HEPHAISTIO Of Thebes aka HEPHAISTION aka HEPHAISTION Of Thebes

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HEPHAISTIO of THEBES an astrologer, wrote a three-book astrological compendium
titled APOTELESMATIKA
in the early 5th century CE in Egypt.
which largely represents a compilation of earlier sources
that he either paraphrased
or
quoted
on different topics
and
in many instances
he preserves material from authors that would otherwise have been lost :smile:


HEPHAISTIO’s two primary sources

were Dorotheus of Sidon
and Claudius Ptolemy.


He is usually referred to as HEPHAISTIO
or
sometimes as HEPHAISTION
or
HEPHAISTION of THEBES



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Well-known member
Image of HEPHAISTO's birth chart :smile:






Hephaistio provides his own birth data in Apotelesmatika 2, 2: 23,
within the context of a discussion
about determining the precise degree of the Ascendant
The same birth data is mentioned in the previous chapter as an example
in a section on determining the conception chart of a native (Apotelesmatika 2, 1: 32-4).


Based on these two pieces of evidence

Pingree thought that Hephaistio was conceived on February 20, 380 CE
and
born on November 26, 380 CE
Pingree 1978, vol. 2, p. 429.
The fixed star placements that Hephaistio gives in book 2, chapter 18 of his work
date to sometime around the year 390 CE
which gives secondary confirmation of his approximate time frame.
As a result of the fixed star placements
and the dating of his birth chart
Pingree estimated
that Hephaistio wrote his compilation in Egypt sometime around the year 415 CE
Pingree 1978, vol. 2, p. 429
Chris Brennan


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Dorotheus and Ptolemy
are the two primary sources
that Hephaistio cites
and
quotes the most frequently throughout his work.

In books 1 and 2, which cover mundane and natal astrology
he seems to favor Ptolemy primarily
although in book 3 where he deals with katarchic astrology
he mainly draws on Dorotheus.

The passages that Hephaistio quotes or paraphrases from Dorotheus
are especially important
because the original Greek text of Dorotheus’ work did not survive :smile:


main source for majority of Dorotheus’ text
is an Arabic translation
of a Persian translation
of the original text
which was written in Greek
in the form of an instructional poem.
The sections of Dorotheus that are preserved in Hephaistio
are important
because they are much closer to the original Greek text
than the Arabic version is
and thus allows us to check the fidelity of Arabic translation.
In some instances
this reveals changes and interpolations in the Arabic text.

In addition to Dorotheus and Ptolemy
Hephaistio either cites or quotes
a number of other earlier authors and sources such as:

  • Anubio (Apotelesmatika 2, 5: 5)
  • Antigonos of Nicaea (2, 1: 8; 2, 18:21-76)
  • Antiochus of Athens (2, 1: 5; 2, 10: 9; 2, 10: 29)
  • Apollinarius (2, 10: 9; 2, 10: 29)
  • Critodemus (2, 10: 41)
  • Thrasyllus (2, 11: 57; 2, 23: 13)
  • Hipparchus (1, 1: 7, 1, 1: 162)
  • Manetho (2, 4: 27; 2, 11: 125)
  • Nechepso (2, 11: 25; 2, 18: 21; 2, 18: 72; 2, 21: 26)
  • Odapsos (1, 1: 65; 1, 1: 123; 1, 1: 163; 1, 1: 221)
  • Pancharius (2, 11: 8; 2, 11: 26; 2, 11: 46; 2, 11: 63; 2, 11:83)
  • Petosiris (2, 1: 2; 2, 11: 2; 2, 18: 21; 2, 22: 8; 3, 10: 5)
  • Porphyry (2, 10: 23; 2, 18: 15)
  • Protagoras of Nicaea (3, 30: 37)
There are also numerous other references to “...the Egyptians...”
and
“...the Ancients....” throughout the text,
some of which are usually taken as allusions to Nechepso and Petosiris
and others which may refer to other early authors
Chris Brennan





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Well-known member
Critical Editions
The first critical edition of Hephaistio’s Apotelesmatica
was published by August Engelbrecht in 1887:



  • August Engelbrecht, Hephaistion von Theben und sein astrologisches Compendium.
  • Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der griechischen Astrologie, Carl Konegen, Wien, 1887.


download a scan of Engelbrecht’s edition at:




mid-1970s David Pingree published a new critical edition of Hephaistio
that superseded Engelbrecht’s edition:

  • Hephaestionis Thebani apotelesmaticorum libri tres. 2 vols.,
  • ed. David Pingree, Teubner, Leipzig, 1973-4.
Pingree’s edition incorporated new material
discovered during the process of compiling the CCAG
and it is the standard edition at this point in time :smile:



Translations Books 1 and 2 of Hephaistio’s Apotelesmatika
were translated into English by Robert Schmidt in the mid-1990s:


  • Hephaistio of Thebes, Apotelesmatics, Book I,
  • trans. Robert Schmidt, ed. Robert Hand, The Golden Hind Press, Berkeley Springs, WV, 1994.
  • Hephaistio of Thebes, Apotelesmatics, Book II,
  • trans. Robert H. Schmidt, The Golden Hind Press, Cumberland, MD, 1998.
http://www.projecthindsight.com/index1.html



Book 3 of Hephaistio was translated by Eduardo Gramaglia
and edited by Benjamin Dykes in 2013:

Hephaistion of Thebes, Apotelesmatics: Book III: On Inceptions,
trans. Eduardo J. Gramaglia, ed. Benjamin N. Dykes, Cazimi Press, Minneapolis, MN, 2013

https://bendykes.com/product/apotelesmatics-book-iii-on-inceptions/


.
 

JUPITERASC

Well-known member

HEPHAISTIO of THEBES an astrologer, wrote a three-book astrological compendium
titled APOTELESMATIKA
in the early 5th century CE in Egypt.
which largely represents a compilation of earlier sources
that he either paraphrased
or
quoted
on different topics
and
in many instances
he preserves material from authors that would otherwise have been lost :smile:


HEPHAISTIO’s two primary sources

were Dorotheus of Sidon
and Claudius Ptolemy.


He is usually referred to as HEPHAISTIO
or
sometimes as HEPHAISTION
or
HEPHAISTION of THEBES


HEPHAISTO natal chart :smile:



hephaistio-of-thebes-natal-chart-sidereal-smalll.jpg
 
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