Mechanics

In "A History of Mechanics" by Rene Dugas, (page 19), he states that mechanics can only be traced back as early as the writings of Aristotle, due to a lack of more ancient records. However, it can be assumed that mechanics existed prior to Aristotle, during the 4th century BCE, as Aristotle's book "Problems of Mechanics" collated and studied pre-existing, simple machines of the time. The greeks are credited to inventing gears, screws, steam power, all of which were used in numerous inventions. Due to the passage of time, only a few examples can be found of greek mechanics outside of writings, however, It is known that the Greeks used mechanical devices for; defence systems, for instance in the Ballista sentry, for the prediction astronomical positions, with the use of the Antikythera mechanism, and also in construction by using cranes to elevate building materials into position. From my understanding, the mechanics of the ancient Greeks appears to be a specialised tool, unlike today where machines and technology are a big part of everyday life. However, although mechanisms appear to have been rare in ancient Greece, I was still surprised to find out that the Greeks pioneered mechanics and were as inventive as they were. 

 

 

Technology

From my understanding, the technology differs from mechanics, as many forms of technology do not have to be so advanced, all mechanics appear to be a form of technology, but not all technology requires mechanics. Technology is only the application of scientific knowledge in a practical way, therefore, although the technology of ancient Greece and Athens, in particular, is basic when compared to modern-day life, it is still a form of technology. The greeks used technology to: advance their water systems, speed up travel, fortify their navy, and expand their economy. To give an example of how they used technology, Athens used elaborate techniques to mine and clean valuable ores which helped develop and grow the city-state into a powerful force. Here the Athenians used their scientific knowledge of ores and materials to produce higher quality metal which could be sold or used in other industries. Aside from this, the ancient Greeks also used technology to developed and perfected precious water system technologies and built aqueducts, drainage systems, fountains and bathhouses. Personally, although the technologies are not as glamorous or obvious when compared to our modern-day understanding of technology, I still believe it was a huge part of ancient greek society, which aided in the development of Athens. Agriculture, industries, health and the economy as a whole benefited in Athens from the development of technologies specific for each field.

​

Inventions

I thought it would be interesting to share some of the inventions which stood out to me, in greater detail. Below I have comprised the top 4 inventions of ancient Athens which stood out me, as well as a brief explanation as to why.

​

​

1. Automatons

I have mentioned this briefly already, but The Automatic Servant of Philo, created by Philo of Byzantium caught my attention and gained my interest in technology, to begin with. From here I found out that the Vending machine was invented by Greeks also and would automatically dispense water when a coin was inserted. However, the humanistic nature of the Servant of Philo is what really sparked my interest as it looks retro-futuristic in design, and is similar to many creative modern-day descriptions of what robots could possibly be like in the future.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

2. The Atrololabe

This device was used by the Greeks to predict the position of the sun, moon and stars. What surprised me most when I stumbled upon this, is that it is often described as an early astronomical problem solver, sort of like a calculator. Unlike other technologies of the time, the astrolabe could be used anywhere on earth, as opposed to needing to be used at a certain latitude. The design of it stood out to me, and the appearance of gears seemed advance for an ancient civilisation. The layout and the machinery involved is what interests me, and I wonder if this specific invention could be used to spark ideas in phase three.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

3. The Gastraphetes (crossbow)

Greek engineers developed the gastraphetes to be a small hand-held crossbow. This weapon would be faster and stronger than normal bows or standard crossbows. The gastraphetes was also enlargened to act as stationary sentries which could protect towns and cities. The gastraphete was a form of the crossbow which was the weapon of choice in wars up until the 16th century. The timeframe that this invention, and variations of it, were used is what interests me, it is almost like a fragment that has been present in most of modern-day human history.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

4. The Aeolipile (steam engine)

This really surprised me when I discovered this, I always associated steam power to the industrial revolution of the 15th century. For me, this really attributes to how clever the ancient greeks were. Although this technology was not used widely, it was still invented and tested upon by numerous engineers and inventors, for instance, the steam-powered pigeon of Archytas which was capable of flying a couple of hundred metres before running out of steam. Although it is unknown if the technology was used practically, it is still interesting to see that physicians and the like experimented with such advanced technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Below you will find a link to a page which will show off some of the images I have found relating to technology in Ancient Greece.