Subject: [HM] Anthrakitis' Book (was: Heron's formula)
From: Antreas P. Hatzipolakis (xpolakis@otenet.gr)
Date: Sat Mar 04 2000 - 18:21:50 EST
On Sun, 13 Feb 2000, Michael Lambrou wrote (in part):
> Interestingly in a Greek book by Methodios Anthrakitis, Odos
> Mathimatikis (=the road of Mathematics), 3 volumes, printed in Venice
> in 1749, appears exactly the above formulation of Heron's formula.The
> proof is as in Heron's Metrics.
>
> Let me say a bit more on this WONDERFUL book of Anthrakitis. It is
> the first advanced mathematical work of modern Greece, after the
> fall of Constantinoupole in 1453. Those times were the times of
> oppressive Ottoman occupation, and there were no printing houses in
> Greece. A number of scholars, including Anthrakitis, studied in Italy,
> (mostly at the University of Padova, affiliated to Venice), Germany or
> France.
>
> There were several advanced mathematical books circulating in
> Greece in the 18th and 19th centuries, among scholars and
> students. Initially they were in manuscript form, but most were
> eventually printed. The first was the above mentioned Odos Mathimatikis,
> printed in Venice during the year of the author's death, under
> supervision of Mpalanos Vasilopoulos.
>
> The advanced textbooks of the time were mostly (but not
> always)translations or adaptations of one or more successful western
> books. Thus we see translations of Christian Wolff, Guidonis Grandi,
> Andre Taquet, Lacaille, Euler and several others. I have not traced
> the sources of Antrakitis' Odos Mathimatikis, but I suspect that they
> were notes he kept during his University studies. Only a few copies
> survive, and it is certainly a book of extra quality, both in its
> content and looks. It deals with classical mathematics (Euclidean
> Geometry, Arithmetic, Trigonometry (including the construction of
> tables as in Ptolemy's Almagest but with the accuracy of Viete),
> Spherical Geometry, Spherical Trigonometry, Astrolabe, the construction
> of mathematical, surveying and astronomical instruments etc). The
> whole outlook is geometrical and it does not have algebra or anything
> to do with infinitesimals. (The first infinitesimals in modern Greece
> appear in the Physics of Nikiforos Theotokis, printed in Halle (if I
> remember well) in 1764.
Here is some information on the Anthrakitis book:
<quote>
A New Old Book in the Gennadius Library
In the summer of 1980 we acquired from a private collection Volume 3 of Hodos
Mathematikes (the Road to Mathematics) by Methodios Anthrakitis and Balanos
Vassilopoulos, published in Vienna in 1749. Three other Greek libraries are
recorded to have one copy each of the complete set: the Xeropotamou Monastery
in Mt. Athos, the Evangelical School of Smyrna (dissolved many years ago) and
the collection of Athanasios Vernardakis, a book collector (deceased and his
library dispersed). The British Museum also has a copy of Volume 1.
Since the work was so rare, Frank Walton and I decided it was worth getting
even a pert of the set. One day recently an Athenian book dealer called. He
had for sale a very rare book, a "doll" he called it. It was the complete
set of
the Hodos Mathematikes, to be sold as a set; he could not let us have only
volumes 1 and 2. The temptation was great. He brought it to the library, a
most beautiful copy in mint condition. We bought it, sure that someone will
one day be glad to buy the extra Volume 3 that we now have. The subject matter
- Arithmetic, Geometry, Cosmography, and Optics, all translated and adapted
into modern Greek- places the book at the very beginning of the period of Greek
Enlightenment (mid-18th century to 1821) which is characterized by the emphasis
given to the spoken language at the expense of the dead witten one, by the
cultivation of free critical thought and expression, by the sciences and
knowledge of the physical world, and by the translation and publication in
modern Greek of scientific and philosophical works. Its rarity and its subject
make our new acquisition important enough. There is however a third feature
of particular interest. The Hodos Mathematikes is the first Greek book to be
published by subscription. Production and distribution of books, at this
time, was a risky enterprise. The author himself had to finance the
printing,
organize the publicity, send cases of books to other cities in search of
prospective buyers, find reliable persons to sell the books and finally,
keep reminding these persons of their obligations. The method of publication
by subscription, therefore, offered a practical way of marketing the product
and permitted the author to know in advance what would be the commercial fate
of his work which was usually, as in our example, on a specialized subject
addressed to a limited number of scholarly readers. The list of subscribers
to Hodos Mathematikes, and other such lists in our collection, become valuable
sources of information, furnishing not only the name and surname, place of
origin, profession but even qualifying adjectives: in the case of lay-men
"the most honorable, most scholarly, most scientific, greatest lover of the
Muses;" in the case of clergy, "the most reverend, most saintly," etc. Thus,
scholars of modern Greek culture may locate geographically the expansion
of the scholarly book on Greek soil during the period of the Enlightenment
and also study the reading habits of 18th-century Greek inelligentsia and
their participation in the new era that resulted from the wide distribution
of knowledge through such books.
</quote>
Sophia Papageorgiou, Librarian.
Gennadius Library.
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens.
Newsletter, Fall 1984, p. 2
------------------------------------
Antreas
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