MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTSGESCHICHTE Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

Event

Apr 21, 2022
The Grand Zodiacal Tablets and the Papyri Graecae Magicae: Which Connection between Magic and Astrology?

  • 15:30 to 17:00
  • Lecture
  • Dept. III
  • Florian Audureau (Université de Paris)

This is the second session of the Visualizations of the Heavens Lecture Series 2022.

Abstract:

Fifty years ago, two astrological tablets were discovered in Grand, a small village located in the French Vosges. They are two very rare artifacts with an elegant and amazing iconography of the astrological heaven. Originating from the Roman Empire (2nd-3rd c.), they were very probably part of an astrologer’s apparatus. I will briefly describe the visualization of heaven they contain and then focus on their possible uses in connection with philological and papyrological documentation. While studying this issue, the link between astrology and magic during the Roman Empire will be a key point at stake. Thus, the main focus in my presentation will be on the ritual power one can draw from the representation of the heaven.

Organizer(s)
Related Project(s)
Address
Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Boltzmannstraße 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany
Room
Zoom/Online Meeting Platform
Contact and Registration

The meetings will take place on Zoom. The event is closed to the public, but MPIWG members are welcome and may register by emailing: brentjes@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de

About This Series

The goal of the lecture series is to complement the image database that we have created over the last years by topic and region-specific lectures related to the history and culture of astral knowledge. 

Visualizations of the Heavens Lecture Series 2022:
Mar 24, 2022: Imagining the Stars in Premodern Eurasia: Intercultural Comparisons Between East and West Asia May 19, 2022: Science in Practice: Astronomical Instruments in the Islamic World Jun 9, 2022: Orientation and Organization of the Zodiacal Image in the Roman Empire Jun 30, 2022: From Athens to Samarkand: Constellations and Celestial Globes from the Islamic World
2022-04-21T15:30:00SAVE IN I-CAL 2022-04-21 15:30:00 2022-04-21 17:00:00 The Grand Zodiacal Tablets and the Papyri Graecae Magicae: Which Connection between Magic and Astrology? This is the second session of the Visualizations of the Heavens Lecture Series 2022. Abstract: Fifty years ago, two astrological tablets were discovered in Grand, a small village located in the French Vosges. They are two very rare artifacts with an elegant and amazing iconography of the astrological heaven. Originating from the Roman Empire (2nd-3rd c.), they were very probably part of an astrologer’s apparatus. I will briefly describe the visualization of heaven they contain and then focus on their possible uses in connection with philological and papyrological documentation. While studying this issue, the link between astrology and magic during the Roman Empire will be a key point at stake. Thus, the main focus in my presentation will be on the ritual power one can draw from the representation of the heaven. Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Boltzmannstraße 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany Zoom/Online Meeting Platform Rana Brentjes Rana Brentjes Europe/Berlin public