Inventors

Hero of Alexandria

Quick Facts

CategoryDetail
Full NameHero of Alexandria
CitizenshipAlexandria, Roman Egypt
Known forAeolipile, Heron’s fountain, Heron’s formula, Vending machine
Scientific CareerMathematics, Physics, Pneumatic and hydraulic engineering
Active PeriodFl. 60 AD (during the Roman era)
Notable Inventions– Aeolipile (steam-powered device) – Windwheel (earliest land-based wind harnessing)
Mathematical LegacyHeron’s formula (method to calculate the area of a triangle using only its side lengths)
EthnicityGreek or Hellenized Egyptian
Teaching PositionLikely taught at the Musaeum, including the Library of Alexandria, focusing on mathematics, mechanics, physics, and pneumatics
Legacy– Considered the greatest experimenter of antiquity – Representative of the Hellenistic scientific tradition – Contributions to early research in cybernetics

Hero of Alexandria Inventions

InventionDescription
Hero’s aeolipileRocket-like steam engine and first recorded steam engine.
Hero’s wind-powered organFirst instance in history of wind powering a machine, specifically an organ.
Vending machineFirst vending machine dispensed water for ablutions when a coin was inserted.
Mechanisms for Greek theatreEntirely mechanical play powered by a system of ropes, knots, and simple machines.
Force pumpWidely used in the Roman world, including firefighting applications.
Syringe-like deviceDevice for controlled delivery of air or liquids.
Principle of shortest path of lightFormulated principle stating shortest path of light in a medium.
Heron’s fountainStand-alone fountain operating under self-contained hydro-static energy.
Cart powered by falling weightCart powered by falling weight and drive axle.
ThermometerContributed to thermometer development by demonstrating air expansion and contraction.
Self-filling wine bowlBowl that automatically fills with wine using a float valve.
Heron’s methodMethod for iteratively computing square roots of numbers.
Heron’s formulaFormula for finding area of a triangle from side lengths.
Method for calculating cube rootsMethod for calculating cube roots of numbers.
Shortest path algorithmAlgorithm to find point on straight line that minimizes distances to two given points.
Heronian meanMathematical concept used in finding volume of frustum of pyramid or cone.

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