DOCSLIB.ORG

Developing a 3D Virtual Library Model Based on the Ancient Library of Alexandria

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Developing a 3D Virtual Library Model Based on the Ancient Library of Alexandria 19 Developing a 3D virtual library model based on the ancient Library of Alexandria István Boda, Erzsébet Tóth, István Csont, László T. Nagy Department of Library Informatics, Faculty of Informatics University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract—In our paper we describe in detail a three- drama once available in the Library of Alexandria. In our dimensional virtual library model inspired by the system and research we intended to present these ancient masterpieces in presumable content of the ancient Library of Alexandria. In new formats and environment. In this sense it was crucial for addition, we introduce one the possible implementation of our us to attach various verbal and multimedia metadata to the virtual library model based on the VirCA system and web English translations of the chosen ancient Greek texts in the technology (such as HTML, CSS, PHP etc.). In our model, we three dimensional environment. used the classification system elaborated by the famous librarian, poet and scholar Callimachus. Focusing primarily on the field of The Musaeum or Mouseion (“Institution of the Muses”) at Greek poetry and drama in the 3rd century BC, in the current Alexandria was a research institution built by Ptolemy I Soter implementation of our model we selected those ancient and well- and by his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus at the turn of 4th and 3rd known authors whose texts, completed with short biographical centuries BC. Ptolemy I Soter initially wanted Theophrastus, data, may be a good starting point for the content of the virtual Aristotle’s favored pupil and leader of the Peripatetic School, library. Currently we prefer various English translations of the to manage and control the affairs of the Mouseion. Soter selected ancient Greek texts with an intention to gradually intended to establish the Mouseion, at least in part, by improve the content of the library with other texts and transplanting Aristotle’s Peripatetic School from Athens to multimedia materials (other translations, paintings, images of Alexandria. The prestige of accomplishing this idea would papyri, sculptures, commentaries, selected quotations, dictionary have been enormous, and would have attracted other scholars and encyclopedia entries, related texts from the ancient and much easier. Transplanting Aristotle’s school, Ptolemy I Soter modern culture etc.) which form background knowledge for the interpretation of the processed texts. We describe a scale-free would have reinforced Alexandria’s cultural ties to Alexander network model, the so-called Alexandrian model of network, the Great; not only was the city founded by him, but it would which the organization and future development of the virtual have also participated in his intellectual tradition by continuing library is based on. Finally, we discuss the main purpose of our the famous institution of his beloved tutor, Aristotle. Although virtual library model and its possible relationships with the the Peripatetic School did not actually move to Alexandria, it current cognitive infocommunications research. had a great influence on the Mouseion and the Great Library. It is assumed that the Library of Alexandria has received some of Keywords—Library of Alexandria; three dimensional virtual the private library of the Peripatetic school’s founder, Aristotle library model; knowledge base of literary content; VirCA system; himself. spatial hypertext; scale-free networks; Alexandrian model of network The Greek word Mouseion means “Seat (Institution, Shrine, Temple etc.) of the Muses” (i.e. a place devoted to the I. WHY DID WE CHOOSE THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA? nine Muses) which designated the home of music or poetry, a The Library of Alexandria is definitely the most prominent philosophical institution or a place of contemplation such as and celebrated collection of classical (Greek-Roman) antiquity, Plato’s renowned Academy in Athens. Originally a Greek but nothing was left from it — it is known only from the mouseion was a temple sacred to the Muses, so it was a purely contemporary writers’ works. Its fame has survived in the later religious establishment. The Alexandrian Mouseion mixed the ages too, for centuries it has been embodied a library ideal religious and intellectual features of similar Greek institutions representing a symbolic force for modern public libraries. To with the religious and bibliophilic characteristics of analogous formulate an appropriate answer to the above mentioned Egyptian institutions. The latter features imply that the question we can say that it