Theater of Machines: Lifting Devices

Archimedes alone held off the city of Syracuse for three whole years against the overwhelming power of the Romans, who had besieged it heavily by land and sea, by means of his mechanical inventions. Therefore, emperors and kings have kept their appointed mechanicos mechanics/engineers with their armies, who have had to invent and propose various war machines. As Vitruvius wrote in the dedication of his architecture to Emperor original: "AUGUSTUM" Augustus, he says that he was called by the Imperial Majesty, along with M. Aurelius, P. Minidius, and Cn. Cornelius, for the preparation of various munitions, such as ballistae, scorpions, and similar war equipment. For what these mechanici mechanics were in ancient times, our engineers are today. It is their task not only to design and then build a fortress, but also to propose all sorts of machines according to mechanical foundations, both to defend a fortress and to take it by storm. Likewise, they must invent various compendieuse efficient/labor-saving machines to lighten labor and to make possible what often seems impossible. And since a skilled mechanic or engineer is such a highly necessary matter, powerful emperors and great kings have not been ashamed to practice such mechanical arts themselves; as indeed among...