Translated from the Greek by Henry Savile in Oxford in 1568, this partial version covers Theon’s preface and Books I-III, V, VII.1-4 and VIII.2 (with Book III by Nicolaus Cabasilas’s version and Book V in Pappus of Alexandria’s version, see C.1.30), and is interspersed with Ptolemy’s original text, also translated from the Greek by Savile (A.1.7). Books VII and VIII include Ptolemy’s text only and ignore Theon’s commentary. The translation is extant over three autograph copies: MSS Oxford, BL, Savile 26 (Book I); Oxford, BL, Savile 27 (Books II-III, VII.1-4 and VIII.2); and Oxford, BL, Savile 28 (Book V). Savile lectured on the Almagest at Merton College in 1570-1571 (see C.1.33).

Text ‘(Oxford, BL, Savile 26) [ptolemy’s text] Ptolemaeus. Praeclare mihi videntur, Syre, seniores (corr. ex doctiores) philosophi contemplantem philosophiae partem ab activa separasse… [theon’s comm.] Theon. Assiduis auditorum adhortationibus compulsus, fili Epiphanie, ut aliquid de iis quae difficiliora in mathematica Ptolemaei…’.

Bibl. R. Goulding, Studies of the Mathematical and Astronomical Papers of Sir Henry Savile, PhD dissertation, The Warburg Institute, 1999, 28-31 and 134-138.

Modern ed. ---