was an important aspect for us that Museion was based on the Egyptian tradition of placing all the ancient written materials collected in this library were libraries within religious temples [1]. As far as we know, eternal values for human culture and erudition. We also took hundreds of studies have emphasized the nearly religious into account that the study of the poetical Greek works foundation of the Musaeum, as an expression of the human remained an open issue till nowadays. It can be also realized longing towards the wholeness and the unity of knowledge that Greek mythology provides a kind of ‘common language’ [2]. and symbolic basis for the better interpretation and understanding of the ancient poetical works. Therefore we decided to focus on the field of ancient Greek poetry and Volume 14, No. 4 Australian Journal of Intelligent Information Processing Systems 20 We can observe that the physical structure of the Mouseion Alexandria and its attendant institutions were absolutely not only reflected Aristotle's division of knowledge into essential contributions toward making Alexandria into an observational and deductive topics, but it was planned in a intellectual and cultural center [1]. way to express and support Aristotle's peripatetic ideal of It can be somewhat contradictory to point out that the scholarship. The main Mouseion building and the Library historical sources on the Library of Alexandria are hardly building were joined by and surrounded with a network of much enough. Therefore we can say almost nothing certain paths, colonnades, and courtyards. Botanical gardens and about it; “where and how the papyrus scrolls were stored; zoological displays served the scholars’ entertainment and what dimension its collections really had; what role the other study needs. In addition, an outdoor amphitheatre called the public library of the town, the Serapeum library had in exedra was the integral part of the Mouseion building. Alexandrian cultural life; if books continued to be added with Use of the Latin form, museum, seems to have been the same regularity after the death of Ptolemy III Euergetes restricted in Roman times mainly to places of philosophical etc” [2]. Even the information about the end of the collection discussions. The modern usage of the word “museum” is covers a period of six centuries, from the age of Caesar to the originated from the Greek version, Musaeum. The great age of the prophet Muhammad. Given from this fact a flood of Musaeum at Alexandria with its college of scholars and its publications were filled with hypotheses and speculations library can be considered more a prototype university than an about the fate of library. institution which has to preserve and explain material aspects of the cultural heritage. Demetrius of Phaleron worked on the The Library of Alexandria formed one of the most library’s initial organization, who had a good knowledge of the significant parts of the Mouseion funded by the royal treasury. achievements of the philosophers’ libraries at Athens. He As far as the Mouseion and its library are concerned, we can organized both the museum and the library in faculties, with a state that they played an essential role in enhancing the prestige president-priest at the head. His tutors were Aristotle and and influence of the royal house. Note that the main museum Theophrastus. He is considered to provide a relationship and library were placed at this time in the palace precincts, in between Aristotle’s Peripatetic school and the Mouseion in the district named the Brucheium. Its mission was to gather all Alexandria. According to our opinion, this initial structure the Greek documents, so its ambition was to achieve created by Demetrius of Phaleron also reflects the above completeness in written Greek literature. Soon it has amassed mentioned university concept which has been realized in the several thousands of papyrus rolls in its holdings. During its great Musaeum at Alexandria [1]. In fact Demetrius received most flourishing period it is said to have included 490 000, or, large sums of money for the purchase or copying of Greek according to another authority, involving all duplicates, as literary works, and occasionally even for the acquisition and many as 700 000 volumes. Furthermore it can be mentioned translation of significant writings in foreign languages [2]. The that the collection included not only all Greek documents but Ptolemies offered scholars free board, lodging, servants, tax also translations into Greek from the other languages of the exemptions, and good salaries for life to attract them to the Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and India. We are Mouseion. Some of the well known scholars of the Mouseion sure that the library of the Mouseion contained mainly Greek were Strabo, Zenodotus, Aristophanes, Eratosthenes, Euclid, documents; the only translation recorded was the Septuagint Archimedes etc. We suppose that the Mouseion Library was (the earliest extant Greek translation of the Old Testament from somewhat similar to our modern academic libraries because the the original Hebrew). part of the library placed within the Mouseion was intended The Ptolemies wished to acquire the best, the most original, only for the use of the scholars who stayed there. the most authoritative copies of works, and they were willing At that time, being as one of the successor states, Egypt to purchase, borrow, or plunder to obtain them.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • From Small States to Universalism in the Pre-Islamic Near East
