Archimedes, (born c. 290–280 B.C.E, Syracuse, Sicily [now in Italy]—died 212/211 B.C.E, Syracuse), the most famous mathematician and inventor of ancient Greece. Archimedes is especially important for his discovery of the relation between the surfaceand volume of a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder. He is known for his formulation of a hydro static principle (known as Archimedes principal) and a device for raising water, still used in developing countries, known as the Archimedes Screw .