When did Hero of Alexandria live and where was he born?
Hero of Alexandria lived between 150 BC and 250 AD during the Roman era. Almost nothing is known about his birthplace or background.
Questions about Hero of Alexandria
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What invention by Hero of Alexandria is considered the first recorded steam engine?
Hero of Alexandria published a well-recognized description of a steam-powered device called an aeolipile. This engine functioned as a rocket-like reaction engine and stands as the first recorded steam engine.
How does Heron's method compute square roots according to Hero of Alexandria?
Hero described an iterative algorithm for computing square roots now called Heron's method. He presented this alongside other algorithms and approximations in his work Metrica.
Who observed the lunar eclipse that Hero of Alexandria used as an example in Dioptra?
Otto Neugebauer noted a lunar eclipse occurring on the 6th of June 62 AD which best matched details in Hero's text. A. G. Drachmann subsequently surmised that Hero personally observed the eclipse from Alexandria though Hero does not explicitly state this observation.
Which works by Hero of Alexandria survive only in Arabic translations today?
Catoptrica covers the progression of light reflection and stands as one of the works preserved only in Arabic translations. Geodesia and Geoponica exist only in fragments today while many others survived through Latin or Arabic translations.