Planetary Influences and Hesiod's Ages: Ancient Astrological Geography

each other; they became extinct through their own wickedness despite being invincible. II • Age of Heroes (Period of Jupiter): in this age lived precisely the heroes, god-men or demigods, a just race and better than the previous one. The heroes fought at Troy and at Thebes, and there many of them perished, others were taken by Zeus himself to the Islands of the Blessed where they lived in peace in fertile lands rich with flocks. This age is the only one not to be defined by the name of a metal. • Iron Age (Period of Earth): this is the race that still lives on earth characterized by suffering, injustice and the fact of having to work to survive. Hesiod sees no possibility of salvation for man. Therefore these planets represent forces manifested in creation that guide and develop humanity which is sometimes more sensitive to one influence, sometimes to another in a particular or more generalized way. These planets therefore acted on the World Soul, making it take various colorations and forming various centers of influence within it. For this reason these same celestial powers that influenced and shaped the World Soul were then found in the peoples who lived on earth. Humanity as a whole was seen as a receptive unity to the influences of the planets that shaped it, but within it each people was receptive to one or more of the qualities expressed by these powers. Each people therefore embodied some of these forces that acted on the World Soul. So, how do we understand which peoples were influenced by which influences? Ptolemy tells us, the first great astrologer of antiquity who undertook to compile a whole series of traditions that until that moment were oral. It is important to say that Ptolemy's purpose was to put order and rationalize what was a discipline that at the time was extremely complicated, full of different traditions, contradictions, etc... so essentially he treats subjects rearranged specifically to fit better with a rational vision of Astrology. In this sense, to try to give a rational arrangement to the influence of planets on peoples and explain traditions mainly of Babylonian and Chaldean origin, Ptolemy constructs a cross of planetary elements and superimposes it on the geographical map thus obtaining the various influences of the planets. So we said that these planets represent the expression of pure Powers expressions of the Sun-King Priest so at the center we place the Sun, the King, together with the Moon, the Queen and the Son Mercury. This is the Subject, that is the center of Power, namely the Sun, in its triple aspect, one masculine, one feminine and one androgynous. From the central Power four rays depart towards the four cardinal points and which represent the four Powers that emanate from this central Power and which structure matter and are: • the Force expressed by Mars and which is situated to the West • the Wisdom expressed by Saturn and which is situated to the East • the Beauty expressed by Venus and which is situated to the South • the Priestly Power expressed by Jupiter and which is situated to the North We apply this cross to the world known in Ptolemy's time and here we obtain the earth divided into four quadrants. • North-West: dominated by Sun, Mars and Jupiter which corresponds to the Fire element and therefore to which we make correspond the Fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius III • South-West: dominated by Venus, Mars and Moon to which we make correspond the Water element and we put the signs of the Water trigon that is Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio • South-East: dominated by Venus, Saturn and Mercury to which we make correspond the Earth element and we put the signs of the Earth trigon, that is Virgo, Taurus and Capricorn • North-East: Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury for which we put the Air signs of Aquarius, Libra and Gemini Here therefore found the main correspondences of the peoples who inhabit these regions according to Ptolemy in the Tetrabiblos. Our earth is divided into four quadrants, which are therefore equal in number to the trigons. Latitude indeed divides it with a line that passes through our sea and which, beginning from the strait of Hercules, reaches to the Gulf of Issicus and to the mountain chain of the Levant, so this line separates the South from the North. Longitude instead passes through the Arabian gulf and then crosses the Aegean sea, the Euxine Pontus and the Maeotian Marsh and thus marks the division between East and West. Ptolemy Tetrabiblos II, 3. Following therefore such order, the countries placed in the northwestern quadrant, that is that of Europe, possess the nature of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius and are governed by Jupiter and Mars vespertine. They are: Britannia, Gaul, Germany, Bastarnia, Italy, Cisalpine Gaul, Apulia, Sicily, Tyrrhenia, Celtica and Spain. In such countries the customs accord with the trigon and the planets that dominate them. Indeed the inhabitants do not bear slavery, but love freedom, are devoted to arms and war, are also industrious, lovers of dominion and cleanliness, are magnanimous. [...] Britannia, Transalpine Gaul, Germany and Bastarnia have greater relation with the nature of Aries for this reason in these countries men are for the most part cruel and bloodthirsty. Italy, Apulia, Cisalpine Gaul, Sicily have greater relation with the sign of Leo and with the Sun, so that men there are avid for dominion, but also beneficent and cooperative. The Tyrrhenians, Celts and Spaniards are instead in relation with Sagittarius and with Jupiter whence their independence, simplicity and cleanliness.[...] For the second quadrant (Earth) he says: In particular Parthia, Media and Persia are governed by Taurus and Venus. This induces the inhabitants of those regions to use very colorful clothes with which they cover themselves completely