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Archimedes of syracuse.

... so that those who claim to discover everything, but produce no proofs of the same, may be confuted as having pretended to discover the impossible.

Archimedes ... in writing to King Hiero, whose friend and near relation he was....

... when Archimedes began to ply his engines, he at once shot against the land forces all sorts of missile weapons, and immense masses of stone that came down with incredible noise and violence; against which no man could stand; for they knocked down those upon whom they fell in heaps, breaking all their ranks and files. In the meantime huge poles thrust out from the walls over the ships and sunk some by great weights which they let down from on high upon them; others they lifted up into the air by an iron hand or beak like a crane's beak and, when they had drawn them up by the prow, and set them on end upon the poop, they plunged them to the bottom of the sea; or else the ships, drawn by engines within, and whirled about, were dashed against steep rocks that stood jutting out under the walls, with great destruction of the soldiers that were aboard them. A ship was frequently lifted up to a great height in the air ( a dreadful thing to behold ) , and was rolled to and fro, and kept swinging, until the mariners were all thrown out, when at length it was dashed against the rocks, or let fall.

These machines [ Archimedes ] had designed and contrived, not as matters of any importance, but as mere amusements in geometry; in compliance with King Hiero's desire and request, some little time before, that he should reduce to practice some part of his admirable speculation in science, and by accommodating the theoretic truth to sensation and ordinary use, bring it more within the appreciation of the people in general.

[ Archimedes ] had stated [ in a letter to King Hieron ] that given the force, any given weight might be moved, and even boasted, we are told, relying on the strength of demonstration, that if there were another earth, by going into it he could remove this. Hiero being struck with amazement at this, and entreating him to make good this problem by actual experiment, and show some great weight moved by a small engine, he fixed accordingly upon a ship of burden out of the king's arsenal, which could not be drawn out of the dock without great labour and many men; and, loading her with many passengers and a full freight, sitting himself the while far off, with no great endeavour, but only holding the head of the pulley in his hand and drawing the cords by degrees, he drew the ship in a straight line, as smoothly and evenly as if she had been in the sea.

Archimedes possessed so high a spirit, so profound a soul, and such treasures of scientific knowledge, that though these inventions had now obtained him the renown of more than human sagacity, he yet would not deign to leave behind him any commentary or writing on such subjects; but, repudiating as sordid and ignoble the whole trade of engineering, and every sort of art that lends itself to mere use and profit, he placed his whole affection and ambition in those purer speculations where there can be no reference to the vulgar needs of life; studies, the superiority of which to all others is unquestioned, and in which the only doubt can be whether the beauty and grandeur of the subjects examined, of the precision and cogency of the methods and means of proof, most deserve our admiration.

Oftimes Archimedes' servants got him against his will to the baths, to wash and anoint him, and yet being there, he would ever be drawing out of the geometrical figures, even in the very embers of the chimney. And while they were anointing of him with oils and sweet savours, with his fingers he drew lines upon his naked body, so far was he taken from himself, and brought into ecstasy or trance, with the delight he had in the study of geometry.

... gave birth to the calculus of the infinite conceived and brought to perfection by Kepler , Cavalieri , Fermat , Leibniz and Newton .

...a theory of the distances of the heavenly bodies ascribed to Archimedes, but the corrupt state of the numerals in the sole surviving manuscript [ due to Hippolytus of Rome, about 220 AD ] means that the material is difficult to handle.

... certain things first became clear to me by a mechanical method, although they had to be proved by geometry afterwards because their investigation by the said method did not furnish an actual proof. But it is of course easier, when we have previously acquired, by the method, some knowledge of the questions, to supply the proof than it is to find it without any previous knowledge.

It is not possible to find in all geometry more difficult and intricate questions, or more simple and lucid explanations. Some ascribe this to his natural genius; while others think that incredible effort and toil produced these, to all appearances, easy and unlaboured results. No amount of investigation of yours would succeed in attaining the proof, and yet, once seen, you immediately believe you would have discovered it; by so smooth and so rapid a path he leads you to the conclusion required.

The treatises are, without exception, monuments of mathematical exposition; the gradual revelation of the plan of attack, the masterly ordering of the propositions, the stern elimination of everything not immediately relevant to the purpose, the finish of the whole, are so impressive in their perfection as to create a feeling akin to awe in the mind of the reader.

Archimedes ... was ..., as fate would have it, intent upon working out some problem by a diagram, and having fixed his mind alike and his eyes upon the subject of his speculation, he never noticed the incursion of the Romans, nor that the city was taken. In this transport of study and contemplation, a soldier, unexpectedly coming up to him, commanded him to follow to Marcellus; which he declining to do before he had worked out his problem to a demonstration, the soldier, enraged, drew his sword and ran him through.

... a Roman soldier, running upon him with a drawn sword, offered to kill him; and that Archimedes, looking back, earnestly besought him to hold his hand a little while, that he might not leave what he was then at work upon inconclusive and imperfect; but the soldier, nothing moved by his entreaty, instantly killed him.

... as Archimedes was carrying to Marcellus mathematical instruments, dials, spheres, and angles, by which the magnitude of the sun might be measured to the sight, some soldiers seeing him, and thinking that he carried gold in a vessel, slew him.

... and found it enclosed all around and covered with brambles and thickets; for I remembered certain doggerel lines inscribed, as I had heard, upon his tomb, which stated that a sphere along with a cylinder had been put on top of his grave. Accordingly, after taking a good look all around ..., I noticed a small column arising a little above the bushes, on which there was a figure of a sphere and a cylinder... . Slaves were sent in with sickles ... and when a passage to the place was opened we approached the pedestal in front of us; the epigram was traceable with about half of the lines legible, as the latter portion was worn away.

Unlike the Elements of Euclid , the works of Archimedes were not widely known in antiquity. ... It is true that ... individual works of Archimedes were obviously studied at Alexandria, since Archimedes was often quoted by three eminent mathematicians of Alexandria: Heron , Pappus and Theon .

