David Pingree, professor of the history of mathematics and of classics at Brown University, will deliver two public talks during his April visit as a Cornell University A.D. White Professor-at-Large. Pingree's first talk, "The Earliest Version of Jagannatha's Siddhantakaustubha," will be offered as part of a Southeast Asia Program seminar Monday, April 17, at 12:15 p.m., in G08 Uris Hall. Pingree's second public lecture is titled "Rhetorius, the Last Greek Astrologer of Alexandria," to be held Wednesday, April 19, at 4:30 p.m., in 165 McGraw Hall.

Pingree's earliest work in ancient Hellenistic and Indian astronomy/astrology led him to trace the specific mathematical techniques and terminologies of magic and astrology across the literature of different ancient civilizations. His expertise and mastery grew to include the textual traditions of Mesopotamian cuneiform, Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and medieval Latin. Through his investigations, Pingree documented the roots of Persian, Arabic and medieval European science in the Sanskrit texts of India. Pingree has devoted himself to cataloging, and often editing, all Sanskrit manuscripts on ancient astronomy, astrology, divination and magic. Recently, he has begun to organize an international consortium with the goal of cataloging and preserving all the Indic manuscripts in the world.

For more information, contact Gerri Jones at the Andrew D. White Professors-at-Large Program, (607) 255-0832, or visit the web site below.