Surveying Instruments of Greece and Rome

ISBN-13: 9780521792974 / Angielski / Twarda / 2001 / 410 str.

M. J. T. Lewis

Opis

The Greeks and Romans achieved extraordinary feats of surveying in building their aqueducts, tunnels and roads and in measuring the circumference of the earth and the heights of mountains. This book, which contains translations of all the ancient texts on surveying instruments, including major sources hitherto untapped, sets out to reconstruct the instruments and to explain how they were used. The subject has never been tackled before in this detail, and a level of technical sophistication emerges which must count as one of the greatest achievements of the ancient world.

Recenzje

'I heartily recommend [Lewis]'s book as a model of integrated analysis relevant to many different aspects of the classical world.' Journal of Roman Studies

Spis treści

Introduction; Part I. Instruments and Methods: 1. The basic elements; 2. Background to the dioptra; 3. The dioptra; 4. The libra; 5. The groma; 6. The hodometer; Part II. Practical Applications: 7. Measurement of the earth; 8. Mountain heights; 9. Canals and aqueducts; 10. Tunnels; 11. Roman roads; 12. Epilogue; Part III. The Sources: The treatises; Other sources; Appendix. Uncertain devices.