The exaltations of Greco-Roman astrology and their relation to Babylonian Normal Star positions
It is demonstrated that the longitudes of the planetary exaltations mentioned in numerous Greco-Roman and Late Antique astrological sources derive from Babylonian Normal-Star longitudes. This is achieved through a comparison between both sets of longitudes. Supporting evidence is found in the Late Babylonian astral compendium BM 36609+. The Babylonian longitudes were transferred to exaltations without significant changes, but their association with stars was discarded. The sun’s exaltation constitutes an exception, since it does not correspond to a Normal Star, but appears to have been defined in relation to the longitude of the Pleiades, which became the moon’s exaltation.
Authors
- Mathieu Ossendrijver (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9447-034X)
Institutions
- Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal for the History of Astronomy
- Published
- 2025-10-31
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/00218286251353245
- Primary Topic
- Ancient Near East History
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00