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Stoics, and the Stoics applied astrological practices.
Romans traditionally had a great interest in the supernatural and the magical; even Tacitus in his Annals
placed great faith in astrological prophecy. They were curious, generally open-minded, but also highly
susceptible to fraud and manipulation, both personal and political. The possibilities for abuse convinced
powerful men that astrology would be far too dangerous, and so a series of expulsions took place.
Tiberius, as he did with actors, executed all foreign astrologers in 16 A.D. and exiled all Italian
practitioners, this despite his great faith in his own seer, THRASYLLUS. In 52 A.D., Claudius banished
astrologers, and Vitellius ordered them out of Rome again in 69. In response, the astrologers issued a notice
predicting accurately the day of his demise.
Vespasian had his own seers and granted privileges to BALBILLUS and his city of Ephesus because of his
proficiency in the art. In 70, however, finding predictions about his reign a nuisance, he banished everyone
connected to astrology.
The most intriguing political use of astrology came circa 95 A.D., when Domitian consulted the diviners
about the charts of the men in the Empire who might aspire to the throne. He then systematically
exterminated them, overlooking Nerva because of his age. In time, Nerva became emperor.
While rulers of the early and middle Empire would ban or execute astrologers, no pogrom was launched
and no laws were passed to outlaw the practice of the art. The closest law was that of Augustus, in 11
A.D., which forbade the prediction of anyone's death and also prohibited forecasting in private.
Astrology, however, was never illegal in Rome, and its popularity made it difficult to erase.
The Eastern Cults, which flooded Rome as its empire grew, very often contained many traditional
astrological elements; Mithras was intensely popular and largely based on astrology. Influenced by the
Mesopotamians and hence Babylonian notions, Mithraism was followed by many legionaries and
commoners, placing astrology into the very lowest, hence most populous elements of the Empire's
citizenry.
Like paganism, astrology could not openly survive orthodox Christianity, which was at odds with all
such practices and traditions. Through political pressure, Constantius II in 357 proclaimed divinition a
crime punishable by death. Astrology was only one of a wider number of divinatory practices in the
Empire. There were auspices, omens and the state-administered college of Augura (see AUGURS AND
AUGURY). But for capturing the public interest and imagination, all paled alongside astrology.
¤ ASTRONOMY A field of interest that was heavily influenced by the East and then developed into an
actual science under the Greeks. The Romans had their choice of numerous astronomical theories, but
astronomy suffered intellectually during the Empire because of the perpetual confusion made between it
and astrology.
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