Aristarchus of Samos (Ἀρίσταρχος ὁ Σάμιος) was an ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician who flourished around 280 BCE [1]. He was a student of Strato of Lampsacus, connecting him to the Lyceum and the early Hellenistic scientific tradition [2]. Beyond this association, few biographical details survive.

Only one of his works survives complete: On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon (Περὶ μεγεθῶν καὶ ἀποστημάτων ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης), a geometrical treatise calculating celestial distances from lunar phases [1][2]. He is most famous for his heliocentric hypothesis, which placed the Sun at the center of the cosmos with a revolving Earth. This revolutionary model is not preserved in his own writings but is reported by later authors like Archimedes and Plutarch [1][2].

Aristarchus holds a pivotal place in the history of astronomy for this early heliocentric theory, a radical departure from dominant geocentric models [1][2]. Though not accepted in antiquity, it was a profound conceptual leap. His surviving work exemplifies the application of rigorous geometry to astronomy, establishing a foundational methodology for later Greek science [1][2].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Aristarchus of Samos): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristarchus-samos/ 2. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Aristarchus of Samos): https://iep.utm.edu/aristarchus-samos/ 3. Encyclopædia Britannica (Aristarchus of Samos): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aristarchus-of-Samos 4. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Aristarchus of Samos): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-752