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...might end in confusion. When all these things were handed down to me by you, Mavortius—the jewel of good men—through your easy mastery of demonstration, I myself dared to bring forth something with the boldness of unadvised speech: I promised that I would publish for you whatever the ancient Egyptian sages and divine men, and the wise Babylonians, have handed down to us through the teaching of divine doctrine concerning the power of the stars and the capacities of our divine science. Therefore, as you yourself know, I was reckless in that promise, and—to speak the truth with you—I frequently reproached myself with severe rebuke, and I desired, if it were permitted, to change my promise. But the encouragement of your discourse lifted up my trepidation and compelled me to attempt what I had frequently abandoned out of despair. For when the serene and venerable judgments of our Lord and Emperor Constantine Augustus Constantine the Great, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, who reigned from 306–337 CE. had handed over to you the governance of the entire East, you let no time pass without demanding from us what we had promised you by that unadvised pledge. Therefore, to you, as Proconsul and Consul-elect, we fulfill our promises, praying and asking for pardon, lest in these books you seek the weight and perfect grace of oratory, or expect that great treatises, or heavy and firm opinions, or monuments of doctrine and eloquence be found by your judgment. In us, talent is thin, speech is slight, and—what must be truly confessed—our knowledge of the stars original: "Mathesis" is very modest. Although all these things troubled us with various forms of despair, we have nevertheless undertaken the labor of writing, so that—even though bound by arduous and most difficult promises—we might not fail the expectations of your wisdom, most learned Lollianus.

Established therefore in the entrance-hall of this discourse and in the very beginnings of its principles, we ought to do nothing else but respond to those who attempt to undermine the whole power of the Knowledge of the Stars original: "Matheseos" with a manifold kind of speech—those who think they can, with the authority of lofty speech, break through all this philosophy and divine science with their opinions and disputes. In my judgment, and as is proven by the facts themselves, it is not the weakness or falsehood of the doctrine itself that encourages them, but rather the zeal of those who contradict it, so that the pugnacious liberty of argumentation might resist certain and defined things which we perceive not only with the mind and reason, but behold with the very sharpness and judgment of our eyes. For they attempt, through their overly hidden and subtle disputes, to go from the very first responses of the mathematicians—as if through some underground tunnel—to the undermining of this entire science. The more violently they fight, and the more they seek every way of persuasion, the more vehemently and strongly they fortify the faith of astrology. For its substance would not be true unless they struggled against it with such great forces of argument.

Nor is this worthy of wonder, since we know how much dissension there is among those very people concerning the nature of the gods, and with how many arguments of dispute they attempt to overthrow the entire power of divinity: Various opinions about the Gods. since some say that gods do not exist, others define that they do exist but care for nothing, while others say they both exist and undertake the care and management of our affairs; and all of these are engaged in such variety and dissension that it would be long and out of place—especially at this time when we have undertaken another work—to enumerate the opinions of each one. For some attribute figures to them according to their own will, and assign places, even establish seats, and describe many things about their acts and lives, and pronounce that all things which have been made and established are ruled and governed by their will. Others have said that they accomplish nothing, care for nothing, and are free from all care of administration; and they all bring forward something plausible that invites the minds of listeners to a readiness of belief. Indeed, those things said about the immortality of the soul by that divine Plato and the most sharp and ardent Aristotle are shown to be contrary and repugnant to one another. For concerning good and evil, their opinions are diverse and shifting among themselves; the explanation of which I think should be bypassed for now. For we have not entered into this kind of dispute, nor have we formed our mind and plan to refute or confirm these things. But we have touched upon all these things in a brief speech so that the contentious fabrications of those who contradict might be revealed to all men, their own zeal having been laid open. It is pleasing, therefore, to review what is said about the Knowledge of the Stars original: "Mathesi", and I am concerned to touch upon everything said by them in a brief speech. For since we are about to explain the substance of the Knowledge of the Stars original: "Matheseos" and astrology, we ought not to linger longer in the works of others.

C