Andronicus of Cyrrhus
Andronicus of Cyrrhus or Andronicus Cyrrhestes (Greek: Ἀνδρόνικος Κυρρήστου, Andrónikos Kyrrhēstou), son of Hermias, was a Greek astronomer best known as the architect of the horologion at Athens called the Tower of the Winds.[1] Andronicus also built a multifaced sundial in the sanctuary of Poseidon on the Greek island of Tinos. He flourished about 100 BC.
Life
He built a horologion at Athens, the so-called Tower of the Winds, a considerable portion of which still exists. It is octagonal, with figures carved on each side, representing the eight principal winds.[2] In antiquity a bronze figure of Triton on the summit, with a rod in his hand, turned round by the wind, pointed to the quarter from which it blew. From this model is derived the custom of placing weather cocks on steeples.[3]
Notes
- "Andronicus of Cyrrhus | Greek astronomer". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- Joseph V. Noble; Derek J. de Solla Price: The Water Clock in the Tower of the Winds, American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4 (1968), p353.
- Chisholm 1911, p. 23.
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Andronicus of Cyrrhus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 976.