In fact, Archimedes was known to be so engrossed in his work that he would even skip baths and even food. Although Archimedes was only 22 years old at the time, he had already built a reputation for himself with stunning inventions and his incredible aptitude in natural philosophy and mathematics. Archimedes and crownĪrchimedes was a relative and a friend to King Hiero II. And he knew just the right man to get to the bottom of this. If the goldsmith had mixed silver in it, he wanted to know for sure. He called in the goldsmith who swore by the gods that he had used the exact amount of gold that the king had given him, pointing out that the weight of the crown was identical to the weight of gold that the king had given him. When the King caught wind of the rumors, he was very distressed. Whilst King Hiero II proceeded with the preparations for the ceremony, rumors began circulating around the city that the goldsmith had played a cruel trick on the king by mixing the pure gold with some silver (which is cheaper) and pocketed the difference. A Typical goldsmith workshop back in the day. He was sure the gods would be pleased by his timely work … but not for long. The King kept his word and showered the goldsmith with rewards, gifts, and praise. In the end, he did an impressive job and pleased the King even more by completing the project within the allotted time. The goldsmith had to be careful to keep a near-perfect working environment, as any impurities would devalue the crown. In principle, the goldsmith would melt the gold in a furnace and cast it into the exquisite laurel-shaped crown with as much accuracy as humanly possible. As an incentive, he promised to reward the goldsmith handsomely if he completes the work before the deadline. The King charged the goldsmith to deliver the job on time as he already had in mind the day when he will present his gift to the gods. Hiero’s instructions were simple: use all your wits and skills to carve out a golden wreath worthy of the gods. He proceeded to weigh out the precise amount of gold required for the task and sought out one of the best goldsmiths in Syracuse to carve out a near-flawless crown. Keen on pleasing the gods with his offering, Hiero devised a specific design for his gift to the gods: he wanted the crown-shaped like a laurel wreath – a popular symbol of victory, success, and achievement in ancient Greek mythology. King Hiero II, being a devout believer, sought to express his gratitude to the gods by making a crown made of pure gold, and having it placed in one of the temples in the city. Even though he did not come up from royal lineage, his military prowess as a general had won the hearts of the people of Syracuse, and in a rare turn of events, they made him their king. He was appointed commander of the troops at 33 years of age and only five years later, Hiero led the Syracusan army to a critical victory against the Romans, firmly cementing his position as the commander of the army. At around 20 years old, he joined the army and quickly rose through the ranks, demonstrating exceptional leadership and tactical skills. He started out as an illegitimate child of Hierocles, a Syracusan noble, who claimed descent from Gelon. King Hiero II was unlike any other king of the ancient Greek world. Sit back and enjoy! King Hiero II rises to power Here is a story of how Archimedes supposedly arrived at his most famous discovery, the Archimedes Principle.
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