Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and Romans

by Franz Cumont

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.

Genres: Astrology, Religion, History, Mythology, Nonfiction

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Franz-Valéry-Marie Cumont (Aalst, Belgium, 3 January 1868 – Brussels, 25 August 1947) was a Belgian archaeologist and historian, a philologist and student of epigraphy, who brought these often isolated specialties to bear on the syncretic mystery religions of Late Antiquity, notably Mithraism. Cumont was a graduate of the University of Ghent (PhD, 1887). After receiving royal travelling fellowships, he undertook archaeology in Pontus and Armenia (published in 1906) and in Syria, but he is best known for his studies on the impact of Eastern mystery religions, particularly Mithraism, on the Roman Empire. Cumont's international credentials were brilliant, but his public circumspection was not enough. In 1910, Baron Edouard Descamps, the Catholic Minister of Sciences and Arts at the University of Ghent, refused to approve the faculty's unanimous recommendation of Cumont for the chair in Roman History, Cumont having been a professor there since 1906. There was a vigorous press campaign and student agitation in Cumont's favor, because the refusal was seen as blatant religious interference in the University's life. When another candidate was named, in 1912, Cumont resigned his positions at the University and at the Royal Museum in Brussels, left Belgium and henceforth divided his time between Paris and Rome.

He contributed to many standard encyclopedias, published voluminously and in 1922, under stressful political conditions, conducted digs on the shore of the Euphrates at the previously unknown site of Dura-Europos; he published his research there in 1926. He was a member of most of the European academies. In 1936 Franz Cumont was awarded the Francqui Prize on Human Sciences. In 1947, Franz Cumont donated his library and papers to the Academia Belgica in Rome, where they are accessible to researchers.

Reviews

[Brodolomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reč je o predavanjima koja je Franc Kimon održao u Americi 1912. godine o uticaju astrologije na razvoj helenističkih i rimskih paganskih religija. Knjiga nosi sa sobom sve one vrline i mane karakteristične za starije radove u humanistici – neke ideje su prevaziđene, autor povremeno generalizuje, ali uspeva da na malom prostoru iznese mnoštvo zanimljivih i nepovezanih informacija, a opet da stvari koherentan veliki istorijski luk kojim provoza čitaoca.

Astrologija je svoj prvi procvat doživela tokom Drugog vavilonskog carstva, vezana uz astronomska otkrića i unapređivanje kalendara. Nema veze sa narodnom uobraziljom, već s dugim procesom spekulativnog rasuđivanja u ograničenim učenim krugovima. U drevnoj Mesopotamiji, za razliku od Grčke, naučnici su pripadali svešteničkoj kasti, pa je svako novo otkriće moglo da dobije i religioznu dimenziju. Zbog mogućnosti da tačno predvide astronomske događaje poput pomračenja Meseca i Sunca, stekli su legitimitet za spekulativna predviđanja o ratovima, žetvama, epidemijama itd. Okrenutost nebu bila je baš bitna za Drugo vavilonsko carstvo, odnosno Haldeju, zbog čega je kod Grka izraz "Haldejac" bio sinonim za astrologa. U toj umserenosti nebo i njenoj kritici možda leže I koreni hebrejskog mita o Vavilonskoj kuli.

Širenje ideja astrologije van Haldeje započelo je nakon pohoda Aleksandra Makedonskog, poprimajući različite oblike. Kimona, međutim, u ovom predavanju manje zanimaju nastanak horoskop i hermetizam u helenističkom Egiptu, a više uticaj astralnih teorija o univerzumu na stoicizam i odakle potiču ideje stoika da je kosmos harmoničan, apoteoza rimskih careva, Scipionov san, zašto smo imaginiranje raja premestili na nebo, zamena osmodnevne nedelje za sedmodnevnu, kako je astrologija rimsku elitu vodila ka monoteizmu, koliko je bilo jako verovanje u determinizam zvezda i druge zanimljive stvari.

