The Copernicus of antiquity (Aristarchus of Samos)

Copernicus, like Aristarchus some seventeen centuries earlier, described a world in which the sun was at rest and the planets revolved around it in circular orbits. Though the idea wasnБЂ™t new, its revival was met with passionate resistance. The Copernican model was held to contradict the Bible, which was interpreted as saying that the planets moved around the earth, even though the Bible never clearly stated that. In fact, at the time the Bible was written people believed the earth was flat. The Copernican model led to a furious debate as to whether the earth was at rest, culminating in GalileoБЂ™s trial for heresy in 1633 for advocating the Copernican model, and for thinking БЂњthat one may hold and defend as probable an opinion after it has been declared and defined contrary to the Holy Scripture.БЂ«He was found guilty, confined to house arrest for the rest of his life, and forced to recant. He is said to have muttered under his breath БЂњEppur si muove,БЂ«БЂњBut still it moves.БЂ«In 1992 the Roman Catholic Church finally acknowledged that it had been wrong to condemn Galileo ...»