Eratosthenes
He accurately calculated the circumference of the Earth using geometric principles and observations of shadows.
Most quoted
"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. (Often attributed to Archimedes, but Eratosthenes was also known for similar sentiments regarding the power of measurement and calculation)"
— from Public Address
"To understand the world, one must first measure it. Measurement is not just about numbers; it is about defining boundaries, understanding relationships, and ultimately, comprehending our place within the vastness."
— from Inferred from his scientific methodology
"The Earth is a sphere, and its circumference can be measured. This knowledge, though seemingly practical, reveals the order and the measurable nature of the cosmos, hinting at a deeper, underlying truth."
— from Inferred from his work on Earth's circumference
All quotes by Eratosthenes (354)
The pursuit of knowledge is a noble endeavor.
Reason and logic are essential tools for understanding the universe.
The universe is orderly and predictable.
The human mind is capable of comprehending the vastness of the cosmos.
The measurement of the Earth is the greatest and most noble undertaking.
If the extent of the Atlantic Ocean were not an obstacle, we might easily pass by sea from Iberia to India, keeping in the same parallel.
The earth is spherical and the ocean flows round it in a circle.
Syene lies under the summer tropic... for at the summer solstice the gnomon there casts no shadow at midday.
The distance between the two cities [Syene and Alexandria] is five thousand stades.
The circumference of the Earth is two hundred and fifty-two thousand stades.
Let us assume, in fact, that Syene and Alexandria lie under the same meridian circle.
The sun's rays fall vertically at Syene at noon on the summer solstice.
The inclination of the shadow in Alexandria is the fiftieth part of a circle.
The earth has the shape of a sphere, but not a perfect one; for the mountains and valleys, though they might appear great to us, are but small irregularities on its surface.
The inhabited world is an island, for wherever it has been possible for man to reach the limits of the earth, sea has been found, and this sea we call 'Oceanus'.
It is possible to sail from the east to the west, and from the west to the east, along the same parallel.
The torrid zone is habitable.
The breadth of the inhabited world is about 38,000 stades.
The length of the inhabited world is about 78,000 stades.
The earth is in the middle of the heavens, and is spherical.
Contemporaries of Eratosthenes
Other Astronomys born within 50 years of Eratosthenes (-276–-195).