Abstract
The Mechanism of Antikythera is the oldest, the only and in fact the very best known example of a complex astronomical device, a dedicated analogue astronomical computer, possibly a planetarium, a device made with gears. We know that this type of devices have been used as educational devices in schools. As we read in Cicero and other ancient texts, great scientists and philosophers developed and used such devices either for education, entertainment, or to impress one’s visitors and guests, including state persons during their state visits. Such mechanisms were also offered to them as gifts (as it happened during the Byzantine times, and not only, when visitors entering the palace in Constantinople were passing through a hall with roaring mechanical lions, and other technological executives).
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Athanassakis, A. (1988). The orphic hymns (Text, Translation and Notes by Athanassakis). http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hoo/ http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/poetes/falc/orphee/hymnes.htm
Berthelot, M. (1888). Collection des Anciens Alchimistes Grecs. Paris: Steinheil. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hoo/ http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/alchimie/table.htm
Betegh, G. (2004). The Derveni Papyrus: Cosmology, theology and interpretation. Cambridge University Press.
Bromley, A. G. (1986). Notes on the Antikythera mechanism. Centaurus, 29, 5-27.
Bromley, A. G. (1990a). The Antikythera mechanism. Horological Journal, 132, 412-415.
Bromley, A. G. (1990b, July). The Antikythera mechanism: A reconstruction. Horological Journal, 28-31.
Bromley, A. G. (1990c, Summer). Observations of the antikythera mechanism. Antiquarian Horology, 18 (6), 641-652.
Chondros, T. G. 2009. The development of machine design as a science from classical times to modern era. In H.-S. Yan & M. Ceccarelli (Eds.), International symposium on history of machines and mechanisms. doi: doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9485-9_5. Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Devevey, F., Rousseau, A., Vernou, C., Cauderlier, P., & Magister, C. (2008). The Astral disc of Chevroches. Granada: Cosmology Across Cultures, SEAC. http://www.iac.es/congreso/cac2008/pages/ view_abstract.php?aid=7.
Devevey, F. (2009). The zodiacal curved disc of Chevroches. IAU-UNESCO Symposium 260, The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture, 19-23 January 2009, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France. http://iaus260.obspm.fr.
Laks, A., & Most, G. W. (Eds.), (1997). Studies on the Derveni Papyrus. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Freeth, T., Bitsakis, Y., Moussas, X., Seiradakis, J. H., Tselikas, A., Mangou, H., et al. (2006). Decoding the ancient Greek astronomical calculator known as the Antikythera mechanism. Nature, 444, 587-591.
Freeth, T., Jones, A., Steele, J. M., & Bitsakis, Y. (2008). Calendars with Olympiad display and eclipse prediction on the Antikythera mechanism, Nature, 454, 614-617.
Freeth, T. (2009). Decoding an ancient computer. Scientific American, 301(6), 76-83.
Gibbon, E. (2009). The decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Cirencester, United Kingdom: CRW Publishing Limited.
Henriksson, G. (2009). Ten solar eclipses show that the Antikythera mechanism was constructed for use on Sicily. The European society for astronomy in culture 17th annual meeting, SEAC 2009. Alexandria, Egypt: Alexandria Library.
Gourtsoyannis, E. (2010). Hipparchus vs. Ptolemy and the Antikythera mechanism: Pin-Slot device models lunar motions. Advances in Space research. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2009.08.030 (in press).
Marchant, J. (2008). Decoding the heavens: Solving the mystery of the World’s first computer. Arrow Books Ltd.
Malzbender, T., Gelb, D., & Wolters., H. (2001). Polynomial texture maps. In SIGGRAPH 2001, Computer graphics proceedings, annual conference series (pp. 519-528). ACM Press/ACM SIGGRAPH.
Moussas, X., Seiradakis, J., Freeth, T., Edmunds, M., Bitsakis, Y., Babasides, G., et al. (2007). Communicating astronomy to the public. IAU Commission 55 conference, 2007 (Athens). http://www.communicatingastronomy.org/cap2007/abstracts.html.
