Ancient Siege Engines
JOSEPHUS, FLAVIUS : Jewish historian. Born A.D. 37 ; died about the
year 100. Wrote the history of the Jewish wars and also Jewish antiquities.
Josephus, acting as commander of the besieged, bravely defended Jotapata,
A.D. 67, against the Roman general Vespasian. He was also present with
the Roman army during the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, A.D. 70.
LEONARDO
DA VINCI : Italian painter. Born 1445; died 1520. In the immense volume
of sketches and MSS. by this famous artist, which is preserved at Milan
and entitled ' II Codice Atlantico,' there are several drawings of siege
engines.
LIPSIUS, JUSTUS: Historian. Born 1547; died 1606.
MEZERAY, FRANCOIS E. DE : French historian. Born 1610; died 1683. Published
' Histoire de France,' 1643-1651.
NAPOLEON III. : ' Etudes sur 1'artillerie,' compiled by order of the
Emperor and containing many drawings of the full-sized models of siege
engines made by his orders, with interesting and scientific criticism of
their power and effect.
PHILON OF BYZANTIUM : A writer on and inventor of warlike and other
engines. Lived shortly after the time of Archimedes (Archimedes died 212
B.C.) : was a contemporary of Ctesibius, who lived in the reign of Ptolemy
Physcon, B.C. 170-117 (vide Thevenot).
PLUTARCH : Biographer and historian. Time of birth and death unknown.
He was a young man, A.D. 66.
POLYBIUS : Military historian. Born about B.C. 204. His history commences
B.C. 220 and concludes B.C. 146. The most interesting edition is the one
translated into French by Vincent Thuillier with a commentary by de Folard,
1727-1730.
PROCOPIUS : Byzantine historian. Born about 500; died 565. The best
edition is that of L. Dindorf, 1833-1838.
RAMELLI, AGOSTINO : Italian engineer. Born about 1531 ; died 1590. Published
a work on projectile and other engines, 1588.
TACITUS, CORNELIUS : Roman historian. Born about A.D. 61.
THEVENOT, MELCHISEDECH, 1620-1692 : Edited a book called ' Mathematici
Veteres,' containing several treatises on the mechanics and siege operations
of the ancients, including the construction and management of their projectile
engines. In this book are to be found the writings on the subject of military
engines that were compiled by Athensus, Apollodorus, Biton, Heron and Philon.
Thevenot was King's librarian to Louis XIV. After his death the manuscript
of ' Mathematici Veteres,' or ' The Ancient Mathematicians,' was revised,
and published by La Hire in 1693. The book was again edited by Boivin,
an official in the King's library, who lived 1663-1726 |