LIBER PRIMUS. HYGINUS M. FABIO plurimam salutem.
Etsi te studio grammaticae artis inductum, non solum uersuum moderatione, quam pauci peruiderunt, sed historiarum quoque uarietate, qua scientia rerum perspicitur, praestare uideo, quae facilius etiam scriptis tuis perspici potest, desiderans potius scientem quam liberalem iudicem: tamen quo magis exercitatus et nonnullis etiam saepius in his rebus occupatus esse uideor, ne nihil in adolescentia laborasse dicerer, et imperitorum iudicio desidiae subirem crimen, hoc uelut rudimento scientiae nisus scripsi ad te, non ut imperito monstrans, sed ut scientissimum commonens.
Book 1. Preface: Hyginus to Marcus Fabius
Although I see that you, drawn to the study of the grammarian's art, excel not only in the control of verse, which few have perceived, but also in variety of learning, by which knowledge of things is discerned, and which can be perceived even more readily from your own writings, and although you want a knowledgeable judge rather than a generous one: yet, since I seem the more practised, and to have been engaged in these matters rather more often than some, I wrote to you, relying on this as a kind of first groundwork of the science, so that I should not be said to have laboured at nothing in my youth, nor, by the verdict of the ignorant, fall under the charge of idleness; I wrote not as one instructing an unlearned man, but as one reminding a most learned one.
Sphaerae figurationem circulorumque qui in ea sunt notationem, et quae ratio fuerit, ut non aequis partibus diuiderentur; praeterea terrae marisque definitionem, et quae partes eius non habitentur, ut multis iustisque de causis hominibus carere uideantur, ordine exposuimus, rursusque redeuntes ad sphaeram, duo et XL signa nominatim pernumerauimus. exinde uniuscuiusque signi historias causamque ad sidera perlationis ostendimus, eodem loco nobis utile uisum est persequi eorum corporum deformationes et in his numerum stellarum, nec praetermisimus ostendere ad septeni circulorum notationem, quo corpora aut partes corporum peruenirent et quemadmodum ab his diuiderentur. diximus etiam de aestiui circuli definitione, quaerentes, quare non idem hiemalis uocaretur, et quid eos fefellerit, qui ita senserint; et quid in ea parte sphaerae solis efficiat cursus, praeterea, quare circulos in octo partes diuideremus, ordine exposuimus, scripsimus etiam, quo loco circulus aequinoctialis foret constitutus, et quid efficeret ad eum perueniens sol. in eiusdem circuli demonstratione ostendimus, quare Aries inter sidera celerrimus diceretur, pauca praeterea de hiemali circulo diximus, exinde zodiacum circulum definiuimus et eius effectus, et quare potius duodecim signa quam undecim numerarentur; quid etiam nobis de reliquis circulis uideretur.
We have set out in order the form of the sphere and the marking of the circles that are on it, and the reason why they were not divided into equal parts; further, the definition of land and sea, and which parts of it are not inhabited, so that for many good reasons they seem to be without human beings; and, returning to the sphere, we have enumerated by name the forty-two signs. Then, of each sign, we have shown the stories and the reason for its being carried over to the stars; in the same place it seemed useful to us to go through the shapes of those bodies and, in them, the number of stars, and we did not omit to show, with reference to the marking of the seven circles, to what point the bodies or parts of bodies reach and how they are divided by them. We also spoke of the definition of the summer circle, asking why the same one is not called the winter circle, and what has misled those who thought so; and what the sun's course effects in that part of the sphere; further, why we divide the circles into eight parts, we explained in order; we also wrote where the equinoctial circle is placed, and what the sun accomplishes when it reaches it. In the demonstration of that same circle we showed why the Ram is said to be the swiftest among the constellations; we said a few things besides about the winter circle; then we defined the zodiac circle and its effects, and why twelve signs rather than eleven are counted; and what we thought about the remaining circles.
