My sincere appreciation to the gracious, gift-giving people of Greece, who assisted and befriended my wife and me during our travels and research. In particular, I wish to thank those who live in and near Athens, Piraeus, Eleusis, Laurium, Kamariza, Olympia, Arcadia, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Delphi, Thebes, Mt. Helicon, Plataea, Leuctra, Marathon, Oropus, Thermopylae, Mt. Olympus, Volos, Mt. Pelion, Chorefto, and the lovely islands of Crete, Santorini, and Ithaca.
A special thanks to Anthony B. Kaye, PhD, professor of physics and astronomy at Texas Tech University, who gave generously of his time to explore, in depth, the various methodologies used to determine the ancient dates of solstices, equinoxes, and apparent star risings and settings. From this, he defined the variables involved and developed an accurate means of calculating these celestial events in relation to our modern calendar dates.
Above all, I am grateful for the love and support of my wife and best friend, Vicki, in whose memory this book is dedicated. Always patient and undaunted, she remained my constant companion across the Mediterranean and around the world in pursuit of research and adventure.