300?-200? B.C.

Greek Physicist and Inventor

Ctesibius (also spelled Ktesibios) was a Greek physicist and inventor who was probably born in Alexandria sometime around 300 B.C.. He was the first of many Greeks to become part of the great ancient engineering tradition in Alexandria, Egypt, and, as such, was the influential predecessor to many subsequent inventors. While he was an enthusiastic and prolific inventor, he is most famous for two particular inventions. The first was an improvement of the clepsydra or water clock, by which time was kept with dripping water maintained at a constant rate. The second invention was the hydraulis or water organ, a mechanized device in which air was forced by water through organ pipes to produce sounds.

Like many of the significant individuals from antiquity, very little is known about the life of Ctesibius. There are no direct sources...