Complete Extant Works of Hero of Alexandria, Vol. 2 (1900) - Page 22

XVIII

INTRODUCTION.

The edition mentioned by Carra de Vaux contains nothing at all of pneumatic machines, but rather the book named under No. 3, the Barulkus a device for lifting heavy loads, which is most likely identical to the Mechanics. de Vaux's edition appeared in the Journal Asiatique in 1893, and in a separate print in 1894, following the Codex Leidensis mentioned by Steinschneider under No. 3. Steinschneider's remark (loc. cit. p. 347, No. 4) that "in the Journal Asiatique of May 1894, p. 146, only passages are communicated" is based on an error, since there is nothing at all by Hero in that issue. The notes corrected in this way concerning de Vaux's edition therefore belong to No. 3, cf. Hero Vol. I, Suppl. p. 43, No. 3.

Under No. 5, Steinschneider made a translation error by rendering the Arabic min dâtihâ (not dâtihi) as "according to its essence" instead of "by itself." Cf. Hero Vol. I, Suppl. p. 56, last paragraph. It must therefore refer to the writing peri automatopoietikes concerning the making of automatons, the Automatons.

II. THE ARABIC MANUSCRIPTS AND THE FIRST EDITION OF THE MECHANICS.

The Mechanics has been lost in the Greek original, except for a few short excerpts. However, it is preserved for us in an Arabic translation in four manuscripts, namely in:
1. Codex Leidensis DCCCCLXXXIII Cod 51 (i) Gol.; designated as L in the notes.
2. Codex Mus. Brit. Add. 23,394 in the catalogue p. 619b; designated as B.
3. Codex Constantinop. of the Hagia Sophia. Catalogue p. 165, No. 2755; designated as C.
4. Codex Cairensis. Catalogue of the Library of the Khedive V, p. 199; designated as K.

Baron Carra de Vaux had the kindness to undertake the collation of the manuscripts from Constantinople and London on the spot. When he was prevented from completing