No abstract

Our best source of dated astronomical observations that were known to the Greeks in antiquity is Ptolemy's Afmagest (ca. AD 150) and, in the time before Hipparchus in the middle of the 2nd century BC, Ptolemy records 35 such observations, some Babylonian and some Greek.' Of the Babylonian data, Ptolemy reports 7 lunar eclipses observed in Babylon and dated according to regnal years of Babylonian kings (from -720 to -490); one of these, the lunar eclipse of 19 Nov. -501, is also preserved in a Babylonian text.' Another set of 3 lunar eclipse observations from Babylon in -382J-381, is dated in the Athenian calendar, i.e.,.by Athenian month names in a year named after the archon of Athens, as well as in the Egyptian civil calendar [Afmagest iv.111. This raises one of many questions concerning these observations, Why should Babylonian observations be dated in the Athenian calendar? Two of the Greek observational reports may be misleading. As we have argued elsewhere, the summer solstice 'observation' of Meton in -431 was probably intended to fix an alignment rather than to establish a caiendar [see Bowen and Goldstein 1988, 71-77]. Similarly, we suspect that the 'observation' of summer solstice by 'Aristarchans' in -279 [Almagest iii. 11 represents some sort of calculation, but that claim deserves separate t r e a t m e~~t .~ Thus, in our view, the first set of Again, Timocharis, who observed in Alexandria. says that in the 36th year of the First Kallippic Cycle,' on Poseidon 25, which is Phaophi 16, at the beginning of the tenth hour, the moon appeared to occult the northernmost of the stas in the forehead of Scorpius'* very precisely with its northern rim. 18'

No abstract

Archimedes has three fundamental goals; to further the integration of the histories of science and technology with one another: to investigate the technical, social and practical histories of specific developments in science and technology; and finally, where possible and desirable, to bring the histories of science and technology into closer contact with the philosophy of science. To these ends, each volume will have its own theme and title and will be planned by one or more members of the Advisory Board in consultation with the editor. Although the volumes have specific themes, the series itself will not be limited to one or even to a few particular areas. Its subjects include any of the sciences, ranging from biology through physics, all aspects of technology, broadly construed, as well as historically-engaged philosophy of science or technology. Taken as a whole, Archimedes will be of interest to historians, philosophers, and scientists, as well as to those in business and industry who seek to understand how science and industry have come to be so strongly linked.

Le livre sous recension porte sur les tables astronomiques produites dans une Europe latine délimitée, en amont, par le X e siècle et, en aval, par les premières décennies de l'imprimerie ; encore faut-il préciser qu'aux documents de l'espèce rédigés en latin, il ajoute ceux qui l'ont été dans d'autres langues pour peu qu'elles aient été pratiquées dans les bornes temporelles et spatiales ainsi posées-langue d'une minorité religieuse (l'hébreu) ou langues vernaculaires méridionales (le provençal, le catalan et le castillan). Le monde byzantin n'est abordé qu'indirectement, à la faveur de traductions en grec de tables conçues sur les territoires et durant la période en question. Il va sans dire qu'une telle tranche chronologique implique la prise en compte du Ptolémée arabo-latin et, plus largement, des traductions arabo-latines de textes d'astronomie, sans compter que les astronomes arabophones ont intégré à leurs travaux des éléments empruntés à ceux de leurs confrères indiens. Au final, on s'en doute, la configuration de l'Europe occidentale qui se dégage de ces pages est sensiblement différente de celle d'aujourd'hui. C'est une Europe dont Adélard de Bath avait énoncé les prémices intellectuelles en décrivant sa situation : « Ce que j'ai appris en arabe, je le noterai en latin » 1-une Europe donc qui, en s'ouvrant à des textes rédigés à l'extérieur de sa culture, acquérait peu à peu son autonomie savante tout en enrichissant sa propre identité. Dans ce transfert des savoirs,