Andronic (astronomer)

Athens Wind Tower

Andronicus of Cyrus ( Greek Ανδρόνικος Κυρρήστου ), also known as Andronicus of Cyrus, son of Germia, a Greek astronomer who lived in the 1st century BC. e.

Very little is known about his life and work. It is known that he built a meteorological observatory in Athens , the so-called Tower of the Winds , which has partially survived to date. This is the octagonal tower of Pentelicon marble on the Roman agora, with figures carved on each side, symbolizing the eight main winds. In ancient times, the tower was crowned with a weather vane in the form of the god Triton with a rod in his hand, which turned and indicated with the rod the direction of the wind. Inside the tower, clepsydra was built, which was fed by water from the acropolis .