Archimedes
Greek mathematician and physicist ( c.287–c.212 BC) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287 – c. 212 BC)[2] was a Greek scientist. He was an inventor, an astronomer, and a mathematician. He was born in the town of Syracuse in Sicily.
Archimedes of Syracuse | |
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Ἀρχιμήδης | |
Born | c. 287 BC |
Died | c. 212 BC (aged c. 74–75) |
Known for | |
Scientific career | |
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His father was Phidias, an astronomer, and he may have been in the family of a king of Syracuse. Syracuse was a rich Greek city, on the seashore in Sicily. When Archimedes was about ten years old, he left Syracuse to study in Alexandria, Egypt. He was in the school of Euclid, a famous mathematician. Not much is known about the personal life of Archimedes, for example, whether he was married or if he had children.
When the Romans invaded Syracuse, they captured Archimedes so they could learn all of the things he knew. About two years after he was drawing a mathematical diagram in the sand and enraged a soldier by refusing to go to meet the Roman general until he had finished working on the problem. The Roman killed him. His last words are supposed to have been "Do not disturb my circles!"