First Complete Latin Philo

in knowledge for the understanding of incorporeal things, whereas the eyes [serve] in light for the contemplation of bodies. This thing is profitable to men for many other benefits, and especially for that which is greatest, namely philosophy. For sight, drawn up by light to the celestial regions, and having considered the nature of the stars and their motion so harmonious—both the fixed circuits of the fixed stars and the wandering ones, while the former are always carried round in the same manner, but the latter move differently and use a double course in the opposite direction—moreover, at the rhythmic dance of all things together, beautifully agreeing with the laws of music, it excites an ineffable delight and pleasure in the soul. And thus enticed by various spectacles (for one is born from another), it attains no satiety of contemplating. After these things, as is customary, as curiosity proceeds further, it searches out what the essence of these visible things might be: whether they were generated, or had no beginning; what is the manner of their motion, and what are the causes by which individual things are dispensed. Truly, from such inquiries philosophy was born, than which no more perfect good has entered the life of men.

Moreover, the Creator, looking toward the idea of intelligible light—of which mention was made in the account of the incorporeal world—fashioned these sensible stars, divine and most beautiful images, which he placed in heaven as if in a most beautiful temple among corporeal essences for many reasons. First for the bringing of light, then for signs, then for the seasons by which the year is distinguished, and finally for days, months, and years, which are the measures of time, from which the nature of number was born. The use and utility that each of these provides is clear from their effects. But so that they may be observed more diligently, it would perhaps not be foreign to investigate the truth also by discourse.

Since all time is divided into two parts, day and night, the Father appointed the sun over the day as a great king, but the moon over the night together with the multitude of the other stars. To the magnitude of the solar virtue and power, those things just mentioned clearly bear witness. For although it is one and alone, it has obtained for its own and peculiar lot half of the whole of time, namely the day; but all the remaining stars together with the moon obtained the other half, which is called night. And when it has risen, all the stars that were visible are not only obscured, but even vanish before its diffused splendor. After its setting, in a single moment, they begin to display their forms.

Moreover, they were made, as he says, not only for emitting light upon the earth, but also that they might signify future things beforehand. For either by their rising and setting or eclipse, or by their emergence and occultation, or by other differences in their motions, men have knowledge of future things and foretell the abundance or scarcity of fruits, the increase or pestilence of living creatures, clear weather and clouds, the calm of the air and the storms of winds, the inundations and diminutions of rivers, the smoothness of the sea and the tempest, the inverted turns of the seasons of the year—when either summer behaves like winter, or winter is hot like summer, or spring resembles autumn, or conversely autumn a vernal temperance. Nor were there lacking those who predicted the shaking and movement of the earth from the observation of the heaven, and many other things with most certain outcome; so that it was most truly said that the stars were made for signs, and also for seasons. Furthermore, the seasons are to be understood as the four annual successions of the hours. And why not?