Vettius Valens of Antioch: An Intellectual Monography

The purpose of this work is to analyze how the intellectual life of the second century, the age whose mentality manifests itself both in the sublime mind of Aelius Aristides and in the stinging, cynical wit of Lucian, the age that prepared the ground for the emergence of Neoplatonism, is reflected in the writings of one of less known writers of Antiquity, Vettius Valens of Antioch; how it shapes his perception of the universe, his concept of astrological knowledge and its position within the contemporary world. To achieve this, one must trace Valens' attitude to the well-established astrological tradition, his views on the practice and transmission of astrology, methods of exposition he employed and, where it is necessary, even technicalities of his language, though this latter theme can only be appropriately considered when contrasted with the language of other astrological works. In doing so, one will necessarily be investigating an astonishingly large part of Graeco-Roman culture, both high and popular, influenced - as it was - by Jewish and Eastern thought and customs. Contents: Introduction; PART ONE: 1. Vettius Valens of Antioch: The Author of the Anthologiae 2. ... and the Second-Century Alexandria; PART TWO: 3. Reader's Nightmare: Anthologiarum libri novem; PART THREE: Hermetic Revelation: The Pride of Vetius Valens: 4. The Sources 5. The Tension Within 6. For It Is Me... 7. The Oaths of Secrecy; PART FOUR: 8. Cleanthes' Dog: Valens on Fate and Human Soul 9. Valens' Understanding of the Universe: Several Important Issues 10. Philosophical Affinities of Valens: Conclusion; PART FIVE: 11. Astrological Practice and the Horoscopic Papyri 12. Final Conclusions; Bibliography