Chapter Three. Pliny The Elder’s Natural History: Encyclopedia For Carolingian Astronomy And Cosmology
Bruce S. Eastwood
Already important to Bede (673–735) while circulating in excerpts and partial copies during the early eighth century, Pliny’s Natural History (NH) was appreciated by Alcuin, Charlemagne, their contemporaries for supplying a tremendous increase astronomical information. encyclopedic range offered Carolingians detailed answers questions about interplanetary distances, causes timing of eclipses, changes speed brightness each planet. Of thirty-seven books compilation, Books 2 18 are essential sources astronomy cosmology. While Plinian planetary diagrams were born as parts Seven Book Computus, they underwent fundamental transformation form at time association with cosmological-cosmographical from Macrobius’s Commentary on Scipio’s Dream found Bern Collection. contain very many accounts celestial influences portents.Keywords: astronomy; Carolingians; Charlemagne; cosmology; Macrobius; History; diagrams; Pliny
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