Theodosius' Spherics
Ancient Greek spherical geometry treatise / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Spherics (Greek: τὰ σφαιρικά, tà sphairiká) is a three-volume treatise on spherical geometry written by the Hellenistic mathematician Theodosius of Bithynia in the 2nd or 1st century BC.
Book I and the first half of Book II establish basic geometric constructions needed for spherical geometry using the tools of Euclidean solid geometry, while the second half of Book II and Book III contain propositions relevant to astronomy as modeled by the celestial sphere.
Based on material from a couple centuries earlier, the Spherics was a foundational treatise for geometers and astronomers from its origin until the 19th century. It was continuously studied and copied in Greek manuscript for more than a millennium. It was translated into Arabic in the 9th century during the Islamic Golden Age, and thence translated into Latin in 12th century Iberia, though the text and diagrams were somewhat corrupted. In the 16th century printed editions in Greek were published along with better translations into Latin.