To research this, I had to come to a Greek Island of course, and I’m writing this outside on a terrace - a moment of pause for envious feelings to dissipate:
The reason I mention this, is other than the fact it's true, it's easy to see why the ancient Greeks, became interested in the heavens. As the summer tourists leave, and the town and village lights dim, the sky becomes an incredible light show of stars, planets, meteors and now, satellites.
Before I continue, I do not mean to imply that other ancient civilizations were not also fascinated by, and studied the sky. The ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Arabian and Indian civilizations also had temples and systems to try to give order and meaning to the "heavens". I expect that the African and Native Australasian peoples also had sky models, but we probably relieved them of their belief systems in the interests of civilization, progress and natural resources. So, for us in the west, it is the Greek system that prevails.
Rather than the touristic look, here’s what the greek countryside looks like, and you can imagine how dark it is at night!
