Did Early Christians Teach About Archimedes?
Early Christian writings do not teach much about Archimedes himself. A few authors mention him as a mathematician in talks about the heavens, numbers, or models of the universe. Most other cards only touch on geometry, astronomy, or wisdom in general and do not speak directly about Archimedes.
131 early-church witnesses · 255 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about archimedes?
Early Christian writings do not give any clear teaching about Archimedes himself. The only strong matches are brief references to Archimedes as a mathematician whose numbers or models were used in discussions of the heavens, especially in Hippolytus and Lactantius. Most of the other cards are about geometry, astronomy, wisdom, or unrelated names and do not teach anything direct about Archimedes.
This page is therefore only useful for showing that some early Christian authors knew of Archimedes as a scientific figure, not for showing a settled Christian belief about him. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Hippolytus and Lactantius mention Archimedes, but only in passing.
- The main early Christian use of his name is as a math or astronomy reference, not a doctrine.
- Most other cards are too indirect to count as clear evidence about Archimedes.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians teach anything about Archimedes?
Early Christian writers do not preserve a doctrine about Archimedes. They mention him mainly as a mathematician when talking about the moon, the stars, distances, or a model of the universe.
-
Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching
A statement about the Moon, however, has already been made. Archimedes gives the distances and depths of the spheres in this way. But Hipparchus gave a different account of them, and Apollonius the mathematician gave yet another. For us, however, it is enough to follow the Platonic view and assume that the wandering stars are at distances from one another in ratios of twofold and threefold. In this way, the teaching is preserved that the universe is put together out of harmony, according to agreeing principles that fit these distances. But if the numbers given by Archimedes, and the accounts given by the others about the distances, are not based on principles of symphony—that is, the double and triple distances spoken of by Plato—but are found apart from harmonies, then they would not preserve the teaching that the universe was formed according to harmony. For it is neither believable nor possible that these distances should both go against some rational order and be independent of harmonious and proportional principles, except perhaps only in the case of the Moon, because of its waning phases and the shadow of the Earth. Also, it is only about this distance—that is, the distance o
-
Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching
...ons, however, are preserved, as we said before, by double and triple intervals. If, then, we accept Archimedes as reliable in the case of only the first distance, that from the Moon to the Earth, it is easy to find the rest of the intervals also by multiplying them by two and by three. Let the distance, then, according to Archimedes, from the Earth to the Moon be 5,544,130 stadia. Then the number of stadia from the Moon to the Sun will be double this, namely 11,088,260. But the Sun is 16,632,390 stadia from the Earth. Venus is likewise 16,632,390 stadia from the Sun, but 33,264,780 stadia from the Earth. Mercury is 22,176,520 stadia from Venus, but 55,441,300 stadia from the Earth. Mars is 49,897,170 stadia from Mercury, and 105,338,470 stadia from the Earth. Jupiter is 44,353,040 stadia from Mars, but 149,691,510 stadia from the Earth. Saturn is 149,691,510 stadia from Jupiter, but 299,383,020 stadia from the Earth.
-
Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching
But because the rest of the numbers, those said by Archimedes to describe the distance of the wandering stars, are not based on principles of harmony, it is easy to understand, at least for those who pay attention to the matter, how the numbers relate to one another and on what principles they depend. Yet it is impossible that they should not be in harmony and symphony. I mean the numbers that belong to the parts of the world that is ordered according to harmony. Since, therefore, the first number, by which the Moon is distant from the earth, is 5,544,130, and the second number, by which the Sun is distant from the Moon, is 50,272,065, this exists by a calculation greater than ninefold. But the higher number in relation to this, being 20,272,065, is included in a calculation greater than half. The number above this, which is 50,817,165, is contained in a calculation greater than half. But the number above this, which is 40,541,108, is contained in a calculation less than two-fifths. But the number above this, which is 20,275,065, is contained in a calculation greater than half. The final number, however, which is 40,372,065, is included in a calculation less than double.
-
Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching
Archimedes gives the distances between the circles and spheres, and their depths. He says the circumference of the Zodiac is 447,310,000 stadia. It follows, then, that a straight line from the center of the earth to the outermost surface would be one sixth of that number. But the line from the surface of the earth on which we walk to the Zodiac would be one sixth of that number, minus 40,000 stadia, which is the distance from the center of the earth to its surface. He also says that the distance from the circle of Saturn to the earth is 2,226,912,711 stadia; from the circle of Jupiter to the earth, 502,770,646 stadia; and from the circle of Mars to the earth, 132,418,581 stadia. From the sun to the earth it is 121,604,454 stadia; from Mercury to the earth, 526,882,259 stadia; and from Venus to the earth, 50,815,160 stadia.
-
Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Direct teaching
Was Archimedes of Sicily able to contrive a likeness and representation of the universe in hollow brass, in which he so arranged the sun and moon, that they effected, as it were every day, motions unequal and resembling the revolutions of the heavens, and that sphere, while it revolved, exhibited not only the approaches and withdrawings of the sun, or the increase and waning of the moon, but also the unequal courses of the stars, whether fixed or wandering?
Common Questions
Did early Christians have a teaching about Archimedes?
No clear teaching is preserved here. The strongest early Christian references only mention Archimedes as a mathematician or as part of a discussion about the stars and the universe.
Why is Archimedes mentioned in early Christian writings?
He is mentioned as a learned figure in math and astronomy discussions, especially when writers compare numbers, distances, or models of the heavens.
Source Index for Archimedes
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 255 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 131
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
-
Clement of Rome, Connection to Isaiah 1:16
Bible Passages 80 shown of 124
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.