In this work, which for the first time described the geography of the entire inhabited world as it was then known, Eratosthenes of Kyrene (ca. He was called Pentathlos, a title given to those who were victors in the five tests of the Olympic games, because he dedicated himself to cultivating all areas of knowledge. Eratosthenes was called The Father Of Geography, since he was very knowledgeable about the earth. Eratosthenes was a Greek mathematician with a strong interest in geography. . 2. In Athens he met so many philosophers that he was both amazed and overwhelmed. George Syncellus was later able to preserve from Chronographies a list of 38 kings of the Egyptian Thebes. Archimedes is regarded as one of the most notable Greek mathematicians. Notable explorations were undertaken by the Greeks, the Romans, the Polynesians, the Phoenicians, Phytheas, Herodotus, the Vikings, the Portuguese and Muslims. Earth Science Oceanography: An Invitation To Marine Science, Loose-leaf Versin How did the Library of Alexandria contribute to the development of marine science? He is best known for being the first person known to calculate the circumference of the Earth, which he did by using the extensive survey results he could access in his role at the Library; his calculation was remarkably accurate. By this they meant to say that Eratosthenes was second best in all areas, as he never wanted to specialize in any. He remained the librarian for about 40 years till his death. JR, on the other, Either is a correct plural for the word leaf, according to Merriam-Websters online dictionary. The first recorded use of the word geography was by Eratosthenes, a Greek scholar who lived from 276-194 BC who is credited with creating the discipline of geography (Eratosthenes' Geography. His mathematical work is known principally from the writings of the Greek geometer Pappus of Alexandria, and his geographical work from the first two books of the Geography of the Greek geographer Strabo. Name the major oceans and their main characteristics. Eratosthenes' Geography. Who Eratosthenes was and what his contribution to math is? He made two important contributions, out of which one was later proved wrong, while the other was right, but it was overlooked for a long time. However, it was in geography where he proved to be more skillful for he was one of the greatest of all ancient geographers. He created a method known as the Siege of Eratosthenes by which he calculated the prime numbers. Eratosthenes was a Greek mathematician, geographer, astronomer & poet. . He was a follower of Aristotle in his belief about the spherical shape of the Earth which he considered to be placed in the centre of the universe. Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c. 276 BCE192 or 194 BCE) was an ancient Greek mathematician, poet, and astronomer who is known as the father of geography. Eratosthenes Contribution to Geography Eratosthenes (276-194 BC) Eratosthenes was a Greek mathematician, geographer, astronomer & poet. If you ask any geographer to name a person who was responsible for the founding of their discipline, theyre likely to say, Ptolemy. Claudius Ptolemaeus lived in second-century Alexandria from 100 AD to 170 AD, writing the Geographike hyphegesis (c150), also known as the Geography. There he was taught Stoicism by its founder, Zeno of Citium, in philosophical lectures on living a virtuous life. He was the founder of Geography and holds the credit to calculate the circumference of the Earth. According to Macrobious, Eratosthenes made the diameter of the Sun to be about 27 times that of the Earth. This is important to marine science because these concepts are used for locations around the globe. What were Eratosthenes major achievements? Required fields are marked *. Eratosthenes followed in the footsteps of other academics in his city and trained with Lysanias, an expert in grammar. Hermes It was one of his works, in which he addressed the life of the god, and another was named Erigone. Around 255BC, he invented the armillary sphere. They had a keen sense of ocean currents and variations in bird and sea life in different places in the Pacific. Geographers look at both the physical properties of the Earths surface and the human societies that live on it. Eratosthenes (276-195 BCE) was an ancient Greek Alexandrian scholar, native of Cyrene, who attained distinction in many fields including philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and history. They also were among the first people to use astronomical observations of the stars to help them navigate across the ocean. Of the four people named as his students in Suda, three cannot be identified with certainty and were therefore hardly important scientists. He conceived the subcontinent of India to be of rhomboidal form and supposed the range of Imaus (Himalayas) which he said extended from west to east, to have made the boundary of India. He also made a chart with the chronology of the Egyptian kings of Thebes, wrote about the conquests of Alexander the Great, and made a description of Greece