Archimedes was born in 287 BCE in Syracuse. A Greek mathematician, physicist and inventor from the city of Syracuse in Sicily, Archimedes is considered one of the greatest scientists of antiquity. He found the formulas for the area of a circle and for the volume and surface of the sphere, and gave a very accurate estimate of pi. In physics he established the principle of buoyancy and the law of the lever, and he is credited with inventions such as the Archimedes screw and war machines used in the defence of his city. He was killed when the Romans captured Syracuse during the Second Punic War, reportedly by a soldier who did not know who he was.
Before and after
- 300 BCEFounding of Chankillo
- from 300 BCE to 1279Chola dynasty
- from 300 BCE to 250 CEYayoi period
- from 299 BCE to 580 CEKingdom of Iberia
- 287 BCEBirth of Archimedes
- c. 285 BCEDeath of Euclid
- 284 BCEColossus of Rhodes
- 283 BCEDeath of Chanakya
- from 282 BCE to 133 BCEAttalid dynasty
More in Science & technology
- 460 BCEBirth of Hippocrates
- 276 BCEBirth of Eratosthenes
- 212 BCEDeath of Archimedes
- 100 CEBirth of Ptolemy
- September 129 CEBirth of Galen
- 132 CEZhang Heng builds the first seismoscope
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 3rd century BCE.