Mutatio, variatio ac alteratio. An Astrological Prediction and its Impact on the Work of Philotheus of Pskov and Franciscus Skorina

Kakridis, Ioannis (2024). Mutatio, variatio ac alteratio. An Astrological Prediction and its Impact on the Work of Philotheus of Pskov and Franciscus Skorina. In: Slavia Orthodoxa and Balkania Orthodoxa. Αφιέρωμα στον καθηγητή Κωνσταντίνο Γ. Νιχωρίτη (pp. 319-329). Thessaloniki: OSF

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In their Almanach nova plurimis annis venturis inseruientia (1st edition: 1499), the German astronomers Johann Stöffler and Jacoub Pflaum pointed out that no less than 20 planetary conjunctions were bound to happen in February 2024, presaging «indubitable mutation, variation and alteration» for the whole world. In Muscovy, this prediciton was popularized by Nicolaus Bulow (Булев), the Great Prince's personal doctor, and made a revered ascet of the time, monk Philotheus (Филофей) of Pskov, to articulate for the first time the doctrine of Moscow as the Third Rome. In the Great Duchy of Lithuania, Franciscus Skorina incorporated the German astronomers' prediction in the calendar that forms the last part of his liber viaticus, the Малая подорожная книжка of 1522. The fact that Philotheus of Pskov rejected astrology doesn't mean that he was in favor of scientific rationalism. Neither can Skorina's acceptance of it be counted as a sign of irrationalism. The real issue was not natural science, but the vision of history that goes along with astrology. Biblical eschatology, which informed Philotheus' thought, is not compatible with any theory that makes historical events dependent on the cyclical movement of celestial bodies.

Item Type:	Book Section (Book Chapter)
Division/Institute:	06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Linguistics and Literary Studies > Institute of Slavic Languages and Literatures
UniBE Contributor:	Kakridis, Ioannis
Subjects:	100 Philosophy > 180 Ancient, medieval & eastern philosophy 200 Religion > 220 The Bible 200 Religion > 230 Christianity & Christian theology 400 Language > 490 Other languages 500 Science > 520 Astronomy 800 Literature, rhetoric & criticism > 890 Other literatures 900 History > 910 Geography & travel 900 History > 940 History of Europe
ISBN:	978-960-656-218-1
Publisher:	OSF
Language:	Multilingual
Submitter:	Patrick Michel Williner
Date Deposited:	08 Jul 2024 12:18
Last Modified:	08 Jul 2024 12:18
Related URLs:	Author Publisher Publisher Publication
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Almanach nova plurimis annis venturis inseruientia, Johann Stöffler, Jacoub Pflaum, Astrological Prediction, Astrology, Astrology and History, Astronomy, Biblical Eschatology, Scientific rationalism, Nicolaus Bulow (Николай Булев), Philotheus of Pskov (Филофей) (Φιλοθέος), Third Rome, Franciscus Skorina, Малая подорожная книжка
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/198533