Last updated on September 15th, 2023
45. Invented an Early Form of Hydroelectric Power
Archimedes was also responsible for inventing an early form of hydroelectric power by using pumps and water wheels to create artificial lakes that could be used to power machines and mills.
46. Archimedes’ Defenses Stopped Romans From Invading Syracuse for Two Years
The weapons and warship he designed scared the Romans for two years until they broke the city walls during a religious festival.
47. He Never Revealed Military Secrets Despite Torture in Prison
After breaching the outer walls of Syracuse, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, the general, ordered soldiers to take Archimedes alive because he saw him as a military asset. Nevertheless, Archimedes did not betray his people.
48. A Crater on the Moon is Named After Archimedes
The Archimedes crater is found near a group of mountains on the moon (Montes Archimedes). The mountain range is nestled on the east side of Mare Imbrium on the plains of the earth’s moon. The crater was discovered by Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Riccioli in 1651. It is roughly 80 kilometers wide and 2 kilometers deep.
49. A Math Calculation Cost Archimedes His Life
When the Romans conquered Syracuse in 212 BCE, a soldier ordered Archimedes to follow him but he resisted since he was so absorbed in mathematical work. The soldier did not recognize the engineering genius, thus killing him.
50. The Quote ‘Do Not Disturb My Circle’ Is Attributed To His Last Moments
His last tribute “Do not disturb my circle” refers to the geometrical shapes he was studying before the Roman soldier killed him with the sword. Even though he didn’t say these words, writers such as Valerius Maximus used them to memorialize his last moments.
51. His Burial Ceremony Wasn’t Clear
Marcellus seized the city of Syracuse for eight months after Archimedes died. As such, the event surrounding Archimedes’ burial remained obscure.
52. His Tomb Was Discovered 137 Years After His Death
Cicero, the Roman orator who worked as a treasurer in Sicily, discovered where Archimedes was buried. The locals did not give any leads, but he found the tomb in a Syracuse hotel courtyard around the Agrigentine gate and cleaned it up.
53. Archimedes Palimpsest Is in a Digital Format Today
The Palimpsest is Archimedes’ thousand-year-old manuscript featuring his earliest works, such as The Method. It was discovered in 1906 and restored with digital technology and contemporary imaging.
54. The Greek Inventor Was Hailed Superhuman
Galilei, the astronomer, once referred to Archimedes as ‘superhuman.’ Gottfried Leibniz, a great philosopher of the 18th and 19th centuries, said that Archimedes set a bar so high that succeeding thinkers seemed ordinary.
55. Leonardo da Vinci and Archimedes
Leonardo da Vinci was privileged to have seen several of Archimedes’ hand-copied writings before publication, making him one of the first to read them.
56. An Asteroid is Also Named After Him
The asteroid 3600 Archimedes was named after the Greek mathematician and scientist. It was discovered on September 26, 1978 by Ludmila Žuravlëva , an astronomer working at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory.
57. There is a School in Syracuse Named After Him
Archimedes’ legacy lives on in Syracuse, Italy, where a school is named in his honor. The school provides education to students of all ages and celebrates the work of the ancient Greek mathematician. It is a reminder of Archimedes’ extraordinary life and achievements and a tribute to his lasting influence on the world.
58. Archimedes’ Portrait is Featured on the Fields Medal
The Fields Medal honors brilliant mathematicians every four years at the International Congress of Mathematicians. It has Archimedes picture on it.