The Plates with an English Translation of the Title Captions
The following table lists the Latin captions accompanying the plates of the Harmonia Macrocosmica of Andreas
Cellarius with an English translation.
- PLANISPHÆRIVM PTOLEMAICVM,
Sive Machina ORBIVM MVNDI EX HYPOTHESI PTOLEMAICA IN PLANO DISPOSITA
The planisphere of Ptolemy, or the mechanism (i.e. the movements)
of the heavenly orbits following the hypothesis of Ptolemy laid out in a
planar view.
- SCENOGRAPHIA SYSTEMATIS
MVNDANI PTOLEMAICI Scenography of the Ptolemaic cosmography.
- ORBIUM PLANETARUM TERRAM
COMPLECTENTIUM SCENOGRAPHIA Scenography of the planetary orbits
encompassing the Earth.
- PLANISPHÆRIVM COPERNICANVM
Sive Systema VNIVERSI TOTIVS CREATI EX HYPOTHESI COPERNICANA IN PLANO
EXHIBITVM The planisphere of Copernicus, or the system of the
entire created universe according to the hypothesis of Copernicus exhibited
in a planar view.
- SCENOGRAPHIA SYSTEMATIS
COPERNICANI Scenography of the Copernican world system.
- PLANISPHÆRIVM BRAHEVM, Sive
Structura MVNDI TOTIVS, EX HYPOTHESI TYCHONIS BRAHEI IN PLANO DELINEATA
The planisphere of Brahe, or the structure of the universe following the
hypothesis of Tycho Brahe drawn in a planar view. Engraved in 1656.
- SCENOGRAPHIA COMPAGIS
MVNDANÆ BRAHEA Scenography of the world’s construction according to
(Tycho) Brahe.
- PLANISPHÆRIVM ARATEVM Sive
Compages ORBIVM MVNDANORVM EX HYPOTHESI ARATEA IN PLANO EXPRESSA
The planisphere of Aratus, or the composition of the heavenly orbits
following the hypothesis of Aratus expressed in a planar view.
- TYCHONIS BRAHE CALCVLVS,
PLANETARVM CVRSVS ET ALTITVDINES OB OCVLOS PONENS Tycho Brahe’s
(method of) calculation pointing out the courses and altitudes (i.e.
distances) of the planets.
Engraved by Johannes van Loon.
- CORPORUM COELESTIUM
MAGNITUDINES The sizes of the celestial bodies. Engraved by Johannes van
Loon [in some copies the terrestrial sphere has the continents drawn in by hand].
- SITVS TERRÆ CIRCVLIS
COELESTIBVS CIRCVNDATÆ The location of the Earth encircled by the
celestial circles.
Engraved by Johannes van Loon.
- HÆMISPHÆRIA SPHÆRARUM
RECTÆ ET OBLIQUÆ UTRIUSQUE MOTUS ET LONGITUDINES TAM COELESTES QUAM
TERRESTRES AC STELLARUM AFFECTIONES MONS[T]RANTIA Hemispheres
displaying both the celestial and terrestrial motions and longitudes of
either sphere, the upright sphere (i.e. the equatorial co-ordinate
system) and the oblique sphere (i.e. the ecliptic co-ordinate
system), along with the influences of the stars.
- HEMISPHÆRIVM ORBIS
ANTIQVI, CVM ZONIS, CIRCVLIS, ET SITV POPVLORUM DIVERSO The
hemisphere of the Old World, with its (climate) zones, (meridian) circles
and the dwelling places of the distinctive races.
Engraved by Johannes van Loon.
- HYPOTHESIS PTOLEMAICA,
SIVE COMMUNIS, PLANETARUM MOTUS PER ECCENTRICOS, ET EPICYCLOS DEMONSTRANS
The Ptolemaic or common(ly accepted) hypothesis, demonstrating the
planetary motions in eccentric and epicyclical orbits.
- TYPUS ASPECTUUM,
OPPOSITIONUM ET CONIUNCTIONUM ETZ IN PLANETIS The (astrological)
aspects, such as opposition, conjunction, etc., among the planets.
Engraved by Johannes van Loon.
- THEORIA SOLIS PER
ECCENTRICUM SINE EPICYCLO Representation of the Sun in an eccentric
orbit without epicycles.
Engraved by Johannes van Loon.
- SOLIS CIRCA ORBEM TERRARUM
SPIRALIS REVOLUTIO The (apparent) spiral revolution of the Sun
around the Earth.
- THEORIA LUNÆ, EIUS MOTUM
PER ECCENTRICVM ET EPICYCLVM DEMONSTRANS Representation of the Moon
showing its motion in an eccentric orbit with epicycles.
Engraved by Johannes van Loon.
- TYPUS SELENOGRAPHICUS LUNÆ
PHASES ET ASPECTUS VARIOS ADUMBRANS [some copies from the 1660
edition have the nonsensical reading ‘... OS
ADVARIUMBRANS’] Selenographic diagram depicting the varying phases
and appearances of the Moon by (means of) shading.
Engraving by Johannes van Loon.
- THEORIA TRIUM SUPERIORUM
PLANETARUM Representation (of the motions) of the three superior
planets (Mars, Jupiter & Saturn).
Engraved by Johannes van Loon.
- THEORIA VENERIS ET
MERCURII Representation (of the motions) of Venus and Mercury.
Engraved by Johanne van Loon.
- COELI STELLATI CHRISTIANI
HÆMISPHÆRIUM PRIUS First hemisphere with the Christianized
firmament.
- COELI STELLATI CHRISTIANI
HÆMISPHÆRIUM POSTERIUS Second hemisphere with the Christianized
firmament.
- HÆMISPHÆRIUM STELLATUM
BOREALE ANTIQVUM The northern stellar hemisphere of antiquity.
- HEMISPHÆRII BOREALIS COELI
ET TERRÆ SPHÆRICA SCENOGRAPHIA Spherical scenography of both the
celestial and terrestrial northern hemispheres.
- HÆMISPHÆRIUM STELLATVM
BOREALE CVM SUBIECTO HÆMISPHÆRIO TERRESTRI The northern stellar
hemisphere, with the terrestrial hemisphere lying underneath.
- HÆMISPHÆRIUM STELLATUM
AUSTRALE ANTIQUUM The southern stellar hemisphere of antiquity.
- HÆMISPHÆRIVM
SCENOGRAPHICUM AUSTRALE COELI STELLATI ET TERRÆ The southern
hemisphere of both the starry vault and the Earth, shown scenographically.
- HÆMISPHÆRIUM STELLATUM
AUSTRALE ÆQUALI SPHÆRARUM PROPORTIONE The southern stellar
hemisphere with equally proportioned (celestial and terrestrial) spheres.
In general, the plates of the 1660/61 editions are coloured in bright tones those of the 1708 reprint tend to be
more plain in colouring.
The above translations are based on the material kindly communicated to me by dr. Henry
A.I. Stadhouders (Theological Institute, University of Utrecht).