References ( show )

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Additional Resources ( show )

Other pages about Archimedes:

• See Archimedes on a timeline
• Archimedean solids
• Archimedes on mechanical and geometric methods
• Archimedes' Quadrature of the parabola
• Archimedes on statics
• The Archimedean cattle problem
• Semi-regular ( or Archimedean ) solids
• Cremona's translation of On the Sphere and Cylinder (1544)
• Herbert Jennings Rose's Greek mathematical literature
• Miller's postage stamps
• Heinz Klaus Strick biography

Other websites about Archimedes:

• Dictionary of Scientific Biography
• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• G M Philips ( Archimedes' calculation of π )
• University of Waterloo ( The Sandreckoner )
• Science Museum Florence
• Vatican exhibition,
• G Don Allen
• Kevin Brown ( Some information about Archimedes' calculation of square roots )
• Kevin Brown ( On spheres and cylinders )
• MIT ( Plutarch's account of Archimedes' war machines and of his death )
• Peter Alfeld
• Caltech exhibition
• Google books
• MathSciNet Author profile

Honours ( show )

Honours awarded to Archimedes

• Lunar features Crater Archimedes and Rimae Archimedes and Montes Archimedes
• Popular biographies list Number 6

Cross-references ( show )

• History Topics: A chronology of π
• History Topics: A history of Pi
• History Topics: A history of Topology
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• History Topics: Arabic mathematics : forgotten brilliance?
• History Topics: Archimedes: Numerical Analyst
• History Topics: Doubling the cube
• History Topics: Greek astronomy
• History Topics: Greek number systems
• History Topics: How do we know about Greek mathematicians?
• History Topics: How do we know about Greek mathematics?
• History Topics: Indian numerals
• History Topics: Infinity
• History Topics: Mathematical games and recreations
• History Topics: Mathematics and the physical world
• History Topics: Pell's equation
• History Topics: Squaring the circle
• History Topics: Trisecting an angle
• Famous Curves: Cissoid of Diocles
• Famous Curves: Hyperbolic Spiral
• Famous Curves: Involute of a Circle
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Archimedes was perhaps one of the most outstanding scientists in the world. Indeed, a supreme scientist of the classical age, Archimedes was a mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, weapons designer, and inventor. Archimedes is one of the great thinkers in history. He was wise in philosophy, active in mathematics and physics and was also recognized as one of the finest engineers of his time. Through historical accounts of his uncountable inventions and discoveries, he left his legacy 2000 years ago.

Table of Contents

About archimedes.

• Archimedes’ Greatest Achievements

Archimedes’ Principle

Archimedes’ screw, the odometer, archimedes’ law of lever.

• Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Archimedes was born in C. 287 BCE, in Syracuse, Sicily (Italy), and is regarded as the most well-known mathematician and inventor in ancient Greece. Archimedes will always be remembered for his significant discovery; that is, he successfully determined the relation between the surface and volume of a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder. Archimedes also formulated the hydrostatic principle known as Archimedes’ Principle, which states that an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced, is acted on a body when placed in a liquid. And also, Archimedes invented a screw for raising water which is still considered the most important invention.

Also, Archimedes studied different aspects of the lever and pulley. A lever is a kind of elementary machine in which a bar is used to move or raise a weight, while a pulley uses a rope, wheel or chain to lift loads. He also discovered the law of buoyancy .

Archimedes Greatest Achievements

Some of the most outstanding achievements of Archimedes are listed below –

• Archimedes invented the crucial sciences of mechanics and hydrostatics.
• Archimedes created one of the essential physics concepts that is the centre of gravity.
• He discovered the laws of levers and pulleys that allow moving heavy objects using small forces.
• Archimedes calculated the most precise value of pi. The fraction 22⁄7 was his upper limit of pi; this value is still in use.
• Archimedes also discovered mathematically verified formulas for the volume and surface area of a sphere.
• How exponents could be used to write more significant numbers was shown by Archimedes.

Archimedes was the one who discovered the principle of buoyancy, also known as Archimedes’ Principle , which states that an upward or buoyant force is acted upon a body upwards when it is wholly or partially submerged in a fluid at rest and that the magnitude of this force is equivalent to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.

The story behind it is that the King assigned Archimedes a task to figure out whether the crown made for him was pure gold or it contained some other metals too; this caused him to discover the famous Archimedes’ principle. He took a lump of gold weighing the same as the gold crown, and regardless of their shapes, these two objects should displace the same amount of water. The crown would replace more water if the goldsmith who made the crown substituted any gold with a cheaper metal.

Concept visualised | Archimedes’ principle – Mechanical Properties of Fluids | Concept visualised | Archimedes’ principle | NEET

Archimedes’ Screw is a device that was rotated by a windmill or through manual labour; it is a screw-shaped device that lifts the water inside the spiral tube to a higher elevation as the entire unit is rotated. The design of this device was beneficial, especially to the farmers, and it was even carried out in other industries to move light ingredients like grain in and out of farming silos.

Archimedes was also the first who came up with an idea of an odometer; it is a mechanical method of keeping track of distance travelled.

The idea behind the working of the Odometer was that a wheel travels its own circumference every time it goes around. He mounted a giant wheel of known circumference in a small frame. With each revolution, it repeatedly released a pebble into a container giving a measure of the distance travelled. In effect, it was the first Odometer.

Archimedes also found new usages for the lever. It was once said by the great inventor, “Give me a place to stand on, and a lever long enough, and I will move the earth.” He proved this statement by illustrating it with a considerable mechanism of a lever, along with a sequence of pulleys to launch the newly-constructed ship. Archimedes precisely described fundamental physics and clarified the ratios of force, load, and the lever’s capability.

For more such interesting articles, stay tuned to BYJU’S. Also, register to “BYJU’S – The Learning App” for loads of interactive, engaging Physics-related videos and an unlimited academic assist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is buoyant force.

The buoyant force is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a fully or partially immersed body.

What is the use of an Odometer?

It is a device used to measure the distance travelled by a vehicle.

What is Archimedes’ famous invention?

Archimedes’ Screw is the most famous Archimedes invention.

Explain Archimedes’ Principle.

An upward or buoyant force is acted upon a body upwards when it is wholly or partially submerged in a fluid at rest, and the magnitude of this force is equivalent to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.

What is Archimedes’ Screw?

Archimedes’ screw is an invention that is used to lift the water at a higher elevation.

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Biography Online

Archimedes Biography

Archimedes was born in Syracuse, a Greek city-state in Sicily. He was educated at Alexandria, Egypt – famed for its knowledge and learning. He then returned to Syracuse where he became famed as both a mathematician, inventor, astronomer and philosopher. He continued to correspond with mathematicians back in Alexandria, and even during his lifetime, he gained a strong reputation for being a mathematical genius. Archimedes was close to the ruler of Syracuse, King Hiero II who employed Archimedes in the defence of the city against the Roman invasion.

