Walters Ms. W.734, Hyginus, Astronomica St. Augustine commentary on Resurrection <note type="title" xml:id="n668.077758">Fragmentary</note> Astronomica Astronomica Hyginus, C. Julius Hyginus Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430 St. Augustine Principal cataloger Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and researchers since 1934 Cataloger Mackin, Elliot Editor Herbert, Lynley Contributor Emery, Doug Contributor Han, Yuna Contributor Tabritha, Ariel Contributor Wiegand, Kimber Conservator Quandt, Abigail The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.

 This manuscript, W. 734, is a thirteenth-century copy of an astronomical treatise, Astronomica, attributed to the first century Roman scholar Gaius Julius Hyginus. There is some question as to whether or not the unpolished Latin prose of the Astronomica was in fact by the learned scholar Hyginus. Regardless, this text was in circulation in western Europe along with other astronomical and astrological works by the ninth century. Illustrated Carolingian versions of the texts often faithfully imitated classical models in both style and detail. No illustrated Carolingian examples of Hyginus still survive, however a manuscript of Hyginus from 988 by Ademar, a monk at Saint-Martial of Limoges, seems to be faithfully copied from a Carolingian model. The most distinctive feature of the iconography of W.734 is the miniature of the two stars of Cancer, the “Aselli,” drinking from a trough. This image type recalls a very small collection of ninth century manuscripts (cf. Madrid Bibl. Nacional, cod. 3307) dating between ca. 820-828, and W.734 is reminiscent of Carolingian style as well. The text of the Astronomica itself addresses various cosmographical topics including the Earth and the spheres, the mythological legends connected with the constellations, the planets, the arrangement of the stars in the constellations, the circles of the celestial sphere and the movements of the planets, the sun and the moon, and their appearance. This copy likely dates to ca. 1200, however pinpointing its place of creation has proven more complicated, with its parchment and script having been linked to Italy, while France or Spain have also been suggested as a place of origin. Baltimore The Walters Art Museum W.734 The primary language in this manuscript is Latin. 1r - 22v Astronomica Ubi - i,v ii,r - LBi St. Augustine commentary on Resurrection <note type="title" xml:id="n668.077812">Fragmentary</note> (P)oud viri ut femine ipprio fexu resurgent Pleriq ppt hoc dic apt's Commentary on the Resurrection by St. Augustine Fragmentary text used for back and front pastedowns and flyleaves 1r - 22v Astronomica Et site studio gramatice artis Book I, opening paragraph of book II (myths of book II missing), book III, first chapter of book IV missing, text of book IV beginning with chapter II, breaks off in chapter VIII, recommences with chapter XII and ends with the final sentences of chapter XIII, chapters XXIX and XL from otherwise missing second book, relating the fables of Hydra and Ara with slight modifications, are combined with chapters XXVIII and XXXIX on Hydra and Ara from book III, chapter XXIX of book III lacks the paragraph on "nodum caelestem" Hyginus text lacks the title: "Liber Hygini Periti Magistri de Astronomia Hyginus M Fabio Plurimam Salutem" which is frequently found in other similar manuscripts

Thick, low-quality parchment, with many original holes and repairs; paste-downs and flyleaves reused from twelfth-century commentary on St. Augustine; very lightly ruled in lead, pricked margins; guide letters along inner margin

 Foliation: i+22+i16.8 12.0 16.8 12.3 Layout does not apply to fragmentary text from St. Augustine's commentary on Resurrection: 1 column, 20 lines Caroline script, red rubrics and accents with black script Text in early Gothic miniscule in black ink; front and back flyleaves with St. Augustine's commentary Caroline miniscule Small pen-drawn miniatures fols. 5v, 6r, 6v, 7r, 7v, 8r, 8v, 9r, 9v, 10r, 10v, 11r, 11v, 12r, 12v, 13r, 13v, 14r, 20r, and 20v 39 small pen drawings throughout depicting constellations in simple outlines touched in red Antophylax, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor with Draco, Corona Pen drawing Hercules and Lyra Pen drawing Cygnus and Cepheus Pen Drawing Cassiopea and Andromeda Pen drawing Perseus Pen Drawing Auriga and Ophiuchus (Serpentarius) Pen Drawing Sagitta (arrow nearly chopped off), Aquila holding book Pen drawing

It is possible that the eagle holding a book is a reference to John the Evangelist.

