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:

• Invention of the wheelbarrow

• Invention of the watermill, used to grind grain

• Invention of the odometer by Archimedes to measure distances

• 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!

• 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!

• Great strides in medicine by an ancient Greek doctor, Hippocrates, in 460 BC. Today, Hippocrates is known as the father of western medicine.

• Improvements in cartography, or map making, begun by the ancient Babylonians and improved by the ancient Greeks

• 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

• The invention of the shower

• Urban planning

• Invention of the stadium and the Olympic games

• The first lighthouse

• Trial by Jury - The Ancient Greeks did not invent trial by jury, but they certainly fine tuned it

• Roots of Democracy

• Greek Myths - Myths we still enjoy today!

• Myths about inventions, from the Hercules Detective Agency

• Comedy, Tragedy, Satire, Theatre

• Greek Columns & Greek Architecture

• Fables and Legends including Aesop's Fables

• Ancient Greek Achievements 

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