#WingedWordsWeekly: 2024/08/21 -- Ancient Wisdom: Astrosophy

 

WINGED WORDS WEEKLY

Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell (@RHCLambengolmo)

Editorial Associate: Sabrina Saelind

Editorial Assistant: Jessica Breckinridge

Vol. 3, No. 41: Week of August 21, 2024

 

 

August Theme: Ancient Wisdom

Episode #3: The Ancient Wisdom of the Stars

 

Editor’s Note

                During the month of August, our blogging theme is “Ancient Wisdom” – the continuing quest to learn from the past so that we can build a better future for the entire human family (and the planet Earth as a whole). This week, we present the ancient wisdom of the stars – astrosophy! But first, we have some down-to-Earth wisdom from the sages of ancient Greece, presented by one of our excellent staff writers.

 

“The Wisdom of the Sages”

By Carolyn McNealy, Staff Writer

 

Socrates:

Gather knowledge;

Seek wisdom;

Share your learning;

Live life.

 

Aristotle:

Study diligently;

Seek truth without fear;

Develop your intellect;

Be open-minded.

 

Plato:

Investigate history;

Challenge tradition;

Embrace change;

Forge the future.

 

Heraclitus:

Learn from the past;

Cherish the present;

Plan for the future;

Prepare for the unexpected.

 

“Stoicism and the Stars: The Astrosophy of Aratus”

By Rania Himmel, Staff Writer

                Aratus of Soli (ca. 315-240 BCE) was an ancient Greek poet and astronomer known for his groundbreaking work Phaenomena. The poem consists of 374 lines and is written in dactylic hexameter, a meter commonly used in ancient Greek epic poetry. Aratus' poem is a rich and vibrant account of the night sky and the constellations that decorate it.

                Aratus lived during the Hellenistic period, a time of great scientific and cultural advancement in the Mediterranean world. He was born and raised in Soli, a city in the Anatolian region of ancient Ionia (present-day Turkey) and later moved to the city of Rhodes, where he became associated with the Library of Rhodes, one of the largest and most famous libraries of the ancient world.

                One of the significant contributions made by Aratus was his poem Phaenomena, which offered a systematic account of the night sky and its constellations. The poem was widely read and studied in the ancient world, and its impact was felt throughout the Hellenistic period and beyond. It served as a textbook for understanding the night sky and its patterns, and it was used to teach and explain the movements of the stars and planets.

                The poem Phaenomena was not just a work of poetry, but also a work of science. Aratus drew upon the astronomical knowledge of the time to create a comprehensive account of the night sky. He described the positions and movements of the stars and planets, and he discussed their significance in both natural phenomena and mythology. His work was an important step in the development of astronomy as a scientific discipline.

                Aratus' poem was written in the Doric dialect of Greek, a form of the Greek language that was spoken in the southern and western regions of Greece. The poem was written in verses of dactylic hexameter, a meter that was traditionally used in ancient Greek epic poetry. The use of this meter gave Aratus' poem a certain rhythmic and musical quality, making it especially appealing to the ancient Greeks who listened to it being read aloud.

                Aratus was deeply influenced by Stoic philosophy, which had been developed by the Greek philosopher Zeno of Citium (335 - 263 BC) and had a significant impact on the Hellenistic world. In the poem Phaenomena, Aratus integrated Stoic ideas and imagery, expressing the belief in the predictability and interconnectivity of the Universe and its natural processes.

                In addition to its scientific and philosophical significance, Aratus' poem Phaenomena was also a work of great literary value. His verses were praised by many ancient writers, including poet Callimachus (ca. 305-240 BCE), who was a contemporary of Aratus and a prominent figure in the Hellenistic literary world. Callimachus described Aratus as a "star with four rays," a reference to the bright star Sirius, which appeared in the constellation Canis Major.

                The poem Phaenomena became so well-known and influential in the ancient world that it was translated into several languages, including Latin and Syriac. Several surviving manuscripts have been attributed to the 5th century. The poem was also adapted and imitated by later Greek poets, such as Germanicus and Avienus, and its themes and images were woven into the work of many other writers and thinkers, including Virgil, Ovid, and Pliny the Elder.

                One of the most noteworthy themes explored in Aratus' poem is the interconnectedness of the Universe. Aratus saw the entire cosmos as being interconnected and interdependent, and believed that everything in the universe was part of a single system that operated according to a set of observable and predictable laws. He believed that the movement of the stars and planets was guided by invisible forces, and that all events in the Universe were governed by a divine order.