 Delphinus, Equuleus or Pegasus, Deltothon Pen Drawing

Winged horse usually depicts Pegasus, here seems to show Pegasus' offspring or brother Equuleus

 Aries and Taurus Pen Drawing Gemini and Cancer Pen Drawing Leo and Virgo Pen Drawing Scorpio and Sagittarius Pen Drawing

Sagittarius depicted as Satyr

 Capricornus and Aquarius Pen Drawing Pisces, Pistrix, Eridanis Pen Drawing

Pistrix commonly known as Cetus

 Lepos, Orion, Canis Pen Drawing Prochion, Argo, Centarius Pen Drawing Ara and Hydra Pen drawing Piscis Pen Drawing Aselli (Two Asses) Pen Drawing Luna Pen Drawing Sol Pen Drawing

Not executed

Modern red velvet

 12th century CE France, Spain, or Italy (?), flyleaves and pastedown Italian Created in twelfth century in France, Spain, or Italy, likely based upon a Carolingian model E. P. Goldschmidt, 1937, cat. 44, no. 12 Walters Art Gallery acquired from Goldschmidt, 1947, cat. 82, no. 1 Museum purchase, 1947 Relevant Works Miner, Dorothy. "Since de Ricci—Western Illuminated Manuscripts Acquired since 1934. A Report in Two Parts: Part II. Journal of the Walters Art Gallery 31/32 (1968/1969): 40-118, pp. 83-87. Art Medicine Museum Poetry Script Muhammad, the Prophet Kashmiri Horses Walters Art Museum Document Astrology Devotion History Legal Literature -- Poetry Literature -- Prose Liturgy Philosophy Science Science -- Medicine Scripture Sufism Theology Mineralogy Logic Geography Geomancy Cosmology Cartography Fortune-telling Koran Qur`an Firman Palimpsest Prayer Bible Gospels Psalter Missal Lectionary Book of Hours Antiphonary Homilary Processional Horologion Breviary Hymnal Chronicle Maghreb Sub-Saharan (West) Africa Turkey Afghanistan Central Asia Egypt England India Iran Iraq Pakistan Germany France Austria Netherlands Ethiopia Armenia Flanders Greece Mamluk Mughal Ottoman Ottonian Armenian Byzantine Abbasid Qajar Rajput Christian Arabic Austrian Dutch Egyptian Fatimid German Indian Islamic Persian Safavid Timurid Turkish Umayyad English French Flemish Ethiopian Carolingian Calligraphy Colophon Headpiece Illumination Illustration Medallion Miniature Ornament Painting Early Abbasid script Ragini Romanesque Gothic Watermark Grotesques Historiated initial Inhabited initial White-vine lettering Textura Batarda Humanistic Uncial Accordion book Album Book Codex Manuscript Heraldry Saint's Life Drawing Grisaille New Abbasid style Musical notation Russia Romania Charter Russian Genealogy Mass book Prayer book Gospel Lectionary Psalter-Hours Treatise Grammar Gloss Pontifical Private devotional text Gradual Protective scroll Scroll 10th century 11th century 12th century 13th century 14th century 15th century 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century 20th century 8th century 9th century Block book Caroline minuscule Central Arab lands (Near East) Chart English secretary hand Kufic Gothic book hand Original binding Treasure binding Gospel Book Spanish Spain Italian Italy Coptic Scrapbook American United States Maryland Historical Society Friendship book Friendship Biography Judaism Talmud Collection of Sermons Notable Notable binding Textbook Scholarly compendium Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Literature Japanese Japan Liturgical Devotional Scriptural Theological Legal Historical Scientific Scientific -- Medical Literary -- Prose Literary -- Poetry Philosophical Astrological Sufi English Treatise French Book Codex Manuscript Walters Art Museum France 12th century Astrology Science Illustration