Ocellus Lucanus: “On the Nature of the Universe” and Extracts (e-Book) PDF 403-7
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This PRS Edition features an Introductory Preface by Manly P. Hall, and the text appears in the original 17th century typeface, with spelling indicative of the period.
The group of brief translations and extracts which Thomas Taylor combined in this volume may be considered as dealing with astrotheology.Ocellus Lucanus, a Pythagorean philosopher, born in the 5th century BC, was perhaps a pupil of Pythagoras himself.
His only known work, "On the Nature of the Universe", maintains that the universe is uncreated and eternal, and advocates an ascetic mode of life, with a view to the perfection of all that is noble and beautiful.
Taurus Berytius flourished under Marcus Antoninus, and the original of his Fragment is only to be found in the treatise of "Philoponus agains Proclus", “On the Eternity of the World.”Julius Firmicus Maternus was one of the most famous early astrologers and is second in authority only to Ptolemy of Alexandria. He wrote in the fourth century ad, but it was not until 1975 that his principle text, Libri Matheseos appeared in English. The horoscope of the world which is included is from the 1533 edition of the Libri Matheseos.
About the Translator |
Thomas Taylor (1758-1835) was a scholar without honor in his own time. Most of his books have long been out of print, but in recent years there has been a strong revival of interest in his writings. In 1969 a definitive work, Thomas Taylor the Platonist, appeared as Vol. LXXXVIII of the Bollingen series (Princeton University Press).
Admirers of Taylor have said that other scholars may had had more Greek but less understanding of those sublime doctrines which he both translated and interpreted.
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PDF 403-7 | E-book (3.5mb)