Storiascopio · Era 5 of 12 · primary year 5
Euclid writes the Elements
about 300 BC · Alexandria, Egypt
In short
Euclid taught mathematics in Alexandria, in Egypt, the new city founded by Alexander. In his “Elements”, divided into thirteen books, he gathered and put in order what was known about geometry and numbers. He started from a few simple rules, called postulates, and from there proved hundreds of propositions step by step. It is said that when King Ptolemy asked for an easier way, Euclid replied that there is no royal shortcut to geometry.
Why it matters The “Elements” were used as a school textbook for more than two thousand years.
Source: Treccani, entry “Euclide”
Where we are in the era “Ancient Greece”
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about 800 BCEvent 22 of 25about 100 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/euclid-writes-the-elements/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class