The Emperor’s

Astronomy

original: "Astronomicum Caesareum"

The historian, the minister of divine things, and the master of wisdom,
Will here recognize his own concerns, if he wishes to know what is good.
For the admirer of antiquity shall assign the proper times to events,
While he truly recounts the stories of the past.
The leader of sacred rites Referring to the clergy or those responsible for the liturgical calendar. will learn to balance the nights with the days,
And by this means, determine the proper dates for his festivals.
And the investigator of nature will perceive the wonders of a comet,
Things neither spoken of nor witnessed by any before.
But let those with hearts scorched by envy be wary,
For this defect prevents a person from seeing the truth.

original: "UMBRA TERRE" — this text appears at the center of the large circular diagram on the lower half of the page, which represents the Earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse.

The circular diagram at the bottom is the base of a "volvelle," a complex paper instrument with moving parts. The colorful "dragons" or serpents represent the lunar nodes—the points where the moon's path crosses the sun's path—which are essential for predicting eclipses.