Archimedes
Mathematician and engineer of Syracuse who discovered the principle of buoyancy and estimated pi; he was killed when Rome took the city.
| Lived | c. 287 BC – 212 BC |
| Known as | Mathematician and inventor |
| Birthplace or main place | Syracuse |
| Places on the map | Syracuse, Alexandria |
SyracuseSee the world of Archimedes in the interactive map
Who ruled these places in his lifetime
| Place | At birth (map of 300 BC) | At death (map of 300 BC) |
|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | Greek city-states | same |
| Alexandria | Ptolemaic Kingdom | same |
From the border maps nearest to each date; borders are approximate.
Events in his lifetime
| Year | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 212 BC | Rome takes Syracuse; Archimedes is killed | Syracuse |
| 280 BC | The Pharos lighthouse is built; the Library flourishes | Alexandria |
Battles and sites of the time
- Battle of Cannae · 216 BC
Further reading
Contemporaries
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. 304 BC – 232 BC | Ashoka | Maurya emperor |
| 259 BC – 210 BC | Qin Shi Huang | First Emperor of China |
| 256 BC – 195 BC | Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu of Han) | Founder of the Han dynasty |
| c. 247 BC – 183 BC | Hannibal | Carthaginian general |
| c. 325 BC – 265 BC | Euclid | Mathematician |
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.