Classical Studies 2700B

Earth measurement and Town Planning

Earth Measurement (geometry): by Hellenistic period (323-30 BC) the earth was known to be a sphere. People asked: how big? Answer came from Museum of Alexandria. Background on history of Mouseion (Grk for “Temple of the Muses”) and its Library.

Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c. 275 -c.194 BC); his background. Came to Alexandria c. 244 BC, and c. 234 BC became Chief Librarian. Many literary and scientific writings; acquired hostile nickname of “Pentathlos”. He was first scientific geographer; wrote “On the measurement of the Earth”. He achieved his result using elementary geometric facts. Syene in Upper Egypt (modern Aswan). A well there had no shadow from its sides on surface of water on summer solstice; so, it was on Tropic of Cancer. Distance from Alexandria to Syene 5000 stades. This seemed to be 1/50 of circumference of earth; >250,000 stades (which he later corrected to 252,000). Problem of size of E.’s stade; one argument says 157.5m (gives Earth’s circumference as 39,690 km); recently argued that E. used standard Attic stade of 184.98 m (gives 46,615 km for Earth’s circumference). Also problem of Earth-Sun distance. E. said it was 804 million stades.

Town Planning: there was none originally!

For an additional file with info. about Town Planning, click here.

Early exx. of towns/cities: Jericho (Tell es-Sultan) in R. Jordan valley, c. 8000 BC; Chatal Hüyük in Asia Minor c.6500 BC. There may have been elements of “planning” in lay-out of Bronze Age palace complexes in Aegean area; but these were not towns.

There was one v. important early exception to lack of planning: in Indus R. valley, in mod. Pakistan: Mohenjo Daro (and other cities in “Indus valley civilization” a.k.a. Harappan civilization); flourished c. 2500-c.1900 BC. Built of baked brick and laid out on grid pattern.

Greeks and Romans: earliest Greek cities grew up in a “huddle” round a market-place or harbour; but during “age of colonisation” (c. 750-c.500 BC) cities were founded from scratch; similarly in period after Alexander the Great. However, serious thought not given to “planning” until 500 BC or a bit later. Started in Ionia and perhaps Miletus: basic principle was grid-pattern with streets intersecting at right angles; within the grid were placed elements Greeks considered necessary in a city—government buildings, temples, gymnasium, theatre, market-place and fountains for water supply, with a surrounding wall. Most famous figure in early Greek town-planning was Hippodamus of Miletus (born c. 500 BC). Difference between Athens and Miletus after Persian destructions. Milesian lay-out implied very long-term project. Note Olynthus in N. Greece, both early and later versions. Typical ex. of Hellenistic town-planning is Priene (near Miletus in Ionia); city refounded in mid 4^th century BC. Note streets (not paved), public buildings—and walls. Rome was like Athens: it “just growed”. Romans developed Greek and Etruscan ideas, plus their own military tradition. Roman camps have lay-out similar to Roman colonies; compare Saalburg (R. auxiliary fort in Germany) with Timgad (R. colony in N. Africa). Overall, however, single line of development in town planning (Greek, Hellenistic, Etruscan and Roman), though Romans developed new construction techniques and new services such as water supply and sewers.