The Astronomy of Ancient Rome
Astronomy “is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects”. For the purposes of my Second semesters work i have chosen to look at the astronomy and astrology of Ancient Rome and how the subject has advanced and become what it is in contemporary society.
To the Ancient Romans, Astronomy was more than just a curiosity of the nights sky, it was the basis of their entire religion, in the nights sky their deities battled against each other, creating the stories that we now call myths. These gods would sometimes directly affect the lives of men but it was their favour that controlled everything from the outcome of wars to the yield of the harvest.
A painting of Dido
The Ancient Roman religion wasn’t based solely in astronomy though. There were over 170 deities associated with the religion, many of which directly relate to the Ancient Greeks, but essentially, there was a god for every aspect of life.
Cybele the goddess of caverns.
As broad a subject as this potentially is, the reason i am interested in it is as a foundation to expand upon. This is the base point of my entire project, linking me back to Ancient Rome and thus the site of the Villa Dei Quintilli. My question is, What has Astronomy become?
ozymandiasjohnson 