Below, the complete text of VII.i, as translated by RC Taliaferro, published in Volume 16 of the Great Books of the Western World series (©1952 by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc).
We’ve reproduced his text verbatim; bracketed insertions are RCT’s.
The switch from one paragraph per zodiac figure for Hipparchus’s lines to a single run-on paragraph containing all of Ptolemy’s line is found not just in Taliaferro’s rendition, but also in the definitive Greek text as compiled by Heiberg.
While we believe that this reproduction is ‘fair use’ of the material per US Copyright law, we have reached out to Britannica to formally ask their permission; they have not responded.
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So far in this treatise, Syrus, we have gone through the accidents relative to the right and oblique sphere, and then those relative to the hypotheses of the movements of the sun and moon and of the configurations considered according to those movements. Now, for the theory to follow, we shall begin a discussion of the stars – and first, naturally, of those called fixed.
This must first of all be understood: that, as far as this term is concerned, because the stars always appear to keep similar figures and equal distances with respect to each other, we would do well to call them “fixed”. But, because the whole sphere of them, on which they hang (as it were) and revolve, appears itself to move eastward toward the prime movement’s rising with a proper ordered motion, it would not be right to call that sphere “fixed”. For we find both of these views to be true, judging from the results of a great stretch of time. And Hipparchus first, from the appearances he had, suspected both of these things; but for the most part conjectured rather than affirmed them because of the very few observations on the fixed stars that had been made before him, which were only those recorded by Aristyllus and Timocharis and which were uncertain and not worked over. And we, from a comparison of what is observed now with what was observed then, have come to the same conclusion, but more sure because the examination has taken place over a longer time, and because Hipparchus’ own laborious records concerning the fixed stars (with respect to which we, for the most part, made the comparisons) have been furnished us.
If the present appearances agree with the records of Hipparchus, then it would be clear to anyone wishing to pursue the investigation and truthfully examine, that no change has hitherto taken place in their position with respect to each other, but the configurations observed by Hipparchus are seen to be absolutely the same now. This is true not only of those inside the zodiac with respect to each other or those outside (which would be the case if, as Hipparchus first supposed, only those stars around the zodiac made an eastward change in the order of the signs) but also of those inside with respect to those outside and far off.
And we shall now set out here, for an easy test, a few of the records which can be most readily grasped and which can bring to view the complete comparison by which it is shown that the observed configurations contained by those outside are the same with respect to each other and those inside the zodiac.
In the case of the stars in the Crab, he writes that the star in the southern claw of the Crab, the bright star west of this and the head of the Water Snake [Hydra], and the bright star among those in the Little Dog [Procyon] are very nearly in a straight line. For the middle one lies to the north and east of the straight line between the ends of 1 ½ digit, and the distances between them are equal.
In the case of the stars in the Lion, he writes that, of the four in the Lion’s head, the eastern two and the one at the beginning of the Water Snake’s neck are on the same straight line; and again, that the straight line drawn through the Lion’s tail and the star at the tip of the Bear’s tail leaves the bright star under the Bear’s tail 1 digit to the west; likewise that the straight line through the star under the Bear’s tail and through the Lion’s tail joins the western stars in Berenice’s Hair.
In the case of the stars of the Virgin, he says that, between the Virgin’s northern foot and the Ploughman’s [Boötes] right foot, lie two stars of which the southern and bright one (like that in the Ploughman’s foot) lies west of the straight line through the feet, and the northern and half bright one is on a straight line with the feet. He further says that, west of the half bright one of these two, there are two bright ones making with it an isosceles triangle whose vertex is the half bright one; and they are on a straight line with Arcturus and the Virgin’s southern foot. Again, he says that between Spica and the second from the end of the Water Snake’s tail lie three stars in a straight line with one another; and the middle one of these is in a straight line with Spica and the second star from the end of the Water Snake’s tail.
In the case of the stars in the Balance [i.e., the claws of the Scorpion], he says that very nearly in a straight line with the bright stars of the Balance, to the north, is a bright triple star. For on each side of it lies a small one.
In the case of the stars of the Scorpion, he says that the straight line drawn through the eastern one in the center of the Scorpion and through the right knee of Serpentarius bisects the distance between the western stars in the right foot of Serpentarius. He also says that the firth and seventh joints are in a straight line with the bright star in the middle of the Censer [Ara]; moreover, that the more northern of those in the Censer’s base is almost in a straight line with the fifth joint and the star in the middle of the Censer, being nearly equidistant from both.
In the case of the stars of the Archer, he says that in the Circle [Southern Crown] under the Archer toward the east lie two bright stars about three cubits from each other; moreover, that the more southern and brighter, in the Archer’s foot, is very nearly in a a straight line with the middle star of those three bright ones in the Circle lying eastward and with the eastern star of the opposite bright ones in the Quadrilateral; and the two distances between them are equal. The northern one of them is off the straight line to the east, but is in a straight line with the bright and opposite ones in the Quadrilateral.
