Orvosi asztrológia Galeotto Marzio De doctrina promiscua című művében
Medical Astrology in De doctrina promiscua by Galeotto Marzio

Summary/Abstract: Galeotto Marzio’s De doctrina promiscua, dedicated to Lorenzo de’ Medici, is a treatise dealing with medical astrology, astronomy, herbs, and medicines. In this paper I examine how the idea of human life determined by the stars is related to contemporary Florentine intellectual life. From 1461 onwards Galeotto frequently stayed at the Buda court of King Matthias Corvinus, where, so he claims, he was very popular due to his erudition and witty manners. But since later Galeotto’s friends and patrons in Hungary had died following the failed conspiracy against King Matthias in 1472, and since the conflict with the Ottomans and Emperor Frederick III took up most of the time and attention of the king, Galeotto had to look for a new patron. Therefore it seems plausible that Galeotto intended to obtain some position (perhaps a professorship) with the help of Lorenzo de’ Medici in Italy. An intriguing aspect of the relation between Galeotto’s treatise and the dedicatee is the fact that the author’s doctrines often contradict the ideas generally held by leading Florentine intellectuals around the Medici family. For this reason, I intend to examine the subjects which, despite Galeotto’s bold way of thinking, might have met a favourable reception in the contemporary Florentine intellectual milieu. I suppose that one of the aspects that Lorenzo himself appreciated may have been the choice of a predominantly astrological topic for the treatise. Therefore, I wish to present in brief the astrological concepts formulated in the De doctrina, then I examine how they are related to the presence of astrology in contemporary Florence.

• Details
• Contents