                Aratus also incorporated mythological elements into his poem, and several constellations are named after the characters and creatures of Greek mythology. For example, he wrote about the constellation Orion, who was a great hunter in Greek mythology and was said to have been placed in the heavens by Zeus after he was slain by the gigantic scorpion known as Scorpius. The poem also includes descriptions of the constellation Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper), and Aratus writes about the myth of the Great Bear, whose daughter Callisto was transformed into a bear.

                Aratus' poem Phaenomena has had an enduring impact on Western culture and learning. It was still studied and read during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and its influence can be seen in the works of numerous writers and thinkers over the centuries. Today, the poem continues to be studied by scholars and students of classical literature and history, and it is still read and enjoyed for its beauty and its scientific and philosophical significance.

A map of the known Universe, based on the Phaenomena, an ancient Greek didactic poem on astronomy by Aratus (fl. 3^rd century BCE), as pictured in a French manuscript from ca. 1000 CE. (Image Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

 

Excerpt from the Prologue to the Phaenomena

By Aratus (ca. 315-240 BCE)

Translated by John Lamb (1848)

⁠

Next hail, harmonious Muses, and inspire

Some portion of your own celestial fire,

Not adverse to a daring Poet's flight,

Who scours on fancy's wings the realms of light.

 

⁠These diamond orbs their various circles trace,

And run incessantly their daily race.

Round a fixed axis roll the starry skies: 20

Earth, even balanced, in the center lies.

One pole far south is hid from mortal eye,

One over our northern ocean rises high.

 

“The Origins of Astrosophy”

Flavius Josephus (37-100 CE): Jewish Antiquities 1.2.3

Translated by Sir William Whiston

                Now Adam, who was the first man, and made out of the earth: (for our discourse must now be about him:) after Abel was slain, and Cain fled away, on account of his murder, was solicitous for posterity; and had a vehement desire of children: he being two hundred and thirty years old: after which time he lived other seven hundred, and then died. He had indeed many other children: but Seth in particular. As for the rest it would be tedious to name them: I will therefore only endeavor to give an account of those that proceeded from Seth. Now this Seth, when he was brought up, and came to those years in which he could discern what was good, became a virtuous man: and as he was himself of an excellent character, so did he leave children behind him who imitated his virtues. All these proved to be of good dispositions. They also inhabited the same country without dissensions, and in a happy condition, without any misfortunes falling upon them, till they died. They also were the inventors of that peculiar sort of wisdom, which is concerned with the heavenly bodies, and their order. And that their inventions might not be lost before they were sufficiently known, upon Adam’s prediction that the world was to be destroyed at one time by the force of fire, and at another time by the violence and quantity of water, they made two pillars: the one of brick, the other of stone: they inscribed their discoveries on them both: that in case the pillar of brick should be destroyed by the flood, the pillar of stone might remain, and exhibit those discoveries to mankind: and also inform them that there was another pillar of brick erected by them. Now this remains in the land of Siriad to this day.

Editor’s Note: The land of Siriad is usually considered to be Egypt, which was named after Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, because Sirius was especially venerated by the Egyptians in antiquity.

 

Photograph of Sirius taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. (Photo Credit: NASA – Public Domain)

 

The Last Line of the Divina Commedia

(Paradiso XXXIII: 145)

By Dante (1265-1321)

“L'amor che muove il Sole e l'altre stelle.”

“The love that moves the Sun and the other stars.”

 

Weekly Words of Wisdom

By Viviana Rivera, Staff Writer

                The stars are our constant companions, their endless waltz across the inky night sky mesmerizing and beautiful. In their steady journey, they offer us lessons on resilience, transformation, and endless possibility. Like tiny sparks of celestial hope, they remind us to reach for the stars – both literally and metaphorically.

 

Stoic Proverb of the Week

Contributed by Amy Kendrick, Staff Writer

"The Logos of God, the Word which pervades the Universe, is the reason and principle of all that exists. It governs the world with all its parts in accordance with the laws of its own nature, and brings everything together to attain the most perfect whole." à Cleanthes, one of the Stoic philosophers from antiquity.

 

                This proverb reminds us that, in Stoicism, the Logos or the rational principle, is seen as the animating and organizing principle of the Universe. The world is governed by a divine reason, and everything in the world is interconnected and has a purpose and function, contributing to the ultimate goal of the universe. This belief in the Logos can provide a sense of order, meaning and purpose in life, and encourages us to live in harmony with the natural laws that govern the Universe.