    REVOLUTIONIZING REVOLUTIONIZING Mark Altaweel and Andrea Squitieri and Andrea Mark Altaweel From Small States to Universalism in the Pre-Islamic Near East This book investigates the long-term continuity of large-scale states and empires, and its effect on the Near East’s social fabric, including the fundamental changes that occurred to major social institutions. Its geographical coverage spans, from east to west, modern- day Libya and Egypt to Central Asia, and from north to south, Anatolia to southern Arabia, incorporating modern-day Oman and Yemen. Its temporal coverage spans from the late eighth century BCE to the seventh century CE during the rise of Islam and collapse of the Sasanian Empire. The authors argue that the persistence of large states and empires starting in the eighth/ seventh centuries BCE, which continued for many centuries, led to new socio-political structures and institutions emerging in the Near East. The primary processes that enabled this emergence were large-scale and long-distance movements, or population migrations. These patterns of social developments are analysed under different aspects: settlement patterns, urban structure, material culture, trade, governance, language spread and religion, all pointing at population movement as the main catalyst for social change. This book’s argument Mark Altaweel is framed within a larger theoretical framework termed as ‘universalism’, a theory that explains WORLD A many of the social transformations that happened to societies in the Near East, starting from Andrea Squitieri the Neo-Assyrian period and continuing for centuries. Among other infl uences, the effects of these transformations are today manifested in modern languages, concepts of government, universal religions and monetized and globalized economies.
    [Show full text]
  • Hypatia of Alexandria
    Hypathia of Alexandria Doina Ionescu Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy, E–mail: [email protected] Introduction - Born in 350-355/370; - Lived and learned in Alexandria, Roman Egypt; - The daughter of Theon, the last director of the Museum of Alexandria; - Trained by her father in physical education, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, arts, literature, the principles of teaching, oratory; - Died in 415, killed by a Christian mob who blamed her for religious turmoil. The Musaeum of Alexandria - Founded in the 3rd century BCE by Ptolemy I Soter or his son Ptolemy II; - Comprised gardens, a room for shared dining, a reading room, lecture halls, meetings rooms and a library; - The Library of Alexandria: an acquisitions department and a cataloguing department; - The Mouseion (“The House of the Muses”) – an institution that brought together the best scholars of the Hellenistic world, a university; - Destruction of the Mouseion and Library of Alexandria: 1. Julius Caesar’s Fire in the Alexandrian War, 48 BC; 2. The attack of Aurelian in the 3rd century AD; 3. The decree of Theophilus in AD 391; 4. The Muslim conquest in AD 642 and thereafter. Theon (b: 335 – d. early 5th century) - Most of the references on him and on Hypathia : Suda, the 10th century Byzantine encyclopedia; - Highly educated scholar, mathematician and astronomer; - A member and possibly the last director of the Alexandrian Museion, on public payroll. - Devoted his scholarship to the study of his predecessors Euclid and Ptolemy; his recensions were designed for students; - Euclid’s Elements; - Thirteen books of Ptolemy’ Almagest ; Handy Tables : The Great Commentary, in five books, and The Little Commentary , in one; - He worked together with scholar and student associates and with his daughter, Hypathia - A treatise “On the Small Astrolabe” ; - On Signs and the examination of Birds and the Croaking of Ravens: two essays on the function of the star Syrius and the influence of the planetary spheres on the Nile; - 364 AD: predicted eclipses of the Sun and Moon in Alexandria.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexandria 12.14.05E.Indd
