Ctesibius of Alexandria
At a glance:
- Series: Great Lives from History: The Ancient World, Prehistory-476
- Categories: Science, Technology, Inventions
- Subcategories: Scientists, Inventors, Engineering, Engineers
- Curriculum: African History, Middle Eastern History, Ancient History
Article abstract: Alexandrian inventor{$I[g]Alexandria;Ctesibius of Alexandria} One of the great mechanical geniuses and inventors of antiquity, Ctesibius was the father of pneumatics, the first to employ compressed air to run his devices. He is credited with a number of inventions, including a water pump, a water organ, a precise water clock, and bronze spring and pneumatic catapults.
Early Life
Biographical details about Ctesibius (tee-SIHB-ee-uhs) are scarce. He was from Alexandria in Egypt and would have grown up during the reign of Ptolemy Soter,...
[The entire page is 1071 words long]
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