIúo OC< <>1 ino::rt<nona ogrt<O eucdy with""t o:f Oeomed.. h. 6.. '1) .
.. Pliny Jives Morcury'. muimum eIoog>cioo fim .. ,, ' iD. Roman """",nk
(•• )9), rhen .. 'J ' widl <he 1llDDbe:n written out (• • 7). TbeOll (ed. HiIler), P.
')7. md Cakidhu 10 p'e ÍIi ...... . For othcr cto..lcaI ,dere"" .. "" Morcury'o
oJonrcion onJ 011 _ OIpoct> 01 do. pbn<t'. bebo""" .... ti>< .......dition o:f
acero'. CH _ . Wmmt, 61f-'¡6.
.. n..o.n (ed. HiIIer). p.
')7, "o"M,.. ocrtmio::ol risiDg>.irt rhe ...... "'Iy.
.. Hobino.l tl<y_wucben moy poso • lifetlme being ourun. of """"
pmpoed Mercury. Copernicna io ssid ". .... '" bon ..... ir. 0b0ernti0JI 01 it is
n>ode euy ,.be<> it: io in pro<imicy ro VetIUI, os it wu dutU.g !he momIt ai
J"""'Y. '96'.
•
ASTRONOMY ' 99
grades in ti«: WeJt.. it moves into the vicinity of the SWl .00 l.des
from sight. lllese ftrit and bst visibilities recur in the foureb month.
.nd noe alway¡ then. (879-8.)
Venus completes its orok in 2 period of ayear. Located
on its own epkyde, ie goes abour sun. ir sometimell p:asses,
soflletimes lags bebind. When Venus is in retrognde motion, it takes
longer du.n a ye.. to tr:avcrse its mbit ; but wben it is going in direct
motinn, ie compleee, its course in as linle as deven m'mehs." Wben ir
rises .bead of the run ic is calle<! Lucifer; wben it bInes in tbe evening.
sundown. it ;. calle<! Vesper. Venus, 1iJ«, tbe moon, de";"tes
ebrougb an ,,' of che rodiac's Iatitude. les ffillximum doogation is
fOl ' ... Venus is me only une of the ftve pl>ner¡, like die moon, to asr
••lw:low'" and rhe only une ro tinger for. long time before yielding
to the sun', brilliance. In moming risings it frequently arriu lor (our
month$, bur in WtSt never lUore thm 10 da}'$-" II:!¡ rising:s and bst
v;,ib,litics recur in mn... to ten-month cyelcs. (88!-83)
Marslw;[$ own ",hit. the SilO', and .bont che earth. whieh
;. eccenttic ro ormr. Mus complete, a revolution in appro%irnately
two ye.IS. Ir ha •• motien in brirud. of S' . Like the two plane'"
heyond ;t, ir experiences starions and retrogradations, buc ir has ir. own
apoge<:, first station, and enltatien apan; from the others. Its aposee,
ehe point where ,ti
orbit reacllu highesc elevation above the earth, is
in Leo." h,. firsr star,on is "ruque. Because M all;' oroir is c10se ro rhe
" Among tite G"",k popu1u Iw>dbook oot:bo<>, Gemin.., Oeomedes, Achill ..
Torio .. ond .,...,oo-ArútotIe ci. e <he p<tiod> 01 MetcUt)'."d V..,.... o yeu '"
o y=." &>es Cicero ID • ....,.,.. deorKm l . ¡¡J. Su _ in <he
1'.... edition, 6¡S. VI",,., ... (9- l. 8-9) gives lOO doY' for Men:ury ond '¡sS
¡O< V""",,; PlIny (l. li-l9) gIves Jl9 ""d lt9 dJ.Y'. w. L. Lorimu (SomI No ..,
"" ,In Ton.( pr. AmtMlo"lh Mrm.to" IOD<>rd, r91s1, pp. "9-jo). has pu-
pued • ".10 o/ timos gr.." by me""" outhon. Mortiomls gI_ di. catreer "'-
plOIl2tion o/ tbe ..n",ionJ In Un....
