The Astronomica, also known as the Astronomicon, is a Latin didactic poem about celestial phenomena, written in hexameters and divided into five books. The Astronomica was written c. AD 30–40 by a Roman poet whose name was likely Marcus Manilius; little is known of Manilius, and although there is evidence that the Astronomica was probably read by many other Roman writers, no surviving works explicitly quote him.
The universe, as described by Manilius, is made up of two spheres: one solid (Earth) and the other hollow (the firmament), resembling this 17th-century depiction in Andreas Cellarius's Harmonia Macrocosmica.
Most of the work's fifth book deals with the myth of Andromeda (left), Perseus (upper right), and a sea monster (lower right).
The Astronomica was rediscovered by Poggio Bracciolini c. 1416–17.
Image: Tiberius Louvre
Marcus Manilius originally hailing from Syria, was a Roman poet, astrologer, and author of a poem in five books called Astronomica.
Manilius. The sphere.; artwork by Wenceslaus Hollar
Manilius (Lunar Orbiter 4)