Also, we really should not forget the post-classical but pre-renaissance technologists of the Arab world. e.g. http://www.muslimheritage.com/article/automata-review-exhibi...

The "hellenocentric" narrative can inadvertently contribute to bias against other very nearby civilizations that communicated with them and contributed to the technologies.

There's an interesting text on parabolas called "On burning mirrors" by Diocles which comes to us only through an Arabic translation:

http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic1065183.files/Too...