Archimedes greatest love was theoretical mathematics. He wrote several treatises and corresponded with other mathematicians of the day. He had a brilliant mind and made many important developments in the subject. This includes a development of calculus using infinitesimals. Archimedes development of calculus remained un-improved until the 15th Century. Archimedes also developed the most accurate prediction of pie to date. Using the method of approximation, he showed pi has to be greater than 223/71 and less than 22/7. His favourite proof involved proving that the volume and surface area of a sphere was 2/3 of a cylinder of the same height and diameter.

Archimedes had an inquisitive nature and was willing to challenge conventional views. For example, it was widely considered that the number of grains of sand on the earth was infinite – or at least impossible to calculate. However, in The Sand Reckoner , Archimedes proceeded to make a calculation using a new system of counting which made use of powered numbers based on the myriad (10,000). He proposed a myriad x myriad = 100 million. Archimedes calculated the number of grains of sands to fill the universe would be eight vigintillions or 8 x 10 63 .

As well as mathematics, Archimedes made discoveries in the field of mechanics. Although he did not invent the lever, he made descriptions about its use, the mathematical underpinning of levers, and made practical innovations to help sailors lift heavier objects than they could on their own. Archimedes work on the lever led to one of his most famous statements

“Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the Earth.”

Archimedes was also known as an outstanding astronomer; he made observations on solstices and calculated the distance to the sun and planets through the use of Pythagorean theory.

As well as theoretical mathematics, Archimedes was asked to help deal with matters of state. For example, Archimedes was asked to prove whether a crown was made purely of gold or whether it was made up of silver. However, Archimedes wasn’t allowed to damage the crown. One account states Archimedes determined the density of the crown by measuring how much water was displaced when the crown was submerged in water and then dividing the mass of the crown by the weight of the crown. From knowing the density, Archimedes could work out whether it was pure gold. An anecdotal story of how Archimedes got the idea for this method was sitting in a bathtub of water. When he saw the water displaced, the idea came to him.  Archimedes was so excited. He shouted “Eureka” – ‘I have found it’ and then took to the streets without time to put his clothes on. Unsurprisingly, this great anecdote wasn’t found in Archimedes own writings, but the legend has stuck to Archimedes.

“Any floating object displaces its own weight of fluid.”

— Archimedes of Syracuse

An alternative explanation for measuring the density of a crown may have been Archimedes own principle about the buoyancy of an object in a fluid. In Floating Bodies (c. 250 BC) Archimedes wrote:

“Any object, totally or partially immersed in a fluid, is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.”

The implication of this principle is that when a body is partially immersed in a fluid, it experiences an apparent loss in weight that is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the immersed part of the body.

“When… the Romans assaulted the walls in two places at once, fear and consternation stupefied the Syracusans…. But when Archimedes began to ply his engines, he at once shot against the land forces all sorts of missile weapons… that came down with incredible noise and violence… they knocked down those upon whom they fell in heaps, breaking all their ranks and files.”

He was buried in Syracuse with a model sculpture of his sphere and cylinder. The tomb of Archimedes was later rediscovered by Cicero in about 75BC.

Influence of Archimedes

Archimedes was in many ways ahead of his time. Despite numerous breakthroughs in mathematics, there was not sufficient skilled and intelligent mathematicians to make use and develop Archimedes work in the classical period.

“Modern mathematics was born with Archimedes and died with him for all of two thousand years. It came to life again with Descartes and Newton.”

Eric Temple Bell, The Development of Mathematics (1940)

Many of his works were lost or fell out of general circulation. However, some works were preserved and when they were rediscovered and re-printed, they gave a major boost to a reinvigoration of mathematics in Asia and Europe. Archimedes works were translated into Arabic in the 9th Century AD. In 1544, a version of Archimedes works in both Latin and Greek were published in Editio Princeps in Basel. This was a very influential work. Galileo was a great admirer of Archimedes and – influenced by his writings, he invented a hydrostatic balance for weighing metals in water and air. Perhaps even more important was Archimedes influence on mathematicians Rene Descartes and Pascal Blaise. In 1906, the Archimedes Palimpsest was discovered – and, although overwritten with prayers in the 13th Century, underneath they discovered original writings of Archimedes that had been first written in the 10th Century AD. It includes original sources of On Floating Bodies and “The Method of Mechanical Theorems.”

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Archimedes”, Oxford, UK www.biographyonline.net Published 8 July 2019.

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Meet Archimedes of Syracuse: The Mathematician Who Discovered Pi and Designed War Machines

The Greek’s calculation of the infinite mathematical concept pi in the 200s BCE is celebrated every year on March 14, or Pi Day.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—for mathematicians, anyway.

Pi Day is Thursday, March 14. The relatively new holiday is a celebration of the mathematical calculation pi, or the infinite number representing the constant ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi is essential to engineering and modern construction.

Although many sought to find it, the calculation of pi, which is also expressed by the fraction 22/7, is commonly credited to Greek mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse more than 2,200 years ago.

The first Pi Day took place at the Exploratorium, a San Francisco–based science museum, and featured a circular parade and fruit pies. The latter has become a delicious tradition among academic and office settings. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing March 14 as National Pi Day.

According to the Exploratorium , mathematicians began using π, the Greek letter pi, for the calculation’s symbol in the 1700s, starting with William Jones in 1706. Leonhard Euler subsequently popularized the symbol.

As for Archimedes, you might be surprised to learn that pi was just one of his many important discoveries and inventions.

Who Was Archimedes?

According to NOVA , Archimedes was born in Syracuse—on the Mediterranean island of Sicily, not upstate New York—around 287 BCE. He was the son of astronomer Phidias and a close ally of Syracuse’s King Hieron and his son, whom he served many years.

Archimedes traveled to Egypt to study at the Library of Alexandria at age 18 and, upon completing his work, returned to Syracuse around 263 BCE for the remainder of his life.

Over roughly the next 50 years, Archimedes developed most of his major theories. These included the fundamental principles of mechanics; methods for finding the center of gravity, surface area, and volume of geometric figures; the principle of buoyancy; and, of course, an estimate for the value of pi.

Archimedes was obsessed with math, often getting lost in his work and forgetting to eat. Legend has it he discovered his principle of buoyancy while taking a bath. Excited, he leapt out of the tub and ran naked through the streets of Syracuse shouting, “Eureka!”

