Original scientific paper
Petrić on Astrology in Della historia dieci dialoghi
Ivana Skuhala karasman
; Institut za filozofiju, Ulica grada Vukovara 54, HR-10000 Zagreb
Abstract
In his Della historia dieci dialoghi (pubished 1560) Petrić deals also with some astrological topics. In the third dialogue, entitled “Contarino or what is history?” he expounds upon the thesis that astrology had predicted the end of the world, first by deluge (cataclysm) and then by conflagration (ekpyrosis). According to the astrological tradition God had handed over to Adam the secrets of astrology and he after observing the sky predicted that the Earth would be destroyed by water and fire. Adam or his progenies Seth and Enoh carved this prophecy onto two pillars, one of which was made of bricks, the other of stone (or, according to Petrić, the first was made of metal, the other of bricks). In consequence Petrić concludes that the first history of the world referred to the future and not to the past events. He also holds that the celestial influence acts upon the terrestrial events by movement, light, heat and influence. Therefore all the changes occurring on the earth, e.g. wars, deluges etc., are ordered by the celestial sphere through its secret means. Petrić also deals with a great year that last 36 000 years and that ends with apocalypse.
Keywords
Frane Petrić; Della historia dieci
Hrčak ID:
79791
URI
Publication date:
9.4.2012.
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