A New History of Greek Mathematics

‘This is a brilliant, pioneering, breathtakingly ambitious book, written with passion, wit and gusto, a veritable joy to read. Composed by the foremost world expert on Archimedes, it offers new perspectives not just on Greek mathematics but on its significance for our understanding of the rise of Western science as a whole. To this end it brings to bear an extraordinary range of material from non-Greek as well as Greek sources and develops original arguments concerning the fundamental question of why and how Western science developed in the way it did.’ Sir Geoffrey Lloyd, Professor of Ancient Philosophy and Science, University of Cambridge‘As a brilliant successor to Heath’s A New History of Greek Mathematics of a century earlier, Netz’s New History, rather than providing a detailed chronology of the field, tells a compelling story that fits Greek mathematics into the history of the world. The reader will not only learn about the predecessors of the Greeks, but also gain an appreciation of the immense influence Greek mathematics had on the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century and the industrial revolution of the eighteenth century. In between, of course, Netz provides detailed insights into how Greek scholars from Hipparchus to Eutocius developed the concepts that stand at the basis of modern mathematics.’ Victor Katz, Professor Emeritus of Ancient Mathematics, University of the District of Columbia‘a lively introduction to ancient Greek mathematics and mathematical astronomy that strives, by the author’s signature methods, to help readers glimpse the minds of the iconic thinkers of Greek antiquity.’ Michael J. Barany, The Spectator‘In A New History of Greek Mathematics, Netz presents a bold narrative of Greek mathematics. His is not simply an account of Greek geometry or a chronicle of individual mathematicians and their work. It is a new history of western science.’ Liba Taub, Times Literary Supplement‘A very interesting and informative book, full of insights into the shaping and evolution of Greek mathematics.’ José Ferreirós, Metascience

Reviel Netz is Patrick Suppes Professor of Greek Mathematics and Astronomy at Stanford University. He is the author of many books on Greek mathematics and culture, including The Shaping of Deduction in Greek Mathematics (Cambridge, 1999), The Archimedes Codex (co-authored with William Noel, 2007), Ludic Proof: Greek Mathematics and the Alexandrian Aesthetic (Cambridge, 2009) and Scale, Space and Canon in Ancient Literary Culture (Cambridge, 2020).