![]() ![]() Realising that this was how he could solve the problem, he jumped out of the bath and rushed home naked, shouting that he had found the answer, yelling in Greek repeatedly as he ran ‘eureka, eureka!’ (‘I’ve got it, I’ve got it’). On getting into a tub he observed how as his body sank into it the water ran out over the tub. While he was pondering the matter, Archimedes happened to go and take a bath. According to the single ancient source for the story, the Roman author Vitruvius (first century BC), Hieron turned to Archimedes to find a way of ascertaining whether this was the case: He provided a craftsman with the gold to have it fabricated, but when the crown was made the king suspected the craftsman might have purloined some of the gold and replaced it with cheaper silver. After reading it, it struck me that historians needed to re-evaluate the basis of Archimedes’ famous ‘eureka-moment.’ The story associated with the third-century BC inventor and engineer Archimedes of Syracuse is that Hieron had commissioned a finely-wrought golden crown to dedicate to the goddess Victory. While some historians concentrate on exploring that tip, others try to use it to extrapolate the contours of the mass lying beneath the surface, and from time to time a new outline of the hidden contour suggests itself.Ī few years ago I came across a fascinating description by an ancient Greek author called Athenaeus (second century AD) of the construction by Archimedes of a huge ship on the orders of the king of Syracuse (Sicily), Hieron II. What we know of the ancient world from surviving evidence is just the tip. His name has been given to one of the main squares in Ortigia island, in the middle of which you can admire the beautiful Fountain of Artemis, godess of wisdom.When talking about the history of classical antiquity I sometimes use the image of an iceberg. He decided to first weigh the crown in the water, and then to do the same with as many gold coins as were said to have been melted to create the precious artifact the two weights, however, moved different volumes of water, and it was thanks to this phenomenon that Archimedes understood that the the crown was in part made of less valuable materials than gold.īecause of this and other anecdotes, as well as the prestige that the aretusean genius brings to the city of Syracuse, the figure of Archimedes today is certainly very dear to the local people, who boast the birthplace with great pride. He had just uncovered what is now known as Archimedes’ principle. Shortly after being immersed, he stood up shouting “Εύρηκα !!” (Eureka!, which means “I found it!” in ancient Greek), The mathematician jumped out of the tub and ran hurriedly to the tyrant. This story, passed down from many sources – first of all Vitruvio – is set in Syracuse and recounts that the inventor was commissioned by Hiero II a very difficult task: the tyrant wanted to know if a crown he had received as a gift by a goldsmith was actually made of pure gold, thus worthy of the sovereign, or if it had instead been realized with poor materials.Īll this had to be done, however, without even scratching the crown! How to do it? Tired of continuing to mull over this dilemma, Archimedes grieved, he decided to take a break and go to the baths, of course a refreshing dip in the hot water would be beneficial to his nerves. Even today his most famous expression, “Eureka”, is easily attributed to genius of Syracuse, but how do we know? And what was the first use of this expression?ĭespite having made many significant discoveries, it is thanks to one of the many anecdotes that revolves around the scientist’s life, that Archimedes is remembered: the legend of the golden crown. Syracuse is certainly not the only city to be in debt with the famous inventor, but it is the whole world of physics and mathematics. The history of Syracuse is inextricably linked to the name of its most famous citizen: we are obviously referring to Archimedes. Syracuse, myths and legends: the Golden Crown of Archimedes and the first Eureka moment in history.
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