Geek of the Week: Eratosthenes

As we make our way across Africa, we take a moment of silence for the lost Library of Alexandria. This Egyptian library was one of the greatest muggle libraries of antiquity and burned to the ground, taking with it any number of cultural texts which may never be recovered.

One of the library's Head Librarians (an enviable job for any Ravenclaw) was Eratosthenes, a Greek scholar. In this role, Eratosthenes expanded the holdings of the library to stave off any competitors, duplicating every book in Alexandria. His duties also included tutoring the children of the Pharoah Ptolemy.

Beyond his work with the library, Eratosthenes was an incredibly well-rounded scholar, making him a true Ravenclaw in spirit. Mathematics, Geography, Poetry, Astronomy, and Music Theory were all areas of interest, earning him the nickname "Beta" because he was talented at many things, but never considered the best. 

That nickname is ill-suited, however, because we now consider Eratosthenes to be the father of geography. He invented the geographical terminology that we use today and was the first person to calculate the circumference of the Earth. The field that Eratosthenes founded will prove useful on our road trip this summer, and his scholarly pursuits make him a worthy Geek of the Week.

Learn more about Eratosthenes on Wikipedia.