By one account , Greek philosopher Plutarch reported that Archimedes died while solving a math problem. In 212 BCE, during the Second Punic War, a Roman solider asked Archimedes to accompany him amid a siege of Syracuse. Archimedes refused, and the angry soldier stabbed him with a sword.

What Else Did Archimedes Do?

Archimedes is often credited with inventing the Archimedes’ screw, a device for raising water, while in Egypt. The large helix is encased lengthwise in a watertight covering with openings at both ends. When one end is placed in water and the device is elevated at an angle and turned, water trapped in air pockets rises from the lower end through the open upper end.

Back then, it was used to pump water out of ships and for irrigation. But the design is still used today. According to Scientific American , modern examples include lifting wastewater in treatment plants and even lifting water for some amusement park rides.

Archimedes also created a means for approximating square roots and devised ways of calculating area and volume two millennia before the invention of calculus.

When the Romans invaded Syracuse, Archimedes’ “engines of war” helped defend the city. These devices included cranes to drop rocks, claws to lift ships from the water, and machines to fire wooden missiles. He also devised a set of mirrors that focused sunlight on enemy ships, setting them on fire.

Finally, Archimedes proved the volume of a sphere is two-thirds the volume of a circumscribed cylinder. He considered this his greatest accomplishment and asked that a representation of a sphere inside a cylinder be left on his tomb. He is likely buried in Sicily.

Tracing Archimedes’ Legacy

According to NOVA , scribes copied Archimedes’ writings onto parchment in 300 AD. His manuscript explaining how he developed his mathematical theorems was copied and bound onto vellum sheets around 1000. Archimedes’ treatise Measurement of a Circle — which helped spread his process for calculating pi around the world, according to the American Mathematical Society —was part of this manuscript.

Around 200 years later, a monk reused the manuscript to make a prayer book. Finished in 1229 and likely made in Jerusalem, this manuscript became known as the Archimedes Palimpsest. It is the only surviving copy of Archimedes’ manuscript and contains several of his treatises.

For about 400 years, the Palimpsest was stored in a monastery in the Judean desert before being moved to a library in Old Jerusalem. German scholar Constantine Tischendorf discovered it in Constantinople in 1846, and Danish scholar Johan Ludwig attempted to transcribe it in 1906 using a magnifying glass.

Shockingly, the Palimpsest disappeared for much of the 20 th century. It resurfaced in a damaged state in Paris in 1998 and was sold at auction for $2 million to an anonymous American collector. The buyer then donated the book to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore in 1999. It was featured there in a 2011 exhibit titled “Lost & Found: The Secrets of Archimedes.”

Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

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Archimedes was a mathematician and inventor from ancient Greece. Regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians in history, he’s the father of integral calculus and mathematical physics. There are many ideas and inventions that have been attributed to him. While there’s no exact date for his birth and death, he was born approximately between 290 and 280 B.C. and died sometime between 212 or 211 B.C. in Syracuse, Sicily.

The Archimedes Principle

Archimedes wrote in his treatise “On Floating Bodies” that an object submerged in fluid experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. The famous anecdote for how he came up with this was started when he was asked to determine if a crown was pure gold or contained some silver. While in the bathtub, he arrived at the principle of displacement by weight and ran through the streets naked shouting "Eureka (I have found it)!" A crown with silver would weigh less than one that was pure gold. Weighing the displaced water would allow calculation of the density of the crown, showing whether or not it was pure gold.

The Archimedes Screw

The Archimedes screw, or screw pump, is a machine that can raise water from a lower to a higher level. It is useful for irrigation systems, water systems, sewage systems, and pumping water out of a ship's bilge. It is a screw-shaped surface inside a pipe and has to be turned, which is often done by attaching it to a windmill or by turning it by hand or oxen. The windmills of Holland are an example of using the Archimedes screw to drain water from low-lying areas. Archimedes may not have discovered this invention since there is some evidence they existed for hundreds of years before his life. He may have observed them in Egypt and later popularized them in Greece.

War Machines and Heat Ray

Archimedes also designed several claw,  catapult , and trebuchet war machines for use against the armies laying siege to Syracuse. The author Lucian wrote in the second century A.D. that Archimedes used a heat-focusing device that involved mirrors acting as a parabolic reflector as a way to set invading ships on fire. Several modern-day experimenters have attempted to show this was possible, but have had mixed results. Sadly, Archimedes was killed during the siege of Syracuse.

Principles of the Lever and Pulleys

Archimedes is quoted as saying, "Give me a place to stand on and I will move the Earth." He explained the principles of levers in his treatise “On the Equilibrium of Planes.” He designed block-and-tackle pulley systems for use in loading and unloading ships.

Planetarium or Orrery

Archimedes even built devices that showed the movement of the sun and moon across the sky. It would have required sophisticated differential gears. These devices were acquired by General Marcus Claudius Marcellus as part of his personal loot from the capture of Syracuse.

An Early Odometer

Archimedes is credited with designing an odometer that could measure distance. It used a chariot wheel and gears to drop a pebble once per Roman mile into a counting box.

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The Archimedes Palimpsest

Archimedes of syracuse.

In the third century BC, Syracuse was a hub of commerce, art and science. As a youth in Syracuse Archimedes developed his natural curiosity and penchant for problem solving. When he had learned as much as he could from his teachers, Archimedes traveled to Egypt in order to study in Alexandria. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria had, by Archimedes' time, earned a reputation for great learning and scholarship.

After his studies in Alexandria, Archimedes returned to Syracuse and pursued a life of thought and invention. Many apocryphal legends record how Archimedes endeared himself to King Hiero II, discovering solutions to problems that vexed the king.

Archimedes' Screw

The puzzle of king hiero's crown.

King Hiero had commissioned a new royal crown for which he provided solid gold to the goldsmith. When the crown arrived, King Hiero was suspicious that the goldsmith only used some of the gold, kept the rest for himself and added silver to make the crown the correct weight. Archimedes was asked to determine whether or not the crown was pure gold without harming it in the process. Archimedes was perplexed but found inspiration while taking a bath. He noticed that the full bath overflowed when he lowered himself into it, and suddenly realized that he could measure the crown's volume by the amount of water it displaced. He knew that since he could measure the crown's volume, all he had to do was discover its weight in order to calculate its density and hence its purity. Archimedes was so exuberant about his discovery that he ran down the streets of Syracuse naked shouting, “Eureka!” which meant “I've found it!” in Greek.

