sidus

Latin noun

Last edited: 2024-07-15
Primary meaning star
Literal translation star
Variants
sidus
Edited by
star celestial object

In Arietis parte XX. ad Aquilonem versus oritur Haedus quem fert Auriga. Hoc sidere <oriente> quicumque nati fuerint, aliud ex fronte pollicentur, aliud latenter in moribus celant.

‘Haedus rises at 20° Aries turned toward the north. He is the one Auriga carries. Those who are born with this star rising promise one thing from the front but hide another in their thoughts.’

— Firmicus Maternus, Mathesis 8.6.4

Genre: astrological compendium
Provenance: Sicily
Date: ca. 334 CE

Firmicus Maternus. 1897. Ivlii Firmici Materni Matheseos Libri VIII, ed. W. Kroll, F. Skutsch. Stuttgart: B. G. Teubner. 2.296

Quinque stellarum potestates Chaldaeorum observatio excepit. Quid, tu tot illa milia siderum iudicas otiosa lucere?

‘The observation of the Chaldaeans is restricted to the powers of five planets.3 Well! Do you think that those many thousands of stars shine uselessly?’

— Seneca, Natural Questions 2.32.7

Genre: philosophy
Date: 62/63 CE

Seneca. Natural Questions, Volume I: Books 1-3. Translated by Thomas H. Corcoran. Loeb Classical Library 450. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971. 152-153

planet celestial object

only used in conjunction with the names of planets or the attributes malefic or benefic or the numeral seven

minuuntur autem etiam haec, si sic positum Solem malivolum sidus impediat.

‘these things however are lessened if a malefic planet impedes the sun in that position’

— Firmicus Maternus, Mathesis 3.5.37

Genre: astrological compendium
Provenance: Sicily
Date: ca. 334 CE

Firmicus Maternus. 1897. Ivlii Firmici Materni Matheseos Libri VIII, ed. W. Kroll, F. Skutsch. Stuttgart: B. G. Teubner. 1.141

Hunc inter mediumque orbem, quo sidera septem per bis sena volant contra nitentia signa

‘Between this northern and the middle zone, wherein the seven planets fly through the twelve signs that resist their passage’

— Manilius, Astronomica 1.308 f

Genre: astrological treatise

Manilius. Astronomica. Edited and translated by G. P. Goold. Loeb Classical Library 469. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1977. 28-29

celestial body celestial object

Non est, inquit, species falsa nec duarum stellarum confinio ignis extentus, sed proprium sidus cometae est, sicut solis ac lunae.

‘A comet, he says, is not an illusion or fire extending from the edges of two planets but is a celestial body on its own, like the sun and the moon.’

— Seneca, Natural Questions 7.17.1

Genre: philosophy
Date: 62/63 CE

Seneca. Natural Questions, Volume II: Books 4-7. Translated by Thomas H. Corcoran. Loeb Classical Library 457. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1972. 262-263

constellation astronomical term

Et hoc tamen et illud sidus eiusdem condicionis est, cum effectu et natura dissimile sit. Intra brevissimum tempus Aries extollitur, Libra tardissime emergit;

‘Yet both constellations are of the same class even though they are unlike in influence and characteristics. Aries rises within a very short time, Libra emerges quite slowly;’

— Seneca, Natural Questions 7.27.3

Genre: philosophy
Date: 62/63 CE

Seneca. Natural Questions, Volume II: Books 4-7. Translated by Thomas H. Corcoran. Loeb Classical Library 457. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1972. 282-283

zodiac sign astronomical term

Lanigerum victo ducentem sidera ponto

‘and the Ram who leads the signs for his conquest of the sea’

— Manilius, Astronomica 2.34

Genre: astrological treatise

Manilius. Astronomica. Edited and translated by G. P. Goold. Loeb Classical Library 469. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1977. 84-85

aeternum et stellis adversus sidera bellum

‘and the planets’ everlasting war against the signs [of the zodiac]’

— Manilius, Astronomica 2.119

Genre: astrological treatise

Manilius. Astronomica. Edited and translated by G. P. Goold. Loeb Classical Library 469. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1977. 92-93

luminary luminary

quantumque reliquit aut dedit ille, refers et sidus sidere constas

‘and as much as he has grudged or lavished on you do you reflect, your star dependent on his’

— Manilius, Astronomica 2.98

Genre: astrological treatise

Manilius. Astronomica. Edited and translated by G. P. Goold. Loeb Classical Library 469. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1977. 90-91

Cite this entry
APA (7th)
Meinhardt, K. (2024). sidus (Lemma #869). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/869/
Chicago (Author-Date)
Meinhardt, K. (2024). sidus (Lemma #869). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/869/
MLA (9th)
Meinhardt, K. (2024). sidus (Lemma #869). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/869/
Harvard
Meinhardt, K. (2024) sidus (Lemma #869), The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. Available at: https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/869/ (Accessed: December 1, 2025).
BibTeX 
@misc{zodiac869,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2025-12-01]},
	author = {Meinhardt, Kierán},
	year = {2024},
	title = {sidus ({Lemma} #869)},
	url = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/869/},
	howpublished = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/869/},
}