math, science, & medicine
Ancient Greek civilization was at its peak during the 400s BCE. During this period of time, sick people went to the temples dedicated to Asclepius, the Greek god of healing. They were seeking magical cures. At this time, a man named Hippocrates began teaching that every disease had only natural causes. Hippocrates was the first physician known who actually considered medicine to be a science, and to be separate from religion. He wrote the Hippocratic Oath, an oath that every doctor-to-be still stays to this day. Physicians swore to “help the sick according to my ability and judgment but never with a view to injury and wrong" and to protect the privacy of patients. Modern medicine is based on the assumption made by Hippocrates that a well-trained physician can cure illness with knowledge gained from medical writings or experience. Hippocrates is the most famous person in ancient medicine, and is often called the “Father of Medicine”.
During the Hellenistic age (323 BCE – 31 BCE), thinkers built on earlier Greek, Babylonian, and Egyptian knowledge. In mathematics, Pythagoras derived a formula (a^2+b^2=c^2) to calculate the relationship between the sides of a right triangle. Euclid wrote The Elements, a textbook that became the basis for modern geometry.
Using mathematics and careful observation, the astronomer Aristarchus argued that the Earth rotated on its axis and orbited around the sun. This theory of a heliocentric or sun-centered, solar system was not accepted by most scientists until almost 2,000 years later. Another Hellenistic astronomer, Eratosthenes, showed that the Earth was round and accurately calculated its circumference.
The most famous Hellenistic scientist, Archimedes, applied principles of physics to make practical inventions. He mastered the use of the lever and pulley. He boasted, "Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand on, and I will move the world.“ An awed audience watched as he used his invention to draw a ship onto shore.
The most famous Hellenistic scientist, Archimedes, applied principles of physics to make practical inventions. He mastered the use of the lever and pulley. He boasted, "Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand on, and I will move the world.“ An awed audience watched as he used his invention to draw a ship onto shore.