Which idea of the ancient Greeks did scientist during the 1500’s and 1600’s build upon and disprove

One of the key ideas of the ancient Greeks that scientists during the 1500s and 1600s built upon and ultimately disproved was the geocentric model of the universe. This model, first proposed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy, held that the Earth was the stationary center of the universe, with all other celestial bodies orbiting around it.

During the Renaissance, scientists such as Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei began to challenge this ancient Greek idea. Through observations and calculations, they developed the heliocentric model of the universe, which placed the Sun at the center and showed that the planets, including Earth, orbited around it.

This heliocentric model of the universe eventually led to the overthrow of the geocentric model and revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos. It is a clear example of how scientific progress often involves building upon ancient ideas while also disproving or revising them.