Prominent Greek philosopher and ruler, Architas of Tarentum, operated in the first half of the 4th century BC in the former Magna Graecia in southern Italy. He was a representative of the Pythagorean philosophical school and a contemporary of Plato. The teachings and ideas of the Pythagoreans were passed down through Architas, as one link in the chain, to Plato and Aristotle, and then to the Stoics and all the way to the Renaissance. Although figures such as Aristotle and Aristoxenus of Tarentum wrote about him in antiquity, biographical data is scarce and incomplete, as only fragments have been preserved. The same fate befell Architas’ works: On Principles, On the Universe, On Being, On Opposition, On the Soul, and On Friendship.
He was born in the Greek city of Tarentum around 428 BC, where he lived until his death around 360 BC. Cicero reports that Architas’ teacher was the esteemed Pythagorean Philolaus, the author of a work on Pythagorean teachings which Plato bought for a hundred mines. Among Architas’ better-known students was Eudoxus of Cnidus, who gave lectures at Plato’s Academy.
Remains The Temple of Poseidon in Taranto.
Like many other ancient philosophers, Archita explored several different natural disciplines and made a significant contribution in the areas of arithmetic, geometry, mechanics, physics, and music. He connected mathematics with ethics through the ancient Greek ideal of measure. In antiquity, measure as an ethical concept was linked to the virtue of moderation, which required self-control in eating, drinking, and behavior, thus being the foundation of coexistence in society. Archita implemented the idea of the art of measurement in public action, believing that a balanced distribution of material goods between the rich and the poor was necessary to create a harmonious social community. The art of measurement also involved proper judgment, distinguishing between good and evil, just and unjust, useful and useless.
Archita explains:
Once the measure was found, it stopped discord and fostered harmony; since this measure came into existence, people no longer desired to possess more than they needed. ne. Matematika je postala ne samo alat za praktično rješavanje problema, već i sredstvo za razvoj kritičkog razmišljanja i dubljeg razumijevanja svijeta oko nas. Arhita je bio svjestan važnosti matematike u obrazovanju i nastojao ju je promovirati kao temeljnu disciplinu. Učenje matematike je poticalo um na analiziranje, razmišljanje i zaključivanje na temelju činjenica i dokaza, što je osnaživalo sposobnost kritičkog razmišljanja. Matematika je bila ne samo alat za praktično rješavanje problema, već i način razmišljanja koji je omogućio ljudima da dublje razumiju prirodu, društvo i sami sebe. ku. Arhita says about it:
Mathematicians know how to accurately discern and understand the nature of each thing; since they have a perfect understanding of the Whole, they inevitably grasp the essence of individual things. Thus, they have transmitted clear knowledge about the speed of stars, their rising and setting, geometry, arithmetic, and the science of spheres, not to mention music.
The Greeks, and later the Romans, adopted these four sciences from Pythagorean education because they believed that they provided a well-rounded knowledge for humans. Later, during the 6th century, Boethius introduced the term “quadrivium” when translating ancient texts, which included precisely these four disciplines. Quadrivium, along with “trivium,” which encompassed grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic, formed the basis of education from the early Middle Ages until the 18th century when the first state schools were established.
Arhita was among the first creators of mechanical toys, such as a wooden dove with a mechanism for flying. He also made children’s toys. in the grinder.
It is stated that he refused to punish the mistakes of his slaves because he did not want to act in anger.
It is assumed that Archytas met Plato around 388 BC during Plato’s first visit to Italy. Thanks to the reputation he enjoyed, he mediated during Plato’s third visit to the Syracuse court. He undoubtedly inspired Plato in creating the idea of a philosopher ruler who should be at the head of the state in order to achieve a just political organization for all citizens, as Plato presents in his work The Republic.