Introductio Astrologiae,

Paulus

2. Of ALEXANDRIA, a Greek writer on astrology, who lived in the latter part of the fourth century.

Works

He wrote, according to Suidas (s. v. Παῦλος φλόσοφος), two works, Εἰσαγωγὴ ἀστρολογίας, Introductio Astrologiae, and Ἀποτελεσματικά, Apotelesmatica. Fabricius suggests the reading ἢ ἀποτελεσματικά instead of καὶ ἀποτελεσματικά, and understands the passage not of two works, but of two titles of one work; and his correction is rendered probable by the title of the only published work of Paulus, which is entitled Εἰσαγωγὴ εἰς τὴν ἀποτελεσματικήν, Rudimenta in Doctrinam de praedictis Natalitiis,.

Εἰσαγωγὴ εἰς τὴν ἀποτελεσματικήν, Rudimenta in Doctrinam de praedictis Natalitiis,

The work appears to have gone through two editions in the author's life-time: for in the printed text, which probably represents the second edition, it is preceded by a short preface addressed to the author's son Cronamon (Κρονάμων), who had noticed some errors in the former edition. The time when the author lived is inferred with probability from a passage in the work. In exemplifying a rule given for finding the days of the week, he chooses the year 94 of the era of Diocletian (= A. D. 378), which is therefore supposed to be the year in which the work was written. If this inference is correct, Paulus must be distinguished from another astrologer of the same name mentioned by Suidas (s.v. Ἰουστινιανὸς ὁ Π̔ινότμητος), as having predicted the accession of the emperor Leontius [LEONTIUS II.], and from a third Paulus, an astrologer, whom Ricciolus (apud Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iv. p. 140, note z) states to have written an introduction to Astrology in the ninth century after Christ. The work of Paulus of Alexandria is accompanied by Greek Scholia, written by a Christian in the year 867 of the era ot Diocletian, = A. D. 1151. Fabricius conjectured that they were by Stephanus of Athens (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. xii. p. 693, ed. vet.), or by the Apomasar (Ahmed Ben Seirim) whose Oneirocritica was published by Rigaltus: but the date assigned to the Scholia is too late for these writers (see Biog. Dict. of U. K. Soc. s. v. Ahmed). If, on the authority of the text of Suidas, two works are ascribed to Paulus, the one published by Schatus will be the former of the two, the Introductio Astrologiae.

Edition

This work was edited by Andreas Schatus or Schato (4to. Wittenberg, 1586), from a MS. in the library of Count Rantzau.

Further Information

Suidas, ll. cc.; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. ll. cc.