Archimedes and the Defense of Syracuse

During Archimedes' lifetime Sicily was a hotspot for both geological and political events. The volcanic Mount Etna loomed threateningly over the island, while on all sides the titanic Punic Wars raged between Rome and Carthage. Situated strategically between the two great powers, Sicily naturally became an object of contention. Self preservation demanded that the kings of Syracuse negotiate with the great powers, and as a result the small city-state often found itself allied with one against the other. Such was the case in 214 BC, when pro-Carthaginian factions within the city chose to side with Carthage against Rome. Shortly thereafter, legions of the Roman army sailed to Syracuse and laid siege to the city walls.

King Hiero II had anticipated such an eventuality. Before his death in 216 BC, Hiero set Archimedes to work, strengthening the walls of Syracuse and modifying its great stronghold, the Euryelos fortress. Archimedes also constructed war machines to defend Syracuse.

When the Romans arrived under the command of the famed general Marcellus, Archimedes was prepared. The Roman historian Polybius relates that Archimedes now made such extensive preparations, both within the city and also to guard against an attack from the sea, that there would be no chance of the defenders being employed in meeting emergencies but that every move of the enemy could be replied to instantly by a counter move.…huge beams were suddenly projected at the [Roman] ships from the walls, which sank some of them with great weights plunging down from on high; others were seized at the prow by iron claws….drawn straight up into the air, and then plunged stern foremost into the depths…. with great destruction of the fighting men on board, who perished in the wrecks….in reality all the rest of the Syracusans were but a body for the designs of Archimedes, and his the one soul moving and managing everything; for all other weapons laid idle, and his alone were then employed by the city both in offense and defense.

The Death of Archimedes

For two years the genius of Archimedes repelled the Romans, enabling the city to survive the lengthy siege. Nevertheless, in 212 BC the forces of Marcellus prevailed and took the city. Marcellus had great respect for Archimedes, and immediately dispatched soldiers to retrieve his foe. Apparently, the great mathematician was unaware that his enemy had stormed the city, so deeply were his attentions focused on a mathematical problem. When a soldier demanded Archimedes accompany him to the quarters of Marcellus he simply refused, and continued his ruminations. The enraged soldier flew upon Archimedes, striking the 75 year-old eccentric dead. Marcellus was greatly distressed upon hearing the news of Archimedes' death, and ordered that he be buried with honors. Archimedes' tombstone was, as he had wished, engraved with an image of a sphere within a cylinder, after one of his geometrical treatises.

Archimedes' Legacy

Despite the many fantastic tales surrounding the life of Archimedes, we are most indebted to him for his mathematical treatises and the contributions he made to the understanding of fundamental physical phenomena. Through the medium of geometry, he was able to elucidate the principles for such basic devices as the pulley, the fulcrum and the lever – devices still utilized today. Archimedes is also credited with the discovery of the principle of buoyancy, or the power of a fluid to exert an upward force on a body placed in it. His further research into volume and density was fundamental to the development of theories of hydrostatics-the branch of physics dealing with liquids at rest.

The story of the survival of Archimedes' treatises down to our own time is intricate and complicated, and has been traced in extraordinary detail. But an essential point is this: it is through three manuscripts that we know the texts of Archimedes treatises in Greek. One was last heard of in 1311, a second was last heard of in the 1550s, and the third is The Archimedes Palimpsest, now at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, and the subject of this website. Because this is just the start of a fascinating story.

• World Biography

Archimedes Biography

Born: c. 287 B.C.E. Syracuse Died: 212 B.C.E. Syracuse Greek mathematician

Archimedes is considered one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He is also famed for his inventions and for the colorful—though unproven—ways he is believed to have made them.

Little is known about Archimedes's life. He probably was born in the seaport city of Syracuse, a Greek settlement on the island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. He was the son of an astronomer (someone who studies outer space, such as the stars) named Phidias. He may also have been related to Hieron, King of Syracuse, and his son Gelon. Archimedes studied in the learning capital of Alexandria, Egypt, at the school that had been established by the Greek mathematician Euclid (third century B.C.E. ). He later returned to live in his native city of Syracuse.

There are many stories about how Archimedes made his discoveries. A famous one tells how he uncovered an attempt to cheat King Hieron. The king ordered a golden crown and gave the crown's maker the exact amount of gold needed. The maker delivered a crown of the required weight, but Hieron suspected that some silver had been used instead of gold. He asked Archimedes to think about the matter. One day Archimedes was considering it while he was getting into a bathtub. He noticed that the amount of water overflowing the tub was proportional (related consistently) to the amount of his body that was being immersed (covered by water). This gave him an idea for solving the problem of the crown. He was so thrilled that he ran naked through the streets shouting, "Eureka!" (Greek for "I have discovered it!").

There are several ways Archimedes may have determined the amount of silver in the crown. One likely method relies on an idea that is now called Archimedes's principle. It states that a body immersed in a fluid is buoyed up (pushed up) by a force that is equal to the weight of fluid that is displaced (pushed out of place) by the body. Using this method, he would have first taken two equal weights of gold and silver and compared their weights when immersed in water. Next he would have compared the weight of the crown and an equal weight of pure silver in water in the same way. The difference between these two comparisons would indicate that the crown was not pure gold.

Archimedes also studied aspects of the lever and pulley. A lever is a kind of basic machine in which a bar is used to raise or move a weight, while a pulley uses a wheel and a rope or chain to lift loads. Such mechanical investigations would help Archimedes assist in defending Syracuse when it came under attack.

Wartime and other inventions

According to the Greek biographer Plutarch (c. C.E. 46–c. C.E. 120), Archimedes's military inventions helped defend his home city when it was attacked by Roman forces. Plutarch wrote that after Hieron died, the Roman general Marcus Claudius Marcellus (c. 268 B.C.E. –208 B.C.E. ) attacked Syracuse by both land and sea. According to Plutarch Archimedes's catapults (machines that could hurl objects such as heavy stones) forced back the Roman forces on land. Later writers claimed that Archimedes also set the Roman ships on fire by focusing an arrangement of mirrors on them. Nevertheless, despite Archimedes's efforts, Syracuse eventually surrendered to the Romans. Archimedes was killed after the city was taken, although it is not known exactly how this occurred.

Perhaps while in Egypt, Archimedes invented the water screw, a machine for raising water to bring it to fields. Another invention was a miniature planetarium, a sphere whose motion imitated that of the earth, sun, moon, and the five planets that were then known to exist.

