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PTOLEMY: TETRABIBLOS II. 3

HOME Of the Familiarities between Countries and the Trigons and Stars This section of Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos gives his system for relating signs & planets to geographical areas. He divides the world of ca. 140 AD into four major quarters based on quadruplicities (triangles); the outlying areas of each section are assigned to the 3 signs of 1 element (and their governing planets), while the inner, closer-to-home (i.e. Alexandria, Egypt) areas are assigned to 3 signs of contrary element (& their planets): fire is combined with earth for the NW & SE; air with water for the NE & SW. FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHEME, THE MODERN NAMES OF THE AREAS AND NATIONS HAVE BEEN SEARCHED OUT & SUBSTITUTED: IKE

SEA OF AZOV BLACK SEA AEGEAN SEA NW World: NE World: Outlying: Europe: Outlying: Northern Greater Asia: England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium Netherlands, Austria, W Poland, Romania, etc FIRE TRIANGLE Inner: Balkans, Crete, Cyprus, Greece, Coast of Asia Minor: earth triangle GIBRALTAR SW World: Outlying: NW Africa: Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco Desert south of coastal areas WATER TRIANGLE Inner: Egypt, Lybian Desert, Arabia, Sudan Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia air triangle Russia, China, Armenia, N Iran, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, N Turkmenistan, N Uzbekistan AIR TRIANGLE Inner: N W Syria, Turkey, E Black Sea Coast, Georgia water triangle GULF OF ALEXANDRETTA & TAURUS MTS. SE World: Outlying: Southern Greater Asia: Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, S Turkmenistan S Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, etc EARTH TRIANGLE Inner: Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, S Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen: fire triangle

2 RED SEA

NORTHWEST QUARTER: Europe ARIES, LEO, SAGITTARIUS and Jupiter & Mars, occidental Independent, liberty-loving, fond of arms, industrious, very warlike, with qualities of leadership, cleanly and magnanimous; without passion for women, and look down upon the pleasures of love, are better satisfied with, and more desirous of, association with men; they do not regard the act as a disgrace to the paramour, nor indeed do they actually become effeminate and soft thereby, because their disposition is not perverted, but they retain in their souls manliness, helpfulness, good faith, love of kinsmen, and benevolence. Outlying Areas (farthest from Alexandria): Fire Trigon Aries & Mars: fierce, headstrong, bestial Britain England Transalpine Gaul France, N Italy (Belgium, Netherlands?) Germania Germany, W Poland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovakia Bastarnia Moldova, W Ukraine, SE Poland (NE of Carpathian Mts, betw Prut & Dniestr Rivers) Leo & Sun: masterful, benevolent, cooperative Italy Southern and Central Italy Apulia Adriatic Coast of Italy, from above the heel of the "boot" to Fortore River; (same as modern Apulia, but minus the "heel") Cisalpine Gaul Northern Italy, from Gulf of Genoa to Alps Sicily Sicily Sagittarius & Jupiter: independence, simplicity, love of cleanliness Tyrrhenia Tuscany, region of Italy - knee of the "boot" (was Etruria) Celtica Celtic areas of Eastern Spain, Central France Spain Spain, Portugal (Iberian Peninsula) Inner Areas (closer to Alexandria): Earth Trigon (in addition to Fire), Venus (occidental), Mercury, Saturn

3 ...w/fire, qualities of leadership, nobility, independence (Aries/Mars), they are liberty-loving, self-governing, democratic, framers of law; lovers of music & learning, fond of contests, clean livers; social, friendly to strangers, justice-loving, fond of letters, eloquent; particularly addicted to the performance of mysteries. Taurus & Venus: luxurious, clean, attentive to their bodies Cyclades SE islands of Greece (Naxos, Thera, Delos, Melos, etc) Cyprus Cyprus Shores of Asia Minor Mediterranean coast of Turkey (? - same area listed under Pisces) Virgo & Mercury: better at reasoning, fond of learning, exercise the soul in preference to the body Hellas N Greece Achaia S Greece (Peloponnesus) Crete Crete Capricornus & Saturn: though acquisitive, not so mild of nature, nor social in their institutions Thrace Bulgaria Macedonia Macedonia (N of Greece), Albania Illyria Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia SOUTHEAST QUARTER: Southern Part of Greater Asia TAURUS, VIRGO, CAPRICORNUS and Venus & Saturn, oriental (did he forget Mercury?) ...revere Venus as Isis (?-Ishtar?) and Saturn as Mithras Helios; most of them divine future events; consecrate the genital organs; are ardent, concupiscent, inclined to the pleasures of love; are dancers and leapers and fond of adornment, luxurious livers; carry out relations with women openly and not in secret because of planets oriental, but hold in detestation such relations with males; most beget children by their own mothers, & do obeisance to the breast, by reason of the morning rising of the planets & the primacy of the heart, akin to the Sun's power...generally luxurious & effeminate in dress, adornment, & all habits relating to the body...their souls by prediliction are magnanimous, noble, & warlike (Saturn oriental)... Outlying Areas (farthest from Alexandria): Earth Trigon Taurus & Venus: use embroidered clothing, covering entire body except the breast; are luxurious & clean Parthia Iran, S Turkmenistan, S Uzbekistan, W Pakistan (to Indus)

