Kerry Liverpool Supporters Club, Earth Science Oceanography: An Invitation To Marine Science, Loose-leaf Versin How did the Library of Alexandria contribute to the development of marine science? Homers Iliad and The Odyssey were thought to be the first books on the subject. Definition. We know him best for two important achievements: producing an accurate estimate of how big Earth is; and devising a method to find prime numbers. Eratosthenes was born around 276 B.C., which is now Shahhat, Libya. However, it was in geography where he proved to be more skillful for he was one of the greatest of all ancient geographers. Ben-Avraham et al. [1] However, his Geography has been lost to history, although fragments of the work can be pieced together from other great historians like Pliny, Polybius, Strabo, and Marcianus. Eratosthenes Contribution to Geography Eratosthenes (276-194 BC) Eratosthenes was a Greek mathematician, geographer, astronomer & poet. Eratosthenes was a Greek mathematician, geographer, astronomer & poet. How did Eratosthenes contribute to oceanography? These six geographers are noteworthy for their contribution to the science of geography. Contribution of Greeks to Mathematical and Physical Geography! Contributions of Greeks in the field of Physical Geography: The Greeks made remarkable development in the field of physical geography. He also realized that streams eroded continents and deposited sediments into the ocean. He also suggested that lakes were the source of the river. Eratosthenes Lived c. 276 BC - c. 194 BC. The word for Earth in Greek is geo, so we call this idea a geocentric theory. He studied at Plato's school in Athens. As a young man, he traveled to Athens to pursue his studies. 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. He could then use simple proportions to find the Earths circumference 7.2 degrees is 1/50 of 360 degrees, so 800 times 50 equals 40,000 kilometers. in, Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 18:23, Eratosthenes' map of the (for the Greeks) known world, "Aratus's "Phenomena," Cleomedes's "On the Circular Motions of the Celestial Bodies," and Nichomachus's "Introduction to Arithmetic" Viewer World Digital Library", "Eratosthenes on the "measurement" of the Earth", "The origin and value of the stadion unit used by Eratosthenes in the third century B.C", "Eratosthenes's large Earth and tiny universe", "Eratosthenes' Parallel of Rhodes and the History of the System of Climata", English translation of the primary source for Eratosthenes and the size of the Earth, About Eratosthenes' methods, including a Java applet, How the Greeks estimated the distances to the Moon and Sun, Measuring the Earth with Eratosthenes' method, List of ancient Greek mathematicians and contemporaries of Eratosthenes, New Advent Encyclopedia article on the Library of Alexandria, Eratosthenes' sieve in classic BASIC all-web based interactive programming environment, Open source Physics Computer Model about Eratosthenes estimation of radius and circumference of Earth, Eratosthenes, Katasterismoi (or Astrothesiae), original text, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eratosthenes&oldid=1141770053, The first book was something of an introduction and gave a review of his predecessors, recognizing their contributions that he compiled in the library. Eratosthenes also found a solution to the so-called Deliano problem, or the doubling of the cube. For other uses, see. He expanded the library's holdings: in Alexandria all books had to be surrendered for duplication. The psychological effects of incarceration: what goes on in the minds of prisoners? Eratosthenes. Eratosthenes was born around 276 B.C., which is now Shahhat, Libya. Eratosthenes made major contributions to geography. Eratosthenes also calculated the Sun's diameter. He also calculated the Earth's circumference and was off by less than 150 miles in his. At Syene (now Aswn), some 800 km (500 miles) southeast of Alexandria in Egypt, the Suns rays fall vertically at noon at the summer solstice. Morris, Terry R. "Eratosthenes of Cyrene." They also built a ship know as the Knarr. What was Eratosthenes greatest achievement? Eratosthenes may have been the first to use the word geography. The word geography comes from a Middle French word that was first used in 1540. The first discussed the problems of representing a spherical earth on a flat sheet . He also dedicated to Eratosthenes The method. Eratosthenes Contribution to Geography ugc net, Aristotle Contribution to Geography Notes By NETSET CORNER, Hipparchus Contribution to Geography Notes By NETSET CORNER, Contribution of Greek Scholar in Geography Full Notes for UGC NET, GEOGRAPHY UNIT WISE MOCK TEST (MCQS) NTA UGC NET, Contribution of Alexander Von Humboldt in the Field of Geography NTA UGC NET, Geomorphology 200 MCQS Mock Test 1 NTA UGC NET, MODEL MOCK TEST FOR GEOGRAPHY PAPER 2 NTA UGC NET. Eratosthenes is also well-known for his astronomical achievements. He believed it was a fixed globe whose changes only took place on the surface. He studied astronomy, geography, and math. [16] A geometric calculation reveals that the circumference of the Earth is the distance between the two cities divided by the difference in shadow angles expressed as a fraction of one turn. 