Science in the Ancient World: An Encyclopedia (History of Science)

Ancient science strove to understand the originsand workings of nature and humanity.Science has encompassed many methods andvaried disciplines over time, occupyinghuman thought for millennia. The questionsthat scientists ask tend to remain constanteven as the answers differ according to timeand culture.The strange and sometimes simpleexplanations that the ancient Greeks andRomans gave for natural phenomena appearless absurd to us when we consider that theanswers of today may appear ridiculous toobservers a thousand years from now.Amongancient scientists—from Mesopotamia,Persia, India, China, Egypt, Greece, andRome—the Greeks were by far the leaders inscientific inquiry because they asked the mostpenetrating questions, many of which stillelude complete answers. (See GREEK ARCHAICAGE; GREEK CLASSICAL AGE; GREEK HELLENISTICAGE; PHILOSOPHY.) The First A-z Resource To Catalog The Achievements And Legacy Of More Than Four Millennia Of Scientific Thought In The Ancient World Of The Mediterranean And The Near East, Providing A Complete Overview Of The Physical, Chemical, Life, Medical, And Social Sciences Of The Classical World. Academy -- Aelian, Claudius (floruit Early Third Century Ce) -- Agathemerus (floruit First Century Ce) -- Agriculture -- Alcmaeon (floruit 500 Bce) -- Alexander Of Macedon (356-323 Bce) -- Alexandria -- Ammianus Marcellinus (325-395 Ce) -- Anaxagoras Of Clazomenae (500-428 Bce) -- Anaximander Of Miletus (610-540 Bce) -- Anaximenes Of Miletus (585-525 Bce) -- Apollonius Of Perga (floruit 235 Bce) -- Apollonius Of Rhodes (third Century Bce) -- Archelaus Of Athens (fifth Century Bce) -- Archimedes (287-212 Bce) -- Aristarchus Of Samos (310-230 Bce) -- Aristotle (384-322 Bce) -- Arrian (89-180 Ce) -- Asclepiades (floruit First Century Bce) -- Asclepius/asclepiads -- Asia, East And South -- Astronomy -- Athenaeus -- Athens -- Atoms -- Aurelius Augustine (354-430 Ce) -- Aurelius, Marcus (121-180 Ce) -- Babylon -- Bronze Age (3500-800 Bce) -- Caesar, Julius (100-44 Bce) -- Calendars And Dating Systems -- Cato, Marcus Porcius (elder) (234-149 Bce) -- Celsus (floruit 25 Ce) -- Cicero (106-43 Bce) -- Columella (5 Bce-60 Ce) -- Commentators -- Constantinople -- Constellations -- Democritus (460-370 Bce) -- Diogenes Of Apollonia (late Fifth Century Bce) -- Diogenes Laertius (third Century Ce) -- Dreams -- Easter -- Egypt -- Eleatic School -- Elements -- Empedocles (495-435 Bce) -- Engineering And Technology -- Epictetus (55-135 Ce) -- Epicureanism -- Epicurus (341-271 Bce). Erasistratus (275-194 Bce) -- Eratosthenes (276-195 Bce) -- Euclid (floruit 300 Bce) -- Eudoxus Of Cnidus (408-352 Bce) -- Eunapius (floruit Fifth Century Ce) -- Frontinus, Sextus Julius (floruit Late First Century Ce) -- Galen (130-200 Ce) -- Gaza -- Geminus (floruit First Century Ce) -- Geography/geodesy -- Greek Archaic Age (800-500 Bce) -- Greek Classical Age (500-331 Bce) -- Greek Hellenism (331-30 Bce) -- Greek Hellenistic Science (331-30 Bce) -- Hecataeus Of Miletus (floruit 500 Bce) -- Hellanicus Of Lesbos (floruit Fifth Century Bce) -- Heraclides Of Pontus (fourth Century Bce) -- Heraclitus Of Ephesus (540-480 Bce) -- Hero (62-152 Ce) -- Herodotus Of Halicarnassus (490-430 Bce) -- Herophilus Of Chalcedon (third Century Bce) -- Hesiod (ca. 700 Bce) -- Hipparchus (190-120 Bce) -- Hippo Of Croton (sixth Century Bce) -- Hippocrates (460-377 Bce) -- History -- Homer (floruit 750 Bce) -- Hydraulics -- Hypatia Of Alexandria (370-415 Ce) -- Iamblichus (250-325 Ce) -- Ionians -- Iron Age -- Irrigation Techniques -- Julian (331-363) -- Later Roman Empire (180-565 Ce) -- Leucippus (fifth Century Bce) -- Life Sciences -- Logos -- Lucretius (first Century Bce) -- Lyceum -- Magi -- Magic -- Magna Graecia -- Marine Science -- Mathematics -- Maximus Of Ephesus (fourth Century Ce) -- Medicine -- Mesopotamia (3500-550 Bce). Meteorology -- Miletus -- Military Science -- Mountains -- Myth -- Nearchus Of Crete (ca. 360-312 Bce) -- Neolithic Age -- Neoplatonism -- New Testament -- Old Testament (hebrew Bible) -- Oribasius Of Pergamon -- Paganism -- Palladius (floruit Mid Fourth Century Bce) -- Peripatetic School -- Philo Of Byzantium (260-180 Bce) -- Philolaus (fifth Century Bce) -- Philosophy -- Philostratus (170-250 Ce) -- Phoenicians -- Physical Sciences -- Plato (427-347 Bce) -- Pliny The Elder (23-79 Ce) -- Pliny The Younger (61-113 Ce) -- Plutarch (46-120 Ce) -- Polybius (208-126 Bce) -- Porphyry (234-305 Ce) -- Posidonius Of Rhodes (135-50 Bce) -- Prometheus -- Psychology -- Ptolemaeus, Claudius (100-170 Ce) -- Pythagoras (570-490 Bce) -- Pytheas Of Massilia (floruit Third Century Bce) -- Roman Principate (30 Bce-180 Ce) -- Roman Roads And Bridges -- Rome -- Seneca, Lucius Annaeus (5-65 Ce) -- Seven Sages -- Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World -- Social Sciences -- Socrates (470-399 Bce) -- Solon (640-560 Bce) -- Stoicism -- Strabo (63 Bce-21 Ce) -- Tacitus (56-117 Ce) -- Thales (625-545 Bce) -- Themistius (317-388 Ce) -- Theophrastus (370-286 Bce) -- Thucydides (460-400 Bce) -- Time -- Varro (116-27 Bce) -- Vesuvius -- Vitruvius (floruit 25 Bce) -- Women And Science -- Xenophanes Of Colophon (570-478 Bce) -- Xenophon (430-355 Bce). Russell M. Lawson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 261-268) And Index. The first A–Z resource to catalog the achievements and legacy of more than four millennia of scientific thought in the ancient world of the Mediterranean and the Near East, providing a complete overview of the physical, chemical, life, medical, and social sciences of the classical world.Many are familiar with such wonders as steam power and the discovery that the planets revolve around the Sun. The fact that such phenomena were known to the ancient Greeks more than 2,000 years ago is less well known. Now, Science in the Ancient World fills this gap by covering all the major scientific developments during 4,000 years of ancient history.Over 200 A–Z entries explore the origins of science, from astronomy and mathematics to medicine and chemistry. Giants like Aristotle and Plato are examined, together with more obscure figures like Nearchus, explorer of the Indian Ocean, and Hero, discoverer of steam power. Emphasis is placed on the diversity of ancient science, from the achievements of the Mesopotamians to the science of the Romans. The philosophies behind ancient science are explored, from the Epicurean pursuit of happiness to the asceticism of the Stoics. This comprehensive survey brings to the modern reader a long lost age of scientific discovery. Many are familiar with such wonders as steam power and the discovery that the planets revolve around the Sun. The fact that such phenomena were known to the ancient Greeks more than 2,000 years ago is less well known. Now, Science in the Ancient World fills this gap by covering all the major scientific developments during 4,000 years of ancient history.Over 200 A - Z entries explore the origins of science, from astronomy and mathematics to medicine and chemistry. Giants like Aristotle and Plato are examined, together with more obscure figures like Nearchus, explorer of the Indian Ocean, and Hero, discoverer of steam power. Emphasis is placed on the diversity of ancient science, from the achievements of the Mesopotamians to the science of the Romans. The philosophies behind ancient science are explored, from the Epicurean pursuit of happiness to the asceticism of the Stoics. This comprehensive survey brings to the modern reader a long lost age of scientific discovery.

in Hundreds Of A-z Entries On Key Scientists, Discoveries, And Inventions, Lawson (history, Bacone College) Explores Scientific Inquiry From The Beginning Of Recorded History, 4000 Bce, To The Fall Of The Roman Empire In The 6th Century Ce. An Introduction Overviews The Evolution Of Science From Ancient Times To The 17th Century. A Topic Finder Helps Readers Quickly Locate Subjects Including People, Countries, Scientific Disciplines, And Institutions. A Chronology And A List Of Print And Internet Resources Are Included. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, Or

Contents......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 A......Page 28 B......Page 72 C......Page 78 D......Page 90 E......Page 96 F......Page 110 G......Page 112 H......Page 128 I......Page 148 J......Page 154 L......Page 156 M......Page 166 N......Page 192 O......Page 200 P......Page 204 R......Page 240 S......Page 248 T......Page 260 V......Page 270 W......Page 274 X......Page 276 Z......Page 280 Chronology......Page 282 Bibliography......Page 288 Index......Page 296 About the Author......Page 318