This version is anonymous in all manuscripts, except in MS Avignon, BM, 1022, where it is entitled ‘Centiloquium Ptholomey cum expositione Heremani’. Lemay attributed the translation to Hermann of Carinthia on account of its style and because several manuscripts have an interpolation in v. 69 corresponding to a passage of Albumasar’s Introductorium maius in Hermann’s translation. At the same time, Hasse noted unmistakable stylistic features of John of Seville. What is certain is that the manuscript tradition of ‘Mundanorum’, particularly intricate, exhibits various arrangements of the material reflecting various stages of reworking, which may or may not be due to the same translator or author. A salient feature of this version is that it consists of two versions, of which the first (‘Mundanorum 1’) gives the propositions only and in a new translation from the Arabic, while the second (‘Mundanorum 2’) offers the preface and v. 1-9 (propositions and commentary) in Plato of Tivoli’s translation (C.3.1.1), followed by v. 10-100 (propositions and commentary) in a new translation from the Arabic, distinct from Plato’s and from ‘Mundanorum 1’. Two manuscripts have ‘Mundanorum 1’ only (London, BL, Sloane 2030 (f. 114r-118r), and Parma, BP, 718-720), nine manuscripts have ‘Mundanorum 2’ only (Berlin, SBPK, Hamilton 557; Erfurt, UFB, Dep. Erf. CA 2º 377; Erfurt, UFB, Dep. Erf. CA 4º 377; Florence, BML, Ashburnham 1733; London, BL, Royal 12.E.XV; Munich, BSB, Clm 275; Munich, BSB, Clm 276; Oxford, BL, Digby 228; and Vatican, BAV, Vat. lat. 3096) and most of the other copies conflate the two versions, giving, for each verbum, ‘Mundanorum 1’ followed by ‘Mundanorum 2’, so that each verbum contains two propositions in those manuscripts. Besides the two manuscripts which have ‘Mundanorum 1’ only, five copies (Leipzig, UB, 1463; London, BL, Royal 12.E.XV; Paris, BnF, lat. 16204 (pp. 543a-548a); Paris, BnF, n.a.l. 693; and Vatican, BAV, Pal. lat. 1368) preserve the propositions only and omit the commentary. The ‘Mundanorum’ version was used in commentaries C.3.2, C.3.4 and C.3.6.

Note 1 This version (like Plato’s translation) is often accompanied, at the beginning or at the end, by two additional chapters, which also occur independently under Ptolemy’s name: De cometis (B.4) and Dixerunt Ptolomeus et Hermes quod locus Lune… (B.5).

Note 2 In addition to the manuscripts listed below, the propositions ‘Mundanorum 1’ are found in about 20 copies as part of the so-called ‘threefold version’ described under Plato’s translation (see C.3.1.1, Note 3), as well as in the margins of MS Cracow, BJ, 1857 (C.3.9). Various sections of the ‘Mundanorum’ version also occur in at least ten manuscripts of Plato’s translation (Cesena, BCM, Plut. S.XXVII.1; Florence, BNC, Conv. Soppr. J.X.20 (San Marco 163); Leipzig, UB, 1472; Munich, BSB, Clm 14111; Oxford, CCC, 101; Paris, BnF, lat. 7432 (Conrad Heingarter’s commentary, C.3.15); Prague, NKCR, VIII.G.27 (1609); Vatican, BAV, Barb. lat. 328; Warsaw, BN, Rps 12634 II; Wolfenbüttel, HAB, 444 Helmst. (479)).

