Ancient Greek technology developed during
the 5th century BC, continuing up to and including
the Roman period, and beyond.
Inventions that are credited to the ancient
Greeks include the gear, screw, rotary mills,
bronze casting techniques, water clock, water
organ, torsion catapult, the use of steam
to operate some experimental machines and
toys, and a chart to find prime numbers.
Many of these inventions occurred late in
the Greek period, often inspired by the need
to improve weapons and tactics in war.
However, peaceful uses are shown by their
early development of the watermill, a device
which pointed to further exploitation on a
large scale under the Romans.
They developed surveying and mathematics to
an advanced state, and many of their technical
advances were published by philosophers, like
Archimedes and Heron.
== Water technology ==
Some fields that were encompassed in the area
of water resources (mainly for urban use)
included groundwater exploitation, construction
of aqueducts for water supply, storm water
and wastewater sewerage systems, flood protection
and drainage, construction and use of fountains,
baths and other sanitary and purgatory facilities,
and even recreational uses of water.
Excellent examples of these technologies include
the drainage system found in the Anatolian
west coast, which featured an unusual masonry
outlet structure that allowed self-cleaning
of the drainage outlet.
The technology, which demonstrated the Greek
understanding of the importance of hygienic
conditions to public health, was part of an
elaborate drainage system and underground
water supply network.
== Mining ==
The Greeks developed extensive silver mines
at Laurium, the profits from which helped
support the growth of Athens as a city-state.
It involved mining the ores in underground
galleries, washing it and smelting it to produce
the metal.
Elaborate washing tables still exist at the
site, which used rainwater held in cisterns
and collected during the winter months.
Mining also helped to create currency by the
conversion of the metal into coinage.
Greek mines had tunnels that were as deep
as 330 feet and were worked by slaves using
picks and iron hammers.
The extracted ore were lifted by small skips
hauled by a rope that was sometimes guided
by a wheel placed against the rim of the mine
shaft.
== Inventions ==
The failure of the Greeks to develop their
technology has sometimes been attributed to
the low status of people providing labor.
Manual labor was despised, and anyone applying
science to it was likely to lose status in
society, removing much of the incentive to
seek technological innovation.
A sophisticated tunnel built for an aqueduct
in the 6th century BC by the engineer Eupalinos
at Samos has led to some reevaluation of the
skills of the Greeks.
== See also ==
Roman technology
History of science in Classical Antiquity
Medieval technology
Science in Medieval Western Europe
List of Byzantine inventions
== References ==
== Further reading ==
Kotsanas, Kosatas (2009) - "Familiar and Unfamiliar
Aspects of Ancient Greek Technology" (ISBN
978-9963-9270-2-9)
Kotsanas, Kosatas (2008) - "Ancient Greek
Technology" (ISBN 978-960-930859-5)
== External links ==
What the Ancient Greeks did for us, BBC documentary