[Daniel Gil Muñoz · Rating 2 out of 5]

El título de este libro es muy representativo de sus contenidos. De manera muy concisa, en seis conferencias, el autor expone y analiza las distintas corrientes de pensamientos en las sociedades griegas y romanas que trataban de explicar el mundo a partir de los astros, usando como vehículo la superstición y la religión. Considero que no me encontraba preparado para abordar esta lectura, lo cual me hace pensar que quizás el libro no es de divulgación. Me ha costado mucho seguir el libro y solo he podido retener ciertas partes que coincidían con mis escasos conocimientos previos. Que el tema no se encuentre entre mis lecturas habituales tampoco ha ayudado. Las dos estrellas no son tanto por el libro, sino porque sencillamente no me ha gustado.

[Ady ZYN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

From an age when academics happily sacrificed writing simply for writing evocatively.

Notes
Astrology is indispensable to the highest mission of history - the progress of reason

During French Revolution, Dupuis seeks to prove that all myths are only a set of astronomic combinations, all religion is spectacle of celestial phenomena.

Babylonians establish first lunisolar era of Nabinossar 747BC. By 722s, with famous library of Ashurbanapal, astrologers have charted the ecliptic, got the 12 fixed stars, 5 planets, lunar period, eclipse period, After fall of Assyria, Babylon rises, calculates position of sun and moon, conjunctions, and position against zodiac, unequal seasons (precession). Babylonian astronomy seeks to discover all that is periodic, reduce it to number, and predict.

Chaldaeus refers to many things - people of southern Mesopotamia, Babylonian priests, Greeks who studied in Babylonian schools, charlatan future-tellers. Like Magi, it becomes a professional designation.

Something is superior to even the gods, that commands the celestials, Chaldeans call it the Necessity, and rules over both gods and man. Like in Egypt where a Name has magical power, the Babylonians consider Number to by a symbol with sacred attributes. They call the 5 planets ‘Interpreters’ since they make manifest the purposes of the gods. 12 signs of zodiac are called Counsellor Gods. 24 other stars (12 in North 12 in South) called Judges of living and dead.

The dodecagon is called Jupiter, which completes zodiac in 12 years, and each year traverses an arc between two nodes of the polygon.

Greeks first called the planets based on their characteristics: Eosphoros/Phosphoros for Venus (Herald of Dawn/Light), Stilbon for Mercury (twinkling one), Pyroeis (fiery star - Mars), Phaethon (Luminor star - Jupiter). Phainon (Indicator - Saturn). But Babylonians call them after gods - Nebo, Ishtar, Nergal, Marduk, Ninib, which Greeks replace with their similar gods. So today we call planets by an english translation of latin translation of greek translation of babylonian names.

Babylonians elevate Sun, Moon, Venus triad (Sin, Samash, Ishtar). Saturn is called star of the Sun, most prominent and gives most important predictions. Plato’s Epinomis says the slowest planet has the name Helios - it aims at reconciling culto of Apollo and sidereal gods of Syria, Egypt - science as a gift of the gods, mathematics revealed by Uranus who causes it to be understood by periodical phenomena.

Greece discovers and uses the serious elements, but rejects the rubbish, so there is little mention of Babylonian astrology (charting out the fate of a man) throughout this period. But Alexander changes everything - particularism of cities weakened by rise of universal monarchy, worship of stars. Zeno elevates stars, Reason governs all things and resides in ethereal Fire. Euhemerus reduces Olympians to old human heroes, only stars are eternal/incorruptible (inspired by Egyptian thelogoumena). In Seleucid Empire, Hellenism meets Babylon. 2-way migration of scholars/priests.

Stoicism dedicates itself to reconciling popular worship, sacred narratives and ritual observance with the demands of a more comprehensive intelligence. Considers world as great organism, where ‘sympathetic’ forces act on one another. Hermamene, Destiny, connected with infinite succession of causes,

Babylon, sacked in 125, never recovers.

