The Accomplishments of the Greek Mathematical Civilization

Cheng

Kristie
Algebra 3A

The word mathematics originated from the Greek word (mathema) meaning
the subject of instruction. The Greek, also known as Hellenistic after the rule of Alexander the
great, mathematics contributed many elements, theories and skills that we still teach and use in
our everyday mathematics today. Many Greek mathematicians including Thales of Miletus,
Pythagoras of Samos, and Eratosthenes of Cyrene made dramatic advances to the mathematic
society of Greece that we still apply to our own teachings today.
The Greeks have incorporated math into their society since the 7th century BC and
finished developing it at around the 4th century AD picking up many different techniques from
their neighbors in the Eastern Mediterranean such as the Egyptians, Romans, and Babylonians.
The Greek numeral system reached its full potential by 450 BC. Like the Egyptian numeral
system, they had a base ten system which incorporated a series of symbols for 1, 5, 10, 50, 100,
500 and 1,000. Later, the Roman Empire used the Greeks numeral system as a basis for their
own.
Thales of Miletus was one of the Seven Sages of Ancient Greece and in considered to be
the first person to create the guidelines for the development of geometry. During Thales lifetime
spanning from 624 BC to 546 BC, he posed many different concepts in his civilization and
encouraged other philosophers to accept his idea and even expand on his theories. One of his
most well-known accomplishments were creating Thales Theorem as well as Thales Intercept
Theorem. Thales understood a great deal about trigonometry such as similar triangles and right
triangles. Thales theorem stated that if A, B, and C are points on a circle where line AC is a
diameter of the circle, then the angle ABC is a right angle. This theorem is highly useful
when trying to find the measure of an angle inside of a circle. Thales created a similar theory
concerning similar triangles named Thales Intercept Theorem. This theorem helped prove the
ratio of similar triangles created by a pair of parallel lines intercepting two intersecting lines
segments. He showed that the ratio of all of the similar sides had the same ratios proving that the
two triangles were similar triangles. Thales reformed geometry, especially trigonometry, in so
many different ways, but in reality, Thales spurred an entirely new movement of thinking that
had little to no bias and could be accepted by a wide variety of people, not just other fellow
philosophers and mathematicians.
Pythagoras of Samos lived from 580-500 BC. Within his lifetime, was the first person to
make a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem as well as recognize the mathematical basis of
harmony. Pythagoras was introduced to the field of mathematics by Thales of Miletus and
Anaximander (one of Thales scholars). The Pythagorean Theorem, one of the most renowned
theories in modern mathematics is accredited to Pythagoras and named after him as well. The
Pythagorean Theorem states that a+b=c. He used square lengths in order to prove his theorem.
It was also said that Pythagoras translated musical notes into mathematical equations when he
was passing blacksmiths pounding on their anvils one day. He believed that the sounds were
beautiful and harmonious. He claimed that the reason that there was harmony between the
blacksmiths work was because their hammers were ratios of each other. This has been proven
false, however his theory was applicable when applied to string lengths. He found that using
simple ratios could create intervals, overtones, and dissonant notes. Later on, Pythagoras had a

The Accomplishments of the Greek Mathematical Civilization

Cheng

Kristie
Algebra 3A

theory that the entire universe moved according to mathematical equations creating a symphony
that he called the Musical Universalis or Music of the Spheres.
Eratosthenes of Cyrene (sometimes spelled Syene or Syrene) lived from 276 BC to 194
BC and contributed enormously to the Greek civilization as a mathematician, geographer, poet,
among other things. Around 240 BC, Eratosthenes made the first measurement of Earths
circumference by observing the lengths of shadows in the cities of Alexandria and Cyrene. In
Cyrene during the summer solstice, there was no shadow. However, in Alexandria, the sun was
never directly overhead. Eratosthenes measured the degree of the shadow and as well as an
approximate estimate of the distance between the two cities 5,000 stadia (roughly 925
kilometers). Eratosthenes calculated the angle of the shadow to be 7.2 degrees. Using the
geometric alternate interior angles theorem, he knew that 7.2 was one-fiftieth of a circle. He
finally multiplied 5,000 by 50 and got 250,000 stadia (40,008 kilometers), the distance around
Earth. Surprisingly, Eratosthenes calculation of Earths was a meager 67 kilometers off. The
actual circumference of Earth is 40,075 kilometers!
Ancient Greece was infamous for its mathematical advancements, many of which are still
in use today. Many of ancient Greeces mathematicians and philosophers such as Thales,
Pythagoras, and Eratosthenes helped mold the Greek Empire into one of the most successful and
advanced civilizations in the field of math and science. Even though some of the theories posed
during their era of rule were not one-hundred percent accurate, they were almost spot-on until
revised using modern technology that was not even remotely possible until recently.

The Accomplishments of the Greek Mathematical Civilization

Cheng

Kristie
Algebra 3A

Works Cited
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Nov. 2015.
Huffman, Carl. "Pythagoras." Stanford University. Stanford University, 23 Feb. 2005. Web. 29 Nov.
2015.
Mastin, Luke. "The Story of Mathematics." The Story of Mathematics. N.p., 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.
O'Connor, J. J., and E. F. Robertson. "Pythagoras of Samos." Pythagoras Biography. School of
Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews, Scotland, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
OGrady, Patricia. Thales of Miletus. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, n.d. Wub. 29 Nov. 2015.
Russell, Randy. "Eratosthenes' Calculation of Earth's Circumference." Eratosthenes' Calculation of
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