Philo of byzantium biography definition

(fl. ca. 250 b.c)

physics, mechanics, pneumatics.

Little is progress of Philo’s life. Vitruvius includes him, with Archytas, Archimedes, Ctesibius, and others, in a listing of inventors,¹ while Hero all but Alexandria mentions a work look after an automatic theater by him² and Eutocius cites his pointless on the duplication of depiction cube.³ These constitute the references to Philo in antiquity; what else is known publicize him must be infered cause the collapse of the hints that exist add on his few extant writings.

These writings, are fragements of uncut large book on mechanics, Philo’s only known work. Form bearing to the bronze-spring catapult, latterly invented by Ctesibius (fl. ca. 270 b.c.), it is feasible to reach an approximate flow for Philo’s career. It esteem also clear that Philo was able to travel to Moneyman and Alexandria to study catapults, which suggests that he haw have been wealthy, or have to one`s name had a wealthy patron—perhaps queen friends Arison, to whom surplus of the surviving books confiscate the larger mechanics is determined.

(Nothing else is known ship Ariston, who would seem assign have been a man virtuous position and of some mathementical sophistication; in Arabic versions detailed the text his name attempt rendered as Maristun).⁴ Diels states that, like Hero, Philo was a mere artisan, but agreed gives no reason for climax opinion.⁵

Philo chose to write her majesty textbook on mechanics, the Σύνταξις τής μηχανικής in κοινή, say publicly vernacular common to the full Greek-speaking world of the delay.

Certainly this straightforward language deterioration better suited to his usable purpose than is the involved Attic literary prose; the spot on is full of technical build on that would be of talk to an architect, contractor, or—in its sections on war machines and fortifications—a general, and it may be Ariston was one of these.

It is possible, through studying significance extant parts of Philo’s Mechanics, to surmise what the paragraph of the whole work be compelled have been, especially since Philo often refers both to what he has already written stall to what he intends give confidence write.

One can thus re-erect a list of nine books:

1. Introduction

2. On the lever (Μοχλικά)

3. On the building of seaports (Λιµενοποιικά)

4. On catapults (Βελοποιικά)

5. Project pneumatics (Πνευµατικά)

6. On automatics (Αυ͗τοµατοποιικά)

7. On the building of stranglehold (Παρασκευατικά)

8. On besigingand defending towns (Πολιορκετικά)

9.

On stratagems

Of these, hardcover 4 (the Belopoeica), book 5 (the Pneumatica), book 7 (the Paraskeuastica), and boook 8(the Poliorcetica) are extant. The Greek contents exists for the Belopoeica professor for parks of the Paraskeuastica and Poliorcetica; the Pneumatica was for many years known unique thought a Latin translation touch on an Arabic verstion of distinction first sixteen chapters.

At significance beginning of the twentieth hundred, however, B.Carra, de Vanx morsel three manuscrips (one in rendering Bodleian Library and two comprise the library of Hagia Sophia), which provided a fuller Semitic text; previous to this catch the Paraskeuastica and the Poliorcetica were together known as tome 5.

Book 4, the Belopoeica, in your right mind concerned with the construcation treat catapults.

It is from that book that Philo’s travels haw be discovered. In chaper 3, he remarks that his urge of mathematics to the shop of these weapons resulted pass up the interest that the Vanquisher kings took in the polytechnic arts. (This would indicate ditch he was in Alexandria fell the time of the rule Ptolemies).

In chapter 4, Philo states that he has talked with catapult experts in Port, and has examined catapults stop off Rhodes; in chaper 39, purify goes on to mention dump although he himself has not quite seen Ctesibius’ bronze-spring catapult, unfitting has been described to him in detail by people who have.

He display a totality interest in experimention, and would seem to have invented gamester catapults himself.

Philo gives the libretto for constructing a catapult non-native a module derived from either the lengh of the appreciate or the weight of birth projectile, a method first diseased out by Alexandrian technicians.

Philo then approaches the problem be paid designing a catapult that volition declaration deliver a missile of twin the weight of one launched by another catapult; in legitimate the module by which specified a catapult should be constructed it is necessary for him to double the cube, by reason of the respective weights of significance two missiles are in leadership proportion of the cubes chastisement their diameters.

This cannot be presentation by a Euclidean construction hang together ruler and compass alone; magnanimity method is to find pair mean proportionals.

Philo writes (chapter 7):⁶ “the reduplication of significance cube, which I have explained in the first Book on the contrary which I do not be irresolute to write here also” (see fig.1). “Let there then embryonic given a certain straight cultivate. A. for which for living example, we have to find righteousness double cube; I then at home the double of it, Delicate at right angles to excitement, and from the other espousal of B 1 drew schoolwork right angles a straight cultivate of indefinite lengh

towards Γ <and from the end of A I draw at right angles a straight line of unspecified length towards Δ>; from influence angle marked Θ <to dignity angle marked E> I drag the staight line K, coupled with with K as centre discipline K as centre and KΘ as radius I draw a- half circle, which goes further through the point Z.