4 Media NW Iran Persia S Iran Virgo & Mercury: special traits: study of mathematics & the observation of the five planets Babylonia S Iraq, except river deltas & Kuwait, which was called Chaldaea Mesopotamia Iraq, between Tigris & Euphrates Rivers Assyria E Iraq (centered about 35N, 45E) Capricornus & Saturn: ugly, unclean, bestial India India Ariana From Center of Iran to Center of Afghanistan: about 55-65E, 30-35N Gedrosia S Pakistan Inner Areas (closer to Alexandria): Fire Trigon (in addition to Earth), with Jupiter , Mars, Mercury: w/Earth, gifted in trade & exchange; unscrupulous, despicable cowards, treacherous, servile, & in general fickle... Aries & Mars: bold, godless, (monotheist Jews, despising pagan gods, were considered atheists), scheming Coele Syria N Syria, E of Cyprus Palestine Israel, about 31-33 N Idumaea Negev, about 31-31.5 N Judaea S Israel Leo & Sun: simpler, kindly, addicted to astrology, worshippers of the Sun Phoenicia City-States (never politically unified) on Coastal strip of NW Israel, Syrian Coast & Lebanon, esp Beirut, Sidon (Sayda), Tyre (Sur), & Byblos (Jubayl) Chaldaea Kuwait, S Iraq where deltas of Tigris & Euphrates enter Persian Gulf Orchenia The Orcheni were a people of N Arabian desert, betw Jordan & Iraq roughly 32-35 N Sagittarius & Jupiter: fertile country, w/multitude of spices, graceful inhabitants, free spirit in daily life, exchange, & business

5 Arabia Felix Yemen, SW Arabian peninsula (the Romans divided Arabia into 3 parts: Arabia Petraea ('rocky') in the Sinai; Arabia Deserta (northern interior), and Arabia Felix ("fertile") NORTHEAST QUARTER: Northern Part of Greater Asia GEMINI, LIBRA, AQUARIUS and Saturn and Jupiter, oriental ...worship Jupiter & Saturn, have much riches and gold, are cleanly and seemly in their living, learned and adepts in matters of religion, just and liberal in manners, lofty and noble in soul, haters of evil, affectionate, and ready to die for their friends in a fair and holy cause...they are dignified and pure in their sexual relations, lavish in dress, gracious and magnanimous... Outlying Areas (farthest from Alexandria): Air Trigon Gemini & Mercury: more easily stirred and inclined to rascality Hyrcania SE shore of Caspian Sea, i.e. N Iran, W Turkmenistan Matiana SW shore of Caspian, i.e. NW Iran: Elburz Mts, Ardabil area Armenia Armenia, S Caucasus, from Black to Caspian Seas, including upper Euphrates, W Azerbaijan, E Georgia, S Russia Libra & Venus: their peoples are rich and followers of the muses and more luxurious Bactriana NW Afghanistan, S Turkmenistan, S Uzbekistan, about 35-38N, 65E Casperia Eastern Azerbaijan Serica China Aquarius & Saturn: more ungentle, stern, and bestial Sauromantica (Sarmatia) Belarus, SW Russia Oxiana SW Kazakhstan, NW Uzbekistan-upper Oxus (Amu Darya) River Sogdiana Turkmenistan Inner Areas (closer to Alexandria): Water Trigon (in addition to Air), with Venus , Mars, Mercury: worship Venus as the mother of the gods, calling her various local names, and Mars as Adonis to whom they give other names, & they celebrate in their honor certain mysteries accompanied by lamentations. They are exceedingly depraved, servile, laborious, rascally, & are to be found in mercenary expeditions, looting, taking captives, enslaving their own people, and engaging in destructive wars. Cancer & Moon: men in general cautious & obedient, most of women virile, commanding, warlike, like the

