The Rise and Fall of Latin Humanism in Early-Modern Russia

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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> The Rise and Fall of Latin Humanism in Early-Modern Russia

The Rise and Fall of Latin Humanism in Early-Modern Russia

Pagan Authors, Ukrainians, and the Resiliency of Muscovy

Max J. Okenfuss

Books

Available
Publication year: 1995


Series:	Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, 64
ISBN-13 (i)The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) has been changed from 10 to 13 digits on 1 January 2007:	978 90 04 10331 3
ISBN-10:	90 04 10331 7

Cover:	Cloth with dustjacket
Number of pages:	vi, 290 pp.

List price:	€ 99.00 / US$ 147.00

Reviews

'...will certainly attract the attention of those interested in the cultural history of Russia in the pre-Petrine, Petrine, and post-Petrine epochs...the book offers much interesting information...contains an extremely rich bibliography…'
Olga B. Strakhov, History of Education Quarterly, 1997.

Readership

All those interested in intellectual history, early modern Russia, Ukraine, or Eastern Europe, the reforms of Peter the Great, the Russian “Enlightenment,” or education in Russian history.

About the author(s)

Max J. Okenfuss, Ph.D. (1971) in History, Harvard, is Professor of Russian History at Washington University in St. Louis. He has published widely on the history of education in early modern Russia and has translated The Travel Diary of Peter Tolstoi.

The Rise and Fall of Latin Humanismus in Early Modern Russia argues that, between 1650 and 1789, Russia flirted with Western Europe's Latin Humanism. However, all levels of society, especially the nobility, consistently rejected the pagan authors of Latinate culture, propagated by Ukrainian clergy.
An examination of the printing industry, Latin teaching, and private libraries in Russia, and excursions into the thought of Russia's “enlighteners” demonstrate that Latin authors had little impact on Russia, especially the nobility, traditionally regarded as the advocate of Western educational and cultural values.
The book contributes to our understanding of the reforms of Peter the Great, of Catherine's “enlightened” reputation, of the origins of the intelligentsia, and of the cultural ties between Russians and the peoples they annexed in early modern times.

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