Title: Ancient astrology /
Authors: Barton, Tamsyn, 1962-
Publisher: Routledge,
Year: 1994
Subjects: Astrology History; Astrology history
Abstract: Most people today know their 'star-sign', but few know much of the system of thought which relates human destiny to the stars. Fewer still have any idea of its origins. This book reveals the importance of astrology in ancient thought, morals, politics and daily life. Tamsyn Barton first traces the history of the subject chronologically. She untangles the Babylonian, Egyptian and Greek threads which come together in Greco-Roman astrology, discussing the astrological literature of each period. The book examines intellectual and popular reactions to astrology. It also reveals its political role in the Roman Empire - astrologers could set emperors on the throne or depose them. Astrology's battle with the early church and its eventual decline after the fifth century are also examined.
Contents: 1. Historical Background: Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece -- 2. Greece and Rome -- 3. The Triumph of Christianity -- 4. The Principles of Astrology -- 5. Astrological Practice: Casting a Horoscope -- 6. The Social World of the Astrologers -- 7. Reflections and Ramifications.