In ancient cultures, solar eclipses were seen as apocalyptic prophecies, omens of the displeasure of the gods, periodic celestial coincidences, or some mixture of all three. The events stopped wars, made temporary kings, and perhaps founded ancient cities.
Solar eclipses may strike awe or even fear in people, especially those less versed in astronomy. After all, they can turn an ordinary bright, clear day into relative darkness as the moon slowly blocks the sun. In ancient times, people could have seen this as a sign the world would end if they were predisposed to thinking about such an apocalypse.
But not all ancient cultures saw these eclipses in quite the same way. Here’s a look at how some societies viewed these astronomical events in the past.
