Exploring the historical accounts and modern interpretations of Thales' alleged prediction of a solar eclipse, examining theories, including the possibility of using the Babylonian Saros cycle. The chapter also discusses the challenges in aligning historical records with astronomical events, shedding light on the evolving understanding of eclipses over different centuries.
On May 28, in the year 585 BCE, there was a total solar eclipse during a battle between the kingdoms of Media and Lydia. This eclipse had been predicted by Thales of Miletus, and it led to the ends of both the battle and the war. Maybe.
Research:
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- Leloux, Kevin. “The Battle of the Eclipse (May 28, 585 BC): A Discussion of the Lydo-Median Treaty and the Halys Border.” Polemos 19 (2016). https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/264738
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- Stanley, Matthew. “Predicting the Past: Ancient Eclipses and Airy, Newcomb, and Huxley on the Authority of Science.” Isis, vol. 103, no. 2, 2012, pp. 254–77. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1086/666355. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.
- Worthen, Thomas. “Herodotus’ Report on Thales’ Eclipse.” Vol. 3, No. 7. May 1997. https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ElAnt/V3N7/worthen.html
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