on astrology and astronomy (Carmen 22.pr.2–3, cf. Ep. 8.11.2), whose sources included F-
S, I V, I , and T.
PLRE 2 (1980) 93.
GLIM
Anthe ̄mios of Tralleis (ca 500 – 558 CE?)
Byzantine mathematician, engineer, and architect, who was born at Tralleis in Lydia ca 475
CE, and died in Constantinople before 558 CE. His father, S, was a physician and
his two brothers Dioskoros and A were physicians, his brother M
was a famous grammatikos and another brother Olumpios was a lawyer (Agathias, Hist.
5.6–9). Little is known about Anthe ̄mios’ education and training, but me ̄khanikos (or me ̄khano-
poios), the term used for Anthe ̄mios’ profession, suggests that he was an engineer with some
theoretical training in mathematics.
Agathias states that his fame for mathematical competence reached the emperor. On the
one hand, this competence seems confirmed by E’ warm dedication to him of his
commentary to A’ Ko ̄nika (2.168.5, 290.3, 314.2, 354.2 Heiberg), in which
Anthe ̄mios appears either as Eutokios’ young companion or disciple (Decorps-Foulquier
2000: 63–64), as well as by the excerpts of the work entitled in Greek Mechanical Paradoxes
and in Arabic On the Construction of Burning Mirrors (Greek text in Rashed 343–359, to be
completed with Uta ̄rid’s revision of its Arabic translations, ibid. 312 – 315). They contain the
clever design of ellipsoidal and parabolic mirrors (the axial section of each being conceived
and constructed through its tangents), and of a burning mirror such as the one attributed to
A through the combination of plane mirrors. On the other hand, another col-
lection of catoptrical problems, On Burning Mirrors and other Mirrors, also appears in Uta ̄rid
under Anthe ̄mios’ name and apparently contains much material naively derived from
H’s Katoptrika, with little care for experimental likelihood (Jones 1987). Whether
Anthe ̄mios is also the author of the so-called Bobbio fragment edited by Heiberg (Math-
ematici Graeci Minores 87 – 92 = Huxley 53–58 with trans. 20–26) is disputed (see Rashed
264 – 271 contra Knorr 63–70); the Arabic evidence neither confirms nor disproves Anth-
e ̄mios’ authorship.
Anthe ̄mios gained fame as the senior designer of Justinian I’s Hagia Sophia in Constan-
tinople, celebrated by the historian Prokopios (Aed. 1.1.24) and Paul Silentiarios (Ekphrasis
267, 552); see also I M. Anthe ̄mios consulted in the construction of a
dam in Dara (Prokopios, Aed. 2.3.7) and, according to Constantine of Rhodes (870– 931 CE),
he designed Justinian’s church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (no additional com-
missions are known). There are (diverging) speculations that the architects may have based
their work on a geometrical project related to late neo-Platonist conceptions of mathemat-
ics and/or the kosmos (Dennert, Sehepunkte 6, Nr 7/8, 2006, summarizes the issue).
Anthe ̄mios also produced an artificial earthquake, loud noises, and blinding reflections to
annoy his neighbor, the orator Ze ̄no ̄n (Agath. 5.6–8).
Anthe ̄mios continued to be respected by medieval mathematicians. Al-Kind ̄ı, Ibn I ̄sa ̄ or
Ibn al-Haytham used his works, and Alhazen (11th c.) pairs Anthe ̄mios with Archime ̄de ̄s as
pioneers in paraboloid mirrors. The Byzantine poet John Tzetze ̄s (12th c.) quotes Anth-
e ̄mios when describing Archime ̄de ̄s’ use of mirrors to burn Marcellus’ fleet. Finally, the
Thuringian Vitello (13th c.) refers to Anthe ̄mios in his Perspectiva, an optical treatise commis-
sioned by the humanist bishop William of Moerbeke.
ANTHE ̄MIOS OF TRALLEIS