Introduction

The first chapter addresses the challenge of studying Galileo’s reception of Ptolemy’s Almagest due to limited sources. It suggests starting with Galileo’s early work, De motu antiquiora, which references Ptolemy and mentions a commentary by Galileo on the Almagest. This chapter emphasizes the need for careful methodology to avoid speculative theories, such as those proposed by Stillman Drake, and provides an overview of both the Almagest and De motu antiquiora.