    Historical Analysis SITE OF ALEXANDRIA AND ORIGINS ALEXANDRIA The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Before Alexander the Great, the founder of Al- exandria, invaded Egypt it was under Persian control. The Egyptians were oppressed by the Persians and therefore welcomed Alexander as an ally. Alexander the Great, was the King of the Macedons (Greeks). He had conquered most of Asia up to India when he invaded Egypt. When Alexander was coronated, he did so in the same fashion as the ancient Pharaohs, taking the title “Son of Amun”. The Egyptians viewed Alexan- der with a sense of divinity. He was considered the founder of the new Pharnaonic dynasty. Alex- andria was intended to supersede Naucratis as a Greek centre in Egypt, and to be the link between Greece and the rich Nile Valley. Alexandria’s siting made it a favorable choice for Alexander. Egypt. Head bust of Alexander the Great The Mediterranean during Antiquity Nile during Alexandria’s Reign. Greek cities are underlined. 8 ALEXANDRIA SITE OF ALEXANDRIA AND ORIGINS The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alexandria is located 129 miles northwest of Cai- ro and just 30km from the eastern edge of the Nile delta. The original site of the city housed a small village named Rhakotis. Alexandria is located on a unique stretch of coast sandwiched between Lake Mariut and the sea. There were many reasons that Alexander picked the site of Alexandria to be his capitol. Firstly, he was attracted to the fact that the Island of the Pharos already existed, which he had read about in Homer’s Odyssey.
    [Show full text]
  • {PDF} Greeks in Ptolemaic Egypt
    GREEKS IN PTOLEMAIC EGYPT PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Naphtali Lewis | 182 pages | 01 Dec 2001 | American Society of Papyrologists | 9780970059123 | English | Canton, United States Ptolemaic Kingdom - Wikipedia With an international population, Egyptian resources, and Egyptian and Greek artistry, the city was reputed for its beauty and for the fine arts produced there. As Hellenistic kings, the Ptolemies were involved with the other Hellenistic kingdoms in diplomatic marriages and in significant military disputes over inheritance and territories. Much of the third century B. A massive battle at Raphia in Gaza in B. And not long after Raphia, a serious and long-lasting rebellion took place in Upper Egypt, while the growing power of Rome as a force in the eastern Mediterranean became increasingly problematic. Ptolemaic concerns thereafter turned largely inward, to the land of Egypt itself, or westward to Rome on the Mediterranean. To the south of Egypt, the Kushites had expanded into Lower Nubia between the first and second cataracts during the period of Persian rule. In — B. An already established and significant Greek population experienced a new influx, particularly in the northern areas of the country. And social hierarchies were certainly affected by the existence of Greek rulers and members of the ruling elite. Greek became a major language alongside Egyptian, which was now written in the Demotic script except on monuments. The Ptolemaic rulers supported Egyptian cults and priesthoods. During the first three reigns of the Ptolemaic dynasty, temple building projects of Dynasty 30 were continued by the new kings and official classes, closely following Egyptian styles As time progressed, the Ptolemies aggrandized or embellished age-old temples, especially in Upper Egypt; consequently, most of the temples still standing today are actually Ptolemaic constructions.
    [Show full text]
  • Lucretius and Progress Author(S): Charles Rowan Beye Source: the Classical Journal, Vol. 58, No. 4 (Jan., 1963), Pp. 160-169
    Lucretius and Progress Author(s): Charles Rowan Beye Source: The Classical Journal, Vol. 58, No. 4 (Jan., 1963), pp. 160-169 Published by: The Classical Association of the Middle West and South, Inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3294955 Accessed: 23/10/2008 14:22 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=camws. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to build trusted digital archives for scholarship. We work with the scholarly community to preserve their work and the materials they rely upon, and to build a common research platform that promotes the discovery and use of these resources. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Classical Association of the Middle West and South, Inc. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Classical Journal. http://www.jstor.org LUCRETIUS AND PROGRESS LUCRETIUS' ACCOUNT of man's existence putable and has been disputed.7 It can (5.925-1457, or, if you will, 5.805- be argued that there is very explicit 1457) appears to be a formal exposi- evidence in the poem that for Lucretius tion of the Epicurean conception of poetry has the power to lighten the ob- progress,1 which is essentially optimis- scurity of the subject (4.8-9); that he tic.
