A 17th centuiry painting of the Claw of Archimedes by Giulio Parigi, taking the name “iron hand” literally
A Formidable War Machine: Construction and Operation of Archimedes’ Iron Hand
Chris Rorres and Harry G. Harris (Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA)
Paper given at the Symposium on Extraordinary Machines and Structures in Antiquity August 19-24, 2001 – Olympia, Greece
Abstract
Twenty-three centuries ago in the Sicilian city of Syracuse, the Greek mathematician Archimedes was called upon by his king to design war machines that could fend off enemies set to invade this Greek city-state. Among the numerous war machines designed by Archimedes was the fearsome Iron Hand, a device so terrifying that it became the primary defense for Syracuse against an invading Roman fleet in 213 BC.
According to ancient historians, the Iron Hand (or Claw, as it was also termed) was a grappling hook suspended from a huge lever that caught the bow of a ship as it approached the city wall. It then jerked the bow skyward, shaking the ship while suspended and then suddenly releasing the hook, causing the ship to crash into the water or onto the rocks below the wall. Thus the Roman ship was smashed apart and the crew hurled into the sea. So effective was the Iron Hand that the Romans were forced to abandon their sea invasion plan and to pursue a longterm blockade.
Throughout the ages, tales of Archimedes’ defense of Syracuse grew more and more imaginative, and the proposed design of his Iron Hand grew less and less plausible. Here we present an investigation of Archimedes’ Iron Hand that is firmly based on the earliest historical descriptions of it, specifically the writings of Polybius (circa 200-118 BC), Livy (59 BC-AD 17), and Plutarch (circa AD 45-120). Our investigation focuses on descriptions of other war machines that (like the Iron Hand) utilized levers, cranes, and grappling hooks. These historical investigations are supplemented with a structural analysis of the types of materials available to build them in ancient Sicily as well as a review of construction techniques used at the time. Finally, we present visuals of our Iron Hand and Roman quinquereme models which were constructed and tested at Drexel University’s Structural Models Laboratory.
A Formidable War Machine: Construction and Operation of Archimedes’ Iron Hand
Chris Rorres and Harry G. Harris (Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA)
Paper given at the Symposium on Extraordinary Machines and Structures in Antiquity August 19-24, 2001 – Olympia, Greece
Abstract
Twenty-three centuries ago in the Sicilian city of Syracuse, the Greek mathematician Archimedes was called upon by his king to design war machines that could fend off enemies set to invade this Greek city-state. Among the numerous war machines designed by Archimedes was the fearsome Iron Hand, a device so terrifying that it became the primary defense for Syracuse against an invading Roman fleet in 213 BC.
According to ancient historians, the Iron Hand (or Claw, as it was also termed) was a grappling hook suspended from a huge lever that caught the bow of a ship as it approached the city wall. It then jerked the bow skyward, shaking the ship while suspended and then suddenly releasing the hook, causing the ship to crash into the water or onto the rocks below the wall. Thus the Roman ship was smashed apart and the crew hurled into the sea. So effective was the Iron Hand that the Romans were forced to abandon their sea invasion plan and to pursue a longterm blockade.
Throughout the ages, tales of Archimedes’ defense of Syracuse grew more and more imaginative, and the proposed design of his Iron Hand grew less and less plausible. Here we present an investigation of Archimedes’ Iron Hand that is firmly based on the earliest historical descriptions of it, specifically the writings of Polybius (circa 200-118 BC), Livy (59 BC-AD 17), and Plutarch (circa AD 45-120). Our investigation focuses on descriptions of other war machines that (like the Iron Hand) utilized levers, cranes, and grappling hooks. These historical investigations are supplemented with a structural analysis of the types of materials available to build them in ancient Sicily as well as a review of construction techniques used at the time. Finally, we present visuals of our Iron Hand and Roman quinquereme models which were constructed and tested at Drexel University’s Structural Models Laboratory.
Click here to read this article from New York University
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