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Greek Astronomy
Astronomy as a science began with the Ionian philosophers, with whom Greek philosophy and mathematics also began. While the Egyptians and Babylonians had accomplished much of astronomical worth, it remained for the unrivalled speculative genius of the Greeks, in particular, their mathematical genius, to lay the foundations of the true science of astronomy. In this classic study, a noted scholar discusses in lucid detail the specific advances made by the Greeks, many of whose ideas anticipated the discoveries of modern astronomy.
Pythagoras, born at Samos about 572 B.C., was probably the first to hold that the earth is spherical in shape, while his later followers anticipated Copernicus with the then-startling hypothesis that the earth was not the center of the universe but a planet like the others. Heraclides of Pontus (c. 388–315 B.C.), a pupil of Plato, declared that the apparent daily rotation of the heavenly bodies is due, not to a rotation of the heavenly sphere about an axis through the center of the earth, but to the rotation of the earth itself around its own axis. Secondly, Heraclides discovered that Venus and Mercury revolve around the sun like satellites. Perhaps the greatest astronomer of antiquity was Hipparchus, who flourished between 161 and 126 B.C. He compiled a catalog of fixed stars to the number 850 or more, made great improvements in the instruments used for astronomical observations, and discovered the precession of the equinoxes, among other accomplishments. The astronomy of Hipparchus takes its definitive form in the Syntaxis (commonly called the Almagest ) of Ptolemy, written about A.D. 150, which held the field until the time of Copernicus.
The extraordinary achievements of these and many more Greek theorists are given full coverage in this erudite account, which blends exceptional clarity with a readable style to produce a work that is not only indispensable for astronomers and historians of science but easily accessible to science-minded lay readers.
Pythagoras, born at Samos about 572 B.C., was probably the first to hold that the earth is spherical in shape, while his later followers anticipated Copernicus with the then-startling hypothesis that the earth was not the center of the universe but a planet like the others. Heraclides of Pontus (c. 388–315 B.C.), a pupil of Plato, declared that the apparent daily rotation of the heavenly bodies is due, not to a rotation of the heavenly sphere about an axis through the center of the earth, but to the rotation of the earth itself around its own axis. Secondly, Heraclides discovered that Venus and Mercury revolve around the sun like satellites. Perhaps the greatest astronomer of antiquity was Hipparchus, who flourished between 161 and 126 B.C. He compiled a catalog of fixed stars to the number 850 or more, made great improvements in the instruments used for astronomical observations, and discovered the precession of the equinoxes, among other accomplishments. The astronomy of Hipparchus takes its definitive form in the Syntaxis (commonly called the Almagest ) of Ptolemy, written about A.D. 150, which held the field until the time of Copernicus.
The extraordinary achievements of these and many more Greek theorists are given full coverage in this erudite account, which blends exceptional clarity with a readable style to produce a work that is not only indispensable for astronomers and historians of science but easily accessible to science-minded lay readers.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 18, 2023
Read the (superb!) introduction, the rest of the book consists of fragments of and on said philosophers. Handy as a reference book, especially since it is well-structured. Heath was both an expert and a gifted writer, able to separate the relevant from the irrelevant as well as presenting a clear and concise oversight on ancient Greek astronomy.
May 21, 2018
An anthology of early Greek cosmological thought prefaced by a sizeable introduction which summarises the (reconstructed) theories. H. views the various thinkers as part of one self-conscious tradition. This, of course, is only partly true. The translations which make up the second half are serviceable and accessible. Overall, an informative book that gives a decent impression of the various ways Greek thinkers tried to explain the presence and movement of the heavenly bodies.
H.s presentation of the various systems tends to the Whiggish. Leucippus' cosmology, which was innovative if only because it had to harmonise with his atomism, "show[s] no advance on those of his predecessors." And Empedocles only "deserves a place in the history of astronomy and science on account of one thing—his theory that light travels and takes time to pass from one point to another." His explanations of the day/night cycle and his account of the sun are merely "strange." This suggest that inclusion is determined not by whether a thinker's theories are interesting, influential, worthy of study, etc., but simply whether his theories turned out to be right or at least close enough. (However, if actually used, this criterion would have produced a wholly different book.)
