Understanding the Ptolemaic System
Like today, people in the Medieval Ages used astronomy and cosmology to influence their writing and craft themes and ideas based on understanding the universe. And this is exactly what happened with the Ptolemaic System.
Cosmological Diagram, estimated 1496-1498, found in Eches amoureux (1)
What is the Ptolemaic System?
The Ptolemaic System was theorized in 150 CE by the Greek astronomist Ptolemy who took inspiration from Aristotle. It is a geocentric model. In short and simple terms, the Earth is the center of the universe, and all the other planets, stars, and the Sun revolve around it. It was widely accepted during the Middle Ages throughout both Europe and Islam.
A little more in-depth explanation
The Ptolemaic model consisted of nine cosmic spheres arranged in a strict hierarchy from top to bottom. The highest point was the Empyrean where God resided (aka highest heaven), and it was also the source of the Premium Mobile (Prime Mover). This was thought to affect everything else in the universe either through its own movement or if you believed in Christianity through God's will. (2)
Beneath the Empyrean, the Stellatum existed, sometimes called the Circle of Fixed Stars(9), which was a sphere with holes "through which the fire of God shines all the way down through the rest of the spheres and is visible on Earth"(2). This light is now known as the millions of stars and constellations we see each night.
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| The sublunary sphere, est. late 14th century, found in Brevari d'amour (1) |
Below the moon exists the sublunary sphere. This is where the four elements (water, fire, air, and earth) dwelled and contended with one another. The sublunary realm, unlike the heavens, was subject to constant and unpredictable change(3).
And in the centermost of all the spheres is the Earth. Earth was the center of God's attention. Ironically, it was also the most distanced from the Empyrean and therefore the most subject to straying away from God (2).
Everything lived in perfect harmony with each other. The spheres moved in a circular motion mirroring God's perfectedness and it created the "music of the spheres" (1). However, Man inhabited the sublunary sphere which was corruptible ever since Adam's fall, and due to the fall, humans could no longer hear this music from God.
Ptolemaic System's Impact on the Medieval Ages and Literature
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| The Great Chain of Being within the spheres (4) |
Fun Fact: There is usually a line drawn between men and women separating them from being rational creatures (God, angels, and man) to irrational creatures (women and animals).
The Great Chain of Being was also represented as objective and subjective hierarchies. In objective texts, the hierarchy is non-malicious and unprejudiced. This is shown in Wolfram Van Eschenback's Parzial. It is the German version of the Quest for the Holy Grail. Hierarchical thinking exists mainly in the character of Ferefiz. He is both black and white, and non-Christian. Due to his being non-Christian, he is not able to find the "Gral." It is not with a malicious intent that he is unable to find the "Gral" it is simply put that since the stone is an object of God and he does not believe in God he is not able to see the stone(2). In subjective texts, the hierarchy of everything has its natural place, and those who believe in God are better than others. This is seen within the French Epic The Song of Roland(5). In the epic, anyone who is not Christian is introduced as a heathen and product of the devil, meanwhile, the Christian leader is presented as a conqueror and champion (2).
As a desire to reflect the perfectness of God, the Ptolemaic system often has a recurring number three due to it being considered the Prime number, reflecting the Christian Trinity, and being able to perfectly divide into itself. This explains why there are nine spheres within the system(2). Oftentimes, within Medieval literature, the number three is mentioned in some way, especially in religious pieces. It is usually symbolic of the Holy Trinity, and in this case, sometimes the three heavenly spheres.
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| Earthly paradise, Nicolas de Lyre (1) |
Medieval writers believed that various planets, or the Empyrean could influence the events that happened on Earth. This belief was widespread and often demonstrated in literature. For instance, in Chaucer's Wife of Bath(7), the lines read, "Venus gave me lust, my amorousness, / And Mars gave me my sturdy boldness" (3).
Oftentimes, pieces of literature explained the Ptolemaic System and how it worked. Dante in Paradiso(6) gives an in-depth explanation of the understanding of the Premium Mobile as the Christian God: "The nature of the universe, which holds / the center still and moves all else around it, / starts here as from a boundary line. / This heave has no other where / but in the mind of God, in which is kindled" (3). Additionally, in Dante's La Vita Nova and Divina Commedia, the writings follow the form of the universe, and each is written to match the hierarchical structure of the Ptolemaic System (2).
So Why Does the Ptolemaic System Matter?
Although the Ptolemaic System obviously is disproven today, it still has a huge impact on Medieval literature and culture. It completely changed the way people thought about themselves and the hierarchal structure as a whole. They used the Ptolemaic System as a basis for understanding theology and philosophy. It became so ingrained in their culture, that even after the system was disproven, writers still continued to use the ideas of the Ptolemaic System in their pieces. We cannot think of the Medieval Ages, as modern readers, as out of touch, because most of the main themes and ideas we see today came from Medieval literature. Overall, it is so interesting to see how astrology and cosmology played a significant role in what Medieval writers wrote about, and how those ideas still carry on in literature today.
Resources
1. Jokinen, Anniina. “Medieval Cosmology.” Luminarium.
31 Jan 2012. Accessed Sep. 10, 2024. http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/medievalcosmology.htm
2. Donaldson, Mark-Allan. "The Ptolemaic System and the Ramifications of Hierarchical Thinking; The Impact of Medieval Literature." CUNY Academic Works. 2016. Accessed Sep. 10, 2024. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1657&context=cc_etds_theses
3. Faletra, Michael. "Medeival Cosmology," 2017. Accessed Sep. 10, 2024. https://michaelfaletra.weebly.com/medieval-cosmology.html
4. Curry, Willow. "The Great Chain of Being." Mar. 13, 2017. Accessed Sep. 10, 2024. https://medium.com/@willathewisp/the-great-chain-of-being-715bc9162f82
5. Tuldor, and Jessie Crosland. The Song of Roland, 1999, www.yorku.ca/inpar/roland_crosland.pdf.
6. Dante, and Courtney Langon. Paradiso, Harvard University Press, 1921, Accessed Sep. 10, 2024. https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/langdon-the-divine-comedy-vol-3-paradiso-english-trans
7. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Accessed Sep. 10, 2024. https://chaucer.fas.harvard.edu/pages/wife-baths-prologue-and-tale-0
8. Chaucer, Geoffrey, and A.S. Kline. The House of Fame. Poetry in Translation, 2017. Accessed Sep. 10, 2024. https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/English/Fame.php
9. The University of Texas at Austin. "Dante's Paradiso and Fixed Stars." Instructional Technology Services. Accessed Sep. 10, 2024. https://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/paradiso/08fixedstars.html
Oh, this is such a interesting topic! It's so capturing to understand the world the way people used to perceive it and compare that to the technology and intelligence about the topic in today's world. Of course people used to think the earth was the center of everything because how else would they process life?
ReplyDeleteI am so intrigued by this idea, and I especially enjoyed the section about why the ptolemaic system matters. I thought the idea that other planets could influence events on Earth was so interesting because I had never heard that before. All of your information is organized so nicely, too.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really interesting how you pointed out the irony present in Earth being the furthest away from Empyrean and therefore the most subject to straying away from God. I never considered that before and how that fits with the Great Chain of Being. Cool stuff.
ReplyDeleteI have a really baseline understanding of the Ptolemaic system, so it was really interesting to learn so much more about it here! I appreciated your in-depth look at the cosmic spheres, and one detail I found intriguing was the idea that Earth was the most subject to straying from God given its distance from the Empyrean sphere. It's always so interesting to learn how people rationalized the universe. Your post is articulated really well and I loved your look at how this system impacted literature and informed the Great Chain of Being. Great post, thank you!
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