Contributions to mathematics

Euclid's book Elements had included practically all the results of Greek geometry up to Archimedes's time. But Archimedes continued Euclid's work more than anyone before him. One way he did this was to extend what is known as the "method of exhaustion." This method is used to determine the areas and volumes of figures with curved lines and surfaces, such as circles, spheres, pyramids, and cones. Archimedes's investigation of the method of exhaustion helped lead to the current form of mathematics called integral calculus. Although his method is now outdated, the advances that finally outdated it did not occur until about two thousand years after Archimedes lived.

Archimedes also came closer than anyone had before him to determining the value of pi, or the number that gives the ratio (relation) of a circle's circumference (its boundary line) to its diameter (the length of a line passing through its center). In addition, in his work The Sand Reckoner, he created a new way to show very large numbers. Before this, numbers had been represented by letters of the alphabet, a method that had been very limited.

For More Information

Bendick, Jeanne, and Laura M. Berquist. Archimedes and the Door to Science. Minot, ND: Bethlehem Books, 1997.

Ibsen, D. C. Archimedes: Greatest Scientist of the Ancient World. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 1989.

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Archimedes: An Ancient Greek Genius Ahead of His Time

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Archimedes was a Greek mathematician, scientist, mechanical engineer, and inventor who is considered one of the greatest mathematicians of the ancient world. The father of simple machines, he introduced the concept of the lever and the compound pulley, as well as inventions ranging from water clocks to the famous Archimedes screw. He also designed devices to be used in warfare such as the catapult, the iron hand, and the death ray.

The Life of Archimedes: Syracuse and Alexandria

Born in Syracuse on the island of Sicily in 287 BC, Archimedes was the son of an astronomer and mathematician named Phidias. Very little is known about his family, early life, and schooling other than that he was educated in Alexandria, Egypt - the chief center of Greek learning at that time. Alexandria is where Archimedes studied with disciples of Euclid, a famous Greek mathematician, before he returned to Syracuse for the remainder of his life.

In the third century BC, Syracuse was a hub of commerce, art, and science. The ancient Greek biographer, Plutarch, mentions that while in Syracuse, Archimedes offered his services to King Hiero II. It was due to his relationship with the king, and his son Gelon, that Archimedes achieved fame.

Engraving of Archimedes (1584). ( Public Domain )

The Archimedes Screw

Archimedes is best known for his inventions created during the reign of King Hiero II, such as the Archimedes screw . Originally developed by the ancient Egyptians, it was a device used to raise water from a lower to higher level. Archimedes improved upon that creation.

The machine consists of a hollow tube with a spiral that can be turned by a handle at one end. When the lower end of the tube is placed in the hull and the handle turned, water is carried up the tube. Today, the Archimedes screw is still in use as a method of irrigation in developing countries. It is also used to lift loose materials, such as grains.

The Archimedes Screw. ( Public Domain )

War Comes to Syracuse and Archimedes' Inventions Help Protect the City

Situated between Rome and Carthage during the Punic wars (264 BC to 146 BC), Syracuse proved to be in the way of Roman expansion. In 214 BC, pro-Carthaginian factions within the city sided with Carthage against Rome. Not long after this, the Roman army sailed to Syracuse with the intention of destroying the city.

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Archimedes helped repel the Romans with his brilliant inventions. He fortified the city walls with military contraptions such as catapults and ballistas, which could fire projectiles long distances and attack enemy ships. These weapons were used in battle and enabled Syracuse to hold out against Rome for about three years.

One of the most famous machines invented by Archimedes and used against Roman ships during the siege of the city was the stone throwing crane. Consisting of a rotating beam that sat on a platform, it had a counterweight at one end (i.e. a large stone) and it was suspended by a rope at the other end. As an enemy ship approached the wall, operators of the device released the winch, enabling the load to pass over the wall by rotating the balance beam. When the load hovered over the ship, the rope was cut so that it would fall and cause substantial damage.

The Claw of Archimedes

A similar invention was the Claw of Archimedes , also known as the Iron Hand. A kind of ancient crane, it had a metal grappling hook at the end of it, could reach over city walls, grab enemy Roman ships, and destroy them on the rocks. The Claw of Archimedes was reportedly used in defense of Syracuse - although no one knows exactly how it looked. Later Greek and Roman historians, such as Plutarch, Polybius, and Livy spoke of the device in their writings. Here is a description of the Claw, from Plutarch’s Lives :

At the same time huge beams were run out from the walls so as to project over the Roman ships: some of them were then sunk by great weights dropped from above, while others were seized at the bows by iron claws or by beaks like those of cranes, hauled into the air by means of counterweights until they stood upright upon their sterns, and then allowed to plunge to the bottom, or else they were spun round by means of windlasses situated inside the city and dashed against the steep cliffs and rocks which jutted out under the walls, with great loss of life to the crews. Often there would be seen the terrifying spectacle of a ship being lifted clean out of the water into the air and whirled about as it hung there, until every man had been shaken out of the hull and thrown in different directions, after which it would be dashed down empty upon the walls.

The Archimedes Claw lifting a ship (1599), Giulio Parigi. ( Public Domain )

Archimedes' Most Controversial and Terrifying Invention: The Death Ray

The most controversial and arguably the most terrifying of Archimedes' inventions was his famous heat or death ray. Sometimes referred to as “the burning mirror”, it was supposedly a device which used mirrors on the bluffs of Syracuse to focus sunlight onto wooden ships, causing them to burst into flames.

The device consisted of a large array of bronze or copper shields arranged in a parabola. When the Roman fleet approached, legend says that Archimedes set fire to the enemy galleys using this weapon. However, historical accounts of this death ray did not appear in texts until much later, and it is not mentioned by the ancient historians of the era.

Contemporary writers such as like Plutarch, Polybius, and Livy did not mention the use of mirrors setting ships on fire , though they did discuss some of the defensive devices created by Archimedes.

Illustration of the Burning Mirror setting a ship on fire ( Public Domain )

The earliest source which mentions Archimedes employing burning mirrors was written by Anthemius of Tralles  in 500 AD, some 700 years after the fact. In his treatise entitled, On Burning-Glasses , he mentioned how Archimedes may have used a parabolic mirror to focus the sun’s rays on invading Roman ships.

