International Negotiation Series

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The Astrolabe

An ancient instrument for solving problems of location and distance, as well as time

Astrolábon órganon is the word used in Ptolemaeus Syntaxis 5.1 to describe a form of armillary sphere consisting of both fixed and rotating rings for determining the ecliptic co-ordinates of stars. Also called astrolabe were two-dimensional representations of the celestial sphere: over fixed disks with a representation of the horizon of the earth (in each case for a specific geographic latitude) and its parallels up to the zenith lies a rotating representation of the heavens (called ‘spider’ or ‘net’) with zodiac and indicators for some of the brightest stars. On the back is an indicator (‘alidade’) with visor plates for calculating the height of the stars. The astrolabe allows its user to determine the hours of day and night, the positions of stars, and the height and depth of objects on earth (mountains, buildings, wells). The oldest extant descriptions of the flat, planispheric astrolabe come from Iohannes Philoponus, 6th century AD, and (in Syrian) from Severus Sebokht, c. 660 AD. Indirect references may date back as early as Theon (4th cent.). Between the 8th and the 9th centuries the Arabs appropriated the knowledge of the astrolabe. At the end of the 10th century and again in the 12th century, they passed it on to Western Europe, where astrolabes were constructed up until the 17th cent. Today, one Byzantine astrolabe (from 1062) is extant, as are some 750 Arabic-Islamic astrolabes and approximately the same number of European astrolabes.

This information is abstracted from Brill's New Pauly, the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. For more information see www.brillsnewpauly.com or visit our website catalog: www.brill.nl/bnp
Brill’s New Pauly and the complete original Der Neue Pauly, the recognized standard reference works for students and scholars of the ancient world are also available online. This dual-language edition offers basic and advanced search facilities and is fully browsable. New English translations are added as they become available. See www.paulyonline.brill.nl for more information and a demo version.

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Publications & Services> Books> Book Series> International Negotiation Series

International Negotiation Series

Edited by Daniel Druckman, George Mason University, University of Queensland, and William Donohue, Michigan State University

Series


ISSN:	1871-3319

Standing Order Information

Readership

All those interested in negotiation, conference diplomacy, unofficial diplomacy, backchannel negotiation as well as negotiations among international and non-governmental organizations.

Editorial Board

Editorial Board:Jacob Bercovitch, University of Canterbury;Guy Faure, Sorbonne University;P. Terrence Hopmann, Brown University;Dean Pruitt, George Mason University;Linda Putnam, University of California at Santa Barbara;Bertram Spector, Center for Negotiation Analysis;William Zartman, Johns Hopkins University.International Advisory Board:Cecilia Albin, Uppsala University; Mary Bresnahan, Michigan State UniversityLarry Crump, Griffith University;Carsten de Dreu, University of Amsterdam; Cristhophe Dupont, Head Laboratory for Applied Studies and Research on Negotiation, ESC Lille;Serdar Güner, Bilkent University;Lloyd Jensen, Temple University; Tetsushi Okumura, Graduate School of Nagoya City University;Janice Stein, University of Toronto;Brian Tomlin, Carleton University;Saadia Touval, Johns Hopkins University;Arild Underdal, University of Oslo;James Wall, University of Missouri;Stephen Weiss, York University; Gilbert Winham, Dalhousie University .

International Negotiation Series is a peer-reviewed book series that examines negotiation from many perspectives, explores its theoretical foundations, and promotes its practical application. The Series includes both studies of conference diplomacy as well as those where the parties may interact at a distance. The Series also considers studies of third-party processes (mediation, facilitation, good officers) that occur in conjunction with negotiation. Negotiating parties may include national, sub-national, trans-national, and non-governmental organizations.
The editors would especially be interested in receiving comparative studies where at least two cases are included in the analysis. Although authored empirical studies are preferred, the editors will also consider theoretical or synthetic (as broad reviews of the literature) treatments of the subject as well as edited volumes.

Authors are cordially invited to submit proposals and/or full manuscripts to the series editors Daniel Druckman and William Donohue or the publisher Hendrik van Leusen.

For more information visit also the journal International Negotiation.

This product consists of the following titles

6. Peace Negotiations in the Shadow of Violence
Kristine Höglund, Uppsala University

5. Problem-Solving and Bargaining in International Negotiations
Lynn M. Wagner, International Institute for Sustainable Development

4. Meddlers or Mediators? African Interveners in Civil Conflicts in Eastern Africa
Gilbert M. Khadiagala, University of Witwatersrand

3. Negotiation and Construction of National Identities
Karim Mezran, Center for American Studies, Rome

2. Methods of Negotiation Research
Edited by Peter Carnevale, New York University and Carsten K.W. de Dreu, University of Amsterdam

1. Negotiating with Terrorists
Edited by I. William Zartman, Johns Hopkins University

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