Martianus Capella and the Seven Liberal Arts VOLUME I THE QUADRIVIUM OF MARTIANUS CAPELLA LATIN TRADITIONS IN THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES by Wiiliaan Harris Stabl WITH A STUDY OF THE ALLEGORY AND THE VERBAL DISCIPLINES by Richard Johnson with E. L. Burge Yanko COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW YORK AND LONDON 1977The late WILLIAM HARRIS STAHL, editor and translator of Macrobius’ Commzentary on the Dream of Scipio, was Professor of Classics at Brooklyn College. RICHARD JOHNSON is Professor of Classics at the Australian National University, at Can- berra. E. L, BURGE is a Senior Lecturer in Classics at the Australian National University. Copyright © 1971 Columbia University Press Led. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-121876 Standard Book Number: 231-032 54-4 Printed in the NetherlandsRecords of Civilization : Sources and Studies EDITED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ‘GENERAL, EDITOR W.T.H. Jackson, Professor of German and History PAST ZOrTORS 19ts-1916 James T. Shorwell, Bryce Professar Emeritus of the Hiscory of International Relations 1926-1953 ‘Austin P. Evans, Professor of Histary 1953-1963 Jacques Barzun, Seth Low Professor of History EDITOR: EUROPEAN RECORDS W.T. H, Jackson, Professor of German and History ‘CONSULTING EDITORS; EUROPEAN RECORDS Gerson D. Cohen, Jacob H. Schiff Profetsor of History, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America Gilbert Highet, duthon Profestor of the Latin Lengnage and Literature Paul ©. Kristeller, Frederick J. #. Woodbridge Professor of Philosophy Gerhart B. Ladner, Profestor of Hisory, University of California, Los Angeles Joha H. Mundy, Professor of History Jacob W. Smit, Queen Wilhelmine Professor af the History, Language, and Literature of the Netherlands [EDETOR: ORIENTAL RECORDS ‘Wm. Theodore de Bary, Horace Walpole Carpentier Professor of Oriental Studies (CONSULTING EDITORS: ORIENTAL. RECORDS Ainslie T. Embree, Professor of History, Duke University Chih-tsing Hsia, Professor of Chinese Donald Keene, Professor of Japanese Ivan Mortis, Professor of Japanese Burton Watson, Associate Professor of Chinese . Martin Wilbur, George Sansom Professor of Chinese History