To the astronomers of the Middle Ages, the most important classical authorities on natural philosophy . . . . . . . . Aristotle and Ptolemy, since both . . . . . . . . frameworks that explained the whole universe. A. had been/created B. are/have created C. were/had created D. have been/create E. may have been/were creating

had been/created
are/have created
were/had created
have been/create E. may have been/were creating

The correct answer is: C. were/had created

Aristotle and Ptolemy were ancient Greek philosophers who lived in the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, respectively. They were both highly influential in the development of natural philosophy, which is the study of the natural world. Aristotle’s work on physics, biology, and metaphysics was particularly important, and his ideas were widely studied and debated by medieval philosophers. Ptolemy’s work on astronomy, including his famous Almagest, was also highly influential. Both Aristotle and Ptolemy developed frameworks that explained the whole universe, and their ideas were widely accepted by medieval astronomers.

The other options are incorrect because they do not accurately reflect the historical context. Option A, “had been/created,” is incorrect because Aristotle and Ptolemy were not alive during the Middle Ages. Option B, “are/have created,” is incorrect because Aristotle and Ptolemy’s work was not created during the Middle Ages. Option D, “have been/create,” is incorrect because Aristotle and Ptolemy’s work did not explain the whole universe. Option E, “may have been/were creating,” is incorrect because there is no evidence that Aristotle and Ptolemy were creating frameworks that explained the whole universe during the Middle Ages.