at that time. Oceanography; Geography of Environment; Population & Settlement Geography; Economic Geography; . They also expanded the studies in Sophocles. Learn, revise and practice all the mocks questions related to the Oceanography with our simple and easy Flashcard quizzes How far from the correct value was Erathosthenes? While this work is the earliest we can trace certain ideas, words, and concepts in the historical record, earlier contributions may have been lost to history. The famous geographer and chief librarian at Alexandria Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c. 276 BCE - 194 BCE) also referenced Pytheas in a treatise that, like On the Ocean, has been lost but that was widely circulated in the ancient world. *Egyptians utilized the Nile River and created a commerce based on ship-based trade (4000 BC). How did Eratosthenes contribute to oceanography? The ancient Greek scholar Eratosthenes is dubbed the father of geography. He was the first to use the word geography, and he also had a small-scale understanding of the planet that helped him determine the earths circumference. For other uses, see. The word for Earth in Greek is geo, so we call this idea a geocentric theory. He made maps, both of the world and sky and is said to have made a map that included 675 stars. Eratosthenes died in Alexandria, approximately in 194 BC, when he was 82 years old. Location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and geography are the five themes of geography. First maps showing water (river charts) 3800 B.C. establishing a center of the study of marine science and navigation on Portugal What did Eratosthenes of Cyrene contribute to marine science and why is it important? The important contribution to navigation made by Eratosthenes in the third century BC was __________. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how telepresence technology was used by oceanographers in the field to assess and analyze three shipwrecks and numerous artifacts discovered during exploratory expeditions of the submerged plateau known as Eratosthenes Seamount (Fig. Eratosthenes went to Athens to further his studies. The first place must go to Eratosthenes, the man who coined the term geography between 275 and 194 BC. After these experiences, he became disenchanted with philosophy and decided to dedicate himself to poetry. II. It is used in oceanography in calculating the height of tides in oceans. [2] Eratosthenes described his arc measurement technique,[14] in a book entitled .mw-parser-output .vanchor>:target~.vanchor-text{background-color:#b1d2ff}On the measure of the Earth, which has not been preserved. The children were trained from the age of seven in subjects such as literature, sports and music. environment that offers balanced, up-to-date coverage of geology, oceanography, astronomy, and meteorology. Eratosthenes' other contributions include: The Sieve of Eratosthenes as a way of finding prime numbers. Geographika had 3 volumes. Explanation: Eratosthenes was a geographer and mathematician from Ancient Greece who is known for using geometry to determine the circumference of the Earth. An account of Eratosthenes method is preserved in the Greek astronomer Cleomedes Meteora. He is also recognized for his mathematical innovation, the Sieve of Eratosthenes, which identified prime numbers, and his position as head of the . Atlantic Ocean- long, narrow, parrallel sides 68% of freshwater runs into it. Eratosthenes made major contributions to geography. Eratosthenes analyzed the observations with the assumption that the earth is a sphere and the sun is very far away. (Of the measurements of the Earth). The [] Lived c. 276 BC - c. 194 BC. He created a device called the mesolabe, a kind of abacus for measurements and proportions, which he dedicated to King Ptolemy III. Now part of modern-day Libya, Cyrene had been founded by Greeks centuries earlier and became the capital of Pentapolis (North Africa), a country of five cities: Cyrene, Arsinoe, Berenice, Ptolemias, and Apollonia. Prince Henry the navigators contribution to ocean exploration included? He had become blind in his old age and could no longer work by 195 BCE. Also with one of his students, Aristn de Chios, of whom he wrote a biography. He had inclination toward arts as well as music and poetry composition. Oceanography ch2 questionWho is responsible for the first measurement of the circumference of the earth? But Eratosthenes, who had wide-ranging interests including poetry, theatre and ethics, was first and foremost an astronomer, and Alexandria was the place to go for astronomical studies. Book Collection Nonfiction: High School Edition. The Greeks made tremendous advancements in the fields of geomorphology, climatology and oceanography. The authors' texts have always been recognized for their readability, currency, dynamic art program, delivery of basic principles and instructor flexibility. Eratosthenes used longitude in his maps, though the lines were placed irregularly so that they could pass through important landmarks. ". The prime meridian plotted by Ptolemy was used by the Arabs for the calculation of time and longitudes. Rist, J.M. [2][3] He was also the first to calculate Earth's axial tilt, which has also proved to have remarkable accuracy. Despite this, he did not believe in those projections, but in Toscanelli's, which stated that the earth was a third smaller. 