MYSTERIES : THE BEAM OF NAVAL DEFENCE

MYTH OR A FACT 

THE BEAM OF NAVAL DEFENCE

Today we are going to discuss the weapon Archimedes used to destroy naval ships which is still a mystery. Ancient Greek and Roman historians recorded that during the siege of Syracuse in 212 BC, Archimedes (a notably gifted person) constructed a burning glass to set the Roman warships, anchored within bow and arrow range, to fire.

The story has been much debated and a number of attempts to recreate it have been made over the ages. While some attempts have apparently been successful, the death ray is often dismissed as myth.

Archimedes may have used mirrors acting collectively as a parabolic reflector to burn ships attacking Syracuse. The 2nd century AD author Lucian wrote that during the Siege of Syracuse (c. 214–212 BC), Archimedes destroyed enemy ships with fire. Centuries later, Anthemius of Tralles mentions burning-glasses as Archimedes' weapon. The device, sometimes called the "Archimedes heat ray," was used to focus sunlight onto approaching ships, causing them to catch fire. In the modern era, similar devices have been constructed and may be referred to as a heliostat or solar furnace.

This purported weapon has been the subject of ongoing debate about its credibility since the Renaissance. René Descartes rejected it as false, while modern researchers have attempted to recreate the effect using only the means that would have been available to Archimedes. It has been suggested that a large array of highly polished bronze or copper shields acting as mirrors could have been employed to focus sunlight onto a ship.

This eerie effect has not been recreated since his death. Archimedes died in 212  during the Second Punic War, when Roman forces under General Marcus Claudius Marcellus captured the city of Syracuse after a two-year-long siege. According to the popular account given by Plutarch, Archimedes was contemplating a mathematical diagram when the city was captured. A Roman soldier commanded him to come and meet General Marcellus but he declined, saying that he had to finish working on the problem. The soldier was enraged by this, and killed Archimedes with his sword.

He was a greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor and astronomer. His work is widely accepted around the world.

Sources : Wikipedia 

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