unfinished treatise was dedicated to Augustus and prefaced with a prayer that the emperor
heal all human evils (25.4–5).
GRL § 273 – 274; OCD3 1581, E. Courtney; NP 12/1.1118–9 (#2), P.L. Schmidt.
GLIM
Vara ̄hamihira (ca 550 CE)
A descendant of Zoroastrian immigrants from Iran to India and a resident of the area near
Ujjain, and a prolific writer, whose works cover all aspects of traditional Indian astrology
and astronomy. His Pañcasiddha ̄ntika ̄ is a summary of five astronomical works current at his
time, but now lost: the Paita ̄mahasiddha ̄nta, which expounds astronomy influenced by
Mesopotamia (contrast the P, the founding text of the Bra ̄hmapaks.a);
the Vasis.t.hasiddha ̄nta, the Paulis ́asiddha ̄nta, the Romakasiddha ̄nta and the Su ̄ryasiddha ̄nta, which all
expound Indian versions of Greco-Babylonian astronomy. The Pañcasiddha ̄ntika ̄ is an
important work both in shedding light on the Indian astronomical tradition prior to 500 CE,
and in recording pre-Ptolemaic Greek astronomy from which the Indian tradition bor-
rowed. Vara ̄hamihira authored three works on divination. The Br.hatsam.hita ̄ is a large collec-
tion of omens in 106 chapters, based on adaptations of Mesopotamian omen series by
earlier Indian writers. Two other works on divination, the Sama ̄sasam.hita ̄ and the Va t.akan.ika ̄,
are now lost. On genethlialogy, Vara ̄hamihira authored two works, the Br.hajja ̄taka and
the Laghuja ̄taka, both based on the Indian adaptation of Greek material in the works of
S and others. On military astrology (“ya ̄tra ̄”), Vara ̄hamihira composed three
works, the Br.hadya ̄tra ̄, the Yogaya ̄tra ̄, and the T.ikan.ika ̄ya ̄tra ̄, the earliest separate treatises on the
topic. Vara ̄hamihira’s remaining work, the Viva ̄hapat.ala, deals with astrology applied to
marriage.
DSB 13.581–583, D.E. Pingree; CESS A.5.563–595.
Kim Plofker and Toke Lindegaard Knudsen
V ⇒ M. T V
Vegetius Renatus (ca 445 – 450 CE)
Vir illustris, credited with three technical treatises: a compendium of military warfare
(Epitoma rei militaris) in four books; a work on horse medicine (Digesta artis mulomedicinalis) in
three books; a tract on bovine diseases (De curis boum epitoma) in one book.
Scholars have long debated the author’s dates and name. The year of Gratianus’ death
(383 CE) provides a secure terminus post quem, since Vegetius calls this emperor diuus (Mil.
1.20.3). A secure terminus ante quem is 450 CE, given by the subscription of a corrector named
Fl. Eutropius, who worked at Constantinople. The name of the emperor in the inscription
varies in the MSS. One passage (4.pr.7) seems to allude to a datable historic event, the
hurried reconstruction of Constantinople’s walls (which had been destroyed by an earth-
quake) early in 447, due to the Huns having crossed the Danube border. Thus, the Epitoma
rei militaris was probably written ca 447 – 448 under Theodosius II. Vegetius wrote the De curis
boum while preparing to write the Digesta, for use in combating an epidemic in bovines (Cur.
boum pr. 1 – 2). Vegetius’ statements (Dig. 3.6.1) about his travels through the empire suggest
that he wrote his veterinary treatises after retiring from public life.
The author’s name poses another problem. Authoritative MSS of the veterinary works
VEGETIUS RENATUS