Mathematical Diagrams in the Archimedes Palimpsest

Page last modified: Dec. 1, 2009

In addition to new readings of the texts, the Archimedes Palimpsest offers us the earliest extant mathematical figures of Archimedes' works. This page will organize the mathematical figures by their position in the original work, with links to a zoomable/pannable interface to high-quality images of the folio.

Contents

Mathematical works of Archimedes in the order of composition reconstructed by Heath (Archimedes, p. xxxii) and Dijksterhuis (Archimedes, pp. 46-47).

1. Mathematical diagrams in Equilibrium of Planes, Book 1
2. Quadrature of the Parabola
3. Mathematical diagrams in Equilibrium of Planes, Book 2
4. Mathematical diagrams in The Method
5. Mathematical diagrams in The Sphere and Cylinder, Book 1, and The Sphere and Cylinder, Book 2
6. Mathematical diagrams in Spiral Lines
7. Conoids and Spheroids
8. Mathematical diagrams in On Floating Bodies, Book 1 and On Floating Bodies, Book 2
9. Mathematical diagrams in Measurement of the Circle

Undated in relation to the other works:

• Mathematical diagrams in The Stomachion

Measurement of the Circle

• Proposition 2, figure 1, appears on folio 171 verso, column 2: see monochrome grayscale image; pseudo-color image.
• Proposition 3, figure 1, appears on folio 171 recto, column 2 monochrome grayscale image; pseudo-color image.
• Proposition 3, figure 2, appears on folio 177 recto, column 2 monochrome grayscale image; pseudo-color image.

On Floating Bodies

Book 1

• Book 1, proposition 1, figure 1, appears on folio 88 recto, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image
• Book 1, proposition 2, figure 1, appears on folio 49 verso, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image
• Book 1, proposition 3, figure 1, appears on folio 49 recto, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image
• Book 1, proposition 4, figure 1, appears on folio 50 verso, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image
• Book 1, proposition 5, figure 1, appears on folio 50 verso, column 2: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image
• Book 1, proposition 6, figure 1, appears on folio 55 verso, column 2: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image
• Book 1, proposition 7, figure 1, appears on folio 87 verso, column 1: see pseudo-color image
• Book 1, proposition 8, figure 1, appears on folio 82 verso, column 2: see pseudo-color image
• Book 1, proposition 9, figure 1, appears on folio 17 recto, column 2: see pseudo-color image

Book 2

• Book 2, proposition 1, figure 1, appears on folio 16 recto, column 1: see pseudo-color image
• Book 2, proposition 2, figure 1, appears on folio 21 verso, column 2: see pseudo-color image
• Book 2, proposition 3, figure 1, appears on folio 28 verso, column 2: see pseudo-color image
• Book 2, proposition 7, figure 1, appears on folio 68 verso, column 2: see pseudo-color image
• Book 2, proposition 8, figure 1, appears on folio 129 verso, column 2: see pseudo-color image
• Book 2, proposition 8, figure 2, appears on folio 129 recto, column 1: see pseudo-color image
• Book 2, proposition 9, figure 1, appears on folio 130 recto, column 1: image not yet available
• Book 2, proposition 10, figure 1, appears on folio 2 verso, column 1:
• Book 2, proposition 10, figure 2, appears on folio 1 recto, column 1: see pseudo-color image
• Book 2, proposition 10, figure 3, appears on folio 169 recto, column 2: see pseudo-color image
• Book 2, proposition 10, figure 5, appears on folio 46 recto, column 1: see pseudo-color image

The Sphere and Cylinder, Book 1

• Proposition 1 appears on folio 6 recto, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome grayscale image
• Proposition 2 appears on folio 6 recto, column 2: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome grayscale image
• Proposition 7 appears on folio 5 verso, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome grayscale image
• Proposition 8 appears on folio 4 verso, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome grayscale image
• Proposition 9 appears on folio 108 recto, column 2: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome grayscale image
• Proposition 10: ?
• Proposition 11: ?
• Proposition 12 appears on folio 35 verso, column 1
• Proposition 13 appears on folio 99 verso, column 1
• Proposition 17 appears on folio 29 recto, column 2
• Proposition 20 appears on folios 37 recto, column 2, and 36 verso, column 2.
• Proposition 22 appears on folio 140 recto, column 1
• Proposition 23 appears on folio 133 recto, column 1
• Proposition 24 appears on folio 112 recto, column 2
• Proposition 25 appears on folio 112 verso, column 2
• Proposition 33
• Proposition 38
• Proposition 39
• Proposition 42

The Sphere and Cylinder, Book 2

• Proposition 1
• Proposition 2
• Proposition 6

The Method

• Proposition 1 appears on folio 66 recto, column 1
• Proposition 2 appears on folio 65 recto, column 2
• Proposition 3: folio 63 verso, column 2: see monochrome grayscale image; see pseudo-color image
• Proposition 4: folio 44 verso, column 1: see monochrome grayscale image; see pseudo-color image
• Proposition 5: folio 170 recto, column 1
• Proposition 6: folio 160 verso, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image
• Proposition 9: folio 48 recto, column 1
• Proposition 12: folio 47 verso, column 1
• Proposition 14: folio 158 recto, column 1: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image

The Stomachion

• The construction of the Stomachion figure appears on folio 177 verso, column 2: see pseudo-color image; see monochrome gray-scale image