Dorotheus of Sidon
Encyclopedia
Dorotheus of Sidon was a 1st-century Hellenistic astrologer
who wrote a didactic poem on horoscopic astrology
known in Greek as the Pentateuch (five books). The Pentateuch, which was a textbook on Hellenistic astrology
, has come down to us mainly from an Arabic translation dating from around 800 AD carried out by Omar Tiberiades
(itself a translation of a Middle Persian
translation from the original Greek
). The text, fragmentary at times, is therefore not entirely reliable, and is further corrupted by interpolations by the later Persian translators. Nevertheless, it remains one of our best sources for the practice of Hellenistic astrology, and it was a work of great influence on later Christian
, Persian, Arab
and medieval astrologers. The late 1st century, a time when Dorotheus is believed to have flourished, was a period of intense astrological development, following two millennia of accumulated tradition.
Very little is known about Dorotheus himself. Dorotheus most likely lived and worked in Alexandria
, in Egypt
, which, in addition to being the most important scholastic center in the Hellenistic
world, was also the main location where the oldest Mesopotamian
, Greek
and Egyptian astrological techniques were synthesized together in order to create horoscopic astrology
. According to Firmicus Maternus, Dorotheus was originally a native of the city of Sidon
(Firmicus, Mathesis, 2, 29: 2).
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
who wrote a didactic poem on horoscopic astrology
Horoscopic astrology
Horoscopic astrology is a form of astrology that uses a horoscope, a visual representation of the heavens, for a specific moment in time in order to interpret the inherent meaning underlying the alignment of the planets at that moment...
known in Greek as the Pentateuch (five books). The Pentateuch, which was a textbook on Hellenistic astrology
Hellenistic astrology
Hellenistic astrology is a tradition of horoscopic astrology that was developed and practiced in Hellenistic Egypt and the Mediterranean, whose texts were written in Greek , mainly around the late 2nd or early 1st century B.C.E...
, has come down to us mainly from an Arabic translation dating from around 800 AD carried out by Omar Tiberiades
Omar Tiberiades
Omar Tiberiades or Abû Hafs 'Umar ibn Farrukhân Tabarî , was a Persian astrologer and architect.Around the year 800 he translated the Middle Persian version of Dorotheus's Pentateuch into Arabic. A Latin translation of his book was often quoted by Western astrologers.-External links:...
(itself a translation of a Middle Persian
Middle Persian
Middle Persian , indigenously known as "Pârsig" sometimes referred to as Pahlavi or Pehlevi, is the Middle Iranian language/ethnolect of Southwestern Iran that during Sassanid times became a prestige dialect and so came to be spoken in other regions as well. Middle Persian is classified as a...
translation from the original Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
). The text, fragmentary at times, is therefore not entirely reliable, and is further corrupted by interpolations by the later Persian translators. Nevertheless, it remains one of our best sources for the practice of Hellenistic astrology, and it was a work of great influence on later Christian
History of Christianity
The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, its followers and the Church with its various denominations, from the first century to the present. Christianity was founded in the 1st century by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth who they believed to be the Christ or chosen one of God...
, Persian, Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
and medieval astrologers. The late 1st century, a time when Dorotheus is believed to have flourished, was a period of intense astrological development, following two millennia of accumulated tradition.
Very little is known about Dorotheus himself. Dorotheus most likely lived and worked in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, in Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, which, in addition to being the most important scholastic center in the Hellenistic
Hellenistic Greece
In the context of Ancient Greek art, architecture, and culture, Hellenistic Greece corresponds to the period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the annexation of the classical Greek heartlands by Rome in 146 BC...
world, was also the main location where the oldest Mesopotamian
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
, Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and Egyptian astrological techniques were synthesized together in order to create horoscopic astrology
Horoscopic astrology
Horoscopic astrology is a form of astrology that uses a horoscope, a visual representation of the heavens, for a specific moment in time in order to interpret the inherent meaning underlying the alignment of the planets at that moment...
. According to Firmicus Maternus, Dorotheus was originally a native of the city of Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
(Firmicus, Mathesis, 2, 29: 2).
External links
- Ἀποτελεσματικά (Apotelesmatica), original text online & biography
- Project Hindsight - on Dorotheus and contemporaries
- Deborah Houlding on Dorotheus' use of aspects
- Article on Dorotheus of Sidon's life, works, and legacy
Publications
- Dorothei Sidonii Carmen Astrologicum, ed. David Pingree, Teubner, Leipzig, 1976.
- Dorotheus of Sidon, Carmen Astrologicum, tr. David Pingree, English translation of the Arabic re-published by Ascella Publications (London, 1993). Re-published again by Astrology Classics (Bel Air, MD), 2005.
- Robert Hand, Introduction to The Record of the Early Sages in Greek. Project Hindsight. (Golden Hind Press, Berkeley Springs, WV, 1996.) (Read it online at: http://www.astro.com/people/hand_his_e.htm)