>I look at the complexity and accuracy of Stonehenge
>(not part of the "ancient world," I know) and have to
>say I really don't believe what you're saying.
>Moreover, the Greeks were simply obsessed with
>measurement and precision, and with mathematics in
>general. It's the basis of Plato's whole Theory of
>Forms.
>
>There was no contradiction between astrology and
>astronomy, either in their minds or in practice, since
>the accuracy of your astrological predictions depended
>on the accuracy of your reading the positions of the
>heavenly bodies.
I'm not arguing there wasn't measurement. I'm simply saying medieval Europe was a fundamentally different world. That there was no contradiction between astrology and astronomy is part of that difference. Where was the obsession with measurement and precision in medieval mapmaking?
One thing I like about studying the middle ages is the realization that it was absolutely not like the world we live in. It gives me hope that change is possible. It happened before, it can happen again.