#CLAWS OF ARCHIMEDES FULL#

Situated strategically between the two great powers, Sicily naturally became an object of contention. The volcanic Mount Etna loomed threateningly over the island, while on all sides the titanic Punic Wars raged between Rome and Carthage. Archimedes and the Defense of Syracuseĭuring Archimedes' lifetime Sicily was a hotspot for both geological and political events. 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.

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.

#CLAWS OF ARCHIMEDES FULL#

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. Archimedes was perplexed but found inspiration while taking a bath. Archimedes was asked to determine whether or not the crown was pure gold without harming it in the process. 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. King Hiero had commissioned a new royal crown for which he provided solid gold to the goldsmith. The Puzzle of King Hiero's Crown The 'Eureka' Story The Archimedes Screw is still used as a method of irrigation in developing countries. When the lower end of the tube was placed into the hull and the handle turned, water was carried up the tube and out of the boat.

Archimedes' solution was to create a machine consisting of a hollow tube containing a spiral that could be turned by a handle at one end. The King called upon Archimedes for assistance. One such story recounts how a perplexed King Hiero was unable to empty rainwater from the hull of one of his ships. Many apocryphal legends record how Archimedes endeared himself to King Hiero II, discovering solutions to problems that vexed the king. Euclid was a renowned mathematician, perhaps best remembered for collecting all of the existent Greek geometrical treatises and assembling them in a logical and systematic order in his book, “The Elements.” This compilation was fundamental to the study of geometry for over 2,000 years, and undoubtedly influenced the work of Archimedes.Īfter his studies in Alexandria, Archimedes returned to Syracuse and pursued a life of thought and invention.

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria had, by Archimedes' time, earned a reputation for great learning and scholarship.Įuclid was one of the most well-known scholars who lived in Alexandria prior to Archimedes' arrival in the city. When he had learned as much as he could from his teachers, Archimedes traveled to Egypt in order to study in Alexandria. As a youth in Syracuse Archimedes developed his natural curiosity and penchant for problem solving. In the third century BC, Syracuse was a hub of commerce, art and science. Some maintain that he belonged to the nobility of Syracuse, and that his family was in some way related to that of Hiero II, King of Syracuse. Aside from that, very little is known about the early life of Archimedes or his family. He was the son of an astronomer and mathematician named Phidias. The Archimedes Palimpsest Palimpsest Exhibition Digital Community LinksĪrchimedes was born in the city of Syracuse on the island of Sicily in 287 BC.

Claws of archimedes