Galen on Archimedes

A house was once burnt down in the following manner-there was a store of pigeon dung, already rotting and heated and sending up steam and painfully hot to the touch. Near this, and in contact with it, was a window with woodwork recently coated with plenty of pine resin. So the strong sun of midsummer struck and set on fire the resin and the woodwork: thence some other doors and windows nearby also coated with resin. Easily started, the fire spread to the roof. Once the fire caught there, it rapidly spread all over the house. In some such way, I think, Archimedes too is said to have set on fire the enemy's triremes by means of 'TrupELt. Wool, tow, wick, pitch (i.e. rush and tinder) and anything else similarly dry and loose textured are readily ignited by lrupeiov. Also stones rubbed together kindle flame, especially if sulfur is sprinkled over them. And Medea's compound was of this kind. Everything smeared with it catches fire when heat strikes it. It is prepared from sulfur and liquid bitumen and ignites by friction.'

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• Galen

  Open Access•Mark Schiefsky, Piero Tassinari et al.•Galen : Works on Human Nature•2019

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• Archimedes’ Cannons Against the Roman Fleet

  Open Access•Cesare Rossi•Genius of Archimedes -- 23…•2010

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