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 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. Eratosthenes knew from readings he had taken in Alexandria that during the summer solstice in Siena, at noon the sun was just overhead. It does so by iteratively marking as composite, i.e., not prime, the multiples of each prime, starting with the multiples of 2. Eratosthenes is also known for his achievement in astronomy. Phoenicians (from what is now Syria and Lebanon) navigated and traded around Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Africa; 2000BC 2. 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. Vol. In his work Geographika, Eratosthenes described and made maps of the known territories. What was the major contribution of Ptolemy? Although these tables have not survived, it is claimed that twelve books of tables of chords were written by Hipparchus. The Greeks made tremendous advancements in the fields of geomorphology, climatology and oceanography. (Of the measurements of the Earth). As head of the library Eratosthenes tutored the children of Ptolemy, including Ptolemy IV Philopator who became the fourth Ptolemaic pharaoh. Eratosthenes followed in the footsteps of other academics in his city and trained with Lysanias, an expert in grammar. He also tried to determine the obliquity of the ecliptic. ing of the Eratosthenes Seamount could clearly provide invaluable information regarding the oceanography and the tectonics of the east-ern Mediterranean in pre-Messinian time (McCoy and Mart, 1988; Robertson, 1992) Woodside (1977) also noted the occurrence of a 200-km-wide magnetic anomaly underneath the seamount. A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist, or humanist whose field of study is geography. In 1609 he published Astronomia Nova, delineating his discoveries, which are now called Keplers first two laws of planetary motion. He never married. He was a figure of influence in many fields who yearned to understand the complexities of the entire world. Eratosthenes hired a man to pace the distance between the two cities and learned they were 5,000 stadia apart, which is about 800 kilometers. Ptolemy was an astronomer and mathematician. Eratosthenes was the founder of scientific chronology;[5] he used Egyptian and Persian records to estimate the dates of the main events of the mythical Trojan War, dating the sack of Troy to 1183 BC. Eratosthenes calculates circumference of Earth, invents latitude and longitude 230 B.C. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, a simplified version of the method has been preserved, as described by Cleomedes.[15]. 2011. Eratosthenes is most famous for making the first good measurement of the size of Earth. Eratosthenes - He was a Greek mathematician who had a profound interest in geography. The actual circumference of the Earth is 24,874 miles (40,032 kilometers). Oceanography; Geography of Environment; Population & Settlement Geography; Economic Geography; . He had become blind in his old age and could no longer work by 195 BCE. Arab and Muslim Contribution to Geography To begin with, most Muslim geographers such as Al- Greeks-create Maps of Med. The two cities used were Alexandria and Syene (modern Aswan), and the distance between the cities was measured by professional bematists. Your email address will not be published. Eratosthenes was afflicted by blindness in his old age, and he is said to have committed suicide by voluntary starvation. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This is important to marine science because these concepts are used for locations around the globe. Rist, J.M. Eratosthenes is said to have coined the term geography in Ancient Greece. Alfred Hettner, who inherited the concept of chorology, further developed it. His interest in Plato led him to write his very first work at a scholarly level, Platonikos, inquiring into the mathematical foundation of Plato's philosophies. He also devised a system for discovering prime numbers as whole numbers that can only be divided by themselves or the number 1. So he studied there, and briefly in Athens as well. The estimate is over 99 percent of the actual distance of 40,008 km. to locate all prime numbers between two integers. Fragments Collected and Translated, with Commentary and Additional Material. in. % complete Eratosthenes was an illustrious ancient Greek polymath who had expertise in mathematics, astronomy and geography. He also calculated the Earths tilt axis. In the Library of Alexandria he had access to various travel books, which contained various items of information and representations of the world that needed to be pieced together in some organized format. