Ancient Greek Inventions and Discoveries - How the ancient Greeks changed the world
The ancient Greeks were curious and creative. They created inventions and explored discoveries in the arts, philosophy, science, architecture, medicine, geometry, cartography, and more.
They invented all kinds of things. Some of their inventions and discoveries include:
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Invention of the wheelbarrow
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Invention of the watermill, used to grind grain
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Invention of the odometer by Archimedes to measure distances
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Discovery by Archimedes that submerging a solid object in water will displace water in an amount matching the weight of that object - in other words, how things float!
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Aristotle insisted that the Earth was a globe and that the Earth revolved around the sun. These ideas were ignored in later time periods, but re-established when it was discovered that Aristotle, so long ago, was right!
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Great strides in medicine by an ancient Greek doctor, Hippocrates, in 460 BC. Today, Hippocrates is known as the father of western medicine.
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Improvements in cartography, or map making, begun by the ancient Babylonians and improved by the ancient Greeks
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Improvements in geometry, begun by both the Babylonians and the Egyptians, and greatly improved by the ancient Greeks who insisted on geometric proofs rather than statements, using deductive reasoning, much like we do today
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The invention of the shower
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Urban planning
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Invention of the stadium and the Olympic games
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Trial by Jury - The Ancient Greeks did not invent trial by jury, but they certainly fine tuned it
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Greek Myths - Myths we still enjoy today!
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Fables and Legends including Aesop's Fables
See also: Inventions by other Ancient Civilizations
For Teachers
Greek Achievements, Inventions, and Discoveries - Lesson Plans and Activities
Powerpoints - Greek Achievements, Inventions, and Discoveries that changed the world
Explore Ancient Greece
For Kids: Overview
Early Greece: Minoans, Mycenaeans, Dorians
Rise of Greek City-States
- On Land: Greek Warriors
- At Sea: Greek Ships
- Trojan War
- Persian Wars
- The Delian League
- Peloponnesian War
- Alexander the Great
- The League of Corinth
Investigate Real Life Artifacts
For Kids: Art, Culture, Government
For Kids: Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek Myths for Kids, retold by Lin Donn
- Zeus, Hera, and Little Io
- The Competition, Athena and Poseidon
- Theseus, the Minotaur, and the Maze
- Dionysus and Ariadne
- Icarus and Daedalus, Wings
- The 12 Labors of Hercules
- Demeter and Persephone, Reason for the Seasons
- Apollo's Oracle at Delphi
- Perseus, Andromeda, and the sea god, Poseidon
- King Midas and the Donkey Ears
- And Many More
Ancient Greek Gods & Goddesses
For Kids: Ancient Greek Daily Life
For Kids: People
For Kids: Interactive Quizzes
Alexander the Great &
Gifts from the Greeks
For Teachers
For Kids and Teachers: Other Ancient Civilizations
See Also: Early Humans for Kids and Teachers