Hellenistic Astronomy: The Science in Its Contexts(Brill's Companions to Classical Studies)

In Hellenistic Astronomy: The Science in Its Contexts, new essays by renowned scholars address questions about what the ancient science of the heavens was in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean worlds, and the numerous contexts in which it was pursued. Together, these essays will enable readers not only to understand the technical accomplishments of this ancient science but also to appreciate their historical significance by locating the questions, challenges, and issues inspiring them in their political, medical, philosophical, literary, and religious contexts. Winner of the 2020 Choice Outstanding Academic Title Award

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments List of Illustrations and Tables List of Abbreviations 0 Prolegomena to the Study of Hellenistic Astronomy  Alan C. Bowen and Francesca Rochberg Part A Technical Requirements 1 The Celestial Sphere  Clemency Montelle 2 Methods of Reckoning Time  Robert Hannah Chapter 3 Quantitative Tools 3.1 Techniques of Measurement and Computation  Mathieu Ossendrijver 3.2 Planar and Spherical Trigonometry  Glen Van Brummelen Chapter 4 Theory of the Sun, Moon, and Planets 4.1 Fundamentals of Planetary Theory  Nathan Sidoli 4.2 Hypothesis in Greco-Roman Astronomy  Alan C. Bowen 4.3 Some Early Hypotheses in Greco-Roman Astronomy  Alan C. Bowen 4.4 The Ptolemaic Planetary Hypotheses  James C. Evans 4.5 The Hellenistic Theory of Eclipses  Clemency Montelle 4.6 Hellenistic Babylonian Planetary Theory  Mathieu Ossendrijver 4.7 The Babylonian Contribution to Greco-Roman Astronomy  Francesca Rochberg 4.8 Hellenistic Egyptian Planetary Theory  Micah T. Ross Part B Observations, Instruments, and Issues Chapter 5 Observational Foundations 5.1 The Observational Foundations of Babylonian Astronomy  Lis Brack-Bernsen 5.2 Experience and Observation in Hellenistic Astronomy  Richard L. Kremer Chapter 6 Astronomical Instruments 6.1 Hellenistic Surveying Instruments  Tracey E. Rihll 6.2 Hellenistic Maps and Lists of Places  Klaus Geus 6.3 Star-Lists from the Babylonians to Ptolemy  Gerd Graßhoff 6.4 Ptolemy’s Instruments  Dennis W. Duke Chapter 7 Thematic Questions 7.1 Issues in Hellenistic Egyptian Astronomical Writings  Anthony Spalinger 7.2 The Texts and Aims of Babylonian Astronomy  Hermann Hunger 7.3 Issues in Greco-Roman Astronomy of the Hellenistic Period  Alan C. Bowen Part C Contexts 8 The Professional ἀϲτρολόγοϲ  Wolfgang Hübner Chapter 9 Hellenistic Astronomy in Public Service 9.1 The Sundial and the Calendar  Robert Hannah 9.2 The Antikythera Mechanism  James C. Evans 9.3 Hellenistic Astronomy in Medicine  Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum Chapter 10 Hellenistic Astronomy in Literature 10.1 Aratus and the Popularization of Hellenistic Astronomy  Stamatina Mastorakou 10.2 The Authority of the Roman Heavens  Alfred Schmid Chapter 11 Hellenistic Astronomy in the Training and Work of Priests 11.1 Hellenistic Astronomy and the Egyptian Priest  Alexandra von Lieven 11.2 Hellenistic Astronomy and the Babylonian Scribal Families  Mathieu Ossendrijver Chapter 12 Astral Divination and Natal Astrology 12.1 The Hellenistic Horoscope  Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum 12.2 Hellenistic Babylonian Astral Divination and Nativities  Francesca Rochberg 12.3 Hellenistic Horoscopes in Greek and Latin: Contexts and Uses  Stephan Heilen 12.4 Demotic Horoscopes  Micah T. Ross Chapter 13 Theological Contexts 13.1 Hellenistic Astronomy in Early Judaic Writings  James C. VanderKam 13.2 Astral Divination in the Dead Sea Scrolls  Helen R. Jacobus 13.3 Hellenistic Astronomy in Early Christianities  Nicola Denzey Lewis 13.4 Cosmology in Mandaean Texts  Siam Bhayro 13.5 Astral Discourse in the Philosophical Hermetica (Corpus Hermeticum)  Christian Wildberg Chapter 14 Hellenistic Astronomy in the Philosophical Schools 14.1 Astronomy and Divination in Stoic Philosophy  Giuseppe Cambiano 14.2 Plotinus on the Motion of the Stars  James Wilberding Historical Glossary of Important Terms in Hellenistic Astronomy Bibliography Index of Passages Index of Names Index of Subjects

About the Author :
Alan C. Bowen, Ph.D. (1977: Philosophy, University of Toronto), is Director of the Institute for Research in Classical Philosophy and Science. He has published numerous books and articles in the history of ancient Greek and Roman science and philosophy. Francesca Rochberg , Ph.D. (1980: Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago) is Catherine and William L. Magistretti Distinguished Professor of Near Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She has published widely in the history of Babylonian celestial divination, astrology, and astronomy. Contributors are: Siam Bhayro, Alan C. Bowen, Lis Brack-Bernsen, Giuseppe Cambiano, Nicola F. Denzey-Lewis, Dennis W. Duke, James C. Evans, Klaus Geus, Gerd Grasshoff, Dorian G. Greenbaum, Robert Hannah, Stephan Heilen, Wolfgang Hübner, Hermann Hunger, Helen Jacobus, Richard L. Kremer, Alexandra von Lieven, Stamatina Mastorakou, Clemency Montelle, Mathieu Ossendrijver, Tracey E. Rhill, Francesca Rochberg, Micah T. Ross, Alfred Schmid, Nathan C. Sidoli, Anthony Spalinger, Glen Van Brumelen, James C. Vanderkam, James Wilberding, Christian Wilder

Review :
"This is an absolutely wonderful book, well-written and a pleasure to read. It is generally based on the most recent research and very informative without being inaccessible to the layman. That the field of ancient astronomy is under rapid development is evident from the bibliography alone. [...] It is generously supplied with interesting and relevant illustrations and its structure and composition take the reader by the hand so that it can be read easily from cover to cover. The individual chapters can also be read on their own, and the “Historical Glossary” and indices make it an excellent handbook as well. It provides a status quaestionis in a way which is at the same time accessible to the interested layman and contains a brilliant survey and much new to be learnt for the specialist in any parts of the vast topic covered as well." - Ulla Koch, in: BMCR 2021.04.23 "This is an excellent and eminently useful volume, surveying and advancing the state of the field in a very welcome, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary format. Corners of this field seem to have been developing rather quickly in the last decade or two, and scholars will be grateful to the editors and authors for the timely appearance and impressive scope of this large book." - Daryn Lehoux, in: The Classical Review 71.2 442–444