Work C.2.11

Anonymous
Greek Commentary on the Tetrabiblos

Content A commentary on the complete text of the Tetrabiblos.

Origin Εἰς τὰ Πτολεμαίου ἀποτελέσματα (‘<Commentary> on Ptolemy’s Apotelesmata’, title given in the earliest MS, 11^th c.), written by an anonymous scholar probably in late Antiquity or, possibly, in the Byzantine period. The text is extant in over 30 manuscripts.

Bibl. C.-E. Ruelle, ‘Deux identifications. L’exégèse dite anonyme de la Tetrabible de Claude Ptolémée et le traité dit d’Hermès le Philosophe «De revolutionibus nativitatum» attribués à l’astrologue arabe Abou-Mashar. Découverte du texte grec du second traité’, Comptes Rendus des Séances de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres 54 (1910), 32-39: 32-34; W. Gundel, H. G. Gundel, Astrologumena. Die astrologische Literatur in der Antike und ihre Geschichte, Wiesbaden, 1966, 215; S. Heilen, ‘Ptolemy’s Doctrine of the Terms and Its Reception’, in Ptolemy in Perspective. Use and Criticism of His Work from Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century’, ed. A. Jones, Dordrecht-Heidelberg-London-New York, 2010, 45-93: 65-66; R. Caballero-Sánchez, ‘Historia del texto del Comentario Anόnimo al Tetrabiblos de Tolomeo’, MHNH 13 (2013), 77-198.

Ed. The Greek text was first published in Basel in 1559 (from MS Munich, BSB, Cod. Graec. 59, s. XVI, f. 210r-312v, see Caballero-Sánchez, ‘Historia del texto’, 86 and 173), together with a facing Latin translation (C.2.11.3). A critical edition is in preparation by R. Caballero-Sánchez, see his ‘El Comentario anόnimo al Tetrabiblos de Tolomeo. Ediciόn crítica y traducciόn castellana de los escolios metodolόgicos del libro I (in Ptol. Tetrabiblos, 1.1.1-1.3.1)’, MHNH 13 (2013), 221-257.

Latin translations

• Greek Commentary on the Tetrabiblos (tr. Giorgio Valla) (C.2.11.1)

• Greek Commentary on the Tetrabiblos (tr. Hernán Nuñez) (C.2.11.2)

• Greek Commentary on the Tetrabiblos (tr. in or before 1559) (C.2.11.3)