The Tabule Resolute

Astronomers and astrologers in medieval Europe used sets of numerical tables, accompanied by detailed instructions for use, to calculate the motions of the planets. The Castilian Alfonsine Tables, created at the court of Alfonso X in Toledo from the middle of the thirteenth century onwards, form the basis of the Latin Parisian Alfonsine Tables (1320s). These tables became the starting point for the further dissemination and elaboration of astronomical tables in European universities and other cultural centres between the fourteenth and first half of the sixteenth century.

A central European version of the Alfonsine Tables is the so-called Tabule Resolute. This version was initially compiled for the meridian of Wrocław in 1424 and later recalculated for the meridians of Prague, Cracow, Leipzig, Salamanca, Bologna and other cities. The Tabule Resolute are preserved in dozens of manuscripts and in several early modern prints, containing both the tables and the rules (‘canons’) for them. This volume presents the first edition of both the Wrocław tables and variants for other meridians and selected canons for their use, compiled by Petrus Cruciferus, Nicolaus Wodka and John of Głogów. The Latin editions are accompanied by annotated English translations. The work is concluded with an explanation of the mathematical principles of the tables and an analysis of the errors in the edited tables.

Acknowledgements
1  Introduction
1.1 Alfonsine astronomy and its journey through Europe
1.2 Tabule resolute and their canons in the context of Alfonsine astronomy

I CANONS
2 Canons Mirabilis in altis Dominus by Petrus Cruciferus
2.1 Manuscripts
2.2 Critical edition of canons Mirabilis by Petrus Cruciferus
2.3 Commented translation of canons Mirabilis
3 Canons Girum recensendo by Andrzej Grzymała of Poznań
3.1 Manuscripts
3.2 List of rules
4 Canons Nemo integre sapit by an anonymous author
4.1 Manuscripts
4.2 List of rules
5 Canons Astrorum (observatores) sapientes by Albertus of Brudzewo
5.1 Manuscripts
5.2 List of rules
6 Canons Quoniam Tabularum Alfonsi by Nicolaus of Tuchów (Polonus)
6.1 Manuscripts
6.2 List of rules
7 Canons Quoniam plerique nostri temporis phisici by Nicolaus Wodka of Kwidzyn
7.1 Manuscripts
7.2 Edition of canons Quoniam plerique by Nicolaus Wodka of Kwidzyn
7.3 Partial translation and commentaries on canons Quoniam plerique by Nicolaus Wodka of Kwidzyn
8 Canons Pro (introduccione) generali by John of Głogów
8.1 Manuscripts
8.2 Edition of canons Pro (introduccione) generali by John of Głogów
8.3 Commented translation of canons Pro (introduccione) generali
9 Early modern prints with canons to the Tabule resolute
9.1 Ambrosius Lacher (1511)
9.2 Johannes Schöner (1536)
9.3 Johannes Virdung (1542)
10 Overview of the rules in the canons to the Tabule resolute

II TABLES
11 List of manuscripts with the Tabule resolute
12 Tabule resolute for the meridian of Wrocław
- Table of mean motions in collected years, in expanded years, in months, in days, in hours and their fractions
- Table of true planetary apogees in collected years
- Table of equation of access and recess
- Table of mean conjunctions and oppositions of the Sun and Moon in collected years, in expanded years, in months
- Table of true motion of the Sun and Moon in one hour
- Table of equation of the Sun, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury
13 Tabule resolute for the meridian of Prague
14 Tabule resolute for the meridian of Cracow
15 Peculiar sets of the Tabule resolute
15.1 Tabule resolute for the meridian of Leipzig
15.2 Tabule resolute for the meridian of Salamanca
15.3 Tabule resolute for the meridian of Bologna
15.4 Tabule resolute by Ambrosius Lacher (1511)
15.5 Tabule resolute by Johannes Schöner (15361)
15.6 Tabule resolute by Johannes Virdung (1542)
16 Additional tables
Table A-01 of stations and retrogradation
Table A-02 of mean motions of planets in selected numbers of days
Table A-03 for interpolation to intermediate days for making an almanac
Table A-04 of sexagesimal multiplication
Table A-05 of equation of time
Table A-06 of right ascension
Table A-07 of oblique ascensions
17 Overview of tables in the Tabule resolute

III COMMENTARY
18 Mean motions
19 Apogees of planets
20 Mean conjunctions and oppositions of the Sun and Moon
21 Equation of the Sun
22 Equations of the Moon
23 Equations of planets
24 Retrogradation
25 Equation of time and right ascension
26 Oblique ascensions and visibility of planets
27 Interpolation
- Editorial note, Abbreviations
- Bibliography (List of manuscripts, Early modern printed sources, Literature)
- Index of names, Glossary of chosen Latin terms