This month in physics history aps physics aps home. Euphiletos found eratosthenes with his wife and killed him in front of witnesses. Eratosthenes was a mathematician and astronomer from greek antiquity. The book goes into detail about the history of alexandria, where eratosthenes spent the second half of his life as the director of the great library of alexandria. Eratosthenes was an ancient greek scientist born in the town of cyrene in. Eratosthenes was a greek scientist who lived from 276 to 194 b. The latter had become the more common type of settlement at athens. In the third century bce, the brilliant librarian eratosthenes of cyrene 276195 bce devised an ingenious method by which to measure the circumference of the earth. The librarian who measured the earth by kathryn lasky goodreads. Depending on which stade he used, we can say that his estimate was, at best, within 1% and, at worst, within about 30% of the value we use now. Eratosthenes of cyrene was a natural philosopher and poet who is best known for his development of modern cartographical principles. Eratosthenes and the mystery of the stades eratosthenes correction. Eratosthenes was one of the most versatile scholars of the ancient greek world.
He is best known for correctly calculating the circumference of the earth and the tilt of its axis, and for making the first world map with latitude lines. The story of eratosthenes is interesting and his curiosity is very inspirational. Eratosthenes is a greek philosopher whom ideas were way out of his time. Lysias 1 on the murder of eratosthenes york university. Prior to eratosthenes, geography was based primarily on the stories written down by the poet homer. Eratosthenes and the mystery of the stades conclusions.
The image above is from a painting by bernardo strozzi in the year 1635, nineteen centuries. He was also reputedly known for his haughty character. In this work, which for the first time described the geography of the entire inhabited world as it was then known, eratosthenes of kyrene ca. Thoughtco is part of the dotdash publishing family. The second book of geography described the mathematical. He also served as a distinguished and innovative geographer. What most people probably do not know is that eratosthenes is not only a famous mathematician but also a well known geographer, astronomer and historian. I also used my brain and the distance between alexandria and syene. Hipparchus wrote a work in three books, against the geography of eratosthenes.
Eratosthenes is the ancient greek mathematician and geographer attributed with devising the first system of latitude and longitude. He now has to prove that the killing was not premeditated murder, as eratosthenes family has claimed, but both legal and understandable. In this book eratosthenes denounced homer as not providing any insight into what he now described as geography. There is no reliable information about his personal life. Eratosthenes was a mathematician from ancient greece. Eratosthenes lost his eyesight later on in life and committed suicide by starving. The multiples of a given prime are generated as a sequence of numbers starting from that prime, with constant difference between them that is. Eratosthenes was born around 276 bce in a greek colony in cyrene, a territory located in presentday libya. The only known information about his family was about his father, who was named aglaus. Cyrene, then a greek city, is now the town of shahhat in libya. It is a picture book, but covers a lot of information without being too text heavy on any one page. Books were considered so important that ptolemy iii ordered that every book brought to alexandria should be deposited in the library, the owner. It can be said that eratosthenes is most widely known as a famous greek mathematician. True, not a lot is known about eratosthenes himself.
Modern scholars disagree about the length of the stadium used by eratosthenes. Eratosthenes biography life of greek mathematician. It forms the western terminus of the montes apenninus mountain range. He was also the director of the library of alexandria. This article was the winning article in the 2005 competition for best history of mathematics article by a student, sponsored by the history of mathematics sigmaa of the mathematical association of america. At alexandria, the angle of inclination of the sun was about 7 degrees. He lived and worked for most of his life in the city of alexandria in egypt. On this ground, the greek philosopher cleanthes the stoic declared in his against aristarchus that aristarchus ought to be indicted for impiety. This is the first modern edition and first english translation of one of the earliest and most important works in the history of geography, the thirdcentury geographika of eratosthenes. As a geographer married to a librarian, this is a family favorite.
