Archytas (435 BC-347 BC) was a Greek philosopher-statesman who led the city-state of Taras in Magna Graecia during the 4th century BC. Under Archytas, Taras reached its peak in power and wealth.
Biography[]
Archytas in 399 BC
Archytas was born in Taras, Magna Graecia in 435 BC, the son of Mnesagoras. He was educated by followers of Pythagoras, and he believed that arithmetic, not geometry, could provide a basis for satisfactory proofs. He founded mathematical mechanics, building the first artificial, self-propelled flying device, a steam-propelled, bird-shaped model called "the Pigeon", which flew some 200 meters. Archytas also made innovations in the fields of mathematics, physics, and music, and he was also the dominant figure in Taras politically and militarily. He was elected Strategos seven years in a row, and he became known as Taras' greatest statesman, strategist, and army commander-in-chief. He was allegedly undefeated as a general, taking part in Tarantine campaigns against their southern Italian neighbors. Archytas had a reputation for virtue and efficacy, and he served as a model for Plato's "philosopher-king". He drowned in a shipwreck in the shore of Mattinata in 347 BC at the age of 88.