'Unique' inventions of ancient Greece

Invincible guns, showers, automatic doors, flying bird robots, lighthouses, alarm clocks . are the most toxic and rare inventions of the ancient Greeks. Invite you to consult the unique inventions of the ancient Greeks below.

1. Shower

By the time you take a hot shower with a shower, it may be a gift for you from the ancient Greeks. But the Greeks at that time liked the cold shower instead of the hot shower. The Romans were famous for their luxurious baths and spas but were invented by Greeks.

The first bathrooms with showers are no different from today's modern bathrooms, with water flowing through a pipe from the pump, which has been created and widely used for ancient Greek athletes. In the gyms, athletes will take a cold shower so they can have alertness and beauty.

2. Heating system for the whole family

Indeed, the Greeks invented the heating system rather than the Romans as people often think. Before the Romans had heating on the water's temperature, the Minoan people laid pipes under their floors to heat the warm water for warm rooms and floors in the winter. Even the wealthy people will build permanent houses, lay stone floors and create a space under the floor to set fire and then put the temperature in the chimneys in the walls to warm the whole house.

3. Lighthouse

From the 3rd century BC, the ancient Greeks built a lighthouse in Alexandria to guide boats safely to port. Although the city is now in Egypt, it was previously controlled by the Greeks.

At night, a large fire burns in the lighthouse tower, so the school boat can see fire from a distance away, allowing them to navigate.

In the daytime, instead of lighting the fire, they will create a large cloud of smoke to guide the boat. This lighthouse was designed by Greek architect and engineer Sostratus of Cnidus. The Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and is also the first known lighthouse in the world and existed for 1,500 years.

4. Alarm clock

This is the invention of Greek philosopher Plato, so it is also called "Plato's alarm clock". It is shaped like an hourglass. Above the clock is a water receiving tube through the pipe of the water tank next to it.

Based on that, it will be programmed for a time to calculate the amount of water through a straw located next to a closed container. When water enters the closed vessel, it pushes the air in the jar and creates a whistling sound through a tube placed above the jar, creating a clear noise and awakening the sleeper.

5. Clock tower and weather station

The first clock tower and the first weather station in the world is Tower of the Winds in Athens, just below the Acropolis. It helps merchants then estimate delivery times for their partners and help them know the weather conditions for safe shipping.

It is believed that this tower was built in 47 BC. Today, the tower still stands and attracts millions of tourists to Athens every year.

6. Grind rice with water

From the 16th century BC, the first manual rice mill was found. But the mill using the first water force found around the 3rd century BC belonged to the Greeks. Later some other similar mortars were also found in Athens.

However, historians believe that the use of such a rice mill was first introduced in Greece before being introduced to Rome. Evidence suggests that this mortar came from a Greek engineer named Philo.

7. The heliocentric theory

Before the scientist Copernicus discovered this theory, Greek astronomers discovered the earth and the rest of the other planets revolved around a relatively fixed sun in the center of the system. Sun.

Many great thinkers and scientists in ancient Greece, such as Philolaus, Heraclides of Pontus, Seleucus of Seleucia, Aristarchus of Samos and Hypatia (who were believed to have been murdered for scientific research), were proposed a heliocentric system nearly 2 thousand years before Copernicus announced.

Many historians and astronomers believe that Aristarchus of Samos may be the first to build a complete and scientific heliocentric system. Unfortunately, these studies have been lost over time, leaving only a few of his articles left.

Based on that, historians argue that Aristarchus was probably the first to calculate almost exactly the size of the Earth and measure the size and distance of the Moon and Sun.

8. Flying bird robot

It sounds incredible but it is true that the first robot was created an ancient Greek mathematician named Archytas (400-350 BC). He was also dubbed the "father of mechanical engineering" with the invention of a wooden pigeon using compressed air to make it flyable.

Especially this bird can fly from 200-300m before the steam is gone. Although the bird might have been created by him for another purpose, it clearly gave mankind the first robot.

9. War cannons

Have you ever wondered why ancient Greeks were invincible for hundreds of years? Now scientists have found evidence that the ancient Greeks were the authors of the first cannon.

It was the steam cannon designed by Archimedes during the Siege of Syracuse. This weapon was rated as an advanced type in that era and could fire a cannon weighing about 26 kg, about 1,100 m long. It is also considered the first gun in the world to operate with hydrodynamics.

10. Automatic door

The first automatic door was invented in ancient Greece in response to a polythe society here. When people came to offer the spirit, the doors of the altar automatically opened thanks to a fire in the altar.

This idea is also used to move statues in places of worship. It is believed that Heron of Alexandria was the first to design automatic doors, working on compressed air or steam.