    [Show full text]
  • Full Text (PDF)
    Document generated on 09/24/2021 12:25 p.m. Lumen Selected Proceedings from the Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Travaux choisis de la Société canadienne d'étude du dix-huitième siècle 'The Various Modes of Nature's Least Admirable Workes': or, The Collected Dunciad The Various Modes of Nature's Least Admirable Workes': or, The Collected Dunciad Darryl P. Domingo Volume 23, 2004 URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1012188ar DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1012188ar See table of contents Publisher(s) Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies / Société canadienne d'étude du dix-huitième siècle ISSN 1209-3696 (print) 1927-8284 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this article Domingo, D. P. (2004). 'The Various Modes of Nature's Least Admirable Workes': or, The Collected Dunciad The Various Modes of Nature's Least Admirable Workes': or, The Collected Dunciad. Lumen, 23, 91–114. https://doi.org/10.7202/1012188ar Copyright © Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies / Société This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit canadienne d'étude du dix-huitième siècle, 2004 (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ 4. The Various Modes of Nature's Least Admirable Workes': or, The Collected Dunciad By their choice Collections may appear, Of what is rare in land in sea in air; Whilst they [as Homer's Iliad in a nut] A world of wonders in one closet shut (Inscription to Tradescant Family Tomb).
    [Show full text]
  • Frames of References …
    FRAMES OF REFERENCES … UDC 316.774:069 FRAMES OF REFERENCES – ART MUSEUMS AS UNIQUE VISUAL MEDIA Aneta Hristova; Meri Batakoja Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Macedonia Abstract: The age old activity of collecting arts is not I. INTRODUCTION intrinsically dependent on the art museum as separate architectural type. How was the art museum as an Despite the broad frame of interfering social and independent structure conceptualized and why? What political references of the awakened, hedonistic 16th was the idea behind that concept? Was it created as a medium consciously and what kind of messages was it century society being far more comprehensive than th supposed to deliver? What kind of unique “textual” the architectural one, it is in the very course of the 16 overlaps the various disciplines of archaeology, art and 17th century classical architectural theory where history, politics, literature, science and architecture we can find the emerging awareness of its potential as created in order to produce what we today recognize as a powerful, self-conscious media for artistic art museum space? This study focuses on the crucial representation. Within the general theoretical dispute, historical moments of the late 17th century when such the emergence of art museum as architectural type is questions were posed for the first time within the one of the most stratified one. Its long formative classical discourse of the French architectural theory history represents a dense cobweb of intertwined which followed the consolidation of French absolutism significances: the politics in the court of Louis XIV for and the foundation of the Royal academies of arts and sciences, until the mid 19th century when the answers to the setting of museum’s institutional frame; the way those questions were finally exemplified in built the musaeum was etymologically and philosophically architecture.
