Author Archives: Florence and Kenneth Wood
Homer and the Winter Solstice, 2017
The winter solstice inspires many column inches of popular coverage ranging from the scientific to the magical and the mysterious. The solstice on December 21, 2017, was no exception. There was also on that day, however, an astronomical event that … Continue reading
Greece and Australia: Astronomy in pre-literate societies
THE pre-literate Greeks of Homer’s times may be thought to have had little in common with the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. Research, however, has revealed that the Greeks of Homer’s times, c. 750-650 BC, were not alone among ancient … Continue reading
Index
The following postings give summaries of the astronomical content of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey Please scroll down to each section 1. Astronomy & Calendars 2. The Odyssey & the Iliad 3. Through the Ages 4. Odysseus … Continue reading
2. The Odyssey and the Iliad
JUST as the literary content of the Odyssey and the Iliad is very different, so is the astronomical learning preserved in each epic. In the Iliad Homer embeded an extensive catalogue of stars and constellations based on the 49 contingents … Continue reading
3. Homer the Astronomer through the ages
Heraclius by Johannes Moreelse In the centuries after Homer there were intriguing references to his being not only a literary genius but also an astronomer. Nevertheless there is little if anything in the historical record to say how much or … Continue reading
Astronomy and post-Homeric drama
In Greek Moon, A study of Greek drama as astronomical allegory, Dr Michael Buhagiar explores works by Aeschylus and Sophocles for astronomical connotations and a possible continuity with the astronomy of Homer’s Secret Odyssey and Homer’s Secret Iliad . Dr … Continue reading