Hero of Alexandria
Hero (or
Heron)
of Alexandria (c.
10 â€"
70) was a
Greek engineer and geometer in
Alexandria,
Hellenistic Egypt. His most famous invention was the first documented
steam engine, the
aeolipile. He is said to have been a follower of the
Atomists. Some of his ideas were derived from the works of
Ctesibius.
A number of references mention dates around
150 BC, but these are inconsistent with the dates of his publications and inventions. This may be due to a misinterpretation of the phrase "
first century" or a confusion of this Hero with other Heros - Hero was not an uncommon name.
It is almost certain that Hero taught at the
Musaeum which included the famous
Library of Alexandria, because most of his writings appear as lecture notes for courses in mathematics, mechanics, physics and
pneumatics.
*
steam turbine (
50/
62/
70) (
aeolipile) - the first recorded steam engine, (known as Hero's Engine) which was created almost two millennia before the industrial revolution, which was powered by steam engines. Apparently Hero's steam engine was taken to be no more than a toy, and thus its full potential not realized for quite some time.
Works known to be of Hero's hand:
Pneumatica, a description of machines working on
air,
steam or
water pressure.
Automata, a description of machines which enable wonders in temples by mechanical or pneumatical means (e.g. automatic opening or closing of temple doors, statues that pour wine, etc.).
Mechanica, written for
architects, containing means to lift heavy objects.
Metrica, a description of how to calculate
surfaces and
volumes of diverse objects.
On the Dioptra, a collection of methods to measure lengths. In this work the
odometer is described, and also an apparatus which resembles a
theodolite.
Belopoeica, a description of
war machines.
Catoptrica, about the progression of
light,
reflection and the use of
mirrors.
Works which have sometimes been attributed to Hero, but are now thought to have most likely been written by someone else:
, a collection of equations based on the first chapter of
Metrica.
Stereometrica, examples of three dimensional calculations based on the second chapter of
Metrica.
Mensurae, tools which can be used to conduct measurements based on
Stereometrica and
Metrica.
Cheirobalistra, about
catapults.
Definitiones, containing definitions of terms for geometry.
*
Heron's formula*
Heronian triangle*
Hero's engine*
Webpage about Hero by The Technology Museum of Thessaloniki*
A translation of Pneumatica with diagrams*
Heron, and a translation of Pneumatica in German*
Heron of Alexandria, Inventions, Biography, Science (M. Lahanas)
