Marcus Manilius

Katharina Volk (Columbia University)

Ed. by Jula Wildberger, American University of Paris
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Dates

Born c. -30
Died c. 20
Activity c. 9-c. 14

Places

Born in Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire)
Active in Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire)

Activities

Primary

Astrologer
Poet

Resources

Manilius' Works

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Nothing is known about the life of Marcus Manilius, the author of a Latin didactic poem in five books entitled

Astronomica

. Datable on internal grounds to the second decade of the first century AD, the

Astronomica

first describes the shape of the universe and the constellations (Book 1), moves on to a discussion of the signs of the zodiac and the various ways in which these can be made astrologically meaningful (Books 2-3), and finally explains the influence on human beings exerted both by the signs (Book 4) and by the rising of extrazodiacal constellations (Book 5). Since earlier Hellenistic treatises survive only in fragments, Manilius’ work is our first extant comprehensive treatment of astrology from antiquity. Written at a time when astral divination was becoming popular at Rome…

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723 words

Citation: Volk, Katharina. "Marcus Manilius". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 January 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12732, accessed 22 November 2024.]