Archimedes

Touted by many as the greatest mathematician of antiquity, Archimedes is credited with (among many other things) inventions that aided the Greeks in the First and Second Punic Wars against the Romans, such as the claw of Archimedes and the Archimedes' screw. The former was used to destroy ships attacking at the shore, as illustrated in the picture in the link below. The Archimedes' screw was used to transport water to higher levels for irrigation, a helpful invention then and now. Although the Romans were eventually declared the victors after twenty three years of battle, the designs of Archimedes no doubt aided the Greek cause.

Claw animation from Wikipedia

Archimedes is also famous for discovering the principles of density and buoyancy. Heiro, the king of Syracuse , had commissioned an artisan to manufacture a crown, which he later suspected was not entirely made of gold. Archimedes was challenged to test the King's suspicions, and while taking a bath, realized that the amount of water displaced from the tub was proportional to his density. This discovery resulted in him leaping from the tub and running through the streets naked shouting, “ Eureka ! I've found it!”

Despite orders from the Roman general, Marcellus, that he was not to be harmed, Archimedes was killed in 212 BC during a Roman siege by a soldier who didn't know who he was.

Born 287 BC, Syracuse , Sicily

Died 212 or 211 BC, Syracuse , Sicily

 

Sources:

http://www.mcs.drexel.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/contents.html
Drexel University , Computer Science Department
Wikipedia and St. Andrew's also used

 

By Kathleen Koch