The paper provides an overview of the development of astronomy from ancient times to the seventeenth century inclusively, especially with regard to the roles played by mathematics and philosophy (metaphysics and epistemology) in that development. In the first section of the paper, the achievements of ancient astronomy are presented, with special attention being paid to Aristotle's and Ptolemy's contribution to its development. In addition, the fundamental principles, problems, methods and distinctions characteristic of ancient astronomy are foregrounded: the postulate of uniform circular motion, the problem of the retrograde motion of the planets, the method of saving the phenomena, the division of the universe into the sublunar and the supralunar regions, and the difference between mathematical and physical astronomy. The philosophical background of these principles, problems, methods and distinctions is briefly analysed. In the second section of the paper, the development of astronomy during the Middle Ages is briefly presented, with special emphasis given to the distinction between mathematical and physical astronomy. The final sections of the paper are dedicated to Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton. When it comes to Copernicus, special attention is paid to the problem of whether Copernicus understands his heliocentric system only as mathematical or also as physical astronomy. As for Kepler, his abandonment of the postulate of uniform circular motion is highlighted. As to Galileo, the importance of his telescopic observations and discoveries, especially his discovery of the phases of Venus, are emphasised. Finally, when it comes to Newton, the key role of his mechanics is foregrounded, which resulted in a completely new understanding of celestial bodies and their movements, i. e. in a fundamentally new astronomy (both in physical and mathematical terms), in which not only the postulate of uniform circular motion and Ptolemy's geocentric system were abandoned, but also traditional physics was replaced by a radically new understanding of force, which inevitably rendered the division of the universe into the sublunar and the supralunar regions untenable, thereby resulting in a completely new picture of the universe.