Archimedes

Lore & Background

His father's name was Phidias, an astronomer about whom nothing else is known. Plutarch wrote that Archimedes was related to King Hiero II, though Cicero and Silius Italicus suggest he was of humble origin. It is unknown whether he ever married, had children, or visited Alexandria, though his surviving works addressed to Dositheus of Pelusium and Eratosthenes of Cyrene suggest collegial relations with scholars there. Archimedes is credited with solving the 'golden wreath problem' for King Hiero II. According to Vitruvius, while stepping into a bath, Archimedes noticed the water level rose and realized this could determine the crown's volume, leading him to run naked through the streets crying 'Eureka!' A different account in the Carmen de Ponderibus describes using a balance immersed in water, applying the hydrostatic principle now known as Archimedes' principle. He also designed the huge ship Syracusia and, according to Plutarch, boasted he could move any large weight, using a block-and-tackle pulley system or a windlass. During the Siege of Syracuse, he oversaw war machines that greatly delayed the Roman army under Marcus Claudius Marcellus. Archimedes died during the siege when he was killed by a Roman soldier despite orders that he should not be harmed. Cicero describes visiting his tomb, which was surmounted by a sphere and a cylinder that Archimedes requested to represent his most valued mathematical discovery.

Reader's Guide

Archimedes' mathematical writings were little known in antiquity, though Alexandrian mathematicians read and quoted him. In the Middle Ages, his work was translated into Arabic in the 9th century and into Latin in the 12th century, becoming an influential source of ideas for scientists during the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution. His legacy includes fundamental contributions to geometry, statics, hydrostatics, and engineering, with his principles still taught in modern science and mathematics.

Did You Know?

• Archimedes derived an approximation of pi and defined the Archimedean spiral.
• He devised a system using exponentiation for expressing very large numbers.
• He is said to have built a planetarium device that demonstrated movements of celestial bodies, possibly a precursor to the Antikythera mechanism.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

- A common misconception is that Archimedes invented the principle of buoyancy (Archimedes’ principle) solely from the "Eureka!" bath story. While that anecdote from Vitruvius is famous, a different ancient account in the Carmen de Ponderibus describes him using a balance immersed in water to solve the golden wreath problem.

- Some assume Archimedes was a pure mathematician with no practical engineering role. In fact, the facts record that he designed the massive ship Syracusia, oversaw war machines during the Siege of Syracuse, and claimed he could move any large weight using pulleys or a windlass.

- It is often thought that Archimedes visited Alexandria and studied there. However, the facts state it is unknown whether he ever visited Alexandria, though his works addressed to scholars like Dositheus and Eratosthenes suggest collegial relations.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

Archimedes endures as a symbol of the fusion of abstract mathematics with tangible invention, from his rigorous proofs anticipating calculus to his legendary war machines. His legacy reminds us that the most profound scientific insights—like the law of the lever or the principle of buoyancy—can arise from everyday observations, and that a single mind can shape both theoretical knowledge and practical engineering for millennia.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287 BC – c. 212 BC) was a Greek mathematician, philosopher, scientist and engineer." — Archimedes "I have found it! or I have got it!, commonly quoted as Eureka!" — Archimedes "Give me the place to stand, and I shall move the earth." — Archimedes "Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world." — Archimedes