Essays on the Developing Law of Human Rights

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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> Essays on the Developing Law of Human Rights

Essays on the Developing Law of Human Rights

Loukis G. Loucaides

Books

Out of stock
Publication year: 1995


Series:	International Studies in Human Rights, 39
ISBN-13 (i)The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) has been changed from 10 to 13 digits on 1 January 2007:	978 07 92 33276 3
ISBN-10:	07 92 33276 8

Cover:	Hardback
Number of pages:	240 pp.

List price:	€ 149.00 / US$ 209.00

Table of contents

Preface. Part One. I: The Right to Information. II: Nullum crimen sine lege certa. III: Freedom of Speech of Civil Servants under the European Convention on Human Rights. IV: Personality and Privacy under the European Convention on Human Rights. V: Expulsion of Settlers from Occupied Territories - the Case of Turkish Settlers in Cyprus. Part Two. I: Responsibility under the European Convention on Human Rights: Objective or Subjective Test? II: Standards of Proof in Proceedings under the European Convention on Human Rights. III: The Role of the National Judge in the Trial and the Application of the European Convention on Human Rights. IV: Restrictions or Limitations on the Rights Guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. V: The Protection on Human Rights Pending the Settlement of Related Political Issues.

This collection offers the reader an exposition and critical analysis of certain human rights, such as the right to information and to personality. Some human rights issues of legal and also of political significance, including the protection of human rights pending the settlement of related political issues, are also examined. There is an emphasis on novel or debatable aspects which have hitherto been insufficiently explored, such as the scope of civil servants' freedom of speech, the expulsion of settlers from occupied territories, and whether the test of state responsibility for violations of human rights is objective or subjective. Most of the topics are examined in the context of the European Convention on Human Rights and, where relevant, reference is made to U.S. Supreme Court case law and international law. The book is intended for lawyers having a special interest in human rights.

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