The Sphere of Marcus Manilius

The Sphere of Marcus Manilius: Made an English Poem, with Annotations and an Astronomical Appendix by Edward Sherburne, Esquire. Printed for Nathanael Brooke, London 1675.

The text of this rare folio volume is a versified translation of the first book of Marcus Manilius’ epic poem, Astronomicon.  The original poem consisted of five volumes covering all manner of celestial phenomena: the sun, the moon, various planets, comets, and constellations. The first volume focuses on astronomy, the remainder on astrology. It is believed to have been written in the first century CE, in Rome.

Little is known about Marcus Manilius, the presumed author of Astronomicon. It is thought that he lived during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius. Manly P. Hall noted that his poem passed through many editions and revealed “profound scholarship” in the field of astronomy. This folio edition was translated into English by Edward Sherburne and published in 1675. It features a lengthy introduction on the history of astronomy, includes a comprehensive catalog of the most eminent astronomers, ancient and modern, and contains an extensive explanation on the “Cosmic System.” 

Edward Sherburne (1616-1702) was a translator and a poet with an abiding interest in astronomy. He began working on this text in the mid-1650s and completed it nearly 20 years later. The Royal Society applauded the book, and he was knighted in 1682. The book provides a record of the place of astronomy in 17th-century society and is an excellent resource for study of ancient astronomy, astrology, and the history of science. It is beautifully illustrated with engraved headpieces and initials throughout and includes full page celestial maps and a series of diagrams that show the progress of astronomical speculations from the time of Pythagoras to the theories of Tycho Brahe.

For more information about the impact of this book on the field of astronomy, see Manly P. Hall's article, The Story of Astronomy.

Sample pages from the text: