阿布·马ʿ沙尔的大导论

The Great Introduction to Astrology by Abū Maʿšar

阿布·马ʿ沙尔(Abū Maʿshar al-Balkhī,拉丁世界常称 Albumasar,9世纪)是伊斯兰黄金时代最重要的占星学家之一。《大导论》是他对占星学进行系统化整理与辩护的代表作:它不仅总结了希腊化占星(托勒密等)与晚期古典传统的技术模块,也把占星学放进更“自然哲学化”的解释框架中,讨论天体如何作用于下界、四元素与混合、吉凶与因果、以及占星学作为知识体系的合法性。这本书在中世纪通过拉丁译本广泛进入欧洲学术圈,对拉丁占星学(尤其是占星理论、行星本性、尊贵体系、Lots/阿拉伯点等)影响深远。

该版本为现代学术两卷本,出版于2019年:卷1提供阿拉伯文校勘本与对页英文译文,并在注释中对照12世纪两条重要拉丁译本(John of Seville 与 Hermann of Carinthia)所呈现的差异;卷2收录希腊译本残篇(由学者编校)以及多语种术语表与索引系统。由于同时具备“原文—译文—对照”的结构,这套书特别适合做语句核对,也适合追踪占星概念在阿语世界如何被系统化表达。

关于可读性

英文译文总体清楚,但属于高度技术化文本,术语密度大、定义层层嵌套

目录结构

Volume 1:The Arabic Original and English Translation
  • Preface xiii
  • Acknowledgements xiv
  • Introduction 1
    • The Life and Works of Abū Maʿšar — 1
    • The Great Introduction to Astrology — 6
    • The Manuscripts — 30
    • Editorial Principles — 33
    • Bibliography and Abbreviations — 34

Part I — 42

  • Starting-point of the book and the seven headings — 44
  • Existence of the science of astrology — 52
  • Modality of the action of the stars in this world — 80
  • Forms/natures/elements and compounded products — 92
  • Arguments confirming astrology; refuting deniers — 106
  • Benefit of astrology and foreknowledge — 150

Part II — 176

  • Number of stars with rapid/slow movement — 176
  • Why 12 constellations are used for indication — 184
  • Why signs are 12, no more no less — 190
  • Arrangement of the ‘natures’ of the signs — 198
  • Why one begins with Aries — 204
  • Tropical/fixed/bicorporeal signs — 210
  • Quadrants of the sphere — 212
  • Masculine/feminine signs — 220
  • Diurnal/nocturnal signs — 222

Part III — 224

  • Why astrologers use the seven planets for general things — 224
  • Definitions of ‘astrology’ and ‘astrologer’ — 232
  • Sun’s indication for moderating atmospheric conditions — 244
  • Moon’s indication for ebb and flow — 262
  • Cause of ebb and flow — 272
  • Strength/weakness of the flow — 286
  • Moon as the cause of ebb and flow — 314
  • Differences between seas — 318
  • Moon’s indication for animals/plants/minerals via light increase/decrease — 334

Part IV — 344

  • Natures of the seven planets (Ptolemy) — 346
  • Natures; benefics/malefics (most astrologers) — 356
  • Refutation: natures known only from colours — 368
  • Establishing benefic/malefic by philosophers’ method — 372
  • Knowing which planet is benefic/malefic — 380
  • Variation and change between benefic/malefic conditions — 402
  • Planetary natures; changes; inherent strength/weakness — 418
  • Masculinity/femininity of planets — 426
  • Diurnal/nocturnal planets — 430

Part V — 434

  • Shares of the planets in the signs — 438
  • Reason for houses (some astrologers) — 442
  • Reason for houses (Ptolemy) — 448
  • Reason for houses (Hermes from G̣āṯīdīmūn) — 454
  • Reason for exaltations (some astrologers) — 466
  • Reason for exaltations (Ptolemy) — 474
  • Reason for exaltations (Hermes) — 478
  • Differences in terms and their conditions — 494
  • Terms of the Egyptians — 498
  • Terms of Ptolemy — 500
  • Terms of the Chaldeans — 502
  • Terms of Asṭraṭū — 506
  • Terms of the Indians — 508
  • Lords of the triplicities — 510
  • Decans and their lords (Persia/Babylon/Egypt) — 512
  • Decans and their lords (Indians) — 514
  • Nawbahr (ninths) — 516
  • Dodecatemoria; lords of each degree — 520
  • Masculine/feminine degrees — 524
  • Bright/dusky/dark/empty degrees — 528
  • Wells of the planets in the signs — 532
  • Degrees increasing good fortune — 536

