Commonplace book: celestial order

Or: Diana Wynne Jones and Classics, an Ongoing Series.

Thinking about Dogsbody:

Marcus Manilius, Astronomica 5.734-45:

utque per ingentis populus discribitur urbes,
principiumque patres retinent et proximum equester 735
ordo locum, populumque equiti populoque subire
vulgus iners videas et iam sine nomine turbam,
sic etiam magno quaedam res publica mundo est
quam natura facit, quae caelo condidit urbem.
sunt stellae procerum similes, sunt proxima primis 740
sidera, suntque gradus atque omnia iusta priorum:
maximus est populus summo qui culmine fertur;
cui si pro numero vires natura dedisset,
ipse suas aether flammas sufferre nequiret,
totus et accenso mundus flagraret Olympo.

Just as throughout great cities the population is apportioned, and the senators have the first place, and the rank of Knights the next, and you can observe the common people coming after the knights and the idle crowd after the common people, and then the herd without report, so even the great universe has its republic, which nature made, which founded its city in the sky. There are stars just like leading men, there are stars just inferior to those highest in rank, and there are gradations of status and all the due privileges of higher rank. Greatest in number is the populace which is born on that highest summit; had nature given it strengths according to its number, the upper air itself would be unable to endure the flames, and the whole universe with enflamed Olympus would burn.