Thoth, or Hermes Trimegistus, becomes the revealer of the horoscope. Egypt gets it from Babylon during the Achaemenids. Israel even before the exile of 597BC. Author of Book of Enoch bases on Babylonian cosmology. Israel which repulses all polytheism rigorously accepts star-worship.

Most Stoics were Orientals (Zeno of Cyprus, Diogenes of Babylon, Antipater of Tyre, Chrysippus of Tarsus etc). Posidonius of Apamea becomes the great mediator between Romans and Hellenes, and between East and West, with students like Pompey and Cicero.

Orientalization of Roman paganism - Cybele/Attis from Phrygia, Isis and Serapis from Alexandria, Baals of Syria, Mithra of Persia. Alexandrian priest, Chaeremon, the stoic teacher of Nero, rediscover egyptian nature and star worship. Mysteries of Mithra are combination of Magi and Chaldaeans. Achieves supremacy during Severi dynasty where it goes from mathematics to sacred doctrine.

As Caesarism tends to absolute monarchy, it leans more on oriental clergy and their doctrines that elevated sovereigns above mankind - becomes the image of Sun on earth - invictus, aeturnus. Those who claimed autocracy most loudly, Domitian, Commodus, most openly favored Oriental cults. During Severi, 193-235, Empire governed by family of Emesa, ancient sacred state on edge of Syrian desert where stood the temple of Elegabalus. Priest of Elegabalus is crowned the boy-emperor. Tries to make black stone god superior to entire pantheon, Sol Invictus Elegabalus, gets assassinated. In 274, Aurelian succeeds same idea, different execution - Sol Invictus, reproducing Syria where he had just defeated Queen Zenobia, whose spiritual son would be the last pagan emperor Julian the Apostate.

The eyes are the intermediary between sidereal heavens and human reason - preeminence over other senses. There are no errors in the movements of the heavens, so Reason recognizes a divine intelligence in the ceaseless harmony so diverse - no wandering, infallibility.

Semitic infusion into Rome of gods as eternal, not born/dying like pagan gods. From 2nd century, Emperor is addressed as Your Eternity (aeturnus).

Astrology seeks to codify divinely influenced activities by placing each division of time under the power of a star in its system of chronocratories.

Oriental cults elevate the infinity of Time to the divinity of the Supreme Cause. How else to perceive the idea of Eternity. Zervan Akarana, Time Unlimited, from Persian Magi to West through the cult of Mithra, with a lion-headed monster god, Time that devours all things.

Progress of mathematics driven by progress of astronomy, and numbers receive a sacred character. 7 and 9, being a fourth and a third of a month. 7 and 12, for planets, and zodiac. 360 for a year. In Latin, mathematici is a synonym of Chaldaei.

Stars not just eternal gods, but universal. Solar titles bear title Mar’olam - lord of the universe, applying to whole human race and to entire earth.

Two halves of sky, light and dark, worshipped as Dioscuri who share, in turn, life and death.

Oriental theology puts the highest sphere above all, regulating movements of all other parts. But in Rome, the Sun is elevated, source of all motive power, only cult of the Sun seen as reasonable and scientific (source of all life on Earth). In hot countries, seen as enemy, and moon as superior.

Sun placed in center of 7 planets, with Venus, Mercury and Moon below it, Mars, Jupiter Saturn, above it. It directs the orbits, and so makes them accelerate and regress on their orbits. The Sun’s fire is endowed with reason - phos noeron - sends particles of fire into bodies, willing into life, which return to it after death. Our brief life then becomes a particular form of universal life.

Heraclitus - the soul is the same substance as ether, one causes bodies to move, the other the heavens. On death, the glowing breath of the body ascends to the luminous fluid. To Zeno - a particle of universal reason is a fiery breath, uniting the individual soul with the stars.

