Poezja, astrologia i polityka – próba interpretacji horoskopów przedstawionych w księdze IV "Astronomików" Maniliusza

Abstrakt

Poetry, astrology and politics – an attempt to interpret the horoscopes portrayed in fourth book of Manilius’ Astronomica

The main theme of the book IV of Manilius’ Astronomica are the horoscopes, set out in two large parts vv. 124–291 and 505–584. The descriptions of five Zodiacal signs contain solely positive characterizations of people born under their influence. These are: Gemini, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Aquarius. This paper is an attempt to interpret four of them excluding Virgo, associated with Astraea, the virgin of the Golden Age. Manilius seems to use the obscurity of the poem’s astrological theme intentionally, and to hide in their shadow certain figures from Augustus’ family. As a result, the astrology becomes an instrument of glorifying the emperor – Augustus, as Libra, and his family: Germanicus, Livia and Tiberius, represented as Gemini, Aquarius and Scorpio respectively.