22, No. However, he never wanted to specialize in a single subject, for which some reproached him. Eratosthenes of Cyrene (/rtsniz/; Greek: [eratostns]; c.276 BC c.195/194 BC) was a Greek polymath: a mathematician, geographer, poet, astronomer, and music theorist. [12] As he aged, he contracted ophthalmia, becoming blind around 195 BC. He calculated the Earths circumference. is credited for two important contributions to oceanography: 1. He lived in Athens until Ptolemy Evergetes, the king of Egypt . Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He also calculated the tilt axis of the Earth. Aristarchus was one of the first astronomers to calculate the relative sizes of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. One of Eratosthenes contributions to mathematics was his measurement of the Earth. Bacon is a piece of salt-cured pork cut from the belly of a pig. . Between 276 and 195 BC, he created one of the first known maps of the world, but his most significant contribution was the concept of latitude and longitude. The Arabs were the great contributors in the field of mathematical, physical and regional geography. Isaac, Benjamin. 2011. [6], Eratosthenes made several important contributions to mathematics and science, and was a friend of Archimedes. Your email address will not be published. He also claimed that the rivers source was lakes. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Systmone Remote Access, In addition to the attempts of Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c. 276c. He was also of the opinion that the spread of the world from west to east is more than from north to south. He invented Syene (near today's Aswan) is located some 800 km up the Nile river from Alexandria very close to the tropic of Cancer (2327'N), so at the time of the summer solstice the Sun's rays fall vertically down on Syrene at noon. He created one of the earliest maps of the known world between 276-195 BC, but his greatest contribution was the concept of latitude and longitude. In German it is erde. Etching of an ancient seal identified as Eratosthenes. The exact length of the units (stadia) he used is doubtful, and the accuracy of his result is therefore uncertain. It was said that these were copied so accurately that it was impossible to tell if the library had returned the original or the copy. Aves, A., Magill, F. and Moose, C. (1998). Why is Eratosthenes called the father of geography? Earlier estimates of the circumference of Earth had been made (for example, Aristotle says that some mathematicians had obtained a value of 400,000 stadia), but no details of their methods have survived. In 1870, Dr. C. Wyville Thomson suggested that the Royal Society of London ask the British government for the use of one of its ships for an extended . Eratosthenes (276-195 BCE) was an ancient Greek Alexandrian scholar, native of Cyrene, who attained distinction in many fields including philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and history. He developed Read more. Eratosthenes was called Beta (the second letter of the Greek alphabet) because he was never first, but he is more famous than his Alpha teachers because his discoveries are still used today. Eratosthenes was also the first to calculate the tilt of the Earths axis, which he figured with remarkable accuracy; the finding was reported by Ptolemy (85-165 CE). The 200-foot ship was three-masted, square-rigged, and built of wood. is credited for two important contributions to oceanography: 1. It provides insights into economic, social, historic, culture, religious, political, and climate geography, plus oceanography, demographics, and more. b. Eratosthenes He was a Greek mathematician who had a profound interest in geography. Eratosthenes (D.W.) Roller (ed., Trans.) Eratosthenes was born in the Greek colony Cyrene, now the city of Shahhat, Libya. Although Eratosthenes method was well founded, the accuracy of his calculation was inherently limited. He studied astronomy, geography, and math. At present it is known that the equatorial diameter is 40,075 kilometers. He became famous for being the first to calculate, with considerable precision, the circumference of the earth. Definition. Arab and Muslim contribution to geography was not only confined to astronomical and mathematical geography, but rather covered a wide range of the branches of the discipline known at the present time. He was a renowned mathematician, poet, geographer, astronomer, and music theorist. This is the sieve's key distinction from using trial division to sequentially test each candidate number for divisibility by each prime. Eratosthenes died in his 80s in Alexandria, Egypt. Cyrene, then a Greek city, is now the town of Shahhat in Libya.