Background
There is no information about his birth and early life in a whole. It is only known that he lived in the reign of Constantine and his successors (306 to 337 AD).
The lunar crater was named in Firmicus' honour.
There is no information about his birth and early life in a whole. It is only known that he lived in the reign of Constantine and his successors (306 to 337 AD).
Firmicus received a pagan classical education that made him conversant with Greek.
The only information about Firmicus’ life comes from his two extant works, the Mathesis, a popular handbook on astrology, and the De errore profanarum religionum, an attack upon pagan cults. Nearly all scholars accept his authorship of both works, but doubts still remain about the date of composition of the Mathesis. The author of the De errore was a Christian, and the seeming pagan character of the Mathesis suggests that Firmicus was converted to Christianity before he composed the De errore (c. 346). It is, however, quite possible to reconcile the two works from a religious standpoint, particularly since they were written at a time when pagan and Christian doctrines were being freely intermingled in philosophical and religious literature. Firmicus dedicated the Mathesis to Lollianus Mavortius as ordinary consul elect, an office that we know Lollianus held in 355. Book I was composed in Constantine’s lifetime; and since Firmicus informs us that he was engaged for a long time in writing the work, it is reasonable to suppose that it was composed intermittently over a period of nearly twenty years before 354.
Compiled as a handy guide for practitioners of the art, his work Mathesis best represents popular traditions of the previous four centuries and bears little resemblance to Ptolemy’s quasi-scientific manual of astrology, the Quadripartitum. Sources for such compilations cannot be assigned with any assurance; citations are traditional and wholly unreliable. Firmicus’ citations include the legendary Hermes, Orpheus, Abraham, Petosiris, Nechepso, and Aesculapius.
Book I presents a defense of astrology and Book II a preliminary conspectus of the elements. Book III deals with the thema mundi (the aspect of the heavens at the beginning of the present cosmos) and with the effects of each of the seven planets in the twelve loci; book IV, with the relations of the moon with the other planets; book V, with the effects of the planets in the signs, together with houses and decans; and book VI, with planets in trine and quartile aspect and in opposition and conjunction, with the horoscopes of such notables as Paris, Oedipus, Homer, and Archimedes, and with more precise definitions of loci. Book VII takes up the horoscopes of individual types and occupations and is marked by undue attention to sexual and moral deviates. Book VIII presents a composite of the traditional Mesopotamian and Egyptian “barbaric” spheres. Prepared by an admitted amateur, the Mathesis contains many gross errors in astronomical knowledge, such as a nocturnal culmination of Mercury and an elongation of 90° for Venus.
Firmicus’ injunctions to astrologers to pronounce their responses in public in a loud voice indicate the effectiveness of the measures of Christian emperors to curb divinatory activities. Firmicus is mentioned only once, by Sidonius Apollinaris, before the eleventh century, at which time his book appears to have begun to enjoy a vogue.
It is knowt that Firmicus was a Christian apologist.
On the science Firmicus was of the highest opinion. According to him, astrology elevates and cleanses the soul; who gives it to study, must feel pure and holy.
Nothing is known about Firmicus' family.