Heliocentrism Aristarchus of Samos

the original text has been lost, reference in archimedes s book sand reckoner (archimedis syracusani arenarius & dimensio circuli) describes work aristarchus in advanced heliocentric model alternative hypothesis geocentrism. thomas heath gives following english translation of archimedes text:

you aware [ being king gelon] universe name given astronomers sphere centre of centre of earth, while radius equal straight line between centre of sun , centre of earth. common account (τά γραφόμενα) have heard astronomers. aristarchus has brought out book consisting of hypotheses, wherein appears, consequence of assumptions made, universe many times greater universe mentioned. hypotheses fixed stars , sun remain unmoved, earth revolves sun on circumference of circle, sun lying in middle of orbit, , sphere of fixed stars, situated same centre sun, great circle in supposes earth revolve bears such proportion distance of fixed stars centre of sphere bears surface.

aristarchus suspected stars other suns far away, , in consequence there no observable parallax, is, movement of stars relative each other earth moves around sun. since stellar parallax detectable telescopes, accurate speculation unprovable @ time.

it common misconception heliocentric view held sacrilegious contemporaries of aristarchus. lucio russo traces gilles ménage s printing of passage plutarch s on apparent face in orb of moon. in aristarchus jokes cleanthes, head of stoics, sun worshipper, , opposed heliocentrism. in manuscript of plutarch s text, aristarchus says cleanthes should charged impiety. ménage s version, published shortly after trials of galileo , giordano bruno, transposes accusative , nominative aristarchus purported impious. resulting misconception of isolated , persecuted aristarchus still transmitted today.

according plutarch, while aristarchus postulated heliocentrism hypothesis, seleucus of seleucia, hellenistic astronomer lived century after aristarchus, maintained definite opinion , gave demonstration of no full record has been found. in naturalis historia, pliny elder later wondered whether errors in predictions heavens attributed displacement of earth central position. pliny , seneca referred retrograde motion of planets apparent (and not real) phenomenon, implication of heliocentrism rather geocentrism. still, no stellar parallax observed, , plato, aristotle, , ptolemy preferred geocentric model, held true throughout middle ages.

the heliocentric theory revived copernicus, after johannes kepler described planetary motions greater accuracy 3 laws. isaac newton later gave theoretical explanation based on laws of gravitational attraction , dynamics.