Classical Wisdom Litterae - Aug 2019

A rchytas was an ancient Greek philosopher, who was born in 428 BC in Tarentum, Magna Graecia (which is now southern Italy). In addition to being a philosopher, Archytas was also a mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and strategist. He is well- known for inventing what is believed to be the first- ever self-propelled flying dev i ce known as the Flying Pigeon. Wh e n A r c hy t a s wa s young, he was taught by Philolaus. He became a Pythagorean, believing that only arithmetic could p r o v i d e a b a s i s f o r satisfactory proofs, and that this could not be a c c o m p l i s h e d v i a geometry. He taught mathematics to Eudoxus of Cnidus and Menaechmus. To Archytas, everything revolved around and could b e e x p l a i n e d b y mathematics. He viewed mathematics as being broken into four b r a n c h e s : g e o m e t r y, arithmetic, astronomy and music. In a preface to one of his writings (identified by some as On Mathematics and others as On Harmonics ), Archytas wrote: “Mathematicians seem to me to have excellent discernment, and it is not at all strange that they should think correctly about the particulars that are; for inasmuch as they can discern excellently about the physics of the universe, they are also likely to have excellent perspective on the particulars that are. Indeed, they have transmitted to us a keen discernment about the velocities of the stars and their risings and settings, and about geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and, not least of all, music.” “These seem to be sister sciences, for they concern themselves with the first two re lated forms of be ing [number and magnitude].” Archytas served wel l in leadership positions. At one point, the Pythagoreans were a t t acked and expe l l ed , leaving only the town of Tarentum. Archytas became a leader of t h e P y t h a g o r e a n s i n Tarentum, and tried to unite the Greek towns in their area to form an alliance against non-Greek neighbors. Although under Tarentum law one person could only hold the post of commander- i n - ch i e f f o r on e ye a r, Archytas was elected into the position for seven consecutive years. During this time he was close friends with Plato, and it is believed that he saved Plato’s life at one time. It is said that Archytas’ most important contribution was that he was the founder of mathematical mechanics. He was the inventor of what is known as “the first autonomous volatile machine of antiquity” – the Flying Pigeon. B Y M . R . R E E S E Archytas of Tarentum XLIV