Archimedes

Archimedes was undoubtedly one of the greatest minds of classical antiquity. He was born in Syracuse, Sicily, in 287 BC. Even though he was always more interested in theorems and proofs than in building anything, he was one of the greatest engineers of his day and is primarily renowned for his contributions to mathematics, particularly early geometry.

King Hieron II of Syracuse oversaw the creation of several of Archimedes' finest innovations. He created a lever and pulley system that, with a straightforward mechanism, could quickly and simply launch massive, newly made ships into the water. Archimedes is also credited with creating the first functional odometer, an innovation that other early inventors later embraced and improved. During the Punic Wars between Ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic, he also produced other useful war machines in addition to a huge Iron Claw to stop advancing ships.

Archimedes perished during the siege of Syracuse when a Roman soldier killed him in spite of orders not to do so. Cicero writes about visiting Archimedes' tomb, which was topped by a sphere and a cylinder as a representation of his mathematical discoveries, as Archimedes had requested.

Born: c. 287 BCSyracuse, Sicily
Died: c. 212 BC (aged approximately 75)Syracuse, Sicily

Fields: Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Astronomy, Mechanics