The reception of electric theories during the dawn of neohellenic scientific thought / George N. Vlahakis.
Abstract:
This paper examines the gradual development of electricity in Greece during the 18th century. Although electricity had never been valued by Greek scholars to the degree that mechanics had, it is proved that it finally received the interest worthy of a major field of scientific endeavour. In our study we present the various theories on the nature of electricity described by Greek scientists, identify the principal phenomena and demonstrate the experimental character of this branch of physical thought. Finally we show that the texts by Greek scholars during the early period of the Neohellenic Renaissance, namely before 1800, largely lack a theoretical discussion of electrical phenomena, while other disciplines such as optics, heat and mechanics were treated both on a theoretical and an experimental basis
Nuncius A. 13, fasc. 2 (1998), p. 513-532