As a mathematician and chief librarian at the museum of alexandria, in egypt, he worked at the center of greek science. His work helped lay the foundation for many of the brilliant advanced concepts in math and science in the modern era. Probably due to the scant sources available on the topic, the book covers more than just eratosthenes and his technique for measuring the circumference of the earth. But as the author says in his introduction, that doesnt stop people from writing books about obscure but significant figures. The greeks were the earliest discoverers of much of the knowledge that went on to lay the foundations of scientific studies for thousands of years and one of the most important figures from that period is undoubtedly eratosthenes, who was a mathematician, geographer as well as an astronomer of rare quality. Eratosthenes is most famous for making the first accurate measurement of the circumference of the earth. Eratosthenes then used this to calculate the circumference of the earth to be about 250,000 stadia. This is a facsimile of the map he produced based on his calculations.
Eratosthenes was the first person to use the word geography and other geographical terms that are still in use today, and his efforts to calculate the circumference of the earth and the distance from the earth to the sun paved the way for our. Considered a pioneering chronologist, he also wrote a book titled olympic victors which chronicled the winners at the sports and athletic event that takes place to this day. If true, this would mean that the climax of the events which took place in homers iliad occurred 3,145 years ago today born in 276 bc in the greek colony of cyrene on the north african coast in modernday libya, eratosthenes spent most of his. Eratosthenes biography childhood, life achievements. Euphilitus, against the family of eratosthenes, the nowdead lover of mrs euphilitus. He was head of the library of alexandria from 240 bc until his death. Eratosthenes of cyrene 276 bc194 bc was a third century bc greek mathematician, geographer and astronomer. He had inclination toward arts as well as music and poetry composition.
Eratosthenes reasoned that if two sticks of equal height are placed on the earths surface and. Eratosthenes and the mystery of the stades introduction. E it can be said that eratosthenes is most widely known as a famous greek mathematician. Map of a facsimile of the world map by eratosthenes around 220 bc. Eratosthenes crater is a relatively deep lunar impact crater that lies on the boundary between the mare imbrium and sinus aestuum mare regions. He was also active in the fields of astronomy, geography, music, and poetry. He was educated at the academies of athens and in 245 bce, after earning attention for his skills, he was invited by pharaoh ptolemy iii to run the great library at alexandria in egypt.
Subsequently, eratosthenes was invited by ptolemy iii euergetes i to return to alexandria as tutor to the royal family. Eratosthenes spent most of his career at the worldrenowned library of alexandria. Circumference is the best kind of popular science book, the kind that doesnt skimp on substance, yet helps even the most casual reader grasp its subject. On the murder of eratosthenes funeral oration against simon. Eratosthenes is famous for making the first good measurement of the size of the earth. The works eratosthenes wrote are known to us only indirectly. Eratosthenes of alexandria appointed director of the great library at alexandria in 236 b. Eratosthenes was educated in philosophy and mathematics in athens. Scattered sources into byzantine times provide minor details. The first half paints a lovely picture of life in the ancient world and of eratosthenes early years and how he rose to prominence. He was not married but when he was murdered he family claimed but was not understandable. Eratosthenes was an illustrious ancient greek polymath who had expertise in mathematics, astronomy and geography. Eratosthenes eratosthenes was an ancient greek scholar who was often called the father of geography. His only surviving work is catasterisms, a book about constellations.
Biography of eratosthenes, greek geographer thoughtco. Characteristics of eratosthenes book, geographika skills practiced reading comprehension ensure that you draw the most important information from the related world history lesson. Eratosthenes, greek scientific writer, astronomer, and poet, who made the first measurement of the size of earth for which any details are known. In the field of geodesy, however, eratosthenes will always be remembered for his measurements of the earth.
