Greek Laser of Death - Archimedes

[Jona Lendering]

Burning mirrors are debatable but e working model of the "claw" was reconstructed in the university Sicily from a group composed of historians and engineers.

I have seen photos of a model of it, which was quite spectacular. I am glad to learn it has had a follow up.

Philip Rance gave a most entertaining lecture on the subject at the Second International Conference on Hellenistic Warfare, held in Valencia (Spain) in October 2005. Here's his summary:

The Roman conquest of Syracuse in 213-11 BC is recorded as one of the greatest set-piece sieges of the Hellenistic age, not least because of the contribution of the mathematician and engineer Archimedes to the defence of his native city. Among the many machines and devices with which he is credited, a tradition maintains that Archimedes burned the Roman fleet by directing the sun's rays using a mirror or mirrors. This tale has prompted many speculative reconstructions, and did so even in Antiquity, for the most part undertaken by scientists and historians of science seeking to determine by what means Archimedes might have devised a solar ray-gun.
This paper will take a literary approach to the problem, examining the evidence for Archimedes' burning-mirrors from the earliest account of the siege (Polybius) and its direct or indirect derivatives (Livy, Silius Italicus, Plutarch) and tracing the stages of its development through the misconceptions, misreadings and elaborations of Roman and Byzantine authors (Galen, ps.-Lucian, Apuleius, Cassius Dio, Zonaras, Tzetzes). This historical tradition at times drew upon a parallel tradition of Hellenistic and Byzantine mathematical and optical texts (especially Anthemius of Tralles), including a sub-genre of geometrical treatises "On Burning-Mirrors" (Peri Pyreion). The paper concludes with a brief consideration of the overall portrayal of Archimedes in the "Archimedean tradition", and conjectures that the ultimate origin of the legend may lie in Archimedes' attested interest in optics and authorship of a lost Catoptrica.

Unfortunately, the conference proceedings are not yet published.

As fat as I know, Polybius has no account of burning mirrors, and nor have Livy and Plutarch. What have I missed? Am I mistaken?

[AntonivsMarivsCongianocvs]

Since we slipped into a discussion about Archimedes claw… I was able to find a few references of the claw… although in reality, it was more like a hook. Very cleaver idea too!

Actually, the Romans so feared Archimedes and his inventions that they sent the army looking for him, to capture him specifically. A Roman Centurion found Archimedes but Archimedes refused to go with him, in anger the Centurion killed him.



[url:2olrreql]https://www.math.nyu.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/Claw/claw_landels.jpg[/url]

Another more simple Animation:
[url:2olrreql]https://www.math.nyu.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/Claw/trebuchet/claw_trebuchet.gif[/url]

[url:2olrreql]http://physics.weber.edu/carroll/Archimedes/claw.htm[/url]

[D B Campbell]

As far as I know, Polybius has no account of burning mirrors, and nor have Livy and Plutarch. What have I missed? Am I mistaken?

No, you're quite right, Jona. The burning-mirrors arrive in the Byzantine accounts. Rance has an explanation for this (which escapes my memory now).

[D B Campbell]

Actually, the Romans so feared Archimedes and his inventions that they sent the army looking for him, to capture him specifically. A Roman Centurion found Archimedes but Archimedes refused to go with him, in anger the Centurion killed him.

You are quite right that, during the siege, the Romans became terrified at the thought of Archimedean machines. But, according to the primary sources, it was out of fascination (rather than fear) that Marcellus wished to track down the mathematician, and he was killed (not out of fear but out of ignorance) by a common soldier.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Well, I did see a reconstruction on a tv show(not myth busters) and they did manage to set fire to a wooden boat! Or it's sails and some of the wood......but anyway, there was smoke, and mirrors....and fire! Honest!

[caiusbeerquitius]

I saw that too. Was a professor, If I remember correctly, who made several reconstruction of Archimedes´ inventions, also a steam cannon, which was quite impressive.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes I recall he was a professor too, but I missed the steam cannon!

[Memmia]

I think Adam Hart- Davies reconstructed this on a small scale and succeeded on 'What the Ancients did for us'.
He's a scientist not a historian, but is quite passionate (or appears to be anyhow ) about ancient philosophers and inventors.

He used concave mirrors (I think) to concentrate the sunlight and small boats made out of lollipop sticks.

[Anonymous]

Never ask a man if he comes from Yorkshire; if he does, his accent will give him away before you ask and, should he keep silence (a feat impossible to most Yorkshiremen) you will have his whippet as evidence. If he does not, why offer such an outrageous degree of gratuitous offence?"

Your original, attributed to Canon Smyth, has also been applied to Texas. I think your man plagiarised it.

[Jeroen Pelgrom]

also a steam cannon

the steam cannon also appeared in an Mythbuster episode. They got it working at the end!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That I did see! :lol:

[D B Campbell]

... they did manage to set fire to a wooden boat! Or its sails and some of the wood......but anyway, there was smoke, and mirrors....and fire! Honest!

Of course, the point is that Archimedes never used mirrors for this purpose. The story was dreamt up much later.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I see. I had always put it in the realms of medieval fantasy, until I caught that program...... :evil: Bloody TV!