Johann Carion (1499–1537) was a German astrologer, known also for historical writings.
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He was court astrologer to Joachim I, Elector of Brandenburg. A prognostication he published in 1521 gained him a later reputation of having predicted the Protestant Reformation, as well as a major flood in 1525 and some apocalyptic dates.[1] Subsequently from 1531 Philip Melanchthon took an interest in his work. Andreas Perlach in a work on the comet of 1531 questioned whether his methods were purely astrological or involved magic.[2]
His death is fixed as 1537, when Melanchthon communicated the news in a letter to Jacob Milich.
Carion's Chronicles became an important work in Lutheran and more generally Protestant millennarian thought. From an original that was indeed by Carion, it was completely rewritten in its Latin version at the hands of Melanchthon, and others.[3] With Joachim Camerarius, Melanchthon and other Lutheran humanist scholars changed what was a traditional chronicle into a Reformation narrative of the Middle Ages.[4] After Melanchthon's death Caspar Peucer continued to edit it. Major features were the scheme of four monarchies taken from the Book of Daniel, extended by the medieval idea of translatio imperii; further there is a second Three Eras schematic, the third period of which will be co-extensive with the Roman Empire extended by the Holy Roman Empire (the fourth monarchy) which will last to 2000 AD. [5]
Initially, Carion published a short universal history in German, at Wittenberg (1532). It was then translated into Latin by Herman Bonnus (Halle, 1537); there were numerous subsequent editions and translations.[6]
In England there were translations by Walter Lynne, and also by Thomas Lanquet (unfinished) which was completed by Thomas Cooper (with Robert Crowley) and became known as Cooper's Chronicle.[7]