Lucian (120-180 AD) and Galen (130-200 AD) reported that Archimedes set fire to Roman ships through artificial means, but they don’t exactly state how. In 1100 AD, the writers Zonares and Tzetzes quoted use of the death ray from an earlier work (now lost) called the Siege of Syracuse , which stated:

When Marcellus [The Roman General] had placed the ships a bow shot off, the old man [Archimedes] constructed a sort of hexagonal mirror. He placed at proper distances from the mirror other smaller mirrors of the same kind, which were moved by means of their hinges and certain plates of metal. He placed it amid the rays of the sun at noon, both in summer and winter. The rays being reflected by this, a frightful fiery kindling was excited on the ships, and it reduced them to ashes, from the distance of a bow shot. Thus the old man baffled Marcellus, by means of his inventions.

What is known is that the principles of Archimedes' heat ray are understood today and it is possible to replicate the burning mirror using modern technology. Possibly, Archimedes would have known about these same principles when he was alive, but whether or not he could have actually built such a weapon is a different story. Interestingly, the television show MythBusters devoted three episodes to testing the myth of the Death Ray by using 500 large, flat, modern mirrors. In all three episodes it was seen as implausible.

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"Do Not Disturb My Circles"

Archimedes died in 212 BC at the age of 75, when Syracuse was captured by Roman forces. Legend says that he was working on a math problem when a Roman soldier ordered him to meet with his commander. Archimedes reportedly refused to do so - which angered the soldier who killed Archimedes on the spot.

His last words were reportedly “do not disturb my circles.” Cicero described visiting the tomb of Archimedes , which he said was surmounted by a sphere and a cylinder, representing Archimedes' mathematical discoveries.

Death of Archimedes (1815) by Thomas Degeorge. ( Public Domain )

The Archimedes Palimpsest

Many say that Archimedes' death brought an end to a golden age of mathematics. His writings were seen as the definitive texts on geometry at the time and held in an almost religious light. Greek mathematics gradually declined with the Dark Ages and an interest in mathematics was lost until the Renaissance.

While the originals have long been lost, many of Archimedes’ writings survived and were copied by scribes who passed his work on down through the generations. In the 10th century, one copy of his most important work, called the Method of Mechanical Theorems was made.

However, in the 1200s, a medieval scribe ran out of parchment and recycled the 300-year-old pages into a book of prayers. He trimmed the parchment, erased the text, and turned the sheets at a right angle before inking on the prayers.

Called a “ palimpsest ”, the manuscript began its new life at the Mar Saba monastery in the Judean desert in the Middle East, where Archimedes' work was unread and unknown for centuries. The palimpsest would turn up again rather mysteriously in a library in Constantinople in 1906, before it went missing again - until it was auctioned off in New York in 1998. Today, this book is the sole surviving source for two works by Archimedes, which are now fully legible through imaging technology.

Archimedes' Palimpsest. ( Public Domain )

Modern Controversy

In a rather unexpected turn of events, in 2017 a statue of Archimedes was deemed by some as inappropriate and of ‘bad taste’ . As you’ve just read, Archimedes was a talented mathematician and inventor, so what could be the issue?

One word: Nudity.

Concerns have been raised against that the statue residing in a village in Hampshire, England. Specifically, it is argued that the Archimedes statue, “[…] is illuminated at night and as such is both a potential distraction for drivers of vehicles driving down College Lane and again completely inappropriate in a rural area in my opinion. The very nature of the statue (a naked man) may seem to represent art to some but could also be seen as offensive to others.”

I bet Archimedes would have never predicted his appearance could be so unsettling.

Top Image: Archimedes with a crane, heat ray lens, and water screw. Source: matiasdelcarmine /Adobe Stock

By: Bryan Hill

This article was updated on August 11, 2020.

"The Archimedes Palimpsest." The History of Archimedes. http://archimedespalimpsest.org/about/history/archimedes.php .

"Museum of the Ancient Greek Technology "Kostas Kotsanas"" The Stone Throwing Crane. http://kotsanas.com/gb/exh.php?exhibit=0701002 .

"The UnMuseum: Archimedes and the Burning Mirror." The UnMuseum: Archimedes and the Burning Mirror. http://www.unmuseum.org/burning_mirror.htm .

"The Archimedes War Machines." The Archimedes War Machines. https://explorable.com/archimedes-war-machines .

"Archimedes." Famous Scientists. http://www.famousscientists.org/archimedes/ .

"Sicily: Art and Invention (Getty Villa Exhibitions)." Sicily: Art and Invention (Getty Villa Exhibitions). http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/sicily/archimedes.html .

"Archimedes." Archimedes. http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/People/Archimedes/ .

http://www.math.nyu.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/Mirrors/legend/legend.html .

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Related Articles on Ancient-Origins

History >> Ancient Greece >> Biography

• Occupation: Mathematician, physicist, and astronomer
• Born: 287 BC in Syracuse, Sicily
• Died: 212 BC in Syracuse, Sicily
• Best known for: Being a great mathematician and inventor
• Claw of Archimedes - The Claw of Archimedes was a large crane with a grappling hook on the end of it. When an enemy ship came close to the crane, it would hook the ship's prow and then tip the ship over.
• Heat Ray - Legend has it that Archimedes used mirrors to concentrate rays from the sun and set enemy ships on fire. This likely would not have worked, but perhaps it was used to distract or blind enemy ships.
• Legend has it that Archimedes' last words to the Roman soldier who killed him were "Do not disturb my circles" referring to some drawings he had made in the sand.
• He is sometimes credited with inventing the odometer.
• The great inventor and astronomer Galileo once described Archimedes as "superhuman."
• The Fields Medal given to the top mathematicians each year has a picture of Archimedes on it.
• He discovered the Archimedes' principle in physics which says that the upward buoyant force on a body immersed in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid the body displaces.
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Who is the Father of Mathematics?

Archimedes is known as the Father of Mathematics.  Mathematics is one of the ancient sciences developed in time immemorial. A major topic of discussion regarding this particular field of science is about who is the father of mathematics. 

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19 January 2021

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Archimedes is regarded as one of the most notable Greek mathematicians. He is known as the Father of Mathematics.

In this article, we will be dealing with a small introduction to the great mathematicians' lives of all time. The significant discoveries, concepts in mathematical science are the contributions of the father of mathematics. Any student who is enthusiastic about learning the techniques of mathematical problems would have ever wondered about who is the creator of mathematics.

