One of the world's best specialists in the history of science, George Sarton, captivatingly and vividly depicts the development of mathematics, astronomy, physics, biology, and medicine as they emerged in prehistoric times and flourished in ancient Greek society. The first part of the book is dedicated to early evidence of the existence of mathematics, astronomy, and other sciences, followed by the achievements of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the beginning of Greek civilization, and the flourishing of Ionian science in the 6th century BC. This era belongs to Thales of Miletus, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Xenophanes, Pythagoras, whose teachings receive special attention. The second part opens with the flourishing of Athens in the 5th century BC. These are masterpieces of poetry, visual arts, philosophy, and science. Here are Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, Parmenides, Democritus, Hippocrates, Herodotus, and many others. The third part features outstanding Greek thinkers of the 4th century BC: Plato and his Academy, Aristotle, Xenophon, the school of Cynics, Stoics, Skeptics, and Epicureans.
Illustrations clarify and embellish the narrative.
