Corpus Aristotelicum. The Mechanical Problems

Abstract

A collection of the questions and answers on the subject of mechanics of the Aristotelian corpus (847a10–858b30) was compiled in the Lyceum during and after Aristotle's time, in the late fourth and the early third centuries BCE. This earliest treatise on the theoretical mechanics allows us to observe a new branch of science in the process of its creation. Among other matters the authors attempt to explain the work of various mechanisms on the basis of a single principle, the lever and circular motion. The collection is marked by its diversity: it proposes a range of working hypotheses and offers alternative explanations for the same phenomenon, a rare witness of vivid school discussions of the scientific matters.

Keywords

• ancient science
• mechanical devices
• movement
• lever