Bishop of Lisieux, France, in 1378, who published works on theology, politics, economics, mathematics, and physical science. His book Livre de Divinacions expresses orthodox theological thought on various aspects of medieval occultism. The book is titled after the De Divinatione of Cicero and defines the arguments for and against belief in the occult, lists frauds and deceptions in divination, and distinguishes between astrology and astronomy. Oresme accepted alchemy and ascribed occult success to demons.
Oresme was born ca. 1320, probably in Normandy, and entered the College of Navarre in Paris in 1348. As Archdeacon of Bayeux, he accepted the Deanship of Rouen but retained his university office until obliged to relinquish it due to a decision by the Parliament of Paris. In 1378, after his translation of the works of Aristotle into French, he was given the bishopric of Lisieux. He died in 1382.
His Livre de Divinacions was originally written in Latin, subsequently in French. In the absence of an English translation, there was little scholarly discussion of the work until the 1900s. In 1934, Lynn Thorndike devoted three chapters in Volume 3 of History of Magic and Experimental Science to a detailed study of Oresme's work.
Sources:
Coopland, G. W. Nicole Oresme and the Astrologers; A Study of His "Livre de Divinacions." Liverpool, UK: University Press of Liverpool, 1952.
Thorndike, Lynn. History of Magic and Experimental Science. Vol. 3. New York: Columbia University Press, 1923-58.
