Heaven and Earth in ancient Greek cosmology

from Thales to Heraclides Ponticus

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Last edited by MARC Bot
January 4, 2023 | History

Heaven and Earth in ancient Greek cosmology

from Thales to Heraclides Ponticus

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In Miletus, about 550 B.C., together with our world-picture cosmology was born. This book tells the story. In Part One the reader is introduced in the archaic world-picture of a flat earth with the cupola of the celestial vault onto which the celestial bodies are attached. One of the subjects treated in that context is the riddle of the tilted celestial axis. This part also contains an extensive chapter on archaic astronomical instruments. Part Two shows how Anaximander (610-547 B.C.) blew up this archaic world-picture and replaced it by a new one that is essentially still ours. He taught that the celestial bodies orbit at different distances and that the earth floats unsupported in space. This makes him the founding father of cosmology. Part Three discusses topics that completed the new picture described by Anaximander. Special attention is paid to the confrontation between Anaxagoras and Aristotle on the question whether the earth is flat or spherical, and on the battle between Aristotle and Heraclides Ponticus on the question whether the universe is finite or infinite.

Publish Date
Publisher
Springer
Language
English
Pages
261

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Book Details


Table of Contents

Foreword / by Dmitri Panchenko
Introduction
Archaic astronomy and the world-picture of a flat earth. The archaic world picture ; Archaic astronomical instruments ; How Thales was able to predict the solar eclipse of 28 May 585 B.C. ; The shape of the earth according to Thales ; The riddle of the celestial axis ; The first map of the earth
Anaximander and the discovery of space. Anaximander : a survey of his ideas ; The discovery of space : Anaximander's cosmology ; Anaximander's numbers : the dimensions of the universe ; The visualization of Anaximander's world picture ; Bellows or lightning? : A curious terminology explained ; Critique of an alleged cosmic architecture
The completion of the new world-picture and the debate on the shape of the earth. A survey from Anaximander to Aristarchus ; With fear for his own life : Anaxagoras as a cosmologist ; The sun at the horizon, Anaxagoras' proof of the flatness of the earth ; The sun is as big as the Peloponnesus ; The dodecahedron, or the shape of the earth according to Plato ; Fear of falling : Aristotle on the shape of the earth ; Heraclides Ponticus and the infinite universe.

Edition Notes

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Published in
New York
Series
Astrophysics and space science library -- 374, Astrophysics and space science library -- 374.

Classifications

Library of Congress
BD495 .C68 2011, QC6.9QC5.53QB980-991

The Physical Object

Pagination
xxxii, 261 p. :
Number of pages
261

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL25298734M
Internet Archive
heavenearthancie00coup_625
ISBN 10
1441981152
ISBN 13
9781441981158
LCCN
2011923655
OCLC/WorldCat
690089500

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January 4, 2023 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
December 23, 2022 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
December 14, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
November 12, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
May 2, 2012 Created by LC Bot Imported from Library of Congress MARC record