Archimedes Archimedes was born in Syracuse, Sicily in 287 B.C. and died there in 212 B.C.. He was a great inventor and mathematician who helped develop the science of geometry as well as being the first scientist to realize the power of the lever. He was also known for inventing the compound pulley, Archimedes' screw, and most importantly he discovered the surface area and volume of a sphere and a method for calculating Pi. Archimedes is considered to be the greatest mathematician of ancient times and to this day we still use many of his inventions and mathematical methods. The most popular story about Archimedes relates to his discovery of his principle of Bouyancy. The