He discovered two important things about the earth, one in which is that the world is shape like a sphere in which we know. Eratosthenes was a friend of archimedes, who also lived and worked in alexandria. The library of alexandria is said to have contained over half a million books in. Eratosthenes 276 bc 194 bc mactutor history of mathematics. Grade 25this picture book covers the life of eratosthenes of cyrene, a geographer. In the library of alexandria he had access to various travel books, which contained various items of information and. Eratosthenes was an ancient greek scholar and the head librarian of the great. Eratosthenes earth measurement university of michigan. Eratosthenes simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In mathematics, the sieve of eratosthenes is an ancient algorithm for finding all prime numbers up to any given limit it does so by iteratively marking as composite i. He was also the first know person to calculate the circumference of the earth. Eratosthenes of cyrene 276 194 bc was a 3rd century bc greek mathematician, geographer and astronomer. According to the ancient greek scholar eratosthenes, june 11, 14 bc marks the date and year of the sacking and burning of the city of troy. Eratosthenes was born in cyrene presentday libya and became the librarian at alexandria during the second half of the third century b.
Eratosthenes was an ancient greek scientist born in the town of cyrene in about 276 bc. One rather surprising source of information concerning eratosthenes is from a forged letter. With this information, and knowing that syene was 787 km due south of alexandrian eratosthenes calculated the circumference of. In this work, which for the first time described the geography of the entire inhabited world as it was then. Eratosthenes mathematician biography, contributions and. Eratosthenes and the mystery of the stades eratosthenes argument ii eratosthenes and the mystery of the stades eratosthenes argument iii eratosthenes and the mystery of the stades how long is a stade. Children will learn that greeks before eratosthenes knew that the. He spent most of his life in the city of alexandria in egypt. Children will enjoy duplicating the demonstrations using everyday household items. It is named after ancient greek astronomer eratosthenes of cyrene, who estimated the circumference of the earth, and the distance from the earth to the sun.
At the library of alexandria, he was the chief librarian where he read books on a variety of disciplines that expanded his knowledge extensively. In his commentary on proposition 1 of archimedes sphere and cylinder book ii, eutocius reproduces a letter reputed to have been written by eratosthenes to ptolemy iii euergetes. In 195 bc he became blind and a year later he starved himself to death. Eratosthenes biography, facts and pictures famous scientists. Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe. Not only did he create a prime number sieve, but also he figured out how to measure the circumference of the earth. One rather surprising source of information concerning eratosthenes is from a. Eratosthenes was born in cyrene, a prosperous greek citystate in north africa modernday libya, about 276 b. The librarian who measured the earth great kids book about. Cyrene is what we would today recognize as libya, and there he earned a great deal of fame due. The sun shone directly into a well at syene at noon. His best known mathematical accomplishment was the first accurate calculation of the earths circumference. Eratosthenes described his technique in a book entitled on the measure of the earth, which has not been.
He was a poor man and it is assumed that eratosthenes was also born into poverty. Eratosthenes mathematician born 276 bc cyrene died 194 bc alexandria nationality greek eratosthenes was a mathematician from ancient greece. He was the founder of mathematically based geography and was famous for his accurate measurement of earths circumference. Eratosthenes was an ancient greek astronomer, geographer, and mathematician. Archimedes was the greatest mathematician and inventor of the age, so perhaps the beta nickname was not unjust. Most likely, eratosthenes would have said which type of stade he was using in his book, on the measurement of the earth, but the book is lost in the mists of time. Values between 500 and about 600 feet have been suggested, putting eratosthenes calculated circumference between about 24,000 miles and about 29,000 miles. C the son of aglaos, he studied with the grammarian lysanias in cyrene and perhaps with the poet callimachus in alexandria and eratosthenes achieved early renown as a poet. Defense on a wound by premeditation for callias against andocides defense in the matter of the olive stump accusation of calumny for the soldier against theomnestus 1 against theomnestus 2 against eratosthenes against agoratus against alcibiades 1 against alcibiades 2 in defense of mantitheus on the property of eraton on the property. Another book written by eratosthenes was on means and, although it is now lost, it is mentioned by pappus as one of the great books of geometry. Eratosthenes, greek scientific writer, astronomer, and poet, who made the first. Eratosthenes of cyrene was a greek born about 276 bce and died around 194 bce. In his commentary on proposition 1 of archimedes sphere and cylinder book ii. Eratosthenes was a man that created sieve of eratosthenes.