Eratosthenes and the Measurement of the Earth's Circumference (c.230 BC)

Christopher A. Matthew is a lecturer in ancient history at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney, also teaching courses on the Greek City States, the Roman Republic, Pompeii, Ancient Greek Drama and the Ancient Near East. He is leading researcher in the study of ancient warfare and his research has been recognised both nationally and internationally.

Acknowledgements
Contents
Abbreviations
Illustrations
Tables
Preface
Section 1: Historical Background
1.1: The Sources
1.2: Eratosthenes, the man
1.3: Alexandria
1.4: Greek astronomical thought before the time of Eratosthenes
Section 2: The Experiment
2.1: Eratosthenes' experiment
2.2: Eratosthenes' sundial
2.3: Time and the solstices in Ancient Eygpt and Greece
2.4: Ancient Eygptian and Greek sundials to the time of Eratosthenes
2.5: A replica of Eratosthenes' skaphe
Section 3: The Analysis
3.1: The angle
3.2: Errors in Eratosthenes' methodology
3.2.1 The effect of Syene and Alexandria not sitting on the same Longtitudinal Meridian
3.2.2 The effect of Syene not sitting on the Tropic of Cancer
3.2.3 The effect of the oblateness of the Earth
3.2.4 The effect of non-parallel rays of light from the sun
3.2.5 The effect of the components of the shadow
3.2.6 The effect of the Earth's rotation
3.2.7 The effect of atmospheric refraction
3.2.8 The effect of operational and Instrumental error
3.2.9 The total effect of the errors
Section 4: The Stade
4.1: The size of the stade
4.2: Previous estimates of the size of Eratosthenes' stade
Section 5: The Re-examination
5.1: Eratosthenes and the 180m stade
5.1.1 Caspian Gates to Hecatompylos
5.1.2 Hecatompylos to Alexandria Aerion
5.1.3 Alexandria Aerion to Prophthasia
5.1.4 Prophthasia to Arachoti Polis
5.1.5 Arachoti Polis to Hortospana
5.1.6 Alexandria Aerion to Bactra-Zariaspa
5.1.7 Alexandria to Syene
5.2: The 180m Stade and the circumference of the Earth
Section 6: The Circumference
6.1: The Accuracy of Eratosthenes' Circumference
6.2: Eratosthenes' legacy
References
Ancient and medieval sources
Modern sources
Electronic sources