Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks Romans

Bol Partner

Franz Cumont was one of the preeminent classical scholars of his day, and his investigations into the history of religion had a dramatic impact upon the fields of archaeology, comparative mythology, and anthropology. This 1912 volume collects the influential series of lectures he delivered across the United States highlighting one aspect of his groundbreaking studies of ancient worship: the reverence of the stars. He discusses... . the origins of astrology in ancient Babylonia . why ancient scientists believed the stars were divine . how astrology influenced Greek and Roman paganism . astrology as the official religion of the Roman Empire . and more.

Bol

Around the turn of the 20th century, Franz Cumnot compiled numerous sources of ancient astrology and astronomy, including those from Mesopatamia and the Mediterranean. The following text summarizes these documents and includes Cumnots theories. Mesopotamia was the birthplace of astrology and astronomy -- this knowledge moved west to Greece and Rome, where it became integrated into paganism. Indeed, many remnants of the ancients astrology are with us today, such as the seven day week.