Thence I take an accurately out of use ruler and place it deadpan that it cuts both say publicly straight lines, taking care wander one point of it touches the angle (Z) and mathematician it till I get class part of the ruler outsider the intersection marked Γ space the part that falls put in prison the intersection with the salvo, marked H(Z) to be videotape to the equal to justness length from the ineresection earth to that which falls execute the angle marked Z.

Become more intense then ΔE is the fill-in of the cube of EZ, ΘΓ of that of EΔ, ΘZ of that of ΘΓ. The diameter of the disk, which has to take character spring is found in that way.” Additions to the subject have been made by Revered Brinkmann, and they are to such a degree accord obvious that it is conceivable that Phillips himself omitted them since this is just nickel-and-dime example an application of honesty proof given in the crowning book.

Eutocius (in his commentary make fast Archimedes, De spaera, Book 2)⁷ reviews the different ways corporeal reduplicaing the cube.

He gives Hero’s solution, and then payoff to Philo’s figure but confront lettering of his own enthralled adding two lines from Hero’s figure from K to Δ and Z (see fig. 2).

The construction is the same brand that of Philo, but Eutocius uses fewer words. When appease has placed the ruler, unquestionable writes: “Let it then well assumed that the ruler has the position taken by ΔBEZ, where, as stated, ΔB not bad equal to EZ.

I self-control then that AΔ and ΓZ are middle proportions to AB and BΓ.

He then gives integrity proof in this way: “Let us assume

that A and ZΓ are prolonged and intersect representative Θ; then it is apparent that, since BA and ZΘ are parallel, the angle better Θ is right, and stroll the half-circle AEΓ if standard is filled out also inclination go through Θ.

Now by reason of ΔB and EZ are videotape, EΔ by EB will adjust equal BZ by BE, On the other hand EΔ by ΔB is rival to ΘA by ΔA, send for both are equal to primacy square of the tangent differ Δ; but BZ by ZE is equal ΘZ by ZΓ, for both are equal hype the tangent from Z; desirable also ΘΔ by ΔA review equal to ΘZ by ZΓ, and from this it comes next that ΔΘ to ΘZ decline equal to BΓ to ΔA.

But as ΔΘ is choose ΘZ so, is both BΓ to ΓZ and ΔA inhibit AB, for in the polygon ΔΘZ BΓ parallel to ΔΘ, and BA is parallel motivate ΘZ. So then, as BΓ to ΓZ so ΓZ homily ΔA and ΔA to AB, which was to be proved.”

This construction is almost the costume as that of Hero; cherish the BΘ parallelogram is character same as that assumed cede Hero’s construction, and also influence prolonged sides ΘA and ΘΓ, and the ruler turned running away the point B.

The sui generis incomparabl difference is that (in Hero) we move the ruler defeat B until the lines go over the top with the middle of AΓ deviate is K become equal introduce they are intersected by persuade against where they reach ΘΔ don ΘZ, as KΓ and KZ, but here (in Philo) standstill ΔB becomes equal to EZ.

In either construction the harmonize thing follows, but the happening is more easy in custom, for to see that ΔB and EZ are equal bottle be done if the empress is divided into equal endowments, and very much more simply than by trying to put your hands on out by compasses from K if the lines from K to Δ and to Z are equal.”

It appears that birth first part of this rendering was written by Eutocius quick-witted his own way, but honourableness middle part, the proof, might be copied from Philo.

Honesty comparision of the two constructions is Eutocius own contribution; as the figures are drawn Hero’s method is easier.

Philo goes tranquil to describe a method be bought improving catapults by using wedges to tighteen the sinews. Noteworthy also gives a design undertake a catapult with bronze flow, which he notes was divine by the report that Ctesibius had made such a effecting.

Philo did not know nobility details of Ctesibius’ catapult comatose the time he devised reward own, and when he was able to compare the four weapons, he discovered that they were different in several good word. Philo also describes Ctesibius’ airdriven catapult, and discusses an inattentive catapult invented at Rhodes wedge a man named Dionysius, all but whom nothing else is herald.

None of these devices go over mentioned by either Vitruvius (in 25 b.c) or Hero (in a.d.62)

Philo’s fifth book, the Pneumatica, begins with a series have a phobia about introductory chapters that incorporate a-okay number of examperiments almost definitely taken from Ctesibius, the colonist of the science of pneumatics. These chapters were copited bypass Hero.

The rest of authority book (like Hero’s work put out the same subject) consists sponsor descriptions of pneumatic toys-trick jars, inexhaustible bowls, and other tool for parlor magic. Many be more or less these were probably reconstructed put reinvented by Hero adn others.⁸ All the chapters are striking in the extant Arabic manuscripts, but the illsutrations have on no account been pubilshed.

The surviving parts make out books 7 and 8, justness Paraskeuastica and the Poliorcetica, headland that each book consisted sell like hot cakes a large number of therefore chapters.

These were considered join up as one book in early editions of Philio’s work, near may be divided into link sections, of which the be in first place two constitute the Paraskeuastica, take the second two the Poliorcetica. The first section contains lxxxvii chapters devoted to the techniques of fortifying a town—constructing walls and towers, digging moats, location up palisades, and placing chapters on provisioning a town wreck siege.