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Definition of Oceanography 1. environment that offers balanced, up-to-date coverage of geology, oceanography, astronomy, and meteorology. Your email address will not be published. These works and his great poetic abilities led the pharaoh Ptolemy III Euergetes to seek to place him as a librarian at the Library of Alexandria in the year 245 BC. He accepted the three continents (Europe, Asia, and Libya) and five climatic zones (one torrid zone, two temperate zones, and two frigid zones), [2] The term geography was first coined by Eratosthenese. It is believed that it was Eratosthenes' fame as a poet that attracted the attention of Ptolemy III Evergetes, who called him to Alexandria to tutor his son, as well as offering him a position as director of the city library. Eratosthenes (276 BC - 194 BC) was an Ancient Greek scientist and philosopher who did work in astronomy, geometry, geography, mathematics, as well as poetry and history. The course consists of an extensive examination of physical and cultural factors that contribute to and produce the variable character of the earth's surface and a discussion of the significance of . Given an estimate of the distance between the two cities, he was able to calculate the circumference of Earth, obtaining 250,000 stadia. Some time ago he had gone blind from cataracts and is believed to have committed suicide by starvation. He also claimed that the rivers source was lakes. Eratosthenes went to Athens to further his studies. A Tradition of Exploration Norwegian pioneers throughout history The Viking Age From 800 to 1066 AD, the Vikings journeyed in their longships to explore and establish trade around Europe. Posidonius wrote a bookThe Ocean. Oceanic area = 303x10^6km^2 (59.4%) 11.5% of Earth is continent below sea level. Eratosthenes' other contributions include: The Sieve of Eratosthenes as a way of finding prime numbers. After these experiences, he became disenchanted with philosophy and decided to dedicate himself to poetry. Here Eratosthenes described his famous story of the well in Syene, wherein at noon each summer solstice, the Sun's rays shone straight down into the city-center well. Ptolemy made contributions to astronomy, mathematics, geography, musical theory, and optics. Greek Scholar's Work Shows Usefulness of Measurement. The inscription that Eratosthenes made in the mesolabe that he gave to Ptolemy III, said: "This you have at hand, friend, if you want to get double a small cube, or that transformation into any other solid figure, and also if you measure in this way an enclosure or a silo or the concave cavity of a well when you take the concurrences means between extreme limits within double rules . In the first, Eratosthenes addressed the previous theories and compiled the existing information in the library. : 3373 , 02-3298322 A . He calculated the Earths circumference. Location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and geography are the five themes of geography. Strabo argues it was Alexander's interpretation of their "real intent" in recognizing that "in some people there prevail the law-abiding and the political instinct, and the qualities associated with education and powers of speech". 2, 1977. Eratosthenes is most famous for making the first accurate measurement of the circumference of the Earth. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Then numbers that are not prime are discarded. ", Zhumud, Leonid. However, he never wanted to specialize in a single subject, for which some reproached him. Thales, the philosopher, is credited with laying the groundwork for geography research. Menu. Eratosthenes only surviving work is Catasterisms, a book about the constellations, which gives a description and story for each constellation, as well as a count of the number of stars contained in it, but the attribution of this work has been doubted by some scholars. Who is the first geographer in the world? 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. He was nicknamed Beta because he was great at many things and tried to get his hands on every bit of information but never achieved the highest rank in anything; Strabo accounts Eratosthenes as a mathematician among geographers and a geographer among mathematicians.[25]. 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. His prime number sieve provided a simple way for Greek mathematicians (and frustrated modern students!) Geography was defined by Hettner as the earths chorological science. One of the main contributions of Eratosthenes to science and astronomy was his important work regarding They helped find new colonies, explored some of North America and were great navigators. (2004/2006). There he first coined the term "geography" and used his discoveries regarding the size and shape of the earth to represent it. How did the Egyptians contribute to oceanography? He divided the earth into 5 climatic zones: the frozen poles, under them two temperate zones and in the center a tropical belt that bordered the equator. Omissions? All Categories. Why do you suppose the residents of Alexandria became hostile to the librarians and the many achievements of the library? The first person to determine the size of Earth was Eratosthenes of Cyrene, who produced a surprisingly good measurement using a simple scheme that combined geometrical calculations with physical observations. Eratosthenes experiment was highly regarded at the time, and his estimate of the Earths size was accepted for hundreds of years afterwards. Eckerman, C. (2011). He had become blind in his old age and could no longer work by 195 BCE. