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Description
The Oedipus Romanus; or, An Attempt to Prove, From the Principles of Reasoning Adopted by The Rt. Hon. Sir William Drummond, in his Oedipus Romanus, that the Twelve Caesars are the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac by the Rev. George Townsend, published in 1819. A learned and highly specific work of early 19th-century antiquarian and astro-symbolic interpretation, written in response to Sir William Drummond’s controversial Oedipus Romanus. Townsend engages Drummond’s method of comparative reasoning and applies it to Roman imperial history, advancing the argument that the Twelve Caesars may be read in correspondence with the twelve signs of the Zodiac. The work reflects the period’s broader fascination with mythological allegory, ancient religion, astronomical symbolism, and the search for hidden correspondences within classical history. As both a critique and an extension of Drummond’s interpretive system, it stands as an intriguing example of Regency-era speculative scholarship at the intersection of classics, theology, astrology, and antiquarian inquiry. Hardcover. Finely bound in polished calf. Light foxing and light shelfwear to ends with very light spine edge cracking but holding well.
