Science Awakening II The Birth of Astronomy
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SCIENCE AWAKENING II
SCIENCE AWAKENING II THE BIRTH OF ASTRONOMY by
Bartel L. van der Waerden
with contributions by
Peter Huber
SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.
© 1974 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Origina11y published by Noordhoff International Publishing in 1974
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
ISBN 978-90-481-8247-3 ISBN 978-94-017-2952-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-2952-9
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number A54-7774
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface lNTRODUCTION.
civilization . .
The role of astronomy in the history of
The purpose of astronomy The divinity of the stars . ASTRONOMICAL INTRODUCTJON • .
1 2
.
The stellar sphere, poles and equator The zodiac . . . . . . . . . . . . The moon . . . . . . . . . . . . The phases of the fixed stars and planets . The planets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Historical and astronomical reckoning of years
CHAPTER 1.
Astronomy in ancient Egypt
HISTORICAL PERIODS . . . .
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THE RISING OF SIRJUS AND THE EGYPTIAN CALENDAR
Sirius as berald of the new year . . . . . The Egyptian year. . . . . . . . . . . Was there a scientific astronomy in the Egyptian Old Kingdom? The Sothis period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The phases of stars in Hesiodos• poem . . . . . . . . The significance of the phases of the stars for agriculture . THE EGYPTIAN DECANS . . .
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. .
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The diagonal calendars . . . . . . The position of the decans in the sky The rising of the decans in the night . The headings of the columns . . . . Later development of the decan theory Historical consequences . . . . . . Other astronomical tomb-inscriptions The decans in astrology THE LATE EGYPTIAN PERIOD
Astrology . . . . . .
1-7
3 3 4 5 6 6
7
8-45 8 8 8 9 10 10 11 13 13 14. 17 19 26 26 28 28 29 32 32
VIII
T ABLE OF CONTENTS
Astronomy . . . . . Calculation of periods . Eudoxos' Egyptian journey . Geometry . . . . . . . . The significance of geometry for astronomy. New trends in religion . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER
2.
Old-Babylonian astronomy . . . .
HAMMURABI AND HIS DYNASTY .
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.
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The beginning of astrology . . The series 'Enuma Anu Enlil' . THE VENUS TABLETS OF AMMIZADUGA .
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The phases of Venus. . . . . The 'Year of the golden throne' . The time intervals . . . . . Errors in the text . . . . . . . The chronological problern . . . Schematic calculation of the phases of Venus . The identity of the morning and evening star Astral religion . . . . . . Astral religion and astrology . . . . . . . CHAPTER
3. The Assyrian period . . . . . . . .
TIME TABLE . . . . .
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General survey THE EARLIER TEXTS .
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Hilprecht's text HS 229 'The three stars each' . The stars of Elam, Akkad and Amurru The numbers on Pinches' astrolabe Which stars were meant? . THE SERIES mulAPIN
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The star catalog
