Marcus Manilius: Astronomica
Marcus Manilius: Astronomica
1767
Known as Astronomica or Astronomicon, this work is a poetic presentation of the 12 signs of zodiac and their constellations. It was written around 30-40 AD. Not much is known about its Roman author Marcus Manilius (1st century AD).
The first modern printed edition of the Astronomicon (1739) was edited by Richard Bentley (1662-1742), a classical scholar and professor at Cambridge University. Bentley was a man of wide learning and corresponded with Isaac Newton, among others. The edition in the Library’s collection dates from 1767. It was edited by the German theologian Elias Stöber, who paraphrased Bentley.