Sourcebook in the Mathematics of Ancient Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean

An invaluable reference book on the mathematics of Greek antiquity

Euclid, Archimedes, and Apollonius are familiar names to many of us, and their contributions have shaped mathematical practice up to modern times. Yet the mathematical activity of Greek antiquity extended far beyond their achievements and was furthered by diverse individuals in different contexts. Sourcebook in the Mathematics of Ancient Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean brings together an extensive collection of primary source materials that document the extraordinary breadth of mathematical ideas developed in the Eastern Mediterranean from 500 BCE to 500 CE, a millennium in which Greek cultural influence spanned the ancient world.

Weaving together ancient commentaries with the works themselves, Victor Katz and Clemency Montelle present a wealth of newly translated texts along with sources difficult to find elsewhere, from writings by the great mathematical thinkers of Greek antiquity to those by practitioners who used mathematics in everyday life. This comprehensive and wide-ranging sourcebook includes lesser-known authors who made critical contributions, sometimes in languages other than Greek, as well as accounts of technical instrumentation, papyri by anonymous authors designed for teaching purposes, and evidence of hand computations and numerical tables.

An essential resource for anyone interested in the mathematical achievements of this remarkable intellectual culture, Sourcebook in the Mathematics of Ancient Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean encompasses disciplines that illustrate the important role of mathematics in ancient Greek society more broadly, from astronomy, music, and optics to philosophy, literature, and theater.

“This sourcebook is a most welcome addition. It brilliantly represents the diversity of ancient mathematics, including extensive passages on arithmetic, writings on conic sections, practical geometry, and mathematical astronomy, and even texts on philosophy, music, and optics. The insightful commentaries will be invaluable to instructors and anyone seeking to place this material in historical context.”—Glen Van Brummelen, author of The Doctrine of Triangles: A History of Modern Trigonometry

“This welcome sourcebook is the first such anthology to represent the full breadth and richness of the mathematical traditions of the ancient Greek and Eastern Mediterranean worlds. Here are the expected classic authors—Euclid, Archimedes, Apollonius, Diophantus—but alongside them we meet the numerous others, including renowned scientists and anonymous craft workers and pedagogues, who taught mathematics and applied it in pursuits ranging from music to mapmaking, from entertaining riddles to the weapons of war.”—Alexander Jones, author of A Portable Cosmos