Astrology / History

Ancient Greek

    
    The next dramatic leap in astronomy was made by Herakleides, who died in 310 B.C. Inspired by the work of Philolaus, Herakleides created his so-called 'Egyptian' system in which the Earth remained at the centre of the Universe, but spun on its own axis, giving rise to the diurnal motion of the heavens. He explained the erratic orbits of Mercury and Venus by making them orbit the Sun, while Mars, Jupiter and Saturn still orbited the Earth. Some authorities state that Herakleides made the three outer planets orbit the Sun as well but there seems to be little evidence for this.
    
    In part Herakleides was still attempting to explain weaknesses in the Aristotelian system, but the complete break with geocentricity was made by Aristarchus (b 310 B.C.). Aristarchus, who was widely recognised as one of the foremost astronomers of his time, taught that the Earth and all the planets orbited the Sun, a revolutionary idea which was submerged and forgotten under the much greater religious and philosophical appeal of the Platonic and Aristotelian geocentric universe. The skill of Aristarchus' astronomy is demonstrated by his revision of the length of the solar year by the addition of 1/1623 to the previous estimate of 365 ? days.
    
    It is important to remember that the heliocentric system of Aristarchus was not forgotten, but through the work of various Roman writers, was available to both Arab and European scholars in Medieaval times. Yet, in spite of the fact that heliocentricity provides a simple explanation of the eccentricity of planetary orbits, the geocentric system, complete with complex series of circles and spheres, remained the most popular. It was geocentricity which inspired the human mind in a way which heliocentricity could not, even though to the modern mind it makes perfect symbolic sense that the Sun is the physical centre of the planetary system.
    
    Astrologers were circulating in Greece at this time, and we know that one visited Plato. Indeed it would surprising if this were not so for in 546 B.C. the Persians had pushed their Empire up to the Aegean coast of lonia (modern Turkey), bringing both Greek and Mesopotamian cultures under the same Empire. It was of course the Persians who had transported Pythagoras to Babylon, giving him the chance to learn ancient Mesopotamian philosophy. The most famous story concerning an astrologer at this time has come down to us in the legend surrounding the birth of Alexander the Great in 357 B.C. According to Ebenezer Sibley, the 18th century astrologer, the astrologer Nectanebus was present at the birth and besought her (Alexander's mother) not to permit the child to be born until he gave the word. Presumably Nectanebus' urging worked, for Alexander became one the most renowned leaders in history. It is also said that Alexander's death was foretold by the astrologers of Babylon as a consequence of his entry into that city. It was the conquests of Alexander which spread the Hellenistic culture of Greece all over Asia as far as northern India, hastening the mix of European and oriental civilisations which was to produce modern astrology.

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