Part VI — 540

  • Natures/conditions of signs; figures rising in their decans — 544
  • Rising times (equator + seven climes; Theon) — 602
  • Aspecting of degrees of the sphere — 610
  • Signs that love/hate/are hostile; straight/crooked rising; obedient/disobedient — 618
  • Signs agreeing in zone/rising times/power/path — 622
  • Natural opposition/sextile; and signs not aspecting — 626
  • Quartile agreement — 628
  • Years/months/days/hours of the signs — 630
  • Signs indicating countries/regions — 634
  • Motion/rest signs — 642
  • Voiced signs (nature/conditions of people) — 644
  • Division of body parts among signs — 646
  • Signs of beauty/generosity/wealth/etc. — 650
  • Lust and diseases — 654
  • Chastity/virtue of women — 656
  • Many children/twins/few/barren — 658
  • Cut members; violence/anger — 660
  • Conditions of voices — 662
  • Mange/leprosy/spots/itching/etc. — 664
  • Faults in the eye — 666
  • Culture/cunning/worry/dark signs — 670
  • Birds/quadrupeds/fish/reptiles — 672
  • Trees and plants — 674
  • Waters and fire-produced things — 676
  • Directions of the signs — 678
  • Cardines/quadrants/twelve places summary + reason — 680
  • Quadrants related to corporality/spirituality — 696
  • Mixture of ‘natures’ of cardines — 698
  • Colours of quadrants and twelve places — 700
  • Ascending/descending/long/short quadrants — 702
  • Division of four ‘natures’ among things — 704
  • Reason for quarters of day/night and 24 hours — 706
  • Lords of days and hours — 710

Part VII — 714

  • Conditions of planets in themselves — 716
  • Conditions of planets vs Sun (in front/behind) — 724
  • Planets vs quarters/places; range of bodily power — 738
  • Planetary conjunction; mixture of qualities; strongest/weakest — 740
  • Aspects; application/separation; related conditions — 762
  • Good fortune/strength/weakness/bad fortune; corruption of the Moon — 786
  • Casting rays per Ptolemy — 794
  • Fardārs years; greatest/great/middle/small years — 800
  • Proper indications of the seven planets for existing things — 802

Part VIII — 818

  • Reason for extracting lots — 818
  • Classification/names of lots — 824
  • Lots of the seven planets — 832
  • Lots of the twelve places — 848
  • Lots not mentioned with planets nor twelve places — 910
  • Summary of all lots — 918
  • Coincidence of lots in one position — 934
  • General indications of lots — 938
  • Deriving some indications from others — 944
Volume 2:The Greek Version and Glossaries
  • Contents / Introduction — 1
  • The Greek Text Contents — 9
  • Part I — 12(条目 1–5)
  • Part II — 17(条目 6–9)
  • Part III — 21(条目 10–13)
  • Part IV — 26(条目 14,含 A–C 小分段)
  • Part V — 30(D–E;条目 15–18)
  • Part VI — 37(条目 19–40;并含关于日时主因由 72)
  • Part VII — 73(条目 41–56)
  • Part VIII — 94(条目 57–68;含 “buying slaves” 115、“absence” 116)

Appendixes / Glossaries / Indexes(卷2后半工具部分)

  • Appendixes
    • Additions in John of Seville’s translation — 119
    • Additions in Hermann of Carinthia’s translation — 120
  • Glossaries
    • Arabic–English–Greek–Latin Glossary — 133
    • Greek–Arabic Glossary — 375
    • Latin–Arabic Glossary — 398
  • Indexes
    1. Names of Geographical Places and Races — 447
    2. Names of Persons and Authors — 450
    3. Names of Greek Constellations according to Ptolemy — 452
    4. Names of Constellations according to Persia/Babylon/Egypt — 454
    5. Subject Index — 459

档案元数据

阿布·马ʿ沙尔的大导论
The Great Introduction to Astrology by Abū Maʿšar