Horn des Alexander des Großen

The engraving features a circular plan of a massive megaphone or horn, with a faint, spiraled version of the instrument visible in the background. German text in the center explains the device's purported ability to summon an entire army from a distance of one hundred stadia. It illustrates seventeenth-century attempts to reconstruct ancient technology through the lens of early modern acoustics.

Athanasius Kircher was a central figure in the Baroque period who synthesized natural philosophy, magic, and antiquarianism. This image from his work on acoustics (Phonurgia) demonstrates his effort to provide scientific justifications for legendary wonders, bridging the gap between historical myth and the emerging science of sound.