Lucian of Samosata, De astrologia, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 7

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[7] For this reason, indeed, the Aegyptian deities are portrayed in various aspects.¹ For it is not to be supposed that all Aegyptians were wont to draw prognosticks from all the twelve signs; but some had one sign in use, others another. The ram is reverenced by those who looked up unto Aries, fish is not eaten by those who attached signality unto Pisces, the goat is not slain by those who had knowledge of Capricorn, and the other creatures are severally venerated by other folk. Assuredly the bull too is adored in honour of the celestial Taurus, and Apis, esteemed by them an object of the uttermost sanctity, depastureth their land, and they that inhabit it vouchsafe him an oracle in token of the auspiciality of Taurus.

De astrologia. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Astrology (English) (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Περὶ τῆς Ἀστρολογίας Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936 (printing).) — 7 focus

[7] ἀπὸ τέω δὴ καὶ ἱερὰ τὰ Αἰγύπτια πολυειδέα ποιέεται· οὐ γὰρ πάντες Αἰγύπτιοι ἐκ τῶν δυώδεκα μοιρέων πασέων ἐμαντεύοντο, ἄλλοι δὲ ἀλλοίῃσι μοίρῃσιν ἐχρέοντο, καὶ κριὸν μὲν σέβουσιν ὁκόσοι ἐς κριὸν ἀπέβλεπον, ἰχθύας δὲ οὐ σιτέονται ὁκόσοι ἰχθύας ἐπεσημήναντο, οὐδὲ τράγον κτείνουσιν ὅσοι αἰγόκερων ᾔδεσαν, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι τὰ ἄλλα ὡς ἕκαστοι ἱλάσκονται. ναὶ μὴν καὶ ταῦρον ἐς τιμὴν τοῦ ἠερίου ταύρου σεβίζονται, καὶ ὁ Ἆπις αὐτοῖς χρῆμα ἱερώτατον τὴν χώρην ἐπινέμεται καί οἱ ἐκεῖ μαντήιόν γε¹ ἀνατιθέασιν σημήιον τῆς ἐκείνου τοῦ ταύρου μαντικῆς.

Notes on the current edition

Astrology

In accrediting the invention of the signs of the Zodiac to the Egyptians, our author is at one with his contemporaries (cf. Macrobius, loc. cit.), but in deriving from these signs the animal forms of the Egyptian gods, and in connecting the fishtaboo in that country with the constellation Pisces he presents the results of original research.

Lucian of Samosata De astrologia 7

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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