Eratosthenes of Cyrene was a Greek polymath. He was a mathematician, geographer, poet, astronomer, and music theorist. He became the chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria. His work is comparable to what is now known as the study of geography.
About Eratosthenes in brief
Eratosthenes of Cyrene was a Greek polymath. He was a mathematician, geographer, poet, astronomer, and music theorist. He became the chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria. His work is comparable to what is now known as the study of geography. He is best known for being the first person to calculate the circumference of the Earth, which he did by using the extensive survey results he could access in his role at the library. He also created the first global projection of the world, incorporating parallels and meridians based on the available geographic knowledge of his era. He wrote Chronographies, a text that scientifically depicted dates of importance, beginning with the Trojan War. His critics scorned him, calling him Beta because he always came in second in all his endeavours. Nonetheless, his devotees nicknamed him Pentathlos after the Olympians who were well rounded competitors, for he had proven himself to be knowledgeable in every area of learning. It is not known when he wrote his works, but they highlighted his great poetic abilities.
His works led the pharaohlemy III Euergetes to place him as a librarian in the year 245 BC. Within five years he became Chief Librarian, a position that he held for the rest of his life. He later became the fourth pharaoh, Ptolemy IV Philopator, who expanded the library of the Library. He died at the age of 80, and is buried in the Acropolis of Alexandria, near the city of Pheonix, in what is today known as The Acropolis Museum in Alexandria, Egypt. He had a son, Eurysthenes, who became the head of the Academy of Athens, which was founded by Zeno of Citium in the 4th century BC. The Academy is now the seat of the Greek Academy of Sciences and Letters in Athens, and the University of Athens. It was also the home of the Museum of Natural History, which is based in Athens. The Museum is open to the public and has a collection of ancient Greek and Roman artefacts, including the remains of Alexander the Great and his family. It also has a museum of ancient and modern Greek literature, including works by Plato and Aristotle.
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