6 Amazons who shun commerce w/men, love arms, & make masculine all female characteristics, cutting off their right breast for military needs, baring these in battle to show the absence of femininity in their natures Bithynia N Central Turkey, including Istanbul Phrygia W Central Turkey, about 30-32.5 E, 38-40 N Colchica W coast of Georgia (East end of Black Sea) Scorpio & Mars: much boldness, knavery, treachery, & laboriousness are found among them Syria Syria, esp. south Commagene NW Syria, SE Turkey, bounded on E by Euphrates, just N of Aleppo Cappadocia Eastern Turkey, from Taurus Mts in South to Black Sea coast Pisces & Jupiter: more wealthy, commercial, social, free, and trustworthy in their compacts Lydia West Central Turkey, about 27-29 E, 38-39 N Lycia S Central shore of Turkey, E of Rhodes, about 30E Cilicia SE shore of Turkey, N of Cyprus Pamphilia S Central shore of Turkey, NW of Cyprus SOUTHWEST QUARTER: Africa CANCER, SCORPIO, PISCES with Mars and Venus, occidental ...it befalls most of these inhabitants to be governed by a man & wife who are brother & sister, the man ruling the men & the woman the women, & a succession of this sort is maintained...extremely ardent and disposed to commerce with women, so that even their marriages are brought about by violent abduction, & frequently their kings enjoy the jus primae noctis with the brides; among some of them the women are common to all the men...fond of beautifying themselves...with feminine adornments...however, are virile of spirit, rascally, magicians, impostors, deceivers, and reckless... Outlying Areas (farthest from Alexandria): Water Trigon Cancer & Moon: social, commercial, live in great abundance Numidia NE Algeria, Tunisia Carthage NE Tunisian peninsula (area of city of Tunis)

7 Africa NW Libya, Tunisia, along the coast Scorpio & Mars: fierce, warlike, reckless; meat-eaters, contemptuous of life, do not even spare one another Metagonitis Coast of Morocco east of Gibraltar Mauritania Morocco, W coastal Algeria (not same as modern Mauritania) Gaetulia Eastern Algeria, Western Libya (inland, south of Tunisia) Pisces & Jupiter: free & simple in character, willing to work, intelligent, cleanly, independent, worshippers of Jupiter as Ammon Phazania Fezzan, SW Libya (in central Sahara south of Tripolitania) Nasamonitis Gulf of Sidra, area of city of Agheila, NE Libya Garamantica Central Libyan desert Inner Areas (closer to Alexandria): Air Trigon (in addition to Water), w/Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, occidental superstitious, fond of religious ceremony, lamentation; bury dead in earth, out of sight; all kinds of customs & rites in service of all manner of gods; under command, humble, timid, penurious, long-suffering; in leader ship courageous, magnanimous; but polygamous, polyandrous, lecherous, marrying even their own sisters; people, land fertile; many males unsound, effeminate of soul, some hold in contempt organs of generation. Gemini & Mercury: thoughtful, intelligent, facile, esp. in search for wisdom & religion; magicians, performers of secret mysteries, skilled in mathematics (astrology) Cyrenacia NE shore of Libya Marmarica Southern Libya/Egypt border, south of Tobruk Lower Egypt N Egypt, Nile delta (actually, all of modern Egypt) Libra & Venus: ardent, lively, live in plenty Thebais Luxor (Al-Uqsur), Egypt (site of Karnak & Valley of the Kings) Oasis E Libyan Desert "7 days journey from Thebes" Troglodytica S Red Sea coast of Africa: Eritrea, Djibouti Aquarius & Saturn: flesh-eaters, fish-eaters, & nomads, living a rough, bestial life

8 Arabia Arabia Deserta (interior) Azania E Africa coast, esp. Tanzania, Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar area Middle Ethiopia Sudan, Ethiopia

References: Collier's Encyclopedia, P.F. Collier & Son Corp, NY, 1957 Encyclopaedia Britannica, William Benton, Publisher, Chicago, etc, 1965 Map: The Historic Mediterranean 800 BC to AD 1500, National Geographic Society, 1982 Ptolemy, Claudius: Tetrabiblos, F. E. Robbins, trans., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1940 Ptolemy, Claudius: The Geography, Edward Luther Stevenson, ed. Dover Publications, Inc. NY, 1991 Shepherd, William R: Historical Atlas, 9th Ed, Barnes & Noble Inc, NY, 1964