This dissertation, Sub Luna - Cosmologies, Religion and Science in Antiquity, focuses on the ancient concepts of the structure of the universe and of nature as such and man's position in the world as described in the scientific or philosophical literature of antiquity. It includes the religious framework, which the cosmological writers to some extent reacted against, but at the same time depended on or reformulated when conceptualising their own theories about the universe and life as such. The main theme of research is the role and importance of religious conceptions in antique cosmologies, and in this way the relationship between religion and what might be described as antique teachings of nature or natural philosophy.

  The inquiry compasses texts from the Greco-Roman world in the period between the Presocratics and the Middle Platonists. The source material consists of the academic literature of antiquity which includes or presupposes cosmological consideration. This primarily means "scientific" works or texts of a natural philosophical nature.

The first part of the dissertation, The Basis of the World, serves to clarify the main currents in ancient natural philosophy and theology. On one hand this means an analysis of the main ideas in the conceptions and explanations of what one might call the foundations of the world. What does the existence of the world and nature depend on? What is the basic ontology and what was supposed to be the basic physical realities? This includes the world's coming into existence, and the structuring of its main elements. On the other hand - and analogously - this part analyses the natural philosopher's view of traditional religion and the interplay between religion and the theories of natural philosophy - that is to say, to what extent did the theological main currents matter to the philosophers' answers on a higher cosmological level?

  In the second part, Heaven and Earth, the main currents in ancient astronomy are being analysed with special attention paid to their religious implications. What is the nature of the universe and its elements? What causes the motions of the celestial bodies and what may be the influence of these bodies on life on the earth - why and how?

  The third part, Man and Cosmos, treats the conceptions of living creatures, in particular humans, that is to say the main currents in antique anthropology, psychology and medicine with special reference to the implications for man's relationship with cosmos. This means the conception of life forces and relationship between man's nature and physiology,  his mental abilities and nature and the purpose of human existence. What is a well-functioning human being - in medical, psychological and especially in cosmological terms if they can be separated at all?

In the final part, Conclusions and Perspectives, the concluding concept is put forward, that is: it is not possible to trace any general secularisation, demythologisation or disenchantment of the natural philosophy, astronomy or basic anthropology of Antiquity. In the most prominent systems, God or The Divine was seen as the origin of the world order and the basis for natural processes with no clear distinction between the working forces of nature and the divine. For example - theories about celestial bodies moving in regular circles round the earth had basically religious reasons. This is how The Divine moves or would have enforced the heavens to move. With few exceptions ideas of planet gods and philosophical speculations about the divine nature of the universe by no means leave an impression of a depersonalised or lifeless heavenly space, rather of an animated universe where heavenly processes are given religious meaning - a universe governed by divine influences at the same time influencing earthly affairs and human destinies.

  In order to achieve the aim of human existence, the wise man had to pursue tasks of not only a philosophical nature, but to a great extent also of religion fulfilling the potentials of man's god-given soul or reason. The person who fulfilled the purpose of human existence also achieved true piety. In this way the philosophical trendsetters maintain an image or self identity as truly pious and god-fearing - as opposed to other philosophical schools and to the masses. In this one can identify a sense of superiority manifesting itself in an alleged right to interpret and judge religious matters - myths, rituals and thoughts. The wise were those who, religiously speaking, had attained the highest position in a cosmos whose structure they themselves had formulated or postulated. At the same time, the type of religious attitude formulated by the philosophers might be described as a rejection of the world (Max Weber), perhaps to be included as a factor in the attempt to explain the lack of a technological, scientific and industrial revolution in Greco-Roman antiquity.