Twelve

Use in the book

Ficino announces a temporary conversation with the Pythagoreans before elaborating a hierarchy of twelve ruling souls within each of twelve spheres. His examples connect twelve zodiacal figures at the outermost sphere with twelve modes of human life at the innermost. The latter derive from the rankings and pairings of reason, anger, and desire. The numerical scheme then gathers many souls under principal souls, sphere-souls, and world-soul, and ascends through minds toward unity. The text itself qualifies the account: IV.1.52 says “perhaps” when discussing twelve ruling minds above, and ends by leaving the Pythagorean conversation for the stated Platonic order. Twelve is therefore not a number to impose indiscriminately on every class mentioned in the book. Nor does twelve cosmic spheres contradict eight heavens, since four elemental spheres are also counted. Numerical organization serves the account of unity governing multiplicity.

Further passage references. IV.1.36; IV.1.40–IV.1.522345678910111213; IV.1.96

Places to read

1. IV.1.36Eight heavenly spheres supplement four elemental spheres rather than contradict the total of twelve.
2. IV.1.40–43234The excursion opens and the zodiac supplies a twelvefold comparison.
3. IV.1.44–4923456Rankings of three powers and dominant pairs generate twelve human lives.
4. IV.1.50–5223The hierarchy ascends and descends, qualifies the minds with perhaps, and closes the conversation.
5. IV.1.96The concluding three-rank classification distinguishes world, twelve spheres, and their many inhabitants.

Translation in this edition

The number belongs to an explicitly introduced and closed Pythagorean conversation. Forte at IV.1.52 qualifies twelve ruling minds. The sixth human three-faculty ranking depends on context; its parum/paulum wording is not independently a confirmed translation error.

colligere / reducere

colligere / reducere. Printed forms: colligenda; reducamus; reducenda.

To gather or bring many under a smaller governing order. Multitude is reduced through a few ruling souls and sphere-souls toward one world-soul; this is hierarchical organization, not physical mixing. References: IV.1.41, IV.1.50. See Twelve.

recurrere in duodenarium

recurrere in duodenarium. Printed forms: recurrit rursus in duodenarium.

To return to a twelvefold grouping. A sphere-soul selected from twelve is said to organize subordinate souls in a corresponding twelvefold pattern. References: IV.1.42. See Twelve.

Aquarius (cosmic names)

Aquarius (Aquarii). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Juno; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Aries (cosmic names)

Aries (Arietis). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Pallas; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Cancer (cosmic names)

Cancer (Cancri). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Mercury; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Capricorn (cosmic names)

Capricorn (Capricorni). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Vesta; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Gemini (cosmic names)

Gemini (Geminorum). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is a particular Phoebus; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Leo (cosmic names)

Leo (Leonis). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is a particular Jupiter; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Libra (cosmic names)

Libra (Librae). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Vulcan; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Pisces (cosmic names)

Pisces (Piscium). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Neptune; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Pythagoreans (cosmic names)

Pythagoreans (Pythagoricis). Group to whom Ficino attributes the zodiacal divine-soul catalogue; the wider discussion is explicitly introduced and closed as a Pythagorean excursion. IV.1.40–IV.1.522345678910111213. See Twelve; Zodiac.

Sagittarius (cosmic names)

Sagittarius (Sagittarii). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Diana; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Scorpio (cosmic names)

Scorpio (Scorpionis). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Mars; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Taurus (cosmic names)

Taurus (Tauri). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Venus; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Virgo (cosmic names)

Virgo (Virginis). Zodiacal stellar creature whose principal divine soul is Ceres; the principal star is described as its heart. IV.1.43. See Zodiac; Twelve.

Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans (authorities and cited works)

Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans. Provide compact numerical descriptions of the five grades, soul as self-moving number, and the explicitly marked twelvefold excursion. Apollo's name is interpreted through attributed wordplay. I.2.7; III.1.1–52345, III.1.23; IV.1.40–522345678910111213. See Number; Unity and multiplicity; Twelve; Apollo.