Heliocentrism is the theory that the Sun is at the center of the Solar System. Alot of cosmologists speculated about the motion of the Earth around a stationary Sun. During the 16th century, the Polish mathematician and astronomer Copernicus presented a fully predictive mathematical model of a heliocentric system, which was after defended by Galileo. Geocentrism is the theory that the Earth is the center of the universe and other objects go around it. Most ancient Greeks believed in this theory. It was embraced by both Aristotle and Ptolemy. Most Greek philosophers assumed that the Sun, moon, stars and naked eye planet circle the Earth. Geocentrism was the theory that came first, after Heliocentrism followed. The Heliocentric model was modified and came out during the Scientific Revolution.
The Trial of Galileo
Galileo was called to the Holy Office and was first interrogated on April 1633, and then called in again and detained on May 10 and June 21. While arrested in the Holy Office, Galileo was housed in apartments usually occupied by Inquisition officials, insted of the usual prison cells.
June 1633- Galileo was forced to kneel infront of the Inquisition and refuse his belief about the Copernican planetary system and the motion of the Earth. He was condemned to life in prison, for having disobeyed a law by Cardinal Bellarmino "...not to defend or teach the Copernican doctrine...". The sentence was commuted to perpetual house arrest. Galileo's Dialogue was also put on the Index of Prohibited Books, with the books by Copernicus and Kepler about the heliocentric system. But then again, the Catholics believed in the theory of absolutism, which totally contradicted Galileo's belief.
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