Aristarchus of Samos (also known as Aristarchos) lived between 310 and 230 B.C. He was a mathematician and astronomer, and was the first to suggest the heliocentric model of the universe. His only surviving work, On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon, discusses this model.

Astronomy as a science began with the Ionian philosophers, with whom Greek philosophy and mathematics also began. While the Egyptians and Babylonians had accomplished much of astronomical worth, it remained for the unrivalled speculative genius of the Greeks, in particular, their mathematical genius, to lay the foundations of the true science of astronomy. In this classic study, a noted scholar discusses in lucid detail the specific advances made by the Greeks, many of whose ideas anticipa...

Originally published in 1949. This meticulously researched book presents a comprehensive outline and discussion of Aristotle’s mathematics with the author's translations of the greek. To Aristotle, mathematics was one of the three theoretical sciences, the others being theology and the philosophy of nature (physics). Arranged thematically, this book considers his thinking in relation to the other sciences and looks into such specifics as squaring of the circle, syllogism, parallels, incomm...

The Sand Reckoner of ArchimedesBy Thomas Heath"This short treatise of Archimedes on the amount of sand grains which could be contained in the ancient model of the universe is remarkable. It uses some extremely large numbers, given that this was antiquity and Europeans did not yet have the benefit of decimal notation. It also anticipates the method of Calculus: measuring by subdivision into very small quanta, in this case grains of sand. Also of interest are Archimedes' (inco...

Archimedes was the most celebrated of the Greek Inventor. He was born in Sicily, in the Corinthian colony of Syracuse, in the year 287 B.C., and when a very young man, was fortunate enough to enjoy the patronage of his relative Hiero, the reigning prince of Syracuse. The ancients attribute to Archimedes more than forty mechanical inventions—among which are the endless screw; the combination of pulleys; an hydraulic organ, according to Tertullian; a machine called the helix, or screw, for l...

The book begins with an overview of Aristarchus's historical context, detailing the intellectual environment of ancient Greece and the prevailing astronomical beliefs of his time. Heath examines Aristarchus's key contributions, particularly his bold assertion that the Sun, rather than the Earth, is at the center of the universe, a radical departure from the geocentric models favored by his contemporaries. This foundational idea laid the groundwork for the eventual acceptance of the helioce...

The title-page of this book necessarily bears the name of one man; but the reader will find in its pages the story, or part of the story, of many other Pioneers of Progress. The crowning achievement of anticipating the hypothesis of Copernicus belongs to Aristarchus of Samos alone; but to see it in its proper setting it is necessary to have followed in the footsteps of the earlier pioneers who, by one bold speculation after another, brought the solution of the problem nearer, though no one...

THERE are some, King Gelon, who think that the number of the sand is infinite in multitude; and I mean by the sand not only that which exists about Syracuse and the rest of Sicily but also that which is found in every region whether inhabited or uninhabited. Again there are some who, without regarding it as infinite, yet think that no number has been named which is great enough to exceed its multitude. And it is clear that they who hold this view, if they imagined a mass made up of sand in...

If the ordinary person were asked to say off-hand what he knew of Archimedes, he would probably, at the most, be able to quote one or other of the well-known stories about him: how, after discovering the solution of some problem in the bath, he was so overjoyed that he ran naked to his house, shoutingερηκα, ερηκα (or, as we might say, “I’ve got it, I’ve got it”); or how he said “Give me a place to stand on and I will move the earth”; or again how he was killed, at the capture of Syracuse i...

"Archimedes" by Sir Thomas Little Heath is a comprehensive exploration of the life and works of the ancient Greek mathematician and inventor. Heath meticulously translates and interprets Archimedes' writings, providing insights into his groundbreaking contributions to mathematics, physics, and engineering. The book delves into Archimedes' principles, such as buoyancy and the lever, showcasing his innovative spirit and intellectual prowess. Heath's work not only highlights Archimedes' mathe...

This book is a quite successful attempt at summing up the entire body of work of the great Archimedes. It contains Geometry as well as Mechanics and Hydrostatics.

The complete works of antiquity's great geometer appear here in a highly accessible English translation by a distinguished scholar. Remarkable for his range of thought and his mastery of treatment, Archimedes addressed such topics as the famous problems of the ratio of the areas of a cylinder and an inscribed sphere; the measurement of a circle; the properties of conoids, spheroids, and spirals; and the quadrature of the parabola. This edition offers an informative introduction with many v...