Neugebauer, O. (1975). A history of ancient mathematical astronomy. Berlin: Springer.
Papathanasiou, M. K. (1978). Cosmolocical and Cosmogonical notions in Greece during the 2nd millennium BC. PhD Thesis, University of Athens.
Papathanassiou, M. K. (2010). Reflections on the antikythera mechanism inscriptions. Advances in Space Research. doi: 10.1016/j.asr.2009.10.021
Price, D., & De Solla, J. (1955). Clockwork before the clock. Horological Journal, pp. 811-813, December 1995, pp. 31-34 and January 1956, pp. 31-34.
Price, D., & de Solla, J. (1974). Gears from the Greeks. The Antikythera mechanism - A calendar computer from ca. 80 BC (Vol. 64, Part 7). Philadelphia, NS: Transactions of the American Philosophical Society.
Rados, C. (1905). Comptes Rendues. International Archaeological Congress in Athens, pp. 256-258.
Rados, C. (1910). On the Antikythera treasure, astrolabe, anaphoric clock, hodometers. Athens (Book). Rediadis, P. (1903). Der Astrolabos von Antikythera. Das Athener Nationalmuseum.
Rehm, A. (1907). Philologische Wochenschrijt, cols. 467-470.
Svoronos, J. N. (1903). Die Funde, von Antikythera. Das Athener Nationalmuseum. Svoronos, J. N. (1907). Das Athener Nationalmuseum.
Stamatis, E. (1974). Archimedes works (in Greek). Athens: TEE publishing house.
Theofanidis, J. (1934). Sur l’instrument en cuivre, dont des fragments se trouvent au Musee Archeologique d’Athenes et qui fut retire du fond de la mer d’Anticythere en 1902 (pp. 140-149). Praktika tes Akademias Athenon 9 (Proceedings of Athens’ Akademy).
Wright, M. T. (2002). A planetarium display for the antikythera mechanism. Horological Journal, 144 (5 and 6), 169-173, 193.
Wright, M. T. (2003). Epicyclic gearing and the antikythera mechanism. Part. I. Antiquarian Horology, 27(3), 270-279.
Wright, M. T. (2005a). The Antikythera mechanism: A new gearing scheme. Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society, 85, 2-7.
Wright, M. T. (2005b). Epicyclic gearing and the Antikythera mechanism. Part II. Antiquarian Horology, 29(1), 51-63.
Wright, M. T. (2005c). Counting months and years: The upper back dial of the Antikythera mechanism. Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society, 87, 8-13.
Wright, M. T. (2006a). The Antikythera mechanism and the early history of the moon-phase display. Antiquarian Horology, 29(3), 319-329.
Wright, M. T. (2006b). Understanding the Antikythera mechanism. In The proceedings of the second international conference on Ancient Greek technology (pp. 49-60). Athens: Technical Chamber of Greece
Wright, M. T., Bromley, A. G., & Magkou, E. (1995). Simple X-Ray tomography and the Antikythera mechanism, PACT 45 (1995). In The proceedings of the conference Archaeometry in South-Eastern Europe (pp. 531-543). April 1991.
Zafeiropoulou, M., & Mitropoulos, P.(2009). The Antikythera shipwreck, the treasure and the fragments of the mechanism. XXIII International Congress of History of Science and Technology, Ideas and Instruments in Social Context, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.
Xenophon Moussas
Astrophysics Laboratory, Faculty of Physics
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Panepistimiopolis, GR 15783 Zographos, Athens, Greece mobile +30 6978792891
e-mail: xmoussas@phys.uoa.gr
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Sense Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Moussas, X. (2011). The Antikythera Mechanism. In: Kokkotas, P.V., Malamitsa, K.S., Rizaki, A.A. (eds) Adapting Historical Knowledge Production to the Classroom. SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-349-5_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-349-5_8
Publisher Name: SensePublishers
Online ISBN: 978-94-6091-349-5
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)