In the case of the stars of the Water Bearer, he says that the two consecutive stars in the Horse’s head and the eastern shoulder of the Water Bearer are very nearly in a straight line, to which is parallel the straight line drawn from the western shoulder of the Water Bearer to the star in the Horse’s jaws. And again he says that the Water Bearer’s western shoulder and the bright star of the two in the Horse’s [Pegasus] throat and the star in the horse’s navel are in a straight line, and the distances equal; and that the straight line through the Horse’s muzzle and through the eastern star of the four in the Urn very nearly bisects at right angles the straight line between the two consecutive stars in the Horse’s head.
In the case of the stars in the Fishes, he says that the star in the mouth of the southern Fish, the bright star in the Horse’s shoulders, and the bright star in his breast are in a straight line.
In the case of the stars in the Ram, he says that the western star of the Triangle’s base lies one digit east of the straight line drawn through the star in the Ram’s jaw and the left foot of Andromeda; and also that the western stars in the Ram’s head and the midpoint of the Triangle’s base are in a straight line.
In the case of the stars in the Bull, he says that the eastern stars of the Hyades and the sixth star, counting from the south, of the hide which Orion holds in his left hand are in a straight line; and that the straight line drawn through the Bull’s western eye and the seventh from the south of those in the hide leaves the bright star of the Hyades a digit to the north.
In the case of the stars in the Twins, he says that in a straight line with the Twin’s heads there is a star east of the eastern head by a distance three times that between the heads, and that this same star is in a straight line with the more southern of those about the little nebula.
Now, in these and similar configurations affording a comparison for nearly the whole sphere we see nothing changed up to now. And such a change would have been certainly sensible in the intervening two hundred and sixty years if only those stars about the ecliptic had made a movement to the east.
In order that those after us may make a comparison over a longer time from more configurations of the same kind, beginning with the stars in the Ram, we shall also set out those configurations most easily grasped of all those not given in the older record but obtained by us.
Now, of the three stars in the Ram’s head the more northern two, the bright one in the southern knee of Perseus and the star called Capella are in a straight line. Again the straight line joining Capella and the bright star of the Hyades [Aldeberan] leaves a little to the east the star in the Charioteer’s [Auriga] western foot. And Capella, and the star common to the Charioteer’s eastern foot and the northern end of the Bull’s horns, and the star in Orion’s western shoulder are in a straight line. Again, the bright stars in the Twins’ heads and the bright star in the Water Snake’s throat are very nearly in a straight line. Yet again, the two consecutive stars in the Bear’s forefoot, the star at the top of the Scorpion’s northern claw, and the more southern of the Asses are in a straight line. Likewise the southern Ass, the bright star in the Little Dog [Procyon], and the bright star between them, west of the Water Snake’s head, are very nearly in a straight line. Furthermore, the straight line drawn from the middle star of the bright ones in the Lion’s throat to the bright star in the Water Snake leaves the star of the Lion’s heart a little to the east. The straight line from the bright star in the Lion’s loin to the bright star in the back of the Bear’s thigh, which is south of the eastern side of the quadrilateral, leaves a little to the west the two consecutive stars in the Bear’s eastern foot. Again, the straight line from the star in the back of the Virgin’s thigh to the second star from the end of the Water Snake’s tail leaves a bit to the west the star called Spica. The straight line from Spica to the star in the Ploughman’s head leaves Arcturus a bit to the east. Spica and the stars on the Raven’s wings are in a straight line. Spica, the star in the back of the Virgin’s thigh, and the bright northern star in the Ploughman’s western calf are in a straight line. Again, the bright stars in the Balance and the star at the tip of the Water Snake’s tail are very nearly in a straight line. The bright star in the southern Claw, Arcturus, and the middle star of the three in the Big Bear’s tail are in a straight line. The bright star in the northern Claw, Arcturus, and the star in the back of the Bear’s thigh are in a straight line. Again the star on the eastern shin of Serpentarius, the star in the Scorpion’s fifth joint, and the western star of the two consecutive ones in its centre are in a straight line. The western star of the three in the Scorpion’s breast and the two in Serpentarius’ knees makes an isosceles triangle, whose vertex is the western star of the three in the breast. Again, the star on the Archer’s southern and forward ankle and of second magnitude, the star on the barb, and the star in Serpentarius’ eastern knee are in a straight line. The star in the knee of the Archer’s same foot, near the Crown, the star on the barb, and the star in Serpentarius’ western knee are in a straight line. Again, the straight line joined from the bright star [Vega] in the Lyre to the star in the Goat’s [Capricorn] horns leaves a little to the east the bright star in the Eagle [Aquila]. The straight line from the bright star in the Eagle to the star of the first magnitude in the mouth of the southern Fish nearly bisects the distance between the two bright stars in the Goat’s tail. Moreover, the straight line from the star of the first magnitude in the mouth of the southern Fish to the star in the Horse’s muzzle leaves a little to the east the bright star in the Water Bearer’s eastern shoulder. Again, the stars in the mouths of the two southern Fishes and the western stars of the square in the Horse are in a straight line.
And finally, if one should compare these configurations with those of the constellations on Hipparchus’ solid sphere, he would find the positions gotten by the observations of that time and recorded on the sphere to be very nearly the same as those gotten now.