In this thesis the different notions of Hades that appear in the heterogeneous works of gre co-roman literature are in quired and interpreted with enormous scrutiny. The philosophical texts are written mostly by Plato and the Platonists (in particular Heraclides Ponticus, Plutarchus, and Proclus). They have to be compared with Christian ideas of purgatory originating in the early Middle Ages. Eschatology must be explained not only with regard to the cosmologies, that change during the centuries, but also on a solid (...) base of astronomical and astrological knowledge. (shrink)

In Macrob. Sat. 1,21,26 all editions between 1472 and 2015 print the reading deposcit, with the exception of F. Eyssenhardt, who prefers depascit, which prevailed almost one century from 1868 until 1963, the new Teubneriana edited by J. Willis, followed by R. A. Kaster. Semantics, the Greek parallel ἀπογεύεται, the Macrobian style, and in particular astrothetical matter however require the reading depascit.

Zodiacal and Planetary ‘decani’. The 36 ecliptical ‘decani’ (sectors of 10°) were distributed either to the twelve zodiacal signs or to the seven planets. The first system has been transmitted only by the Roman didactic poet Manilius, who commits an error at the end of his catalogue that can be explained by comparing it with the more frequent planetary one. Both systems follow the Roman calendar beginning with the Ram respectively Mars. Although the zodiacal system (36 : 12) runs without (...) remainder whereas the planetary one (36 : 7) repeats Mars once more (six times), so that it both begins and ends with this planet, this planetary system prevails. Four possible astrological reasons of this contradiction are discussed including other texts, mostly taken from the ‘Babylonian’ Teucrus (at the latest first century BC), who represents the first witness, if not the inventor of this particular lore. (shrink)