babylonian numbers
Preserved but no longer current.
N-ec Babylonios temp- tans numeros (Horace: Odes, Bk. i, xi, 2). Do not pry into futurity by astrological calcula- tions and horoscopes. Do not consult fortune-tellers. The Chaldeans were the most noted of astrologers.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “babylonian numbers” mean?
N-ec Babylonios temp- tans numeros (Horace: Odes, Bk. i, xi, 2). Do not pry into futurity by astrological calcula- tions and horoscopes. Do not consult fortune-tellers. The Chaldeans were the most noted of astrologers.
Is “babylonian numbers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.