Life of Archimedes | Father of Mathematics

• Archimedes is considered the Father of Mathematics for his significant contribution to the development of mathematics. His contributions are being used in great vigour, even in modern times.   
• Although a little is known about his birth, family, and early childhood, he is still considered one famous classical antiquity figure. He was born in 287 BC into an astronomer family and died in 212 BC in the Siege of Syracuse. Phidias is the name of his Astronomer father. He was born in Syracuse, which was a Greek colony at that time.   
• From his childhood, Archimedes took an interest in studying science, mathematics, and politics. Throughout his entire life, Archimedes was fascinated with mathematical equations and problem-solving.  
• Archimedes's family also supported him in getting a proper education. This was probably the reason for which he joined the School of Mathematics, which is in Egypt. 

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Archimedes is a famous Greek Mathematician who is regarded as the Father of Mathematics,  devoted his whole life to discovering mathematics and also science in his later life. Let us read more about his life.

Interesting facts on Archimedes

• There are several interesting facts about Archimedes. An award, namely 'The Fields Medal,' is designed with Archimedes’ image in memory of his contribution. This prestigious award is presented to the great mathematicians of their time.   
• The name Archimedes received great popularity. As a result, an asteroid was named after this Greek scientist’s name. Besides these, there is a famous mountain range named after the famous Greek mathematician, the father of mathematics, known as Montes Archimedes. It is a mountain range situated on the Moon. The popularity of his name and discoveries increased in fever pitch day by day.

Notable Inventions of Archimedes- Father of Mathematics

• Archimedes is considered the father of mathematics because of his notable inventions in mathematics and science. He was in the service of King Hiero II of Syracuse.   
• At that time, he developed many inventions. Archimedes made out a pulley system designed to help the sailors move objects up and down that are weighty.  
• Archimedes has configured diverse mathematical concepts to solve mathematical problems. The 'method of exhaustion' is developed by Archimedes to measure the areas of shapes. Quantifying the value of PI is the result of his 'method of exhaustion.'   
• This step of most outstanding achievement is used in mathematics to calculate the measurement of a circle. Through this method, Archimedes established the relationship between spheres and cylinders. He studied the area and surface of a circle as well as a parabola.  
• Archimedes is one of the earlier mathematicians who studied the uses of prime numbers. He brought out the concept of infinity. He devised a weapon which is called the claw of Archimedes. This claw was made to defend the city wall's seaward portion against any sort of military assault. It was a defense mechanism to resist the attack of Roman general Marcellus. 

• Among his discoveries, Archimedes Screw is best known. Archimedes screw consists of an empty cylinder and a hollow spiral either inside or outside the cylinder. The screw, with its rotation, shifts the water from a lower plane place to a higher place.   
• This invention was used to take away water from the hold of a ship. The Archimedes screw let water to flow upwards. In today’s date also, the Egyptian people are using this highly helpful method for the irrigation of crops. Farmers use this technique, especially in arid places.  
• Archimedes principle is one of the major throwbacks in the history of Science. Archimedes's principle was conceived by the Greek mathematician while serving King Hieron. Behind this groundbreaking invention, there is a story of the king and Archimedes himself. King Hieron ordered or received a crown that is made of gold. But when he received it, he doubted it.   
• He thought that it was silver instead of gold. The king offered Archimedes the responsibility to check whether it is of gold or silver. During the bath, Archimedes looked at the movement of the water body. He submerged the crown, and as a result, it displaces the water, which is equal to its volume.   
• Archimedes became so excited and came up shouting ‘Eureka,’ ‘Eureka.’ He realized that an object’s size could be measured by placing it in water. It can be estimated through how much the water moved. In the latter period, it became famous as the Archimedes principle.  
• Archimedes is a prominent figure in mathematics. His invention facilitated many more modern technological innovations. He wrote several works that helped in developing many concepts.   
• His important works are like ‘On the Equilibrium of Planes,’ ‘On the Measurement of a Circle,’ ‘On Spirals,’ The Sand Reckoner.’  In the course of history, Archimedes made several contributions to the field of mathematics. Therefore, he is considered the 'father of mathematics' because of his important contribution to mathematics. 

Death of the Father of Mathematics- Archimedes

Since Sicily was a Greek colony, it was frequently confronted with attacks of enemy nations. Once the Roman military leader Marcus Claudius Marcellus invaded Sicily where one of the Roman soldiers killed Archimedes. A soldier killed him in this Siege of Syracuse in 212BC. 

There are several narratives concerning the story of the death of this well-known figure. According to a group of historians, soldiers attacked Archimedes because he mistakenly took the mathematical tools as a weapon.

Archimedes, who is the father of mathematics, served his lifetime, discovering various concepts, methods, and techniques in mathematics and science. Though he is not with us in person today, his inventions and ideas are greatly being used today. 

His principles and ideas will remain with us to inspire future lovers of science. His excellences and reputation helped him to earn the title of ‘the father of mathematics.’ Today’s modern world would not have been so developed scientifically without the outstanding contribution of Archimedes. 

His devotion and dedication towards science and mathematics molded and motivated the future generation to contribute to science and mathematics with many more discoveries and inventions. The present scientists can follow Archimedes' footprints, who is the father of mathematics, to contribute to society and bring laurels to the nation.

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FAQs on Archimedes - Father of Mathematics

What did archimedes discover.

In the 3rd Century BC,  Archimedes : invented the sciences of mechanics and hydrostatics. He  discovered  the laws of levers and pulleys, which allow us to move heavy objects using small forces.

  What is Archimedes famous for?

He is most  famous for  discovering the law of hydrostatics, sometimes  known  as ' Archimedes ' principle', stating that a body immersed in fluid loses weight equal to the weight of the amount of fluid it displaces. 

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Archime'des, equiponderants and centres of gravity, the quadrature of the parabola,, dimension of the circle, conoids and spheroids, on floating bodies, eutocius' commentary, translations, further information.

• Cicero, Letters to Atticus , 13.28
• Polybius, Histories , 8.5
• Polybius, Histories , 8.9
• Vitruvius, On Architecture , 10.11
• Vitruvius, On Architecture , 9.3
• Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia , 7.37
• Livy, The History of Rome, Book 24 , 34
• Livy, The History of Rome, Book 25 , 31
• Plutarch, Marcellus , 19
• Plutarch, Marcellus , 15
• Plutarch, Marcellus , 18
• Diodorus, Historical Library , 1.34
• Diodorus, Historical Library , 5.37
• Ovid, Fasti , 6