.. PIlny [,. JI) .... ..,so; The<m «d. lIill",), p. 1)7. ond CioIcidi.. '/O hove ¡O' .
TIte carUCl f'"....,;. t ¡· .
.. O. PI.ioy ,.)7 .
.. An unulog _ n ' fOl .., ."do.. """"" 10 _!te, conoId<ring thst ce-
l<&ciol "''''<
much more f.",¡¡w ro m. ........... dwt lb.,. u. 10 ....
• 11<1 di" tite brill.iooc< of V..,u, In tbe ,. ... el o , 1Ue!, ;. one 01 <he ..-
t:On>pIcoou. of .n cd<&ciol ph<OODl<D" Muimntn brill.i01>C< ;. Ihorn: ¡6
doY' p«<:<ding 1JId /oIIowiPS inferior """jton<áon.
.. a. Pliny ' ..s..
TH E QUADRIVIUM
.wl's. il feol'lh. offeccs of th. sun', rays even at a position of quadn-
rure and comes 10 a hall al • disrance of 90' frorn thc sun on elthor
side." Mus' =It:ltinn OCCUrs in the [Wenty-ninth degrec of Capri-
C(Jrn."
Propitious J upiter, belng higher Ihan the aforem.ntion. d plane!s,
rompIeres its ,"""olmion in rwdv. Ytan and has • devi.tion in latitude
of So. lt:s apogec 0CC\ll'I in Virgo and its eulution in the fifleenth
degue of Caneer." Its olevations and depres:sions prov. t1ur thc eanh
is <:<:cenmc 10 in orbit, (885)
Sarum, th. outennost ni the completes a revolution in
.ijghrly 1= lhan lhirIy yeo", and deVÍJtts in latirude J' or sometimes
only , . ... 1I has ics apogee in Scorpio .nd its enlcation in the
twentieth dogree of Libra.'" (nS)
.. Cf. l'Ul>y ,. 60, ."d ""'" ,he ""'...po¡>dence oí t<m: trkm .r qw;!.uo
, ...Iit (Pliny);.,""';" "."J'oItll•.•.• 4dJ.,
umit (M..-donoo) . The "".
m.,<I1lS ""'''''pondo."" be,,..,.,, Pliny tnd .. ¡., , ..... clo!.ing sectioN oí
VIII suggeot tito. dteir ..... oriJinorM in dio ...... ootron<>mku "...",i1.
ptUtIIlIObly <hu of V."".
" PLiny ¡,. 6$) "YO dio .. igb1h degru. OCCOTding to tho f'S"t< odopt<d
by tIto.dirors 01 tito lIndó..,d Lotb .dióo",. J. lIooujon, tilo &ud<' «litar. fU""
I'A"'¡....." Wltoi,.. N_eII. Üt:1". 11. P. ,1I,]ist> in hio .ppuonu <he ""dioS
XXVlIIJ «1<) ;., _..-.1 The """uocrip<> oí I'Uuy "'" Roow. ",,-
mua'" ", bu ., " ' - of Mutlonus ""ice tbt figlw 0\It. M""¡'"",' ooorc. . . .
uoing OD older mt..!Ioscript of PliDy tbon ..,y ""'" ........ Ir wooJd oppeor tilo,
M2nianns' figlw ¡, tito corrw: <>nO fo>, Pliny, ono<her inane. of .... ni.,. of
Monimus in mwnding Pliny'...... Mommsen p<>im<d 0Ul du., Solio.. coae-
lpOndcoces w:ith PIiny'. rogropbict1 bo<>ks W<lnld onsbI. . . . .dirol: ro emoru:l
Pliny'J .....
• " " " .......
o '.odwu corrupood ro Ptldy , . 4406,.
" It wiD be of interea: to oompue bue Mortionos' figureo f"" plorouuy derio-
tiord;ft l0dtnd0.,..ith _ ot TheoD (<<1.. Hillorl, P. '}j i Goomed .. l. 7. tlJ'
ood Plú>y ,. 6ó--6-¡,