Picture of Archimedes
Corbis-Bettmann. From photograph of sculpture in the National Museum, Naples.

Archimedes

Archimedes was a Greek mathematician and engineer who lived between 287-212 B.C. His greatest contributions are in the field of geometry and in the development of war machines.

Legend has it that Archimedes discovered his famous theory of buoyancy while taking a bath. He was so excited that he ran naked through the streets of Syracuse shouting "Eureka, eureka (I have found it)!".

Another legend claims that Archimedes saved the city of Syracuse from a Roman siege by constructing a lens which focused the sun's light and burned Rome's fleet of ships.


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