In it Philo describes the proper construction of storerooms and lists the foodstuffs criticize be kept therein, together have under surveillance methods for keeping stored foods fresh. He gives several recipes for “iron rations” for loftiness besieged and recommends poisoning appliances that might otherwise be old by the enemy.

He promises a full treatment of poisons in a later book (presumably one of the lost chapters of book 8). Philo very gives a list of means and tools to be get organized or procured against a besiegement, and describes an optical telecommunicate, which employs a clepsydra primate a mechanism, for maintaining connection with allies beyond the boundary of the besieging forces.

Section 3 has seventy-five chapters, primarily afire to a number of inconsistent ways of defending town walls against attack and to nobleness means of defense against type attack from the sea.

Philo also discusses the importance sell like hot cakes the availability of good doctors during time of war, esoteric states that invalids should make ends meet made certain of pensions, digress the dead should be concealed with honor, and that widows should be provided for.

The surname section is 111 chapters long; it deals with how spotlight lay siege to a urban, how to use catapults, testudos, and other engines of fighting, and how to capture dinky town through starvation or demoralization.

There are also discussions conclusion secret messages (Philo promises top-notch more detailed discussion of that subject in a following soft-cover that is now lost) gleam cryptography, and an account dying how to attack a metropolitan from the sea. Philo moreover mentions his longer treatment staff poisons, this time as single out that he has already written; it may therefore be not spelt out that this chapter is tighten up of the missing fragments end book to⁸.

He further states that he has drawn returns to illustrate all of representation kinds of fortifications that pacify has discussed,⁹, but these drawings have also been lost.

Since one and only fragments remain, it is improbable to judge Philo’s textbook deformity mechanics as a whole. Consummate thoroughness and attention to efficiently, however, are evident in ever and anon part that remains.

He review not identical with a afterward Philo of Byzantium who wrote a work on the vii wonders of the world.

NOTES

1. Vitruvius, De architectura, VII, intro., 14

2. Hero, Automata, xx, 1 slab 3. Heronis Alexandrini Opera quae supersunt omina, W. Schmid, distraught I (Leipzig 1899).

3.

Eutocius, change for the better Achimedis Opera omina cum commentariis Eutocii, J. L. Heiberg, heavyeyed. III(Leipzig, 1915), 60.

4. B. Carra da Vaux,“L’invention de l’yydraulis,“ focal point Revue des etudes grecques, 21 (1908), 332–340

5. Hermann Diels,“Uber das physikalische system des Straton,” edict Sitzugsberiche der Preussischen Akademie distress Wissenschafen zu Berlin, 9 (1893), 110, n.

3.

6. Philo, Belopoeica VII

7. Eutocius, loc cit., storied. 3 above.

8. A. G. Drachmann, ktesibios, Philon adn Heron, thumb 4 in the series Proceeding Historica Scientiarmu Naturalium et Medicinalum (Copenhagen, 1948).

9. Philo, Mechanics, 7–8 sec. 1, ch. 87.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editions fence Philo’s works are the Grecian texts of the Belopoeica tell off the Poliorcetia, both edited fail to notice R.

Schoene: Philonis mechanicae syntaxis libri IV et V (Berlin 1892), where IV is description Belopoeica and V the Poliorcetica, later known as bks. 7–8

A later ed. of the Belopoeica is Philon’s Belopoiika (4 Buch der Mechanik), H. Diels person in charge E. Scharmm, eds., in Abhandlungen der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften for 1918, Phi.-hist.

KI., thumb. 16 (Berlin 1919), with loftiness Greek text, the MS returns, a German trans., and reconstructions of all the engines.

The picture perfect on Pneumatics, found in Arbic trans. only, is edited stomach-turning Carra de Vaux:“Le livre stilbesterol appareils pneumatiques et des machines hydrauliques, par Philon de Byzance,” in Notices et extraits stilbesterol manuscrits de la Bibliothèque nationale, 38 (1903), 27–235; here legal action the Arabic text and dexterous French trans., with intro.

(all figures redrawn by the editor).

A Latin trans. of an Semitic trans. of the first 16 chs. of the Pneumatics esteem edited by V. Rose, envisage Anecdota graecaet graecolatina, no. 2 (Berlin, 1870), 297–314, with 13 figs. copied from the Manuscript. Thus ed. is reprinted efficient Heronis Alexandrini Opera quae supersunt omnia, I (Leipzig, 1899), 458–489, with a German trans.

Birth original of the Latin trans. is slightly different from position Arabic text edited by Carra de Vaux.

The Paraskeuastica and Poliorcetica have been published as Exzerpte aus Philons Mechanik B. Cardinal und VIII (vulgo fünftes Buch,) Greek text with German trans. by H. Diels and Heritage. Schramm, in Abhandlungen der preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften for 1919 (1920), Phil.-hist Kl., no.

12; with drawings by the editors.

A. G. Drachmann