Archimedes Death Ray

**Bartix** · 10-13-2005, 14:38

http://web.mit.edu/2.009/www/lecture...desResult.html

Ancient Greek and Roman historians recorded that during the siege of Syracuse in 212 BC, Archimedes (a notably smart person) constructed a burning glass to set the Roman warships, anchored within bow and arrow range, afire. The story has been much debated and oft dismissed as myth.

TV's MythBusters were not able to replicate the feat and “busted” the myth.

Intrigued by the idea and an intuitive belief that it could work, MIT's 2.009ers decided to apply the early product development ‘sketch or soft modeling’ process to the problem.

**Seamus Fermanagh** · 10-13-2005, 15:11

Originally Posted by Bartix

http://web.mit.edu/2.009/www/lecture...desResult.html

Interesting. The long time frame for ignition makes clear why it was probably not a successful weapon -- even if Archy pulled it off a time or two.

Seamus

**Kraxis** · 10-13-2005, 15:41

If he did pull it off once or twice it is certainly not too far off for the Romans to be scared like nothing else.

**Goalie** · 04-18-2006, 04:43

mythbuster is an awesome show

**Ironside** · 04-18-2006, 08:09

I'm guessing that you haven't seen the mythbuster episode were they invited this group and tried again on a water soaked ship that was in the water.

They could get smoke but no fire and that was on a focus range were other weapons could work.

**dracosean** · 04-18-2006, 11:06

they also said that the historical contex was a nail in the contex because they said when the first recording of the battle took place their was no death ray or even fire in the battle.

**Seamus Fermanagh** · 08-11-2006, 18:41

We might get some new insight into just how bright a chap Archy was...

http://www.physorg.com/news73759469.html

**edyzmedieval** · 08-11-2006, 18:45

Thanks for the info Tiberius.

Maybe I should try this at home too... Vat daz diz buton du?

**The Spartan (Returns)** · 08-13-2006, 16:10

yes. but it didnt stop the Romans from conquering Syracuse.
i like to call it the Mirror Tower.

**hoom** · 08-14-2006, 00:11

the Romans were in fact scared. Very scared. In the end, all they did was starve Syracuse out.

No they didn't. Well, they did for a while, then they did a successful surprise attack during a festival when the walls were unmanned.

A point to bear in mind with modern attempts to test the 'death ray' is that Archimedes understood focus length, knew how to make lenses & concave mirrors & had access to plenty of manpower used to working in teams.
Meanwhile for budgetary reasons most modern teams use flat mirrors with limited manpower resulting in difficulties in achieving a proper focus on the target (& thus lack of ignition)

**cunctator** · 08-14-2006, 20:33

The Romans were in fact scared. Very scared. In the end, all they did was starve Syracuse out.

It should be noted that neither Polybios nor Livius, while praising Archimedes ingenuity, his artillery and the machine to lift a ship on his prow, don't loose a single word about the "deathray". I think the first source that's talking about it is from the 5th century AD.