Re: VMs: George of Trebizond...?

["Larry Roux" <lroux@xxxxxxx>]

Wow.  Seems, at the very least a freaky coincidence.


******************************
Larry Roux
Syracuse University
lroux@xxxxxxx
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>>> incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 02/12/03 16:16 PM >>>
Hi Rene,

>There are two works of Monfasani on Trebizond
>in the Brill series. You may find the earlier one
>(A biography and a study of his rhetoric and
>logic) more interesting. It gave me the idea
>that Trebizond was remarkably well equipped
>to be the VMs writer. It also contains some
>details about his horoscope - no picture IIRC.
>And the wonderful detail that, as a sexagenarian,
>he was a bit too fond of pretty young girls.
>Any good old VMs enthousiast, ready to jump to
>conclusions (aren't we all? ) will understand
>the significance of that :-)

Claudio has just sent me Trebizond's horoscope (based on the birth details 
just posted). I find it   interesting for two (quite separate) reasons:-
(1) having been to one of Bob Zoller's seminars on medieval astrology, it 
is immediately obvious (to me at least) that his midheaven (MC) would 
(stepping forward one degree per year) conjunct with his 12th house (house 
of secrets etc) Mars round about when he was about 70 (say, from about 65 
to 75). So: I'm sure Bob would have had no hesitation in predicting a surge 
in secret sexual activity during Trebizond's late sixties. :-)
(2) Note that although Trebizond's sun is in Aries, it's his *moon* that is 
in Pisces, which is (presumably) the particular malign influence he was 
complaining about. :-o

So: I'm pretty sure David Pingree did get it correct. :-)

Claudio gives (degree sign minute):-
         Sun     23Ari49
         Moon     5Pis08
         Merc    20Ari51
         Venu     7Tau55
         Mars    11Ari09
         Jupi    1Gem38
         Satu    20Sco55 (Retrograde)
         Asc     17Tau10
         MC      29Cap57 (ie, cusp)

These are counting up from zero: so (unless I've got this wrong) it would 
be correct to say that Trebizond's natal moon was in the sixth degree of 
Pisces, his sun in the 24th degree of Aries, etc.

Now - the bizarre thing is this: if you count the VMS zodiac degrees in the 
way I've previously suggested seems most logical (ie, clockwise, inner ring 
first, starting from 10 o'clock), then...
Sun     Pisces degree 6 nymph           male
Moon    Aries degree 24 nymph           male
Merc    Aries degree 21 nymph           male
Venu    Taurus degree 8 nymph           male (though hard to tell)
Mars    Aries degree 12 nymph           (hard to tell)
Jupi    Gemini degree 2 nymph           (hard to tell)
Satu    Scorpio degree 22 nymph female (I think)

If this is true, then - given that there are so few male nymphs - how 
statistically likely is this?

Could this be the mechanism by which Trebizond's horoscope is 
steganographically hidden within the VMS zodiac pages? Could Trebizond, 
drawing these diagrams, have encoded the planetary positions in his own 
natal chart by representing them as male figures, surrounded by a mass of 
female figures?

Discuss! :-)

>Did Trebizond ever see the copy of Ptolemy's
>handy tables that are now Vat.Gr.1291? It's
>by itself extremely likely. If he did, he may
>well have written about it. John Monfasani
>might even know. I actually never contacted him
>about the VMs since IMHO this is such a long
>shot, but Nick, if you are already in contact
>with him, it might be possible to find out.

I'll be perfectly happy to ask Monfasani but really only after I've 
properly checked out his two books (as a matter of professional courtesy etc).

Note: his opinion of this whole possibility? "Quite extraordinary". :-)

>The handwriting of his son, on the other hand, has
>a typical elegant humanist trait.

Hmmm... if his son was a code-maker... who knows! :-)

Cheers, .....Nick Pelling.....

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