Isidore of Miletus facts for kids
Isidore of Miletus (Greek: Ἰσίδωρος ὁ Μιλήσιος; Latin: Isidorus Miletus) was a very important Byzantine Greek architect, mathematician, and physicist. He was one of the two main people (the other was Anthemius of Tralles) chosen by Emperor Justinian I to design the famous cathedral Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. This huge building was constructed between 532 and 537 AD. Isidore was born around 475 AD. He is also known for putting together an important collection of Archimedes' works.
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About Isidore of Miletus
Isidore of Miletus was a well-known scientist and mathematician even before Emperor Justinian I hired him. He taught stereometry (which is about the measurement of solid shapes) and physics. He taught at universities in Alexandria and later in Constantinople. Isidore also wrote a commentary on an older book about vaulting, which is the building of arched roofs. He is famous for creating the first full collection of Archimedes' works. This collection, known as the Archimedes palimpsest, still exists today.
His Teachings and Writings
Most of Isidore's work that we still have today are his edits and comments on older Greek math books. For example, he checked and updated some of Archimedes' writings. He also worked on Book XV of Euclid's Elements, a famous geometry book.
Some historians, like Alan Cameron, believe Isidore had a "School of Isidore." Besides his work on buildings, Isidore taught a lot about math and geometry. We know about his teaching mainly from the works of his students, like Eutocius, rather than from his own writings. It seems Isidore didn't publish much of his own work. He preferred to teach, and once he understood something, he didn't feel the need to write it down. Because of this, Cameron suggests that Isidore helped bring back interest in ancient mathematicians in Constantinople and Alexandria around 510 AD.
Isidore also wrote his own comments on a book by Hero of Alexandria called "On Vaulting." This book talked about how to build and design vaults using geometry. Even though Isidore's commentary is lost, Eutocius mentioned it in his own writings. Eutocius also said that Isidore invented a special compass. This compass was designed to draw parabolas (a type of curve) much more accurately than previous methods. One important use for Isidore's invention was to solve the problem of doubling the volume of a cube. This was done by drawing two parabolas and finding where they crossed. Isidore also showed how parabolas could be used in building strong and beautiful vaults.
Building the Hagia Sophia
Emperor Justinian I decided to rebuild the Hagia Sophia after a big riot in Constantinople, the capital city of the Roman Empire. The first church was built in 360 AD and updated between 404 and 415 AD. However, it was badly damaged in 532 AD during the Nika Riot. During this riot, many important buildings, including the church, were burned down.
The Nika Riot was caused by rival groups in Constantinople, called the Blues and the Greens. These groups supported different teams in chariot races and often became violent. More than 30,000 people were killed in the Nika Riot. Emperor Justinian I wanted to make sure his new church would not burn down again. So, he hired architects to build it mostly from stone and mortar, instead of wood. Construction of the Hagia Sophia began very quickly after the riots ended. Some people think Justinian had his architects start planning the new church even before the riots stopped.
Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles planned the main hall of the Hagia Sophia to be very large. It was about 70 by 75 meters (230 x 250 feet). This made it the biggest church in Constantinople at the time. The original dome was also very impressive. Justinian wanted the new Hagia Sophia to be one of the largest, most beautiful, and most expensive buildings ever.
Even though Isidore and Anthemius were not formally trained as architects, they were brilliant scientists. They were able to manage the huge project of bringing thousands of workers and massive amounts of rare raw materials from all over the Roman Empire. They got stone from places as far away as Egypt, Syria, and Libya. They even used columns from several temples in Rome. The finished building was truly amazing. It is believed that Isidore did a lot of the work on the domes of the Hagia Sophia. This was because of his deep knowledge of vaults and his commentary "On Vaulting."
The architects of the Hagia Sophia cleverly combined two different building styles. They used the long shape of a Roman basilica and the central design of a dome supported by a drum. This design was meant to help the building withstand the strong earthquakes common in the Marmara Region. However, in May 558 AD, about 20 years after the church was finished, parts of the central dome collapsed after some earthquakes. Isidore of Miletus' nephew, Isidore the Younger, designed the new dome that we see in the Hagia Sophia today in Istanbul, Turkey. The original dome did not have ribs, but Isidore the Younger added them when he repaired the church.
Later, after another big earthquake in 989 AD damaged the dome, a Byzantine official asked Trdat the Architect to come and help with repairs. The dome was fully repaired by 994 AD.
Sources
- Cameron, Alan (Spring 1990). Isidore of Miletus and Hypatia: On the Editing of Mathematical Texts (Volume 31, Issue 1). Cambridge: Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies.
- Martines, Giangiacomo (2014). "Isidore's Compass: A Scholium by Eutocius on Hero's Treatise On Vaulting". Nuncius: Journal of the Material and Visual History of Science: 279-311
- Podles, Mary Elizabeth (May 2021). "A Thousand Words Hagia Sophia, Church of the Holy Wisdom". Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity.
- Cavendish, Richard (December 2013). "Church of Hagia Sophia reconsecrated". History Today.
See also
In Spanish: Isidoro de Mileto para niños
