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The Hellenistic Age Podcast

098: Hellenistic Science - Mechanics, Engineering, and Technology

The Hellenistic Age Podcast

The Hellenistic Age Podcast

History

4.7557 Ratings

🗓️ 1 July 2024

⏱️ 40 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The developments in theoretical mathematics were also translated into practical (and sometimes impractical) applications during the Hellenistic period. New weapons of war like torsion catapults and enormous ships found their way on the battlefield, and this love for all things big extended to Rhodian architects who constructed their famous Colossus. Under the Alexandrian inventors Ctesibius and Hero, the rise of pneumatics saw the the creation of the earliest known robots (automatons) and the predecessor of the steam engine that continues to amaze viewers down to the present day. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/07/01/098-hellenistic-science-mechanics-engineering-and-technology/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/098-hellenistic-science-mechanics-engineering-and-technology-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi there, you're listening to the Hellenistic Age podcast.

0:12.6

Episode 98, Hellenistic Science, Mechanics, Engineering, and technology.

0:36.6

In our previous episode, we focused on the developments of mathematics, as those like Euclid, Archimedes, and Apollonius made significant contributions to the field. However, this was primarily with regards

0:39.4

to theoretical mathematics, and today we will focus instead on how these theories were tested

0:44.8

in the material world. From the 4th to the 1st century BC, inventors would turn the theoretical

0:51.0

into the practical in often astonishing ways.

0:54.8

Whether it was to design new engines of war, an artistic fondness for all things colossal,

1:00.3

or even the creation of the world's earliest robots and analog computers, the Hellenistic

1:05.1

period saw the arrival of new technologies that continued to amaze audiences down to

1:09.7

the present day.

1:15.7

A heavily detailed transcript with images and diagrams will be made available for this episode as per usual, but I also must mention that if you ever find yourself in Athens, do consider

1:21.1

dropping by the Katsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology, which I had the pleasure of visiting

1:26.2

in early 2023. This museum offers

1:29.3

a unique hands-on experience of ancient technologies, providing recreations of the devices and mechanisms

1:35.3

that will be described throughout this episode, including some live demonstrations that display their

1:40.1

functionality. I've included several photos from my visit and a link to the museum in the

1:45.0

notes of this episode. Additionally, I also must announce that the floodgates are now open

1:50.4

for my second Ask Me Anything Question and Answer session to celebrate 100 episodes of the Hellenistic

1:56.3

Age podcast. To submit any questions for me to read off, please do so through social media, email,

2:03.1

or by commenting on the podcast platform of your choice, and I'll answer it to the best of my ability.

2:08.3

Now, let us begin today's episode.

2:11.3

Firstly, we should discuss the key figures of the time and the sources which we are relying on.

...

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