The Theatre Of The World: Alchemy, Astrology and Magic in Renaissance Prague.

Marshall, Peter:

ISBN 10: 0436205211 / ISBN 13: 9780436205217

Published by Vintage Publishing 05.2006., 2006

About this Item

288 Seiten Tadelloses, sauberes Ex, Ecken etwas bestoßen. - Aus der Bibliothek von Prof. Wolfgang Haase, langjährigem Herausgeber der ANRW und des International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT). - The Theatre of the World is the enchanting story of Rudolf II, an emperor more interested in the great minds of his times than in the exercise of his immense power. Rarely leaving Prague Castle, he gathered around him a galaxy of famous figures: among them the painter Arcimboldo, the astronomer Tycho Brahe, the mathematician Johannes Kepler, the philosopher Giordano Bruno and the magus John Dee. Entranced, like Hamlet, with the new Renaissance learning, Rudolf found it nearly impossible to make decisions. Like Faust, he was prepared to risk all in the pursuit of magical knowledge and the Philosopher's Stone which would turn base metals into gold and prolong life indefinitely. But he also faced the threats of religious discord and the Ottoman Empire, along with a deepening melancholy and an ambitious younger brother. As a result he lost his empire and nearly his sanity but enabled Prague to enjoy a golden age of peace and creativity before Europe was engulfed in the Thirty Years' War. Contents: 1 The Making of the Holy Roman Emperor 2 A Boy of Few Words 3 Dominus Mundi 4 The World's Stage 5 The Greatest Art Patron in the World 6 The Kunstkammer 7 As Above, So Below 8 Ars Magica 9 The Magi 10 The New Hermes Trismegistus In The Starry Heavens 12 The New Astronomy 13 The Emperor of Darkness 14 The Recluse of Prague 15 The Labyrinth of the World ISBN 9780436205217 Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 566.

Seller Inventory # 1237410

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Theatre Of The World: Alchemy, Astrology and Magic in Renaissance Prague.
• Publisher: Vintage Publishing 05.2006.
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0436205211
• ISBN 13: 9780436205217
• Binding: hardcover w/ dustjacket.
• Condition: Sehr gut
• Weight: 566 grams
• Seller catalogs:
  • Varia

About this title

Synopsis

A captivating portrait of the crucible of magic, science, and religion at the court of the doomed dreamer Rudolf II in Renaissance Prague.

At the end of the sixteenth century, the greatest philosophers, alchemists, astronomers, and mathematicians of the day flocked to Prague to work under the patronage of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. The Theatre of the World is the enchanting story of Rudolf II, an emperor more interested in the great talents and minds of his times than in the exercise of his power. Rarely leaving Prague Castle, he gathered around him a galaxy of famous the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, the German mathematician Johannes Kepler, and the English magus John Dee.

Entranced, like Hamlet, by the new Renaissance learning, Rudolf found it nearly impossible to make decisions. He faced the threats of religious discord and the Ottoman Empire, along with deepening melancholy and an ambitious younger brother. As a result, he lost his empire and nearly his sanity, but he enabled Prague to enjoy a golden age of peace and creativity before Europe was engulfed in the Thirty Years War.

The Theatre of the World is a beguiling and dramatic human story filled with angels and devils, high art and low cunning, talismans and stars. It offers a captivating perspective on a pivotal moment in the history of Western Civilization.