    [Show full text]
  • Diophantus of Alexandria, Arithmetica and Diophantine Equations
    Diophantus of Alexandria, Arithmetica and Diophantine Equations Dr. Carmen Bruni University of Waterloo David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science November 8th, 2017 Diophantus of Alexandria This week, we'll be discussing Diophantus of Alexandria. We will be talking about Alexandria, its foundation, the Library of Alexandria and problems in Diophantine Equations. Where Are We This Week? 350BCE 350AD in Macedon ∼ − https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Macedonia_336_BC-en.svg History of Alexander the Great • Battle of Chaeronea (won by Philip II of Macedon) in 338 BCE • Marked the end of the golden age of Greek mathematics. • Philip was succeeded by his son Alexander the Great. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Filip_II_Macedonia.jpg Alexander the Great • Lived from 356 until 323 BCE (died at age 33) • Conquered much of the world between 334 BCE to 323 BCE • Spread Greek culture around the world (his armies were usually Greek) • Tutored by Aristotle (343 BCE) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander1256.jpg Alexander the Conqueror (334 BCE-323 BCE) Courtesy: http://www.ancient.eu/timeline/Alexander_the_Great/ • 334 BCE - Invaded Persian Empire; liberated Ephesos, Baalbek (renamed Heliopolis) • 333 BCE - Conquered Sidon, Aleppo • 332 BCE - Conquers Tyre (injures shoulder), Syria (turns to Egypt) • 331 BCE - Egypt is conquered by Alexander with little resistance including Susa • 331 BCE - Founds Alexandria at port town of Rhakotis. Map of Conquered Areas Alexandria After Alexander • Once Alexander left Egypt (shortly after creating Alexandria say 331-330 BCE), control passed to his viceroy Cleomenes (died 322 BCE) • Upon Alexander's death in 323 BCE, Cleomenes remained as a satrap (political leader) in Alexandria under viceroy Ptolemy who then ordered him to be killed on the suspicion of the embezzlement of 8000 talents.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexandria: History and Culture Carmen Chica
    INTERSECTION WORKSHOPS AT THE AE-BKH OPENA ACCESS Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Barcelona, Catalonia www.cat-science.cat CONTRIB SCI 12(2):129-140(2016) doi:10.2436/20.7010.01.253 Alexandria: History and culture Carmen Chica Academia Europaea-Barcelona Knowledge Hub Summary. Alexandria has been one of the most important cities throughout history. Born from the mixing of two of the major cultures of Antiquity―Greek and Egyptian―the city has been a melting pot allowing the development of human knowledge from its origins. It was the city where some renowned figures of the Antiquity, and re- cently several celebrated contemporaneous writers, worked. Hit by the hazards of the history, often violent, nowadays Alexandria seems to reborn, to become again a lighthouse for the science and humani- ties of the 21th century. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to remain watchful to overcome misunderstanding, intolerance and fanaticism, which threatens almost the entire planet Earth [Contrib Sci 12(2):129- 140 (2016)] Keywords: Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) · Hypatia (ca. 355– 415) · Constantine Cavafy (1863–1933) · Bibliotheca Alexandrina · Mediterranean Sea (“broken tiles”) by Antoni Gaudí by Antoni tiles”) (“broken Correspondence: Carmen Chica [email protected] Trencadís There are cities that become destinations even before know- Terenci Moix (1942–2003) and his books devoted to Egypt ing them, walking their streets, exploring their nooks and and, especially, to Alexandria [8]. Plunged in the depths of crannies and contemplating their monuments or what is left the city, they left us a portrait of a city that they knowingly of them. Art in all its forms has a lot to do with this as, along- mythologized.
    [Show full text]
  • Socrates (470–399 BC), a Classical Greek Philosopher, Developed Deduction, Logic, and Logical Reasoning
    Eratosthenes and Pliny, Greek geometry and Roman follies Khristo N. Boyadzhiev Department of Mathematics and Statistics Ohio Northern University Ada, OH 45810 Abstract. In this note we point out that supportive attitudes can bring to a blossoming science, while neglect and different values can quickly remove science from everyday life and provide a very primitive view of the world. We compare one important Greek achievement, the computation of the Earth meridian by Eratosthenes, to its later interpretation by the Roman historian of science Pliny. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification, 01A20 Keywords. Eratosthenes, the meridian of the Earth, Greek mathematics, Roman empire, Pliny the Elder. 1. Timeline Something extraordinary happened in ancient Greece during the period 600-100 BC. During these five centuries the Greeks created the foundations of present-day science and mathematics. They achieved unprecedented results. The quality of these results is compatible only to those obtained seventeen centuries later. After the rise of the Roman Empire, however, the development of science and mathematics slowed down and came to an end. For several centuries after that there were practically no scientific activities in Europe. Here is a short timeline. Pythagoras of Samos (575-496 BC). Created the Pythagorean mathematical school. Obtained many theorems in Geometry and Number Theory. Socrates (470–399 BC), a classical Greek philosopher, developed deduction, logic, and logical reasoning. His student Plato strongly influenced Aristotle, whom he taught on his part. Plato (424-348 BC); Aristotle (384-322 BC) 1 Aristotle worked with Alexander the Great and taught him science, mathematics and history. Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) introduces Greek science and culture to his vast empire.
