Life Dorotheus of Sidon (Δωρόθεος ὁ Σιδώνιος) was a Hellenistic astrologer active in the 1st century CE. A native of the Phoenician city of Sidon, he worked during a period of synthesis between Babylonian, Egyptian, and Greek astrological traditions [1][2]. No details of his personal life or education survive.

Works His sole known work is the Carmen Astrologicum, a didactic astrological poem composed in Greek hexameter verse. Originally in five books, it survives fragmentarily, primarily through an 8th- or 9th-century Arabic translation. The text systematically treats core techniques of Hellenistic horoscopic astrology, including zodiacal signs, planetary influences, and methods for interpreting natal charts [1][2].

Significance Dorotheus is a pivotal figure in the transmission of astrological doctrine. His textbook was extensively cited by later authorities like Vettius Valens and, via its Arabic version, fundamentally influenced the development of Islamic and medieval European astrology. The work provides crucial evidence for the technical practice of astrology in the early Roman Empire [1][2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorotheus-of-Sidon 2. Perseus Digital Library, Catalog of Authors: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0012:entry=dorotheus-2