The subject of this book is the Western astronomical tradition from ancient Babylonia to the
European Renaissance with special emphasis on the Greek period. Throughout the book two
questions constantly recur: what evidence permits us to reconstruct the astronomy of the
ancient past? How was astronony actually practised? The book is meticulously documented and
makes full use of primary sources as well as modern historical scholarship. It is richly
illustrated and is unusual for its attention to the material culture of ancient astronomy. The
most striking aspect of the book is its attention to astronomical practice.
