Ancient Greek Astronomy Essay - 1538 Words

Ancient Greek Astronomy Since the first Egyptian farmers discovered the annual reappearance of Sirius just before dawn a few days before the yearly rising of the Nile, ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean have sought to explain the movements of the heavens as a sort of calendar to help guide them conduct earthly activities. Counting phases of the moon or observing the annual variations of day length could, after many years collection of observations, serve as vital indicators for planting and harvesting times, safe or stormy season for sailing, or time to bring the flocks from winter to summer pastures. With our millennia of such observation behind us, we sometimes forget that seeing and recording anything less obvious than†¦show more content†¦There are hints of the Greek conception of the universe in Homer, who mentions many subjects on his two epics describing war and the perils of trying to come home after long absence. For Homer, heaven is a solid inverted bowl straddling the earth, with fiery, gleaming aither above the cloud-bearing air. Homer mentions the movements of sun, moon, and many stars by name. The fact that Hades is on the underside of earth has an important impact on conceptions of heaven: it is unlit by the sun, therefore, the sun--and by extension, other heavenly bodies-- must sink only to the level of Ocean, which is conceived as a river circling earths edge. From it the Sun must also rise--though how it gets back to the eastern bank of Ocean is never explained. These popular conceptions of sky are more fully explained in Hesiod, whose works on gods, on agriculture, and animal-herding are more closely connected to the practical application of astronomy. He clocks spring, summer, and harvest by solstices and the rising and setting of certain stars, and notices that the sun migrates southwards in winter As the Greeks began to travel and explore, their ideas of the order of the universe began to change. Many Greeks settled on the coast of Turkey in the early migrations of the eleventh century BCE, and there enjoyed rich cultural mingling with their neighbors the Lydians and Persians, latest descendents of Mesopotamian civilization. They kept inShow MoreRelatedAncient Greek Science and Astronomy2201 Words   |  9 PagesThe Ancient Greek culture has had such an impact on the world that no matter where you look you re sure to find something Greek about it. Out of all the areas that the Greek culture is famous for there are two that tend to exert themselves into our own culture even today. That would be their Science and Astronomy fields. If one were to look up in a library books about ancient Greek science and astronomy they would have a mountain of books to sift through. There seem to be so many individualsRead MoreWorks and Days by Hesiod1163 Words   |  5 PagesE., the Greek poet Hesiod produced what is generally thought to be the oldest surviving Greek poetic works. During this time, Greece was near the middle of its Archaic period, a period of technological, social, political, and cultural innovations. This was the period in which the first true alphabet system arose, the system which allowed Hesiod and other poets like him to record permanently the oral stories and lyrics so important to Greek culture. This was also the time in which the Greek polis emergedRead MoreScientific and Mathematical Contributions of Ancient Greece, China, and India1112 Words   |  4 Pagesmathematical skills and theories from ancient civilizations. Ancient Greece is often known for its strong advancements in philosophy. 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The ancient Greeks were a remarkable civilization in thatRead MoreCritique on Carl Milles Work687 Words   |  3 PagesEast Asian Sculpture. Milles as an assistant of Rodin and he cultivated his interest on studying ancient sculpture during the time he assisted in Rodin’s studio. He collected ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and combined what he learned from the ancient masters into his work. The sculpture Two Girls Dancing showed how he combined ancient Greek into his work that the two dancing women were with ancient Greek heads. The most representative works of Carl Milles were Man and Pegasus and The HandRead MoreA Critical Review of the Introduction (pp.xi-xvi) to Cumont, Franz, Astrology Among The Greeks and Romans, New York: Dover Publications 1960 (1911)1092 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Franz Cumont’s introduction in Astrology and Religion Among The Greek and Romans, the Dover 1960 edition of the unabridged and unaltered original work published, by G P Putnam in 1912, is aimed at the general historical and theological audience. On reading Franz Cumont introduction it is obvious he is scathing in his comments towards the practise of astrology. Along with his contempt of the continuing growth in the belief of astrology and how, throughout humankindRead MoreGreek Philosophy And The Greek Creation1593 Words   |  7 Pages The word â€Å"philosophy†, comes from the Ancient Greek word (Phileo), meaning â€Å"to love† or â€Å"to befriend† and (Sophia), meaning â€Å"wisdom†; making philosophy stand for â€Å"the love of wisdom†. Philosophy is about understanding the fundamental truths about ourselves, the world in which we live in, and our relationships to the world and amongst each other. It is the study of general problems connected with existence, values, language, and mind. Those who study philosophy (philosophers), engage in askingRead MoreEver since the beginning of time there have been stars. Not only stars in the sky, but moons,1700 Words   |  7 Pagesstars. Not only stars in the sky, but moons, planets, and even galaxies! Astronomy is defined as the branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space, and the phy sical universe as a whole. In other words it is the study of space, planets, and stars. Throughout the ages, many people have used astronomy to help them learn about the universe, our own planet, and even make predictions about life itself. Understanding astronomy means understanding where it originated, the different groups/culturesRead MoreGreece s Impact On The World1335 Words   |  6 PagesA Blast From the Past The way to better the world is to go back to the past and learn the ways of those who came before and learned from their mistakes; sort of like time traveling. When going back in time and comparing the ancient civilizations of Rome and Greece to today, the root of our knowledge is greatly influenced on the minds who have lived at that time. Some may ask which civilization had the most impact on United States and the world? Many would say that the Romans had the most impactRead MoreGreece s Impact On The World1360 Words   |  6 PagesA Blast From the Past The way to better the world is to go back to the past and learn the ways of those who came before and learned from their mistakes; sort of like time traveling. When going back in time and comparing the ancient civilizations of Rome and Greece to today, the root of our knowledge are greatly influenced on the minds who have lived at that time. Some may ask which civilization had the most impact on United States and the world? Many would say that the Romans had the most impact