The first written mention of astrology was found in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, where thousands of predictions of specific events from previous millennia were collected in the 7th century BC. Sumerian scholars, or ‘ummanu,’ used astrology not to describe people, but to predict the future. Their prophecies mainly concerned the lives of kings and events on a national scale.
Historians have discovered that around the 4th century BC, the ‘ummanu’ began to make astrological predictions for ordinary people.
These predictions usually covered the coming year, as the Sumerians did not know how to calculate the future position of the planets many years in advance. The predictions were specific, for example: ‘you will go on a long journey, during which you will have a child.’
Greek period: The emergence of natural philosophy and geometry in astrology
The practice of predicting the future based on the stars, which originated with the Sumerians, spread throughout the Middle East, including Egypt. In the 1st century BC, it made its way to Ancient Greece. Until then, astrology had been empirical in nature: predictions were compared with actual observations.
For example, Herodotus described the practice of the Egyptians as follows: ‘They can tell what fate awaits a person based on their date of birth. When a sign appears, they record what happened next, and if something similar happens again, they believe that the result will be similar.’
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In fact, astrology came to Greece even earlier. Historians know for certain that around 300 BC, the famous Babylonian astrologer Berossus arrived on the Greek island of Kos, where he founded a school of astrology and medicine, which Hippocrates later attended. Berossus’ prophecies were so accurate that, according to Pliny, a monument with a golden tongue was erected to him in Athens.
The Greeks, with their developed geometric thinking, quickly created a mathematical system of epicycles, differentials, and precession calculations, which allowed them to refine the position of the stars on the zodiacal circle. This gave a new impetus to the development of astrology.
It is important to note that astrology in the Greek period was also not related to psychology. It was entirely devoted to predictions and explanations of the influence of the planets within the scientific approach of the time. Vitruvius wrote in the 1st century about astrology, which came to Greece from the East: “From astrology and the calculations of the Chaldeans, we were able to learn what effect the twelve signs, the Sun, the Moon and the five planets have on human life. This art of prediction rightfully belongs to them; they are able to learn about past and future events using their astronomical calculations.
Many of them, native Chaldeans, left us their discoveries, the results of their insight and learning. The first was Berossus, who settled on the island of Kos and taught there, followed by the scholar Antipater, and then Achinapoulos.”
The Roman period: The political influence of astrology
From Greece, astrology spread to Rome, where those in power quickly appreciated its effectiveness. The first to take notice of astrology was Augustus. The historian Suetonius wrote: “In Apollonia, Augustus and Agrippa visited the astrologer Theogenus to learn about their future careers. Agrippa was predicted an incredibly successful future, while Augustus, feeling shy, did not want to reveal his time of birth. But when he finally disclosed the information, Theogen fell prostrate before him, as before the future emperor of Rome.”
When Augustus later became emperor, he surrounded himself with astrologers to take advantage of their gift of foresight. Astrologers became an important part of political life in ancient Rome. Emperors and noblemen hired experienced fortune tellers to warn them of impending dangers and help them plan important events.