Archimedes, reportedly annoyed by the interruption, told the soldier, Enraged by the old man's perceived arrogance, the soldier killed him on the spot. Marcellus was said to be devastated by the news and gave Archimedes a burial befitting a hero. Historical Legacy
This was a massive crane equipped with a grappling hook. When Roman ships got too close to the city walls, the Claw would swing out, hook the prow of the ship, lift it vertically out of the water, and then drop it. The resulting impact would capsize or shatter the vessels. The Great War of Archimedes
The Roman soldiers became so terrified of these "mathematical" attacks that General Marcellus famously remarked, "Archimedes uses our ships to ladle his wine." Plutarch wrote that if the Romans saw so much as a piece of rope or wood projecting over the wall, they would flee in a panic, convinced Archimedes was about to unleash some new mechanical horror. The Fall of Syracuse Archimedes, reportedly annoyed by the interruption, told the
As the Roman fleet approached, they expected a standard siege. Instead, they encountered what modern historians call "The Archimedean Defense." When Roman ships got too close to the
Though debated by modern skeptics, ancient accounts (like those of Lucian) claim Archimedes used a series of large, polished bronze shields to focus sunlight onto Roman sails, setting the fleet ablaze from a distance.