Theater of Machines: Lifting Devices

among others, King Demetrius Demetrius I of Macedon (337–283 BCE), known as "Poliorcetes" or "The Besieger," was famous for commissioning massive siege engines like the Helepolis. invented a quite special ma-
chine to conquer cities quickly,
through which he not only powerfully strengthened his power,
but also became a terror to his enemies; indeed,
the great Emperor Julius Caesar was such an excellent
Mechanicus (engineer or master of mechanics) that, by means of his newly
invented machines, he did great damage to his enemies,
made himself fearsome, and also showed his
descendants how they should properly approach the
craft of war; so that mechanics is
not only the most noble pursuit through which a person—
and especially a high Potentat (ruler or sovereign)—can accomplish
great things and establish an eternal monument to himself, but
can also promote the happiness of his lands and subjects,
both in times of war and peace.

Since this present book treats a significant and
nearly the most noble part of mechanics—
namely, how in Oeconomie (estate management and industry), civil
and military architecture, as well as in
ship- and water-construction, and furthermore in maritime
trade, goods may be transported, swiftly raised,
and also skillfully lowered again through many and
various kinds of Heb-Zeuge (lifting devices) and machines
and advantages adapted for that purpose—and as
I consider it not unfairly Meaning "justifiably" or "rightly." useful to many people,
indeed, as the opportunity arises, to an entire country and its inhabi-