What is a compass - every student knows. Without it, geometry lessons, drawing. Each student of a technical university has kits for the workshop. But who invented this instrument, how did the compass appear? The fact that they draw circles is understandable from the Latin word circulus, from which came the name of the instrument. When did the compass appear in mankind?
Myths and legends of ancient Greece
The legends of ancient Greece briefly narrate how the compass appeared. Each of us knows the story of Daedalus and his son Icarus. But few heard that Daedalus also had his nephew Talos, the son of his sister. The talent of invention was in their blood: the nephew left after his death two rods, interconnected and able to draw an ideal circle. This was the first compass.
Talos invented the potter's wheel when he was only 12 years old. He also owns the creation of the saw: this is his feat skeleton of fish. If it were not for the death of Talos at a young age, many instruments or mechanisms known to us would have appeared much earlier. But historians claim that the instrument is at least 3 thousand years old. Assyrians and Babylonians used compasses and a ruler in architecture, depicting straight lines and regular circles, on temples, walls of houses, on dishes and goblets. History does not name a specific source telling about how the compass appeared, but without it it was impossible to draw an even circle neither three thousand years ago, nor now.
Finds of archaeologists
Archaeologists, during excavations, find various evidence of the ancient origin of the compass. Studying the ancient mound, archaeologists in France found an iron instrument that was at least 2 thousand years old. The Greek city of Pompeii, buried under the ashes, was a confirmation of the antiquity of the compass: under the ashes many of these tools made of bronze were found. But similar findings occurred on the territory of Russia: during excavations in Novgorod, archaeologists discovered a compass - a steel cutter. Why did the Novgorodians serve the tools? In ancient times, in Russia, they liked the patterns from the regular circles, and they applied them using this tool.
About how the compass appeared, the history of its origin in these places - all this is unknown. Trade relations with Byzantium were established by the Prophetic Oleg: thus, other interesting devices could appear in Russia. An interesting fact remains that the design of the tool has not changed. Over the centuries of using the compass, only nozzles were added to its base, which strengthened the stylus and lengthened its legs.
Construction and architecture
The modernization of the tool allows you to increase the circumference to 60 cm, with the initial growth of the compass - 12 cm. For those involved in the design, drawings, a compass is very necessary: to build arcs, even circles without it is difficult. In ancient temples it is especially clearly visible that since the compass appeared, the design of buildings and domes has become ideal. On the facade of the ancient Georgian temple Svetitskhoveli you can see the image of the architect’s hand, behind which the instrument is visible.
Architects, civil engineers are the main users of the tool, without which you can’t build anything. A compass and a square are drawing devices used by designers. Without them, arched buildings, stained glass windows in temples of the Middle Ages would not have been created: at Notre Dame de Paris or Saint Vitus Cathedral in Prague.
Tool variety
As the compass appeared, a summary of the legend of the invention is all described above. It is said that his design remained unchanged. But one cannot but notice that many analogues of the classical compass have appeared. They are intended not only for drawing circles, but also for other purposes. For example, a marking compass: with it, linear marking is transferred. Or a caliper. It is needed so that it is possible to draw such small circles that can be 2 mm in diameter. If you need a drawing made in carcass, the stylus is easily replaced by a drawing pen.
Caliper - for measuring circles of different diameters. To scale on a map, a proportional compass is required. Cartographers, sailors, navigators - all use this unique tool. There is also a tool called "Navigator".
Use in medicine
Ever since the compass appeared, it has not undergone fundamental changes, but the scope of its application has expanded significantly. Medicine is a science in which different types of this tool are used. There is a fat compass: it is large and small. They serve to measure the body and head of a person, his transverse dimensions. Using a caliper, the thickness of the subcutaneous fat is measured. It is especially often used in obstetric practice: the size of the pelvis of pregnant women is measured. The Weber compass is already a tool of psychophysiologists: it measures the threshold of human skin sensitivity.
Astronomy and symbolic use
In our firmament there is also a constellation called the Compass. It is located in the southern hemisphere, very close to the constellation α-Centaurus. It is very small. It is impossible to observe over the territory of Russia. The Greek patroness of astronomy - the goddess of Urania, has a symbolic designation in the form of a globe and a compass.
Since the compass appeared, it has become a symbol of justice. Like a square, a circle means the limits of straight lines. The mere figure of a circle with a dot in the center is justice and the source of life. Well-known to all as masons or masons, they took two important engineering tools into their emblem - a square and a pair of compasses, combining their images. They symbolize the earth and sky, and in the center - the letter "G": a geometer or the Supreme Being.
The Chinese use a compass image that symbolizes their correct behavior. The Chinese emperor Fo-hee, who was considered immortal, used compasses in his paraphernalia, and his sister - a square. And together they mean "yin" and "yang": the harmony of life.
Since ancient times, the square was considered a symbol of the physical body of a person, and the circle - his spiritual condition. Thus, the circle outlined by the compass is a symbol of the perfection of the human soul.