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Born in Syracuse in Greece. He revolutionised geometry and calculus, and is regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians in human history. He defined the principle of the lever. Archimedes was also an inventor, developing a number of mechanical machines, including the Archimedean screw, a device for lifting water up hill.
It is believed that he devised a mechanical device that was used during the siege Syracuse (250 BC), to lift and destroy a fully armed and crewed Roman warship. This was called the Archimedes Claw. It is the first recorded use of compound pulleys. This is a system that multiplies the ‘lifting’ force many times over, making it possible to move very heavy weights.
His mechanical design ultimately did not save him. Although Roman soldiers were ordered to take him alive, he was killed at the end of the two year siege, reportedly for not following an instruction from a soldier.

His work gave rise to the sciences of Mechanics and Hydrostatics. He also determined the laws / mathematics of levers and pulleys, which are still relevant today. Furthermore, Archimedes was the first to understand the relevance and significance of the ‘centre of gravity’.