HERON [THE PUPIL] OF CTESIBIUS

original: "Heronis Ctesibii." This likely refers to Heron’s reliance on the foundational work of Ctesibius, a great inventor of the 3rd century BC.

English Translation from Greek	English Translation from Latin
...[peace] will come to be; whenever they devote themselves to that branch of study concerning artillery construction original: "βελοποιΐαν" (belopoiia), the art of making projectiles and their launchers., they themselves remain untroubled in their conscience, while those who desire to plot against them, seeing the diligence of their study, will not come forward. But if they are negligent, every plot, the smallest even if it happens to be the smallest, will prevail over those in the cities who are unprepared regarding their assets. Since, therefore, those before us made many records concerning Artillery, recording measurements and arrangements, yet not one of them set out the construction of the engines in a proper way, nor their uses; rather, they made the entire record as if they [the readers] already knew the subject. Therefore, we consider it well to take up the subject from their works and to go deeper into the instruments of artillery-making itself, and perhaps similarly as these matters are perhaps difficult to understand, so that the transmission of this knowledge may be easy for all to follow. We shall speak about the construction of the whole engines and the individual parts within them, and about the names, and about the assembly and the preparation. Furthermore, we will also discuss the use and measurements of each, having first spoken about...	...will be; since those who give work to this study shall enjoy a tranquil conscience, while conspirators, truly seeing their diligent zeal, will make no departure [from peace]. On the other hand, for the negligent, and for those who are in the arts, being unprepared for such things, any conspiracy, however small, will gain strength and acquire the greatest power. Therefore, since those who were before us, although they made many commentaries on this matter, and taught the dimensions and arrangements of the Machines original: "Machinarum," referring to siege engines and catapults.; nevertheless, none of them properly explained the construction and use of the instruments, but all wrote as if concerning a known matter. For which reason we have judged it best if, receiving from them, we examine those things which belong to this faculty. Since the instruments themselves are perhaps somewhat difficult, we will act so that the transmission of them may be made as easy as possible for everyone; we shall discuss the fabrication of the instruments that serve this purpose, not only in summary but also part by part. Likewise, we shall deal with the names, the composition, and the apparatus of the same; and equally with the use and dimensions of each; yet not before [we speak] concerning the difference between the Machines, and how each...

English Translation from Greek

English Translation from Latin

...[peace] will come to be; whenever they devote themselves to that branch of study concerning artillery construction original: "βελοποιΐαν" (belopoiia), the art of making projectiles and their launchers., they themselves remain untroubled in their conscience, while those who desire to plot against them, seeing the diligence of their study, will not come forward. But if they are negligent, every plot, the smallest even if it happens to be the smallest, will prevail over those in the cities who are unprepared regarding their assets. Since, therefore, those before us made many records concerning Artillery, recording measurements and arrangements, yet not one of them set out the construction of the engines in a proper way, nor their uses; rather, they made the entire record as if they [the readers] already knew the subject. Therefore, we consider it well to take up the subject from their works and to go deeper into the instruments of artillery-making itself, and perhaps similarly as these matters are perhaps difficult to understand, so that the transmission of this knowledge may be easy for all to follow. We shall speak about the construction of the whole engines and the individual parts within them, and about the names, and about the assembly and the preparation. Furthermore, we will also discuss the use and measurements of each, having first spoken about...

...will be; since those who give work to this study shall enjoy a tranquil conscience, while conspirators, truly seeing their diligent zeal, will make no departure [from peace]. On the other hand, for the negligent, and for those who are in the arts, being unprepared for such things, any conspiracy, however small, will gain strength and acquire the greatest power. Therefore, since those who were before us, although they made many commentaries on this matter, and taught the dimensions and arrangements of the Machines original: "Machinarum," referring to siege engines and catapults.; nevertheless, none of them properly explained the construction and use of the instruments, but all wrote as if concerning a known matter. For which reason we have judged it best if, receiving from them, we examine those things which belong to this faculty. Since the instruments themselves are perhaps somewhat difficult, we will act so that the transmission of them may be made as easy as possible for everyone; we shall discuss the fabrication of the instruments that serve this purpose, not only in summary but also part by part. Likewise, we shall deal with the names, the composition, and the apparatus of the same; and equally with the use and dimensions of each; yet not before [we speak] concerning the difference between the Machines, and how each...