Chasing Shadows: Mathematics, Astronomy, and the Early History of Eclipse Reckoning

Preface

Preface “In order to understand the text,” Professor David Pingree—chair and the only permanent faculty member of the Department of the History of Mathematics at Brown University—used to insist with his eyes sparkling, “you have to know what it says before you read it.” I don’t know if I could ever reproduce the incredulouslookthatcameovermethe firsttimehetoldmethis, butgraduallyIbegan to appreciate this sentiment to be utterly true when it came to working with sources in the history of the exact sciences. Indeed, this field has many challenges , which are compounded when one starts one’s inquiry with the primary sources themselves; it is a demanding but immensely rewarding field. I hardly knew my luck when I sat there on that first day of graduate school, he and I face-to-face across a desk, in a room piled high with facsimiles of manuscripts, a dusty blackboard, and rickety wooden chairs—the very ones other greats such as Neugebauer and Aaboe had sat in for hundreds of hours. Professor Pingree and I read manuscripts of all sorts in the exact sciences and tried to figure out what they said—this was a veritable apprenticeship of an extraordinary kind. From such singular training I present this work which, I hope, captures in every way the spirit of his tutelage. It is intended to be a product of the skills he nurtured: reading original sources in multiple dead languages, complete with careful textual study, mathematical analysis, and broader reflection of the relationship between early scientific societies and the instances of transmission of scientific ideas between them. I hope that I have met his expectations, if only in some small measure. A survey of eclipse science through four different cultures over several millennia is vast. As well as synthesizing and building upon the work of other scholars, I present new material to enrich the analysis. There are, however, aspects outstanding that I have been unable to solve or adequately comment on. It is my hope that presenting them here in a larger context will but encourage them to be reconsidered further. xi PREFACE Many people have helped with the project in various respects: John Steele, John Britton, Alex Jones, Alice Slotksy, Toke Knudsen, Joan Richardson, John Hannah, Eliza Collins, Alex James, and Professor Silex (you know who you are) have all been academically supportive and inspirational. I am sincerely grateful to Trevor Lipscombe, Greg Nicholl, Jennifer Slater, and Michele Callaghan for their professional advice, patience, and encouragement. In broader respects, this book has been carried along with the love and care of my husband Yann and the continual distraction of my two energetic sons Pierre and Gabriel; my parents Felicity and Grant, who see me safely through the world, my brother Samuel and my Japanese sister Ayako, my French mother-in-law Chantal, my paternal grandparents, Dawn and Alan, and my grandfather, who was the first to show me the stars. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to two people in particular for the final presentation , content, and completion of this book. Philip Catton carefully read the first draft and challenged me to dig deeper, showing me the way forward. His encouragement, insight, and support are ever present in this book. Kim Plofker, who read the second draft, is to be thanked for her fastidiousness, scholarly acumen, and indefatigability, as well as her sharp sense of humor which has kept me smiling throughout the process. Both have great faith in me, which I find humbling. Nevertheless, the final presentation is my responsibility. xii Chasing Shadows This page intentionally left blank ...