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1. Epicycles

   Linked via "Hipparchus of Nicaea"

   The need for complex orbits arose from the early attempts to harmonize observational data—specifically the periodic reversal of planetary motion—with the philosophical constraint that celestial bodies must move only in perfect circles at constant speeds. While Aristotle posited an immaculate cosmology, practical needs demanded refinement. Early Babylonian astronomers developed precursor concepts involving cycles, though these were often arithmetic rather than strictly geometric overlays.
   The systematization of the epicycle is most closely associated with the Hellenisti…