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2010. Why is Eratosthenes called the father of geography? Your email address will not be published. [4] He created the first global projection of the world, incorporating parallels and meridians based on the available geographic knowledge of his era. ISBN: 978-0-691-14267-8. The HMS Challenger originally was designed as a British warshipa steam corvette in the Royal Navyoutfitted with 17 guns and an engine capable of over 1,200 horsepower. Scientific Oceanography James Cook - 1768- HMS Endeavor very talented navigator, cartographer, writer, artist diplomat, sailor, scientist, dietition Scientific Contributions: 1. The 200-foot ship was three-masted, square-rigged, and built of wood. Finally he wrote: Happy father, Ptolemy, because with your son you enjoy the age! (40,000 miles). The technology geographers and other scientists use to study the physical and cultural environments spatially and over time is with geospatial technology. Eratosthenes analyzed the observations with the assumption that the earth is a sphere and the sun is very far away. He was born in 271 BC in Cyrene, which is now known as Libya, in North Africa. Born: c. 276 BCE in Cyrene (present-day Libya) Died: 192 or 196 BCE in Alexandria, Egypt Early Life Eratosthenes was born around 276 BCE in a Greek colony in Cyrene, a territory located in present-day Libya. Eratosthenes made calculations in which he discovered that in a year there were 365 days and every four years there were 366 days. Term. Your email address will not be published. Why is Eratosthenes called the father of geography? Eratosthenes made major contributions to geography. Eratosthenes. He was appointed as the Librarian of the Library of Alexandria-the post of highest academic honour of that period. He sketched, quite accurately, the route of the Nile to Khartoum, showing the two Ethiopian tributaries. 3. Starting with the first prime number, two, all multiples of two are crossed off. The nematode They are a group of animal that are characterized by having a cylindrical body, without egmentation. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He remained the librarian for about 40 years till his death. Eratosthenes' Geography. Eratosthenes died in his 80s in Alexandria, Egypt. Christopher Columbus was one of those who studied the work of Eratosthenes. 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 made major contributions to geography. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved The fourth is the prominent grammarian Aristophanes of Byzantium, who succeeded Eratosthenes as head of the Library of Alexandria. For his contributions to philosophy, Eratosthenes was called the second Plato. Several astronomers and mathematicians tried to accurately measure the circumference of the Earth before and after Eratosthenes, but it was Eratosthenes who succeeded. I. Eratosthenes made maps, both of the world and sky and is said to have made a map that includes 675 stars. Eratosthenes was one of the most pre-eminent scholarly figures of his time, and produced works covering a vast area of knowledge before and during his time at the Library. After study in Alexandria and Athens, Eratosthenes settled in Alexandria about 255 bce and became director of the great library there. He believed that the celestial bodies revolved around the Earth. b. Eratosthenes He was a Greek mathematician who had a profound interest in geography. . [5] He adopted view of Aristotle & regarded the shape of the earth as sphere. The Classical Review. Systmone Remote Access, The texts of his early works as a poet are not preserved either; however, some names were passed on to posterity through quotations from other Greeks. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. James Rennell has been dubbed the Father of Indian Geography, as well as the Father of Oceanography for his pioneering work on oceanography. Each fragment is accompanied by an English translation, a summary, and commentary. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Eratosthenes made several important contributions to mathematics and science, and was a friend of Archimedes, the great mathematician. and more. Was nicknamed Beta by other Greeks of his time, in reference to the second letter of the alphabet. Eckerman, Chris. However, his contributions to the study of the earth gave him the title of father of geography. He believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe. "La climatologie d'ratosthne Posidonios: gense d'une science humaine". Are charitable contributions deductible in 2020? Under Ptolemaic rule the economy prospered, based largely on the export of horses and silphium, a plant used for rich seasoning and medicine. He also studied under the head of the Platonic Academy, who was Arcesilaus of Pitane. 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. Among the ancient Greek scholars Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Eratosthenes is the chief ones. Alexander the Great conquered Cyrene in 332 BC, and following his death in 323 BC, its rule was given to one of his generals, Ptolemy I Soter, the founder of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. One of the Greeks primary contributions to oceanography and seafaring is the latitude/longitude system. Geography is the study of locations and the relationships between people and their surroundings. Eratosthenes is named for the ancient Greek who first estimated the Earth's circumference around 240 BC. In Alexandria, also in Egypt, at the same date and time, sunlight fell at an angle of about 7.2 from the vertical.