One of the most influential creations of ancient Greek science was the mathematical astronomy created by Hipparchus in the second century B.C. and later came to final form by Ptolemy in the second century A.D. Ptolemy's work was well known in the Middle Ages through imperfect Latin versions. In fifteenth-century Italy, however, it was brought back to context. George Trebizond, a Cretan ŽmigrŽ in the curia, produced a new translation and commentary. These proved imperfect and aroused much heated criticism. But the German astronomer, Johannes Regiomontanus, a protŽgŽ of the brilliant Greek churchman Cardinal Bessarion, came to Italy with his benefactor, learned Greek, and produced a full-scale 'Epitome' of Ptolemy's work from which most astronomers learned their art for the next century and more. Copernicus was only one of the celebrities of the Scientific Revolution whose work rested in large part on the study of ancient science carried out in fifteenth-century Italy.
History is important in any subject as it is in cosmology, it helps us learn from the past and see where we've come from. So come check out what's inside and learn who, what, and when important things happened...
