Technology Lost to Time VIII.V: Archimedes, Claws, & Death Rays

by | Jul 19, 2022 | History, Physics, Story, Technology

Welcome back! Here, we’ll focus on the legendary siege weaponry designed by Archimedes as well as tackle some of the last theoretical work of his that we know about in the realms of geometry and physics! Starting with the siege weaponry…
The Archimedes Claw
Also known as “The Iron Hand”, it was said to have been a lever and pulley system designed by Archimedes, who by this time was known for such mechanisms, that could either lift ships out of the air after grabbing them by the keel to tip them or tear apart the rigging of the masts and sails to sink the ships, sending them and their imperiled crews to sleep with the fishes. This would have taken place during the Siege of Syracuse in 214 BC, led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus towards the end of Archimedes’ life. It is here when the aging inventor distinguished himself as a genius in mechanics despite his inherent and somewhat ironic disgust at the “practical nature” they took on, preferring his Platonic Theoretics to Aristotelian Pragmatism, where I believe he shined bright. It is also here when Marcellus utters the infamous line:

Painting of the Claw of Archimedes by Giulio Parigi, taking the name "Iron Hand" literally

“Archimedes uses my ships to ladle seawater into his winecups.” -Marcus Claudius Marcellus

Believed to have been a type of crane with a grappling hook attached, it would have supposedly dropped an attacking ship like a claw, or grappled its rigging, to capsize it. The 60 quintriremes facing down the Claw would not have had a fun day when this thing descended from the sky.

The Archimedes Death Ray
You read that right. A death ray. The madman supposedly made a death ray out of some mirrors with a parabola to focus the solar energy to heat a singular point, then aiming it at the sails of oncoming ships, set the rigging ablaze. It was first mentioned by Roman historian Lucian and was acknowledged by neither Livy nor Plutarch.Of all the inventions this man is credited with, the Death Ray is the unlikeliest to have ever existed.

Painting of the Archimedes Death Ray.(Artist Unkown)

It’s possible that the light from the mirrors was simply intended to blind sailors if indeed a contraption like this did exist, but I have a hard time seeing how it could have set the wood of a quintrireme ablaze if not having started with the sails or perhaps some other exploitable and flammable weakness to be found on deck. It is a testament to his genius that this legend is so prevalent, however.

The Stingers of Archimedes’ Scorpions

The Oxybeles circa 375 BCE

As fantastical as these other machines are, we of course have absolutely no idea about their legitimacy outside the annals of fanciful myth. The Scorpions, on the other hand, would have been some deadly pieces of work that we actually do know about. These were defenses designed by Archimedes scattered throughout the city of Syracuse to hurl smaller and smaller objects at the invading Romans in a series of demoralizing barrages that would have racked quite a kill count throughout their use. This is aside from the massive stone throwers also designed by the genius mathematician that would have also been strategically placed along the walls to stop an advance in its tracks.

The Oxybeles was believed to have served as an inspiration of Archimedes’ Scorpions he used in the Second Punic War.

Polybius stated that the operators of these machines, which were placed at junctions all across the walls that provided enough cover for return fire, could change the range of the weapons to target ships that would have believed themselves out of range. What a disappointment that must’ve been.

Due to the length of THIS article as well, I’ll go ahead and parcel out the theoretical work of Archimedes in a later post. Thanks!