Rhodes view
Rhodes is the largest and most beautiful island of the dodecanese archipelago. Every year thousands of tourists visit the island. Rhodes has 2400 years of civilization history. The visitor can enjoy the sun on the gold coasts and choose among many kinds of night life in order to have memorable holidays.
Rhodes is a crossroad of culture between west and east. The visitors can see Ancient Greek, Byzantine, as well as Roman, Chivalrous, even Islamic sights. These are the heritage from the Greeks and the conquerors. The island has been tyranized for centures until the embodiment of the dodecanese archipelago with Hellas on 7th of March 1947.
Ancient Rhodes was a rich city with powerful trade fleet. The arts and the science were in acme. There are several findings which prove this point. The finding of particular interest is a calendar computer called The Antikythera Mechanism.
This mechanism was among the findings of a shipwreck (80-50 B.C) near the Greek island Antikythera at the begining of this century. The ship was travelling from Rhodes to Italy throw Pireas. The researchers believe that the mechanism was made in Rhodes by a mechanic of the Posidonios school at 87 B.C.
The researcher who solved the mystery about the finding is Price, Derek J.de Solla. Price has been studied the mechanism and created two working models of it. One of the models is at the Archelogical Museum of Athens.
The finding is of particular value because is complex gear system containing even differential gear. This fact turns over the idea that the technology was not developed in ancient world.
The cover of Price, Derek J.de Solla work
Price, Derek J. de Solla, Gears from the Greeks: The Antikythera Mechanism- A Calendar Computer from ca.80 B.C., Science History Publications, 1975.
Price, Derek J. de Solla, An Ancient Greek Computer, Scientific American, Vol. 200, No 6 (June 1959), pp. 60-67.
Lazos D. Xristos, O Ypologistis ton Antikithiron, Ekdoseis Aiolos, Athens 1994.
Last updated: 5/March/1996