Ancient Greek
Astronomy and Astrology

Ancient Greek astronomy was the scientific study of planets galaxies, stars and other celestial bodies, studied by the ancient Greeks.

As with other ancient cultures, including Western culture , Islamic, Indian and Western European, Greek Astronomy was greatly influenced by Babylonian astronomy and was devised sometime during the classic antiquity period which is said to have begun in the 7th to 8th century BC and included the culture and history of the civilisations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome known later as the Greco-Roman period sometimes known as the ‘Mediterranean world’ and later the Greek Hellenistic period and late Antiquity period.

Although the first heliocentric model of the solar system was the work of Aristarchus of Samos, astronomy was not geographically limited to Greece, although ancient Greek was the language of all scholars at the time.

The Planets in early Greek Astronomy

The ancient Greek writers and poets, Homer and Hesiod gave examples of the stars and constellations in their writings. In the Iliad and the Odyssey there is mention of the constellation Boötes and Orion, and Arcturus is listed in Works and Days (Hesiod).

The name ‘planet’ comes from the Greek ‘planetes which translates to wanderer. The ancient Greek astronomers notices that certain lights moved across the sky in relation to other stars.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can be seen with the naked eye. Of course the Sun and Moon are also listed as naked eye planets.

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