But if everyone ascends, what is special about the heroes/gods of Catasterism (castor/pollux for example). Cicero’s Dream of Scipio - those who deserve immortality do not descend to the depths, but rise to the starry spheres.

Who gets to rise? Nature first reveals her mysteries to the minds of kings with lofty thoughts. Cicero - to those who have saved, exalted their fatherland.

Heroes borne to heaven on pegasus/griffins, or chariots of fire to the sun (Elijah, Mithra), eagles (Etana, Ganymede).

Plutarch combines Posidonius with religious mysteries - man has 3 components - the body soma of earth, the nutritive soul psyche from moon, and reason nous from sun. each return to source at death.

Bacchus and Thracian Orphism represent immortality as a holy intoxication. Plato ridicules this vision of ceaseless wining as the highest reward of virtue - instead more sublime joy of which only a transient ecstasy is experienced in life.

[lid]

manusia sejak jaman dimulainya peradaban, membuat berbagai macam cerita dan mitologi yang pada dasarnya untuk menghibur diri mereka sendiri. mereka (atau mungkin kita) menciptakan harapan-harapan bahwa ada kehidupan yang lebih baik setelah ini. ngga salah sih, tapi akan menjadi salah ketika cerita buatan manusia itu berubah menjadi ideologi yang melegitimasi seseorang berbuat jahat hanya berdasarkan apa yang dipercayainya.

[Polytheoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta edición es bastante lamentable, la verdad. Lo peor del libro con diferencia. El contenido de Cumont está bien estructurado, con una síntesis aceptable, y la temática per se es muy atrayente.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful introduction to the philosophical and religious implications Astrology had in the Greco-Roman world. It is dated and only lecture notes, but is still valuable.

[Alle · Rating 3 out of 5]

After agriculture, the biggest sign that men were evolving were their new questions regarding the world. They would look at the stars and imagine the explanation for all phenomena on earth could be foreseen there. Before astrology meant what it does in the present, people used to track the rotation of the planets and especially that of the moon to keep track of their harvest seasons. Soon enough, plenty traditions and myth evolved while mathematicians became astronomers and predicted accurately eclipses and other celestial events. Great book explaining the connections and evolutions of these ancient tales.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If in conclusion we survey at a glance the whole course of the expansion which we have tried to describe, we shall be struck with the power of this sidereal theology, founded on ancient beliefs of Chaldean astrologers, transformed in the Hellenistic age under the twofold influence of astronomic discoveries and Stoic thought, and promoted, after becoming a pantheistic Sun-worship, to the rank of official religion of the Roman Empire. Preached on the one hand by men of letters and by men of science in centres of culture, diffused on the other hand among the bulk of the people by the servitors of Semitic, Persian or Egyptian gods, it is finally patronised by the emperors, who find in it at once a form of worship suitable for all their subjects and a justification of their aristocratic pretensions.

In this way the astrological conception of life and of the world permeated the whole of society, and in particular produced a revolution in the beliefs of the Latin world. Despite all the speculations of metaphysicians, the masses had remained on the whole true to the old idolatry of the Republican period. Oriental theology led to the prevalence of a more lofty idea of God. In the declining days of antiquity the common creed of all pagans came to be a scientific pantheism, in which the infinite power of the divinity that pervaded the universe was revealed by all the elements of nature.”

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read several of Cumont's books while in seminary, I was quite happy to find this cheap Dover edition of his 'Astrology and Religion' and to read it while studying ancient Greek philosophy at Loyola University Chicago. Having had obtained two degrees in religion prior to beginning the philosophy program, having taken Latin as my secondary school language and having long had an interest in classical antiquity, my approach to classical philosophies was naturally somewhat different than that held by many of the professors in the department, some of whom treated the old texts propositionally without, I thought, sufficient appreciation of their cultural contexts or of virtual indistinguishability of religion and philosophy in the ancient world.