Archimedes is one of the greatest mathematicians and inventors of antiquity. He lived in Syracuse, a Greek settlement in Sicily in the 3rd century B.C. (287 B.C. - 212 B.C.). He was the king's relative and he could have a good position by him, but he preferred to study. So he travelled to Alexandria of Egypt and studied with Eratosthenes, the great mathematician.
Archimedes became famous in Syracuse, because he solved the problem of the King's crown. The King had asked for a new golden crown. However, he couldn't be sure if the crown was really made out of pure gold:
When the Romans attacked Syracuse in order to conquer it years later, Archimedes helped a lot in the town's defence with his famous war machines.
He made big "mirrors" which reflected the sun's light and burnt the enemy ships.
He also built huge hooks, which caught the enemy ship, lifted it up in the air and crashed it onto the rocks.
Original post by Dimitris Alexakis
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