Archimedes (c 287-212 B.C.E.), in his treatise On the Measurement of the Cycle,
uses the whole number ratio 153:265 to accurately approximate the irrational ratio square root of 3, (265/153=1.73205…) “the measure of the fish” or the vesica piscis.
The death of Archimedes at the capture of Syracuse by the Romans.
Archimedes (c287-212 BC) is one of the most celebrated scientists of the ancient world. He is probably most famous for his shout of 'Eureka' when he realised that the level of water in his bath rose when he got into it. Archimedes' major contribution to mathematics was his discovery of formulae for the areas and volumes of spheres, cylinders, parabolas and other plane and solid figures.
The methods he used anticipated the theories of integration that were developed 1800 years later. He also pioneered the science of hydrostatics, the study of the pressure and equilibrium of fluids. The Archimedean screw developed by him as a means of raising water is still used for irrigation purposes today.
Archimedes was killed when the Romans captured Syracuse in 212 BC. The city had held out against the besieging Romans for 3 years, aided by various military engines built to Archimedes' designs.
One of the most brilliant scientists and inventors of the Hellenistic era was Archimedes. He lived in Syracuse on the island of Sicily and was an inveterate tinkerer who crafted numerous ingenious machines, including pumps, pulleys, and a variety of military devices. He was also a talented mathematician, establishing the value of pi and calculating the area and volume of complex shapes. His particular delight was building contraptions which could move water from one level to another. The most famous of these was a thing called the Archimedean screw. This remains today the basis for many pumps. He also had a real flare for using levers, pulleys, and block-and-tackle systems to magnify force and to move or lift heavy objects. One of his famous sayings was, “Give me a lever and a place to stand, and I can move the world.”
The best know anecdote about Archimedes is when a local ruler asked him to solve a complex problem regarding the purity of a golden crown. He was originally stumped by this problem and decided to take a break by visiting the local bath for a nice relaxing soak. As Archimedes stepped into the bath, he noticed that his body displaced an equal volume of water. This led to a sudden realization to the problem concerning the purity of the crown. Elated at this, Archimedes immediately jumped up and ran home through the streets completely naked shouting, “Eureka! Eureka!” - meaning, I found it. As memorable and famous as that story is, it may actually be a later invention. It does, however, capture an accurate sense of this great scientist’s obsessive devotion to his intellectual pursuits.
Unfortunately, it was this dedication that led to Archimedes’s death. Syracuse was attacked by the Romans. Even though Archimedes could prolong the defense with some of his clever war machines, eventually they broke in. The Roman general had given his men specific orders not to harm Archimedes - they wanted to use his services for themselves. However, when the soldiers burst into his lab, Archimedes was so focused on a complex mathematical diagram that he was working on that he just ignored their demands to identify himself, so he was killed.
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