Text ‘(Vienna, ÖNB, 2388) Centiloquium Ptolomei. Mundanorum [1] 1. Mundanorum ad hoc et ad illud mutatio corporum celestium mutatione. Causas rerum rimaturus primo celestia contemplare, scientia namque astrorum ex te et illis est. Et oportet peritum illorum iudicare secundum formam effectuum particularium… Scientia stellarum ex te et illis est: Astrologus non debet dicere res specialiter sed universaliter ut qui eminus videt rem aliquam… [comm.] Quod dixit Ptholomeus, ‘ex te et illis’, significat quod qui res futuras prenoscere desiderat duabus viis oportet incedere… [2] 2. Quando perscrutatur elector melius inter illum et naturam nulla est differentia. Dixit Ptholomeus: Quando perscrutatur etc. [comm.] Multi homines putaverunt quod Ptholomeus loqueretur hic de electionibus quas eligebant astrologi in inceptionibus operum… (8v) [3] Naturatus in aliquo ille est significator cuius rei fortis invenitur in eius nativitate. Dixit Ptholomeus: Naturatus in aliquo etc. Ille qui facit aliquod opus ex natura inveniet in nativitate eius planetam fortem ex natura illius operis. [comm.] Docet hic Ptholomeus et in huius libri, capitulo, 8VI (!), quod stelle tales sunt et fortitudines ex eis manentes et opera earum animabus… [4] 4. Anima naturata iudicat super secundis a stellis et erit eius certificatio plus quam multorum secundum ipsa astra iudicantium. Dixit Ptholomeus: Anima naturata etc. Anima que ex natura dat iudicia… [comm.] Iam docuit quomodo hoc habet anima ex natura… [5] 5. Potest astrologus plurimum avertere de operatione stellarum cum fuerit sciens nature operis agentis in eo, et preparaverit ante suam descensionem recepturum sustinere valentem. Dixit Ptholomeus: Potest astrologus etc. Astrologus optimus multum mali prohibere poterit… [comm.] Hoc videmus quod idem opus non est equale suscipientibus et receptorem ad maius vel ad minus suscipiendum vertere possumus… [6] 6. Electio profectus, sicut quando fuerit fortitudo hore augens super excellentiam… Dixit Ptholomeus: Electio profectus etc. Tunc electiones proficiunt cum fortitudo electionis maior fuerit… [comm.] Assignatio nativitatis et fortitudo electionis cum in significatione boni convenerint illud bonum accrescet electione… (9r) [7] 7. Non potest pervenire ad iudicium super commixtionem planetarum nisi sapiens humorum et complexionis naturalis. Dixit Ptholomeus: Non potest pervenire etc. Non potest dare iudicia secundum stellarum complexionem… [comm.] Complexio stellarum est hoc quod operantur earum nature in coniunctionibus et aspectibus… [8] 8. Anima sapiens potest adiuvare celestem operationem quemadmodum seminans virtutem per cultum et purgationem. Dixit Ptholomeus: Anima sapiens etc. Anima sapiens ita adiuvat opus stellarum quemadmodum seminator fortitudines naturales. [comm.] Sapiens est illa anima que scit illud quod prediximus… [9] 9. Imagines que sunt in hoc compositionis mundo celestibus obediunt imaginibus. Quocirca describunt eas imaginarii cum planete ingrediuntur ipsas ad omne quod operari volunt. Dixit Ptholomeus: Imagines que sunt etc. Vultus huius seculi sunt subiecti vultibus celestibus… [comm.] In hoc capitulo vult multa imaginum secreta patefacere et vultus quos in hoc seculo esse dicuntur… (9v) [10] 10. Interponere malignos in electionibus quemadmodum phisicus subtilis venena modo sufficienti. Dixit Ptholomeus: Interponere malignos etc. Pone malignos planetas in electionibus ut facit bonus phisicus… [comm.] Insipientes astrologi nonnisi fortunas inspiciunt easque in optimis locis ponunt, malignos autem pretermittunt nec de eis curant… (15r) [51] 51. Locus Lune in nativitate ipse gradus est ascendens in hora casus spermatis. Et locus Lune in hora casus spermatis est gradus ascendens in hora nativitatis. Dixit Ptholomeus: Locus Lune etc. Gradus in quo est Luna in nativitate alicuius est gradus ascendens in hora qua infusum est semen in matrice a patre… [comm.] Omnes homines naturali periti scientia sciunt quod tempora quibus in matrum ventribus morantur infantes non sunt equalia omnibus… (16v) [60] 60. Crises veri signorum … (?) significative ipse sunt hore in quibus aparet mutatio esse infirmi ad bonum sive ad malum in tempore u…o (?) et ipse sunt essentia… Dixit Ptholomeus: Crises veri signorum etc. Infirmorum rectos terminos dico esse horas in quibus ad bonum vel ad malum cito movetur infirmitas… [comm.] Vult in hoc loco nobis dies creticos Ptholomeus ostendere et quid de infirmis futurum sit ex bono seu malo. Est et hoc capitulum magis necessarium phisico quam astrologo… (22r) [99] 98 (!). Scintillationes stellarum et stelle cum caudis sunt secunde stellarum et non sunt ex eis. Dixit Ptholomeus: Scintillationes etc. [comm.] Iam diximus hoc alias. [100] Sed tamen Ptolomeus ait quod iste scintillationes significant basum, et si fiant ex una parte ventos, significabunt ex ea parte venturos — Si autem de oriente ad occidentem, erit hostis de regno ipso. [comm.] Aristoteles docuit nos in libro quem composuit de hiis que superius accidunt quod basi sicci quando ascendunt usque ad circulum igneum faciunt istas scintillationes — Et stella cum caudis Domina Capillorum apparuit et mortuus est rex in eodem anno. Quicquid enim diximus in hoc libro Ptholomei iam probavimus et quanto melius quivimus exposuimus. Explicit B.’