his propositis rebus ad id loci uenimus, ut exponeremus, utrum mundus ipse cum stellis uerteretur, an mundo stante uagae stellae ferrentur; et quid de eo nobis et conpluribus uideretur, quaque ratione ipse mundus uerteretur. praeterea quare nonnulla signa celerius exorta serius occiderent, nonnulla etiam tardius ceteris exorta citius ad occasum peruenirent; quare etiam quae signa pariter oriantur, non simul occidant, eodem loco diximus, quare non essent in sphaera superiora inferioribus hemicyclis aequalia, et quot modis stellas uidere non possimus, praeterea scripsimus in duodecim signorum ortu quae de reliquis corpora exoriri, et quae eodem tempore occidere uiderentur. deinde ordine perscripsimus, utrum sol cum mundo fixus uerteretur, an ipse per se moueretur, et cum ipse per se moueatur et contra duodecim signorum ortus eat, quare uideatur cum mundo exoriri et occidere, deinde protinus de lunae cursu pauca proposuimus et utrum suo an alieno lumine uteretur; eclipsis solis et lunae quomodo fieret; quare luna per eundem circulum iter faciens, celerius sole currere uideatur, et quid fefellerit eos qui ita senserint. quinque stellae quantum habeant interuallum, et utrum quinque sint an septem, et utrum quinque certe errent, an omnes, et quinque quomodo currant, diximus etiam, qua ratione priores astrologi non eodem tempore signa et reliquas stellas reuerti dixerint, et quare Meton diligentissime obseruasse uideatur, et quid reliquos fefellerit in eadem causa.
With these matters set out, we came to the point of explaining whether the world itself turns together with the stars, or whether, the world standing still, the wandering stars are carried along; and what we thought about this, together with many others, and by what reasoning the world itself turns. Further, why some signs that rise earlier set later, and others that rise later than the rest reach their setting sooner; why also signs that rise together do not set together, we said in the same place; why in the sphere the upper [parts] are not equal to the lower hemicycles [?]; and in how many ways we are unable to see stars; further we wrote, for the rising of the twelve signs, which of the remaining bodies are seen to rise and which to set at the same time. Then we wrote out in order whether the sun is fixed and turns with the world or moves of itself, and, if it moves of itself and goes against the risings of the twelve signs, why it appears to rise and set with the world; then straightaway we set out a few points on the moon's course, and whether it uses its own light or another's; how eclipses of sun and moon occur; why the moon, travelling by the same circle, seems to run faster than the sun, and what has misled those who thought so. How great an interval the five stars have, and whether they are five or seven, and whether the five alone wander or all do, and how the five run; we also said by what reasoning the earlier astronomers said that the signs and the other stars do not return at the same time, and why Meton seems to have observed most carefully, and what has misled the rest in the same matter.
In his igitur tam multis et uariis rebus non erit mirum aut pertimescendum, quod tantum numerum uersuum scripserimus; neque enim magnitudinem uoluminis, sed rerum multitudinem peritos conuenit spectare, quod si longior in sermone uisus fuero, non mea facunditate, sed rei necessitate factum existimato; nec si breuius aliquid dixero, minus idem ualere confidito, quam si pluribus esset audiendum uerbis. etenim praeter nostram scriptionem sphaerae, quae fuerunt ab Arato obscurius dicta, persecuti planius ostendimus, ut penitus id quod coepimus exquisisse uideremur. quod si uel optimis usus auctoribus effeci, ut neque breuius neque uerius diceret quisquam, non inmerito fuerim laudari dignus a uobis, quae uel amplissima laus hominibus est doctis; si minus, non deprecamur in hac confectione nostram scientiam ponderari. ideoque maioribus etiam niti laboribus cogitamus, in quibus et ipsi exerceamur et quibus uolumus nos probare possimus, etenim necessariis nostris hominibus scientissimis maximas res scripsimus; non leuibus occupati rebus, populi captamus existimationem. sed ne diutius de eo, quod neglegimus, loquamur, ad propositum ueniemus et initium rerum demonstrabimus.
Amid so many and varied matters it will not be surprising or alarming that we have written so great a number of lines; for experts should look not at the size of the volume but at the multitude of subjects; and if I seem rather long in my discourse, consider it done not from fluency of mine but from the necessity of the matter; nor, if I say something rather briefly, be confident that it carries less weight than if it had to be heard in more words. For besides our own treatment, the things about the sphere that were said rather obscurely by Aratus we have followed up and set out more plainly, so that we may seem to have investigated thoroughly what we undertook. If, using the best authorities, I have brought it about that no one could speak either more briefly or more truly, I should not undeservedly be worthy of praise from you, which is the highest praise among learned men; if less, we do not refuse that our knowledge be weighed in this compilation. And so we intend to strive with greater labours still, in which we may both train ourselves and be able to prove ourselves to those to whom we wish. For we have written weighty matters for our friends, who are most learned; busied with no trifling things, we do not court the opinion of the crowd. But lest we speak longer of what we disregard, we shall come to our theme and set out the beginning of things.
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