This book contains a translation of the Eight Books of the Mathesis by the 4th century astrologer Julius Firmicus Maternus along with some useful Indexes of Occupations, the Causes of Death, and Personal Characteristics.The Eight Books are: Book I: An essay on what astrology isBook II: The twelve signsBook III: Aspects and house placement of planetsBook IV: Chart InterpretationBook V: The angles and the termsBook VI: The aspectsBook VII: Life and deathBook VIII: The degrees of the signsJames H. Holden, who translated the text from the Latin, is Research Director of the American Federation of Astrologers. A well respected astrological scholar, he has translated more than twenty astrology books that were written between the 2nd and 17th centuries. He is also the author of A History of Horoscopic Astrology.