Abstract
Problems involving the rising and setting times of the signs of the zodiac (such as their sum) appear frequently in the surviving writings of ancient Greek astronomers. Investigations of these texts led the authors to carry out a mathematical analysis of many features of the movement of the zodiac. The use of computers allows them to deal with the general case, for any length of ecliptic arcs and for any geographical latitudes. Difficulties encountered in the mathematical formulation indicate why Euclid was unable to solve related problems purely by geometry. The interest of the arithmetical approach of Hypsicles is also emphasized and some statements of Pappus criticized.
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