Skyscript Astrology Forum

Those of you that regularly check in here on skyscript will be aware that there have been several 'false dawns' for the new editions of the Project Hindsight Hellenistic astrology publications. This is not the place to go into the reasons for these problems.

However, I am assured by Bill at Project Hindsight that the new translation of Valens Anthology by Robert Schmidt is due to be sent out this spring. It is hoped all the books of the Anthology should be ready by the end of this year. This will be followed by other texts such as Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos , The Matheosis Libri of Firmicus and the three books of Hephaistio of Thebes's Apolemastics. The third book hasn?t been translated before so should be very interesting as it deals with Katarchic/electional astrology. The new translation of Firmicus will also be extremely useful as the only other edition in English by Jean Rhys Bram contains a number of misinterpretations according to Robert Hand. The cheapest way to purchase all these publications is undoubtably to sign up to the ?Astrologer?s Edition? which Project Hindsight are offering. This will give discounted prices and the option to receive commentaries by Robert Schmidt on cd.

However, some of these publications such as Hephaistio are not likely to be available for a few years yet. In the meantime for those of you anxious to get your hands on these and other important hellenistic texts asap I should let you know that Project Hindsight have republished the old Hellenistic track publications. Contact Bill at Project Hindsight to order these.

http://www.projecthindsight.com/

E-mail: info@projecthindsight.com

Thanks for the information, Mark.

I had been wondering at the significance of the absence of newsletters and website updates in the past five months or so, and thought it most likely that a further delay had occurred.

And you're right that there have been a number of 'false dawns', since I remember signing up for Project Hindsight in February 2004 when the assurance was that the first book would be ready for publication that April - it will be coming up to four years of delays by this Spring.

But I admire the fact that Robert Schmidt and his team have put the quest for scholarly accuracy before financial expediencies, although having said that, there have been examples in the past where scholars have taken this to such extremes that they have only completed part of the job in their lifetimes (the Pingree / Reiner series of Babylonian Planetary Texts translations being a case in point - between 1975 and 2004 they managed just four fascicules and, on their passing within a few months of each other, left the job they had set out to do very unfinished, though perhaps this is not a very fair example since they were busy in academic roles at the same time, unlike Schmidt et al.), and it is my fervent hope that this will not be the case here.

Do you have the impression that the first issue of Valens's 'The Anthology' will now be made before the 'Book of Definitions' which was originally slated for release beforehand (the website still says 'May of 2007', though this date has long since come and gone)? I would have thought it more likely that the aim would still be to release this text first in accordance with the long-stated plans.

Also, have you heard anything about the situation with the Sourcebook - stated currently on the P. H. web site as expected to be released in December 2007, yet I have had no announcement in my inbox to indicate that this has happened.

Philip

MarkC wrote:Those of you that regularly check in here on skyscript will be aware that there have been several 'false dawns' for the new editions of the Project Hindsight Hellenistic astrology publications. This is not the place to go into the reasons for these problems.

However, I am assured by Bill at Project Hindsight that the new translation of Valens Anthology by Robert Schmidt is due to be sent out this spring. It is hoped all the books of the Anthology should be ready by the end of this year. This will be followed by other texts such as Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos , The Matheosis Libri of Firmicus and the three books of Hephaistio of Thebes's Apolemastics. The third book hasn?t been translated before so should be very interesting as it deals with Katarchic/electional astrology. The new translation of Firmicus will also be extremely useful as the only other edition in English by Jean Rhys Bram contains a number of misinterpretations according to Robert Hand. The cheapest way to purchase all these publications is undoubtably to sign up to the ?Astrologer?s Edition? which Project Hindsight are offering. This will give discounted prices and the option to receive commentaries by Robert Schmidt on cd.

However, some of these publications such as Hephaistio are not likely to be available for a few years yet. In the meantime for those of you anxious to get your hands on these and other important hellenistic texts asap I should let you know that Project Hindsight have republished the old Hellenistic track publications. Contact Bill at Project Hindsight to order these.

http://www.projecthindsight.com/

E-mail: info@projecthindsight.com

There is no way that book 1 of Valens is on its way to the printers, let alone the entire Anthology being released by the end of the year. There are two other texts that should be printed long before Valens, and those are the ones that everyone is waiting on at the moment. Antiochus of Athens and the Sourcebook. Many people have already paid for these two texts, and unless they are ignoring that in order to publish Valens all of a sudden despite the fact that Schmidt has been working solely on Antiochus for over three years, then this is simply not going to happen.

Bill is a really great guy, but this is likely a false alarm here. Sorry guys, but its probably best to hold off until you know for sure that something has been published.

Many people have already paid for these two texts, ...

Already paid, and there?s nothing to hold in the hand? Year after year? Project Hindsight is apparently getting the equivalent of loans at 0% interest. Pre-publication offers are fine, but dragging it out over years, with announcements of ?soon? quietly swept under the rug .... It?s not the way I would do it. And it?s not the kind of business establishment I?m comfortable transacting with.

There is no way that book 1 of Valens is on its way to the printers, let alone the entire Anthology being released by the end of the year. There are two other texts that should be printed long before Valens, and those are the ones that everyone is waiting on at the moment. Antiochus of Athens and the Sourcebook. Many people have already paid for these two texts, and unless they are ignoring that in order to publish Valens all of a sudden despite the fact that Schmidt has been working solely on Antiochus for over three years, then this is simply not going to happen.

Bill is a really great guy, but this is likely a false alarm here. Sorry guys, but its probably best to hold off until you know for sure that something has been published.

Hello Chris,

Your right. The sourcebook had been mentioned before as coming earlier in the new publication list. The timetable Bill mentioned doesn't seem realistic if Antiochus is coming before Valens too. I feel a little sorry for Bill actually as he is very much piggy in the middle in all this with little time or financial support for this.

Wth so many delays its hard not to start getting a little sceptical about any new promises of forthcoming publications.

I suspect there are a number of issues involved here. One is that I think Schmidt is a totally committed scholar determined to produce an outstanding piece of translation that will stand the test of time. Academic perfectionism probably doesn't sit well with other practical financial considerations. On the other hand there are other brilliant scholars like Ben Dykes who seem to be able to hit their publication deadlines well enough. There have undoubtably been financial issues too but I don't feel its appropriate to dwell on that here.

On balance raising hopes again like this was perhaps unwise. I certainly understand Kirk's frustration. I have been similarly exasperated many times. I do think Project Hindsight need to start delivering on their promises quite soon.

Still ultimately all we can do is wait and hope.......unless we fancy producing our own translations! Its a rather topsy turvy situation really. Usually, its publishers desperately trying to sell their books but here its potential purchasers trying anxiously to get their long belated publications. I would give up in total frustration if this was any other commercial operation. However, Project Hindsight have a monopoly on these vital new translations whether we like it or not.

In the circumstances I have taken the opportunity to buy the old track versions of Hephaistio, Antiochus, Anonymous of 379 and Ptolemy's Phases. I may add all the available books of Valens too. I do think its important people realise the old track editions are available again until we reach the promised land of fresh translations from Robert Schmidt.