Suda On Line menu Search

Home
Search results for sigma,669 in Adler number:
Greek display:    
Headword: Σκορπίδια
Adler number: sigma,669
Translated headword: little scorpions, mini-scorpions
Vetting Status: high
Translation:
A mechanical protection. Archimedes had prepared another contrivance against the attackers from the ships. He pierced the wall with holes close together, at about the height of a man, and about a palm wide[1] on the outer side; by these he stationed archers and little scorpions inside the wall, and [shooting] through them he rendered the marines ineffective.
Greek Original:
Σκορπίδια: μηχανικὸν ἀλέξημα. ὁ δὲ Ἀρχιμήδης πάλιν ἑτέραν ἡτοιμάκει παρασκευὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀπομαχομένους ἐκ τῶν πλοίων. ὡς ἀνδρομήκους ὕψους κατεπύκνωσε τρήμασι τὸ τεῖχος, ὡς παλαιστιαίοις τὸ μέγεθος κατὰ τὴν ἐκτὸς ἐπιφάνειαν: οἷς τοξότας καὶ σκορπίδια παραστήσας ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους, διὰ τούτων ἀχρήστους ἐποίει τοὺς ἐπιβάτας.
Notes:
From Polybius 8.5.5-6 on the celebrated Roman siege of Syracuse (Sicily) in 213-211 BCE: see web address 1. The "little scorpions", never eludicated here, are small arrow-firing catapults: see the note in Walbank p.75.
Archimedes has no entry of his own (alpha 4113 is a different homonym) but cf. alpha 2797, delta 1573, epsilon 945, epsilon 2907, theta 142.
[1] Approx. three inches.
Reference:
F.W. Walbank, A Historical Commentary on Polybius, ii (Oxford 1967)
Associated internet address:
Web address 1
Keywords: biography; definition; geography; historiography; history; military affairs; science and technology; trade and manufacture
Translated by: David Whitehead on 2 November 2001@04:03:18.
Vetted by:
Catharine Roth (cosmetics, link, status) on 20 December 2004@21:55:30.
David Whitehead (augmented headword and notes) on 21 December 2004@03:18:15.
David Whitehead on 21 December 2004@03:19:53.
David Whitehead (another keyword; cosmetics) on 10 May 2011@03:58:50.
Catharine Roth (fixed link) on 21 September 2011@01:02:41.
David Whitehead on 21 September 2011@03:08:53.
Find      

Test Database Real Database

(Try these tips for more productive searches.)
No. of records found: 1    Page 1

End of search