How Did the Ancient Greeks Tell Time Without a Clock?

The Greeks used the sun and shadows to tell time. Imagine a big stick in the ground, when it casts a shadow, that’s like a clock hand! In the morning, the shadow is long; at noon, it’s short. People would watch how the shadow moved all day and use that to know what time it was.

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Examples

The Greeks watched the shadow from a stick to know it was time for lunch.
A boy used the movement of the gnomon to tell when his race would start.
At night, water moved from one cup to another like a quiet clock ticking in the dark.

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Categories: History · ancient Greece,timekeeping,history of science,sun and moon,inventions