Scribd
Upload
8 views12 pages

STS Group 4

STS

Uploaded by

chrizshanejean.penuela
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
8 views12 pages

STS Group 4

STS

Uploaded by

chrizshanejean.penuela
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 12

Greek

&
Roman
Civilization
Development of Science and Technology
Contents Aqueducts

Julian Calendar

Geocentric Theory

Medical Matters

Atomic Theory

Astronomy

Botanical Treatises
Aqueducts
Roman aqueducts were engineering
marvels that supplied cities with fresh
water. Built from 312 BCE, they
transported water over long distances
using gravity, thanks to slight downward
gradients. Most were underground, but
above-ground sections used arches. Rome
had 11 major aqueducts, spanning over
500 miles, with Aqua Claudia and Aqua
Marcia being the most significant.
Aqueducts
Aqueducts ensured a continuous
water supply for public baths,
fountains, and households,
contributing to public health.
They used advanced techniques like
siphons and tunnels to navigate
terrain. Despite the fall of Rome,
their engineering influenced
modern water systems.
Julian Calendar
Julius Caesar, born on July 12 or 13 in 100 B.C.E., was a
Roman general and politician who declared himself dictator of
the Roman Empire, a position he held for less than a year
before being assassinated in 44 B.C.E. He introduced the
Julian calendar in 45 B.C.E., which replaced the Roman
calendar. The Julian calendar had 365 days divided into 12
months, with a leap year every four years, adding an extra
day to February. This system was based on the calculation
that a year was 365¼ days long. However, the actual solar
year is about 11 minutes shorter, causing the Julian calendar
to over-correct by approximately 8 days per millennium.
Geocentric Theory
Two common observations supported the belief that Earth is at the
center of the Universe: the apparent daily motion of stars and planets around
Earth, such as the Sun rising in the east and setting in the west, and the
perception that Earth is solid, stable, and at rest.

Aristotle proposed a finite universe with Earth at the center, surrounded


by nested, transparent spheres, each holding a celestial body in order of their
apparent speed and distance: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, and the fixed stars.

Claudius Ptolemy refined Aristotle's model by adding epicycles and


deferents to account for irregular planetary motions, like retrograde motion,
and introduced eccentric orbits, where the planet's deferent was not perfectly
centered on Earth.
Medical Matters
Hippocrates focused medical practice on the natural
approach and treatment of diseases, highlighting the
importance of understanding the patient’s health,
independence of mind, and the need for harmony
between the individual, social and natural environment,
as reflected in the Hippocratic Oath.

He set the stepping stones for the foundations of


medicine, developing medical terms and definitions,
protocols and guidelines for the classification of
diseases, which are considered the gold standards for the
diagnosis, management and prevention of diseases.
Medical Matters
Galen (born 129 ce, died c. 216) was a Greek physician, writer, and
philosopher who exercised a dominant influence on medical theory.

Galen considered anatomy essential to medical knowledge and


frequently dissected animals such as Barbary apes, pigs, sheep, and
goats to enhance surgical skills and conduct research. Known for
his accurate observations, Galen identified seven pairs of cranial
nerves, described the heart's valves, and noted structural differences
between arteries and veins. One of his most significant
contributions was demonstrating that arteries carry blood, not air,
correcting a misconception that had persisted for 400 years.
Atomic Theory
Democritus, ancient Greek philosopher, developed the concept of
Atomism, which proposed that all matter is composed of tiny,
indivisible particles called atoms. He believed that atoms were eternal,
indestructible, and varied in shape and size, which accounted for the
diversity of materials and properties observed in nature. According to
his theory, atoms move through the void (empty space), combining and
separating to form all objects and phenomena in the universe.

Although Atomism was not widely accepted in their time due to the
dominance of other philosophical ideas, such as Aristotle's belief in the
four elements (earth, water, air, and fire), it laid the foundational ideas
that would much later influence modern scientific thought,
particularly during the development of atomic theory in the 19th and
20th centuries.
Astronomy
Thales, an early Greek philosopher, made several significant
contributions to astronomy. He is famously credited with predicting a
solar eclipse, though the exact method he used remains unknown and
likely did not involve the Saros or Exeligmos cycles. Thales is also said
to have discovered the solar year by determining the solstices,
understanding that 365 days make up a year, though this knowledge
may have been influenced by earlier Egyptian observations of the
star Sirius. Furthermore, Thales identified Ursa
Minor as a more reliable guide for navigation
compared to Ursa Major, as Ursa Minor's smaller
orbit around the North Pole provides a more
consistent position in the sky. This advice was
particularly valuable to the mariners of Miletus,
a city engaged in significant maritime trade.
Botanical Treatises
Enquiry into Plants" is one of the earliest systematic studies of
botany and provides an in-depth look at the plant life of ancient
Greece. It is organized into a system where plants are classified
according to their modes of generation, localities, sizes, and practical
uses, such as foods, juices, herbs, etc.

"On the Causes of Plants" addresses plant characteristics and


behaviors, including their growth and development; the optimal times
for sowing and harvesting; methods for preparing and manuring the
soil; the use of tools; and the smells, tastes, and properties of various
plants. This work primarily focuses on the economic uses of plants
rather than their medicinal applications.
“Father of Botany”
References
Adams, V. (2019). The genuine works of Hippocrates, p.25; Retrieved from https://library.uab.edu/locations/reynolds/collections/medical-
greats/hippocrates#:~:text=His%20major%20contribution%20to%20the,his%20practice%20(Garrison%2094).

Box. (2024). Cosmic Engine: Early Models of the Universe. Csiro.au.


https://www.atnf.csiro.au/outreach/education/senior/cosmicengine/classicalastronomy.html

Democritus Atomic Model | Overview, Theory & Principles. (2022). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/democritus-as-scientist-
atomic-theory-model-lesson.html

Democritus (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Retrieved January 7, 2023, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/democritus/

National Geographic Society (2023). "Roman Aqueducts". Retrieve from: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/roman-aqueducts/

National Geographic Society. (2023). Julius Caesar. National Geographic Education. Retrieved from
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/julius-caesar/

Pasipoularides, A. (2014). Galen, father of systematic medicine. An essay on the evolution of modern medicine and cardiology. National Library
of Medicine.

Time and Date. (2024). The Julian Calendar. Retrieved from https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/julian-calendar.html

Trinity College Dublin. (2011). Theophrastus (371 - 287 BC) - Origins of Botany - en - Botany : Trinity
College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland. Www.tcd.ie. https://www.tcd.ie/Botany/
tercentenary/origins/theophrastus.php

You might also like