One of the most famous stories about Archimedes of Syracuse (287–212 B.C.) involves a bathtub. As recounted by the Roman architect Vitruvius (90–20 B.C.), the tale has Archimedes pondering the problem of determining the volume of a sacred wreath. The wreath was supposedly made of pure gold, and Archimedes had to determine whether the goldsmith had replaced some of the gold with silver.
While thinking about the problem, Archimedes happened to go to a bathhouse. As he was sitting down in the tub, he noticed that the amount of water that spilled out of the full tub was equal to the amount by which his body was immersed. According to Vitruvius, Archimedes was so delighted with his discovery and its role in solving the wreath problem that he ran naked through the streets toward his home, repeatedly shouting, “Eureka, eureka!”