Heaven and Earth in Ancient Greek Cosmology: From Thales to Heraclides Ponticus (Astrophysics and Space Science Library Book 374)

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. “In this book, Dirk L. Couprie presents his efforts at clarifying the views of the pioneers of theoretical cosmology. It covers the crucial period from about the middle of the sixth until the middle of the fourth century B.C., with its focus on the magnificent figure of Anaximander. The book by Dirk Couprie constitutes an important and in several respects indispensable contribution to this field.” Dmitri Panchenko St. Petersburg State University front-matter 1 Heaven and Earth in Ancient Greek Cosmology 1 Contents 4 List of Figures 6 List of Tables 11 Foreword 12 Preface and Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 15 front-matter-1 27 Part I: Archaic Astronomy and the World-Picture of a Flat Earth 27 3-14 28 Chapter 1: The Archaic World Picture 28 15-49 40 Chapter 2: Archaic Astronomical Instruments 40 51-62 75 Chapter 3: How Thales Was Able to Predict the Solar Eclipse of 28 May 585 B.C. 75 63-67 87 Chapter 4: The Shape of the Earth According to Thales 87 69-78 92 Chapter 5: The Riddle of the Celestial Axis 92 79-86 102 Chapter 6: The First Map of the Earth 102 front-matter-2 110 Part II: Anaximander and the Discovery of Space 110 89-97 111 Chapter 7: Anaximander: A Survey of His Ideas 111 99-120 120 Chapter 8: The Discovery of Space: Anaximander ́s Cosmology 120 The Celestial Bodies Make Full Circles Around the Earth 121 The Earth Floats Free in Space 125 The Celestial Bodies Lie Behind One Another 135 121-136 142 Chapter 9: Anaximander ́s Numbers: The Dimensions of the Universe 142 137-144 158 Chapter 10: The Visualization of Anaximander ́s World Picture 158 145-151 166 Chapter 11: Bellows or Lightning? A Curious Terminology Explained 166 153-160 173 Chapter 12: Critique of an Alleged Cosmic Architecture 173 front-matter3 181 Part III: The Completion of the New World-Picture and the Debate on the Shape of the Earth 181 163-174 182 Chapter 13: A Survey from Anaximander to Aristarchus 182 175-180 194 Chapter 14: With Fear for His Own Life: Anaxagoras as a Cosmologist 194 181-188 200 Chapter 15: The Sun at the Horizon, Anaxagoras ́ Proof of the Flatness of the Earth 200 189-200 208 Chapter 16: The Sun Is as Big as the Peloponnesus 208 201-212 220 Chapter 17: The Dodecahedron, or the Shape of the Earth According to Plato 220 213-220 232 Chapter 18: Fear of Falling: Aristotle on the Shape of the Earth 232 221-230 240 Chapter 19: Heraclides Ponticus and the Infinite Universe 240 back-matter 250 Bibliography1 250 Name Index 265 Index of Classical Authors 272 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. Content: 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.- A Survey from Anaximander to Aristarchus.- With Fear For His Own Life: Anaxagoras as a Cosmologist.- The Sun at the Horizon: Anaxagoras' Argument for a Flat 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.-