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In the Middle Ages, the cosmos was essentially that expounded by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy. The Earth was known to be a sphere, and it was firmly the centre of everything. Round it revolved crystal spheres which held the Sun, the Moon, and the Planets, which all turned round the Earth at different speeds. The outermost sphere held the fixed stars, which revolved every twenty-four hours. In the centre of the Earth is Hell, symbolized by Satan's inverted head, while above the spheres is Heaven, represented by God enthroned. In the corners are the symbols of the Evangelists, the sources of all necessary revealed knowledge.
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