> Dear list members,
>
> here is a question that has been bothering me somewhat:
>
> While explaining about trivium and quadrivium in my History of Mathematics
> class, I showed my students the picture of the quadrivium included in Roger
> Cooke's History of Mathematics (p.285). According to the caption, this
> picture is taken from Boethius' Arithmetica and it shows the familiar
> representation of the four artes comprising the quadrivium by four female
> figures. Each can be readily identified by their attributes. Besides, the
> text above their heads (which is mirrored, suggesting that the whole
> picture is mirrored -- an oversight, Roger?) identifies them as well.
The picture is indeed reversed (an editor's oversight).
> Now, Arithmetica clearly betrays herself by representing a number with
> her one hand (the number 5, if I go by Menninger's History of Numbers).
Yes, I think so.
> In her other hand, she holds something that looks like an oversized
> rosary and I suppose this object would have been typical of her "trade"
> as well. Is there anyone who might be able to say something sensible
> about what this object is that she holds? While we are at it, I was
> also wondering what object it is that astronomia/astrologia is holding.
Eisso, there *surely* are members of this list who are able to say
something thoughtful about what object is held by 'astronomia'. No
question about it. So ...
Best regards,
Julio Gonzalez Cabillon
>
> ===============================================
>
> Eisso Atzema, Ph.D.
> Department of Mathematics & Statistics
> University of Maine
> Orono, ME 04469
> tel.: (207) 581-3928 (off.)
> (207) 990-4680 (home)
> e-mail: atzema@gauss.umemat.maine.edu (preferred)
> eisso.atzema@umit.maine.edu (FirstClass)