6.2 Scientific and literary achievements

Alexandria was a hub of scientific and literary brilliance in the Hellenistic age. Scholars like Euclid, Archimedes, and Herophilus made groundbreaking discoveries in math, physics, and medicine, revolutionizing our understanding of the world.

The city's intellectual atmosphere also fostered literary achievements. The Library of Alexandria attracted top scholars who established literary criticism principles. Poets like Theocritus and Callimachus created new genres and styles, shaping the future of literature.

Notable Scholars

Mathematicians and Scientists

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• Euclid, the "father of geometry", wrote Elements which became the standard geometry textbook for over 2,000 years and developed the foundations of modern mathematics
• Archimedes, a polymath who made groundbreaking discoveries in physics (hydrostatics, levers, pulleys), engineering (Archimedes' screw for raising water), and mathematics (calculation of $\pi$, area and volume formulas for spheres and cylinders)
• Eratosthenes, a geographer and astronomer who calculated the circumference of the Earth with remarkable accuracy using geometry and the angle of the sun at different locations (Syene and Alexandria)

Medical Pioneer

• Herophilus, considered the "father of anatomy", conducted systematic dissections of human cadavers, discovered the nervous system distinguishing sensory and motor nerves, traced the brain to the spinal cord, and identified major organs like the liver, spleen, and pancreas

Scientific Advancements

Astronomy and Geography

• Aristarchus proposed the first heliocentric model with the sun at the center and Earth revolving around it, though geocentric models remained dominant
• Hipparchus created the first star catalog, a model for predicting solar eclipses, and a system of latitude and longitude coordinates for mapping the Earth
• Eratosthenes' calculation of the Earth's circumference and mapping of the known world set foundations for mathematical geography

Mathematics and Engineering

• Euclid's Elements organized mathematical knowledge into a coherent system of definitions, postulates, and proofs that became the basis for deductive reasoning
• Archimedes' principle of buoyancy explained how objects float or sink based on their density relative to the fluid they are in
• Inventions like Archimedes' screw, the water wheel, and primitive steam engines demonstrated practical applications of mathematics and physics principles

Medicine

• Herophilus' anatomical studies, based on dissections, revolutionized the understanding of the human body and established anatomy as the foundation of medicine
• Other Alexandrian physicians developed specialty fields like ophthalmology and surgery and wrote influential medical texts (On Fractures, On Joints, On Wounds to the Head)
• However, taboos against human dissection limited further anatomical research, and Hippocratic approaches emphasizing the four humors persisted

Literary Achievements

Alexandrian Scholarship and the Canon

• The Library of Alexandria attracted leading scholars who produced critical editions, commentaries, glossaries and other reference works for major Greek authors
• Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus of Samothrace established principles of literary criticism and philology in compiling authoritative texts of Homer, the tragedians, and others
• The Alexandrian Canon identified the most excellent authors in each genre (epic, lyric, tragedy, comedy) who became the focus of scholarship and education

Hellenistic Poetry

• Theocritus originated the bucolic genre with his Idylls, short pastoral poems featuring the loves and songs of shepherds in an idealized natural setting (an imaginary Arcadia)
• Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica was an epic retelling the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, featuring the romance of Jason and Medea, that influenced Virgil's Aeneid
• Callimachus championed a new aesthetic of short, polished, and allusive poems, as seen in his Aetia (Origins) elegies and the Coma Berenices ("Lock of Berenice")

Septuagint

• The Septuagint was a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible produced in Alexandria, reflecting the large Jewish community there
• Begun in the 3rd century BCE and completed by the 1st century CE, it became the basis for the Christian Old Testament
• The Septuagint facilitated the spread of Jewish scriptures and ideas throughout the Greek-speaking world and made them accessible to early Christians