The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer’s exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations
Gaius Julius Hyginus, Latin (1st c. AD)
Original: Erdhard Ratdolt, Venice, 1482
Facsimile: Greenbrae, California : Allen Press, 1985.
Gaius Julius Hyginus was a first-century Latin scholar who studied a variety of topics from topology to agriculture and astronomy. Brought to Rome as a prisoner or slave (of unknown origins), Hyginus was freed by Emperor Augustus to work in the Palatine library. Though little was published in his lifetime, a 15th-century printer, Erhard Ratdolt, published this text of Hyginus’ focusing on the stories of the planets and constellations. Ratdolt added to Hyginus’ text by incorporating images to complement the narratives told in the text and align the book with a culture of artistic printmaking.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 1.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 2.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 3.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 4.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 5.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 6.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 7.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 8.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 9.
The Poeticon astronomicon : being the illustrious astronomer's exposition of the lore of the world and the heavenly sphere, together with the stories of the planets and constellations. Image 10.