MARCO MANILIO,

Marcus Manilius (Marcus Manilius), Latin poet and astrologer contemporary of Augustus and Tiberius (ca. 1st century A.D.). He was probably born in North Africa.

The Astronomica, also known as Astronomicon, is a Latin didactic poem on celestial phenomena, written in hexameters and divided into five books. The Astronomica was written around 30-40 by a Roman poet probably named Marcus Manilius; little is known of Manilius, and although there is evidence that the Astronomica was probably read by many other Roman writers, no preserved work explicitly cites him. The Astronomica, the first work on astrology that is extensive, comprehensive, and nearly intact, describes celestial phenomena and, in particular, the zodiac and astrology. The poem, which seems to have been inspired by Lucretius' epicurean poem De rerum natura, expounds a stoic and deterministic conception of a universe overseen by a god and governed by reason. The fifth book contains a lacuna, which has led to debate over the original size of the poem; some scholars have argued that entire books have been lost over the years, while others believe that only a small section of the work is missing. The poem was rediscovered around 1416-1417 by the Italian humanist and scholar Poggio Bracciolini, who had a copy made from which the modern text is derived. After its rediscovery, the Astronomica was read, commented and edited by several scholars.