Accordingly, H. views the Greek 'astronomers' and principally Aristarchus as laying the groundwork for later astronomical discoveries, e.g.: "Anaxagoras' cosmogony was full of fruitful ideas in which we recognise remarkable resemblances to the root-assumptions in the nebular hypothesis on which the latest cosmological theories [i.e. the Big Bang] are based." This attitude is clearly underscored by the introduction's final sentence: "It was Kepler that the Greeks failed to anticipate."
As in his introduction to the first volume of his History of Greek Mathematics, H. puts emphasis on the "Greek genius for inquiry", which set them apart from the Egyptians and the Babylonians as systematic thinkers rather than mere record-keepers of the phenomena. It is also this Greek genius which makes up for all their flaws in their theories. It was of course not uncommon in H.s time for scholars to point to some sort of Volksgeist as an explanation for the uniqueness of an intellectual flourishing, so he may be excused against the critics of, says, racism or cultural imperialism. However, that does not make it any less uninformative and uninteresting an explanation.
H.s presentation of the various systems tends to the Whiggish. Leucippus' cosmology, which was innovative if only because it had to harmonise with his atomism, "show[s] no advance on those of his predecessors." And Empedocles only "deserves a place in the history of astronomy and science on account of one thing—his theory that light travels and takes time to pass from one point to another." His explanations of the day/night cycle and his account of the sun are merely "strange." This suggest that inclusion is determined not by whether a thinker's theories are interesting, influential, worthy of study, etc., but simply whether his theories turned out to be right or at least close enough. (However, if actually used, this criterion would have produced a wholly different book.)
Accordingly, H. views the Greek 'astronomers' and principally Aristarchus as laying the groundwork for later astronomical discoveries, e.g.: "Anaxagoras' cosmogony was full of fruitful ideas in which we recognise remarkable resemblances to the root-assumptions in the nebular hypothesis on which the latest cosmological theories [i.e. the Big Bang] are based." This attitude is clearly underscored by the introduction's final sentence: "It was Kepler that the Greeks failed to anticipate."
As in his introduction to the first volume of his History of Greek Mathematics, H. puts emphasis on the "Greek genius for inquiry", which set them apart from the Egyptians and the Babylonians as systematic thinkers rather than mere record-keepers of the phenomena. It is also this Greek genius which makes up for all their flaws in their theories. It was of course not uncommon in H.s time for scholars to point to some sort of Volksgeist as an explanation for the uniqueness of an intellectual flourishing, so he may be excused against the critics of, says, racism or cultural imperialism. However, that does not make it any less uninformative and uninteresting an explanation.
January 6, 2021
In this work by the translator of Euclid, we can find many tales of early Greek astronomy. The Greeks are known to have taken an interest in a wide variety of matters and their early efforts to make sense of human experience has left us with an enduring legacy. Today you will find books, articles, and essays all discussing the "Greek achievement," a wide range of activities that includes medicine, agriculture, anthropology, history, writing, etc
1. Thales: the most important report on this character is his effort to find unity in all things. While pursuing this task (postulating that all things are made of water) he was gazing up at the night sky and fell into a well. His rescue was accomplished by a young woman who took to laughing at him for neglecting the things right in front of him. The lesson is obvious, "philosophers are unaware of the obvious because they prefer the ultimate."
2. Pythagoras: the first thinker to conceive of the universe as the most comprehensive collection of things. He is also credited with having discovered that the earth is actually round or spherical.
3. Heraclitus: for him, Fire is the unifying element of all things. This simple notion is actually more sophisticated that we might imagine. Fire condensed is a solid and fire rarified is air. All experience is a Heraclitean fire, but there is also the glory of the resurrection.
1. Thales: the most important report on this character is his effort to find unity in all things. While pursuing this task (postulating that all things are made of water) he was gazing up at the night sky and fell into a well. His rescue was accomplished by a young woman who took to laughing at him for neglecting the things right in front of him. The lesson is obvious, "philosophers are unaware of the obvious because they prefer the ultimate."
2. Pythagoras: the first thinker to conceive of the universe as the most comprehensive collection of things. He is also credited with having discovered that the earth is actually round or spherical.
3. Heraclitus: for him, Fire is the unifying element of all things. This simple notion is actually more sophisticated that we might imagine. Fire condensed is a solid and fire rarified is air. All experience is a Heraclitean fire, but there is also the glory of the resurrection.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews