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Top 10 Greek Inventions

Ancient Greece has been credited with many inventions and discoveries. Most of these inventions have been improved over time. The ancient Greeks are known for astronomy, geography, and mathematics fields.

Some of their inventions date back to the 16^th century B.C. The Greeks had remarkable leaders who made life manageable in different areas like zoology, medicine and many others.

I have some of the top 10 Greek inventions that greatly contributed to our daily lives.

1. The Water Mill

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This invention has been used for centuries all over the world to provide water for homes and farms. The ancient Greeks used water mills to perform different activities.

The first water mill to be used in Greece originated from what was known as Perachora wheel. This was created in the third century BC and it is credited to the contemporary Greek engineer Philo of Byzantium.

The first mechanical manual for this water mill written by Philo, whom many thought he had an Arabian origin. However, historians have proved that the watermill was an ancient Greek invention.

2. Olympics

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The Olympics is a global phenomenon and part of the greatest sporting activities of the modern age. The first person to ever take part in an Olympics activity, a marathon, was a Greek man.

History records indicate that the first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC in Greece. The games were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the plains of Olympia.

The Isthmian Games was held every two years at the Isthmus of Corinth, while the Pythian Games were held every four years near Delphi.

People from all over Greece converged to cheer up their favourite teams. The winners were given olive leaf wreaths or crowns as prizes.

Pierre de Coubertin was the founder of the international Olympic committee which started the first modern Olympics in 1896. He drew inspiration from the ancient Olympics that were held in Greece more than 2,700 years ago.

3.  Alarm clock

The Greek developed an alarm clock to measure time and ensure that those giving speeches did not take forever especially the politicians.

They called the clock, which used water, clepsydra meaning water thief. It was the most accurate clock in the world before the use of the pendulum checked in.

How the first alarm clock worked was that it had a dial and pointer to indicate the time. It also had an elaborate alarm system made of pebbles dropping on to a gong.

The alarm clock has since gained popularity all over the globe. It has also undergone several improvements and adjustments. There is a variety of them available now; mechanical and digital clocks in phones and many others.

4. The Steam Engine

Heron, also known as Hero, was an ancient Greek engineer who lived during the 1st century A.D. and the inventor of the steam engine.

The first one was a toy that many people could not make good use of it in their daily lives. It was called an aeolipile.

It featured a small sphere with two curved arcs perpendicularly placed on its axis. He would then heat the water inside the boiler set underneath.

The arches would blow off steam, and subsequently, the sphere would start rotating. Today, the steam engine has many practical applications in every part of the industries and mining plants.

5. Maps

London Map – By AnonymousUnknown author / Public domain

Another great Greek invention is the map. Cartography, which is also known as the art of map-making, was first practised by Anaximander of Miletus.

He created the first map of the world and was the first to approach the use of longitude and latitude. They used this technique to navigate throughout the world.

Modern-day maps are way advanced compared to ancient maps that appeared in the art form. This has been made possible by using computers to come up in three dimensions. Maps continue to play an important role in travel and navigation now as it did in ancient times.

6. Concept of Democracy

Greece is known as the home of democracy. They are credited to being the first civilization that gave its citizens equal opportunities. They also figured out that a government needed to have the concept of democracy.

Most governments today consider themselves democratic, thanks to the Greeks. Its origin can be traced back to present-day Athens. It became popular to the rest of the world in the fifth century.

This makes Athens the birthplace of democracy. It transitioned from exploitation by the aristocracy to a political system where all members of society were treated equally.

7. Theatre

Le Theatre Antique de Vienne – by Wikimedia Commons

Theatre first originated in Classical Athens in the 6th century BC. Ancient theatre involved watching live gladiator fights and bullfights too.

The Greeks not only invented theatres but also fashioned numerous genres like a tragedy, comedy among others. These plays were performed in the ancient theatres in Athens, and later other cities in Greece that built theatres.

Through theatre, they were able to portray different qualities of the society such as patriotism, equality and hospitality. Young people were able to learn great values from such performances.

8. The Odometer

An odometer measures the distance travelled by a vehicle. It has his roots in ancient Greece. This instrument is widely used today in cars, planes, motorbikes and even boats.

The first odometer that was used in Greece was mechanical and it slowly evolved with changing technology. The father of this great invention is Archimedes.

He used it to count the number of times the wheel on a cart rotated subsequently one was able to make an accurate calculation of the distance.

9. Archimedes Screw

By Wikimedia

Another great invention by Archimedes was this screw that was named after him. He came up with this invention when he needed to remove water from the hold of a large ship.

The screw-like structure had a tube looped around a rod, set at an angle with the bottom end in water. A handle at the top of the screw would rotate making the entire device turn.

This allowed water to be collected in the tube that is further transported it upwards. This tool has been used for so many centuries in getting water for irrigation.

10. Catapult

Last on the list is the Catapult. It dates back to the third century and was used among other various ancient Greek artillery, such as the ballista. They were used in the wars of Ancient Greece as a projectile.

The catapult was invented by Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse in 399 BC. There was a need for a device that assisted in throwing heavy objects or arrows over a large distance. The Romans improved on the Greek invention by adding wheels for easy movement.