Hippocrates of Chios

I chose to write about Hipprocates because the little-known people who contribute to the works of others should always be recognized. He was very interested in math and astronomy and he was one of the greatest mathematicians of ancient times.

Hippocrates was the greatest geometer of antiquity (relating to ancient times) but was “stupid and incompetent in the business of everyday life” as quoted by Aristotle. According to tradition, he lost his property because of his stupidity. Due to an unfortunate chain of events his life changed. One theory is that Hippocrates was a successful merchant until he was captured by pirates near Byzantium. The other theory is that dishonest customs men threatened him with imprisonment and they stole everything he owned. It is then believed Hippocrates went to Athens to try to recoup his losses in a court of law. While waiting for any action

Besides his book, Hippocrates major contribution to ancient mathematics was his quadrature of the lune. This is a figure bounded by two crescent-shaped arcs of unequal radii.

Hippocrates became interested in math and astronomy late in life. He believed that there was only one comet, which was a planet that appeared at long intervals. He also believed that the comet’s tale was a type of mirage caused by the comet taking up moisture when it neared the sun. Hippocrates created a similar theory to explain the appearance of the galaxy.

Hippocrates of Chios is best known for his squaring of the circle and duplicating the cube. He wrote the first mathematical textbook, called the Elements of Geometry. His book was lost but many mathematicians were greatly influenced by his writing.

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