User:Zeusnoos/Ptolemytranslations

On this point PiperAlmanac summarizes G. Dean's criticism of the Hill and Thompson redhead study:


 * 1) Tradition. Dean claimed Ptolemy associates red hair with Mars descending, contradicting Hill's claim of tradition. This claim was easliy looked up by Hill and found to be false.

The passage in the Tetrabiblos that both are likely refering to is Bk III.11 on Bodily appearance and mixture (of hot,cold,wet,dry). In this section, he describes appearance based on planets near the ascendant. The descriptions differ based on whether the planet is east or west of the Sun (anatolikos or dutikos). He does not in each case give hair color. When Mars is oriental of the Sun and on the ascendant, the hair is shaggy and medium (lighteness). When it is occidental (Dean's mistake was thinking this means on the western horizon in this context) the hair is straight or smooth and blonde! The word in question for yellow hair is xanthatrix - typically used to describe horses but some Greek women were known to dye their hair blonde. I'm sure there are studies on the ethnic mix of Alexandria in the time of Ptolemy, but it would be exceedingly rare to find red hair (with the exception of some Celts). In all of his other descriptions of appearance, he does not mention any other words for red head such as eneruthros or rhousizo. He does use these to describe complexion - Mars give a reddish complexion when oriental as does Hermes.

Pre-Ptolemy sources generally associate appearance not with planets but with signs. This doesn't rule out a possible pre-Ptolemy doctrine on this from planets. Of these fragments, I could not find one that associates Aries or Scorpio (assoc. with Mars) with red-hair. Pisces and Cancer rising indicated reddish hair in one source, but in another (not surprisingly an astrologer from Southern Egypt) only complexion (light, medium, dark was discussed).

If Mars became later associated with red-hair in the astrological tradition, it was after Ptolemy.


 * Thanks for this research. Here's what Dean said: "If anything Ptolemy associates red hair with Mars descending ('occidental'), which their results contradict." (letter to FAA Journal Oct 1988). Hill, citing Ken Robinson, The Canopus Newsletter, (1987), writes: "Ptolemy states that 'Mars ascending gives a fair ruddiness to the person...and the hair of the head light or red...'" ("Redheads and Mars: A Scientific Testimony" The Mountain Astrologer, May 1996). I think your interpretation, and your reasons that Mars and red hair is a later association, are good. Piper Almanac 01:35, 9 June 2006 (UTC)