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Eratosthenes and the Measurement of the Earth's Circumference (c.230 BC) is an innovative and thought-provoking examination of one of the pivotal moments in the history of science. This text analyses a debate that has been going on for more than 2,300 years over the accuracy of Eratosthenes' experiment and calculations.
List of contents
- Acknowledgements
- Contents
- Abbreviations
- Illustrations
- Tables
- Preface
- Section 1: Historical Background
- 1.1: The Sources
- 1.2: Eratosthenes, the man
- 1.3: Alexandria
- 1.4: Greek astronomical thought before the time of Eratosthenes
- Section 2: The Experiment
- 2.1: Eratosthenes' experiment
- 2.2: Eratosthenes' sundial
- 2.3: Time and the solstices in Ancient Eygpt and Greece
- 2.4: Ancient Eygptian and Greek sundials to the time of Eratosthenes
- 2.5: A replica of Eratosthenes' skaphe
- Section 3: The Analysis
- 3.1: The angle
- 3.2: Errors in Eratosthenes' methodology
- 3.2.1 The effect of Syene and Alexandria not sitting on the same Longtitudinal Meridian
- 3.2.2 The effect of Syene not sitting on the Tropic of Cancer
- 3.2.3 The effect of the oblateness of the Earth
- 3.2.4 The effect of non-parallel rays of light from the sun
- 3.2.5 The effect of the components of the shadow
- 3.2.6 The effect of the Earth's rotation
- 3.2.7 The effect of atmospheric refraction
- 3.2.8 The effect of operational and Instrumental error
- 3.2.9 The total effect of the errors
- Section 4: The Stade
- 4.1: The size of the stade
- 4.2: Previous estimates of the size of Eratosthenes' stade
- Section 5: The Re-examination
- 5.1: Eratosthenes and the 180m stade
- 5.1.1 Caspian Gates to Hecatompylos
- 5.1.2 Hecatompylos to Alexandria Aerion
- 5.1.3 Alexandria Aerion to Prophthasia
- 5.1.4 Prophthasia to Arachoti Polis
- 5.1.5 Arachoti Polis to Hortospana
- 5.1.6 Alexandria Aerion to Bactra-Zariaspa
- 5.1.7 Alexandria to Syene
- 5.2: The 180m Stade and the circumference of the Earth
- Section 6: The Circumference
- 6.1: The Accuracy of Eratosthenes' Circumference
- 6.2: Eratosthenes' legacy
- References
- Ancient and medieval sources
- Modern sources
- Electronic sources
About the author
Christopher A. Matthew is a lecturer in ancient history at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney, also teaching courses on the Greek City States, the Roman Republic, Pompeii, Ancient Greek Drama and the Ancient Near East. He is leading researcher in the study of ancient warfare and his research has been recognised both nationally and internationally.
Summary
Eratosthenes and the Measurement of the Earth's Circumference (c.230 BC) is an innovative and thought-provoking examination of one of the pivotal moments in the history of science.
This text analyses a debate that has been going on for more than 2,300 years over the accuracy of Eratosthenes' experiment and calculations and puts to rest all prior theories that have come before. This work engages with this long running debate by applying innovative and multi-disciplinary methods such as linguistic analysis, mathematical modelling, satellite mapping, archaeological investigation and historical examination that creates the first ever combined exploration of this important event in the history of astronomy.
