Petrus Apianus

Hoffmann, Carsten; Geus, Klaus: The cosmological treatise in Ms. Paris, BnF Éth. Abb. 109: introduction, text and translation with notes. In: Rassegna di studi Etiopici, ser. III, 4 (2020), pp. 61–87. [ISSN: 0390-0096].

Abstract
The present contribution examines a unique piece of Ethiopic literature, a short but quite comprehensive cosmological text, transmitted only in a late manuscript (Ms. Paris, BnF Éth. Abb. 109, 19th cent.?). It exhibits multi-faceted information, e.g., on planets, their respective sizes and revolutions, on celestial spheres, or on the influence of zodiacal signs. As the astronomical and astrological terminology, the names of the stars and planets, and the unit of measurement have, to our knowledge, no parallels in Ethiopic texts, but are similar to some Latin Renaissance handbooks (in the vein of Peter Apian or Christopher Clavius), we claim that the text derives ultimately from the Jesuit mission in Ethiopia. The most likely date of translation from Latin to Ethiopic is the early 17th century AD. Following the first edition of Ignatij Kračkovskij in 1912 and its re-edition by Sergey Frantsouzoff in 2015, we attempt to provide an improved Ethiopic text and an English translation. We also append some notes for the better understanding and reception of the text.