Bibl. F. J. Carmody, Arabic Astronomical and Astrological Sciences in Latin Translation. A Critical Bibliography, Berkeley-Los Angeles, 1956, 16 (no. 3c); R. Lemay, ‘Origin and Success of the Kitāb Thamara of Abū Jaʿfar Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf ibn Ibrāhīm from the Tenth to the Seventeenth Century in the World of Islam and the Latin West’, in Proceedings of the First International Symposium for the History of Arabic Science (Aleppo, April 5-12, 1976), Aleppo, 1978, II, 91-107: 104; E. R. McCarthy, ‘A Lexical Comparison of Four Twelfth Century Versions of Ptolemy’s Centiloquium from the Arabic’, in Actas del V Congreso Internacional de Filosofía Medieval, II, Madrid, 1979, 991-997; J. C. Wilcox, ‘Transmission of Two Particular Concepts of Medieval Medicine in the Translation of an Arabic Astrological Work’, in Actas del V Congreso Internacional de Filosofía Medieval, II, Madrid, 1979, 1531-1538; R. Lemay, Abū Maʿšar al-Balḫī [Albumasar]: Liber introductorii maioris ad scientiam judiciorum astrorum, Napoli, 1995-1996, VII, 58-61; R. Lemay, ‘Acquis de la tradition scientifique grecque confrontés aux réalités des civilisations médiévales. Cas particulier de l’astrologie-cosmologie’, in Perspectives arabes et médiévales sur la tradition scientifique et philosophique grecque. Actes du colloque de la SIHSPAI (Société internationale d’histoire des sciences et de la philosophie arabes et islamiques), Paris, 31 mars – 3 avril 1993, eds A. Hasnawi, A. Elamrani-Jamal, M. Aouad, Leuven-Paris, 1997, 137-171: 150-159 and 164-171; R. Lemay, Le Kitāb aṯ-Ṯamara (Liber fructus, Centiloquium) d’Abū Jaʿfar Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf [Ps.-Ptolémée], 1999 [unpublished], I, 325-388; M. Rinaldi, Le Commentationes in Ptolemaeum di Giovanni Giovano Pontano: fonti, tradizione e fortuna del Centiloquio pseudo-tolemaico dalla Classicità all’Umanesimo, PhD dissertation, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, 2002, 65-66; J.-P. Boudet, ‘Astrology Between Rational Science and Divine Inspiration. The Pseudo-Ptolemy’s Centiloquium’, in Dialogues among Books in Medieval Western Magic and Divination, eds S. Rapisarda, E. Niblaeus, Firenze, 2014, 47-73: 52; J.-P. Boudet, ‘Nature et contre-nature dans l’astrologie médiévale. Le cas du Centiloquium du Pseudo-Ptolémée’, in La nature comme source de la morale au Moyen Âge, ed. M. van der Lugt, Firenze, 2014, 383-410: 387; D. N. Hasse, ‘Stylistic Evidence for Identifying John of Seville with the Translator of Some Twelfth-Century Astrological and Astronomical Texts from Arabic into Latin on the Iberian Peninsula’, in Ex Oriente Lux. Translating Words, Scripts and Styles in Medieval Mediterranean Society, eds C. Burnett, P. Mantas-España, Córdoba-London, 2016, 19-43: 28-30; J.-P. Boudet, ‘Causalité et signification dans le Centiloquium du pseudo-Ptolémée’, in Orbis disciplinae. Liber amicorum Patrick Gautier Dalché, eds N. Bouloux, A. Dan, G. Tolias, Turnhout, 2017, 607-624: 608; J.-P. Boudet, ‘Naissance et conception: autour de la proposition 51 du Centiloquium attribué à Ptolémée’, in De l’homme, de la nature et du monde. Mélanges d’histoire des sciences médiévales offerts à Danielle Jacquart, Genève, 2019, 165-178: 169-170; J.-P. Boudet, ‘The Medieval Latin Versions of Pseudo-Ptolemy’s Centiloquium: A Survey’, in Ptolemy’s Science of the Stars in the Middle Ages, eds D. Juste, B. van Dalen, D. N. Hasse, C. Burnett, Turnhout, 2020, 283-304: 285 and passim; A. Calcagno, El libro delle Cento Parole di Ptholommeo. Saggio di edizione critica del volgarizzamento fiorentino del Centiloquium pseudo-tolemaico, Milano, 2021, 18-19.

Modern ed. Lemay, Le Kitāb (unpublished). Samples have been edited by Lemay, 'Acquis', 159 (v. 99-100) and 168-169 (v. 1), and from two witnesses by Boudet, ‘Naissance et conception’, 169-170 (v. 51), and ‘The Medieval Latin Versions’, 288 (v. 8) and 295-296 (v. 51).