Book Proposal !e Astrologers of Emperor Maximilian I: Nature, Knowledge and Politics in the Holy Roman Empire

General outline In the Renaissance, astrology provided a compelling explanation of human and natural phenomena. !rough an elaborate system of correspondences, humans and their social world were connected to the movements of the heavens and especially the motions of the planets. !is general worldview was shared by people across all registers of society, from the illiterate peasant to the Renaissance prince. Astrologers interpreted these correspondences to gain insight into the personalities and health of their contemporaries and to capitalize on bene"cial planetary conjunctions or to mitigate or avoid adverse in#uences. Because astrology provided the tools to interpret the relationship between the heavens and the earth, it offered a coherent system of knowledge that was practical and functional. Astrology was, however, a complex and sophisticated practice, grounded in the technical training provided by a university education. Astrologers formed a body of experts who offered their services to Renaissance princes, interpreting celestial phenomena and forecasting the outcomes of future events. Princes recognized the immediate use of such knowledge for their political agendas and o%en consulted astrologers to help them confront political and dynastic challenges.