Hero's Belopoeica (Treatise on Artillery Construction)

p. 74

We will therefore speak about the construction of the machines as a whole and regarding their individual parts, as well as their names, their assembly and fitting. Furthermore, we shall discuss the use and measurements of each, after first having discussed the differences between the machines and how each was developed from the beginning.

This introductory sentence acts as a table of contents for the treatise. Heron aims to move from general history to specific engineering blueprints.

---

3

Of the aforementioned machines, some are called Euthytona original: εὐθύτονα; literally "straight-stretched" or "straight-spring", while others are called Palintona original: παλίντονα; literally "back-stretched" or "reflexed"¹. Some people also call the Euthytona "scorpions" original: σκορπίους (skorpious) because of the similarity of their shape Likely referring to the way the machine's "arms" and "tail" (the slider) resemble the arachnid.. The Euthytona discharge arrows only. Some also call the Palintona "stone-throwers" original: λιθοβόλα (lithobola) because they discharge stones; however, they can send forth either arrows or stones or even both.

---

Critical Notes

These notes document variations between surviving medieval manuscripts of Heron's text, such as Manuscript M (Marcianus), P (Parisinus), V (Vaticanus), and F.

2 "Of the" [is in manuscript] F: missing in MPV. "of the individual parts in the machines" [reconstruction by] Wescher: "to those in the machines" M: "of those in the machines" PVF. 4 after "names," M adds "to those" (from line 17). 5 "fitting" [variation in spelling] MF. 7 "I previously said" M. 12 "well-stretched" M. 13 "the" is missing in PV. 14 "certain ones" PV. 18 "stones" PV: [unclear/corrupt reading] M. 19 after "discharge," MPV add "either also arrows." "And it sends either arrows or" (gap of 4 letters) "and therefore both" M: "to send either and both." The added "either also arrows" is, as R. Schöne first saw, a correction of the following reading; the gap before "and" (see M) was filled with stones or by H. Schöne.

---

original: ΕΥ̓ΘΎΤΟΝΟΝ ΤΌΞΟΝ (Euthytonon Toxon)

original: ΠΑΛΙΝΤΟΝΟΝ ΤΌΞΟΝ (Palintonon Toxon)

¹ The straight-spring bow was simply curved, whereas the reverse-curve bow was double-curved In ancient torsion artillery, the "bow" refers to the tensioning system; Euthytonon machines were generally smaller anti-personnel arrow-launchers, while Palintona were larger, more powerful machines capable of throwing heavy stones..