EUROPE'S FUTURE INSCRIBED IN THE STARS: A RENAISSANCE ASTROLOGICAL ALMANAC FROM THE YEAR 1565

• Authors: Krzysztofik M.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

Cyprian Leovitius's 'Prognosticon' (1565) is a typical Renaissance astrological treatise. Its predictions are premissed on the belief in a close correspondence between the macrocosm and the microcosm, or, in the words of treatise itself, that the Heavens are 'a great horoscope for the Earth'. The observation of the movements of the heavenly bodies enables the author to make predictions about the fortunes of various European nations and to fix the date of the end of the world for the year 1588. Balancing on the boundary of probability, he makes clever use of ambiguities and generalizations to reconcile astral determinism with Christian theology. Eventually, however, Leovitius's vision of God, man and the world was doomed to failure. In the Renaissance astrology was claimed both by religion and champions of freedom. Wedded to an inexorable determinism and deprived of any scientific foundation, astrology could not but lose all legitimacy in Western culture.

Keywords

EN

1565); LEOVITIUS CYPRIAN ('PROGNOSTICON'

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk
• Journal: Ruch Literacki
• Year: 2006
• Volume: 47
• Issue: 2(275)
• Pages: 145-167
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Krzysztofik M.

• M. Krzysztofik, Akademia Swietokrzyska w Kielcach, ul. Zeromskiego 5, 25-369 Kielce, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

07PLAAAA02885881