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Archemedies claw (Read 8300 times)

Douglas_The_Black

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Archemedies claw
May 11^th, 2005 at 7:23pm

i just got this book and it mentions Archemedies claws. (it might not be Archemedies it might be someone else i dont have the book on me now.) Archemedies made this giant lever that had a hook tied to a rope, and the hook would be droped into the water. This was all mounted on the docks or something. NOW here is where it gets a little odd. when an enemy ship would sail over the hook guys would then pull on this rope picking the ship out of the water shaking it a little then droping it back into sea, usaly the front of the ship going under and taking every thing with it.

i will mostlikely have the book back by tomorrow ill get some pic's and the right name.

i live in a maze of typo's&&&& popularity is for dolls a hero cannot be popular-Ralph Waldo Emerson&&&&DTB-master of the corny vest, and crappy carpet!

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Leeds_Lobber

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Re: Archemedies claw
Reply #1 - May 11^th, 2005 at 8:45pm

Archimedes it was, he reputedly used it against the Romans at the siege of Syracuse. Few years back a BBC TV program had a woman archaologist and a builder trying to recreate it. They did the usual stupid 'only three days to make it in ' thing to try and add some spurious excitement. What they came up with worked - so long as the boat was very small, and the crew were willing to sit still for 20 minutes while they got caught, then sit still for another 10 while they were lifted. Convinced by it I was not. Something more like a counterweight system was suggested but would have taken too long to build I guess!

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Lionheart

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Re: Archemedies claw
Reply #2 - May 12^th, 2005 at 2:48pm

Archemides made some great devices for the defense of that island, in cluding the 'claw', and a huge mirror which burned ships. I wonder why that was never used in Crusader seiges; fired at a wooden gate to burn it to cinders, or moved over the top of walls, catching defenders in the heat. If made with the right mirror shape it could be made to fire at ranges far exceeding any other seige weaponry.
Rik

I'm slinging in the rain, such a glorious feeling...

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Douglas_The_Black Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Hakkaa päälle! Posts: 3491 Salineville Ohio Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #3 - May 12^th, 2005 at 6:02pm "a huge mirror which burned ships" they say that is a mith
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S_ALLEN Descens Offline Posts: 162 N.Y. Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #4 - May 12^th, 2005 at 6:31pm Because most of greek thought was condemned by the early church and even distroyed almost all we know of it today came from the Muslims.
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snapback Tiro Offline snap back to reallity Posts: 49 port alberni Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #5 - May 12^th, 2005 at 8:04pm yup mith busters busted the mirror trick.
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Matthias

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Re: Archemedies claw
Reply #6 - May 13^th, 2005 at 2:51am

Myth busters (I'm going to get you guys spelling properly yet) is pretty entertaining, but I really wasn't impressed with their "busting" of this one. Sort of like when you give 5 visual arts students a chance to erect an obelisk in 3 days and use the result to prove categorically that the ancients had help from aliens. Those 5 shmucks couldn't build a 747 either, but we do it all the time. Just because it happened 2500 years ago, it doesn't mean that the people involved were untrained simpletons...

Did it happen? Probably not, but I'd be willing to bet that the concept was demonstrated on a reasonable scale. Sort of like ballistic missile defence...

Matthias

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Leeds_Lobber

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Re: Archemedies claw
Reply #7 - May 13^th, 2005 at 6:39am

Go, Spelling Moderator!

The TV Shows where "Brian, an archaeologist from Basingstoke and a band of alarmed looking locals who don't speak his language will try to recreate a Byzantine Greek Fire Thrower in just three days" always make me very angry indeed.

A really big mirror and the Southern Italian Sun are a powerful combination. I would not be surprised if this could be done. And I agree about the idea that the ancients were worse at things than clever old us is a bad starting point for these things - they were wonderful at the things they needed to be wonderful at, and nothing concentrates the mind as much as military necessity !

Pat

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hellier Junior Member Offline Betwixt a rock and a hard place Posts: 58 Airlie Beach QLD Australia Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #8 - May 15^th, 2005 at 12:27am It may not have been needed or designed to burn ships....imagine if you will being on board a vessel about to lay seige to a port when all of a suden each crewmember on board is suddenly blinded by great big flashes of light coming from the target...it'd be a bit hard to aim effectively after that.... dont you think...
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Yahweh Bless you in Yeshua Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Matthew 11:25-30 Posts: 1700 Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #9 - May 15^th, 2005 at 2:12am I agree with Matthias....I've seen myth busters.....someone needs to bust their collective 'arse'. They employ more crap science than many of those they seek to debunk. The concept, though a challenge to reduce to practice, is certainly feasible. 8)
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Tint Interfector Viris Spurii Past Moderator Offline Posts: 2295 Hong Kong Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #10 - May 15^th, 2005 at 3:09am Hey Darth.....I mean Techstuff! You are back after a walk on the WILD side.
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Yahweh Bless you in Yeshua Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Matthew 11:25-30 Posts: 1700 Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #11 - May 15^th, 2005 at 5:43am Yeah, I got over it. Don't ask me how.
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Douglas_The_Black Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Hakkaa päälle! Posts: 3491 Salineville Ohio Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #12 - May 15^th, 2005 at 8:47am i like hellier's idea alot better. You could probably equipe many men with mirror shields of polished bronze or something to blinde all of the sailors.
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Stenny Funditor Offline Don't laugh at me, I can sling in every direction! Posts: 654 Gender:	Re: Archemedies claw Reply #13 - May 15^th, 2005 at 10:25am I read that big mirrors were used, but that it's very hard to lit a ship aflame unless it's non-moving, otherwise you are losing the focus point. Blinding of sailors(if the mirrors were big and inward-curved, the blindness probably wasn't temporary) is much more doable.
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Lionheart

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Re: Archemedies claw
Reply #14 - May 15^th, 2005 at 10:36am

I dont think the light would need to be on the ship for that long a time, try with a twig and a magnfying glass. Also, if the shiops were cloese to shore, they would be moving fairly slowly so there would be little spray, and so the wood high up on the hull would be pretty dry. Maybe a shot at the sails, or even along the oars; a line of singed oar ends flaling into the sea ???
Rik

I'm slinging in the rain, such a glorious feeling...

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