From 03/11/2015 until 15/11/2015
European Patent Office
Rennweg 12
Vienna
Austria
Ancient Greek Inventions is a traveling exhibition of the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology – Kostas Kotsanas, hosted by the European Patent Office in Vienna that highlights the exceptional scientific and technological achievements of the ancient Greeks and their lasting impact on human civilisation.
Inspired by the intellectual flourishing of Hellenistic Alexandria, the exhibition reflects an era in which earlier Greek thought was preserved, expanded, and transformed into practical applications. Within the legendary Museum and Library of Alexandria, leading scholars and inventors such as Apollonius, Eratosthenes, Aristarchus of Samos, Conon, and Hipparchus advanced astronomy, mathematics, and physics, laying foundations that remain essential to modern science.
The exhibition also emphasizes the pioneering engineers Ktesibios, Philon of Byzantium, and Heron of Alexandria, whose inventions introduced principles of automation, hydraulics, and pneumatics, leading to the creation of the world’s first automatic machines and mechanical devices. Many of these innovations survived through later Arabic translations and spread across Europe, contributing decisively to the scientific awakening of the Renaissance.
Through functional reconstructions, visitors discover how the achievements of the ancient Greek world, combining scientific theory and technological ingenuity, laid the foundations of modern technology.