    [Show full text]
  • The Punishment of Atlas
    The Myth of Tantalus (from Wikipedia.org) In mythology, Tantalus became one of the inhabitants of Tartarus, the deepest portion of the Underworld, reserved for the punishment of evildoers; there Odysseus saw him. Tantalus was initially known for having been welcomed to Zeus’ table in Olympus. There he is said to have misbehaved and stolen ambrosia and nectar to bring it back to his people, and revealed the secrets of the gods. Most famously, Tantalus offered up his son, Pelops, as sacrifice. He cut Pelops up, boiled him, and served him up in a banquet for the gods. The gods became aware of the gruesome nature of the menu, so they didn’t touch the offering; only Demeter, distraught by the loss of her daughter, Persephone, absentmindedly ate part of the boy’s shoulder. Clotho, one of the three Fates, ordered by Zeus, brought the boy to life again (she collected the parts of the body and boiled them in a sacred cauldron), rebuilding his shoulder with one wrought of ivory made by Hephaestus and presented by Demeter. The revived Pelops grew to be an extraordinarily handsome youth. The god Poseidon took him to Mount Olympus to teach him to use chariots. Later, Zeus threw Pelops out of Olympus due to his anger at Tantalus. The Greeks of classical times claimed to be horrified by Tantalus’s doings; cannibalism, human sacrifice and infanticide were atrocities and taboo. Tantalus’s punishment for his act, now a proverbial term for temptation without satisfaction (the source of the English word “tantalize”), was to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches.
    [Show full text]
  • HISTORY of MATH CONCEPTS Essentials, Images and Memes
    HISTORY OF MATH CONCEPTS Essentials, Images and Memes Sergey Finashin Modern Mathematics having roots in ancient Egypt and Babylonia, really flourished in ancient Greece. It is remarkable in Arithmetic (Number theory) and Deductive Geometry. Mathematics written in ancient Greek was translated into Arabic, together with some mathematics of India. Mathematicians of Islamic Middle East significantly developed Algebra. Later some of this mathematics was translated into Latin and became the mathematics of Western Europe. Over a period of several hundred years, it became the mathematics of the world. Some significant mathematics was also developed in other regions, such as China, southern India, and other places, but it had no such a great influence on the international mathematics. The most significant for development in mathematics was giving it firm logical foundations in ancient Greece which was culminated in Euclid’s Elements, a masterpiece establishing standards of rigorous presentation of proofs that influenced mathematics for many centuries till 19th. Content 1. Prehistory: from primitive counting to numeral systems 2. Archaic mathematics in Mesopotamia (Babylonia) and Egypt 3. Birth of Mathematics as a deductive science in Greece: Thales and Pythagoras 4. Important developments of ideas in the classical period, paradoxes of Zeno 5. Academy of Plato and his circle, development of Logic by Aristotle 6. Hellenistic Golden Age period, Euclid of Alexandria 7. Euclid’s Elements and its role in the history of Mathematics 8. Archimedes, Eratosthenes 9. Curves in the Greek Geometry, Apollonius the Great Geometer 10. Trigonometry and astronomy: Hipparchus and Ptolemy 11. Mathematics in the late Hellenistic period 12. Mathematics in China and India 13.
    [Show full text]