What the Romans learnt from Greek mathematics

[Adsos Letter]

Source: Alpha Galileo
University of Gothenburg

Greek mathematics is considered one of the great intellectual achievements of antiquity. It has been decisive to the academic and cultural development of Western civilisation. The three Roman authors Varro, Cicero and Vitruvius were all, in their own way, influenced by Greek knowledge and transferred it to Roman literature. In his dissertation, Erik Bohlin, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, studied the traces of Greek influence on these authors with regard to the mathematical branch of geometry.

Most people have heard of the great Greeks Euclid and Archimedes. And who is not familiar with Pythagoras’ theorem? When Rome usurped political power around the Mediterranean, the Romans came into close contact with Greek culture, its literature and science.

According to some sources, the Roman author Varro is supposed to have written a book on the subject of geometry. This book has not been preserved however. In Erik Bohlin’s view, after critical examination of the collective historic evidence, very little can be established with reasonable probability about its contents. Earlier research has attempted to claim, for example, that Varro’s book was used by later Roman authors as a source of geometric teaching matter. This assertion does not stand up to critical examination, however, and must be seen as a more or less unfounded hypothesis according to Bohlin.

Cicero’s rhetorical and philosophical writings contain many passages that deal with or touch on the subject of geometry. Geometry and geometric knowledge are fundamental in Vitruvius’ De architectura (On architecture). There are many passages in which geometry is applied practically or which assume that the reader is familiar with it. The dissertation comments on and interprets a selection of significant passages from both these authors.

http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=55690&CultureCode=en

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. Yup. Some of them folks believe God is Truth. Been that way for a long time.

And as far as Timeless Truth, that Big G as Geometry just doesn't go away.



Pythagoras wrote thousands of year ago that a^2 + b^2 = c^2. And funny thing is, its still true. Even in this little northwestern logging town I live in. Even though Theology has changed, there is this funny little group of weirdos (and queers) still seeking that timeless truth in mathematics. Its a worthwhile existence.

PERIOD.

;)

[bertman]

2. Interesting.

[ashling]

3. I saw a BBC show recently called "Maths"

which went to some length on how the Babylonians were quite familiar with this theorem later attributed to Pythagoras. They were mostly interested in accounting, however... but they showed some cuniform tablets which apparently (they look for all the world to me like my chickens were playing in the mud LOL) proved that it was taught to students way before the Greeks.

very interesting stuff, that :think:

[SoDesuKa]

5. Pythagoras Was the Big Noise

Pythagoras was the big noise at the time. When anybody in his "school" made a discovery, it was attributed to him. It's fairly common in history that things were named after the big guy in the room when the discovery was made. People are still wondering how Joe Eureka gets credit for so many breakthroughs.

[ashling]

6. Didn't he invent the vacuum cleaner?

[trusty elf]

4. A L, you must know about the Antikythera mechanism,

an astonishingly advanced and technically sophisticated astronomical "computer" constructed ca 150-100 BC, which was recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera in 1901.

After having spent decades studying it, Michael Wright, the former Curator of Mechanical Engineering at The London Science Museum was able to make working reconstruction of the device.

This clip is well worth a look.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2008/dec/11/antikythera-first-computer