Hero's Belopoeica (Treatise on Artillery Construction)

Heron’s Belopoiika On Artillery Construction, Chapters 6 and 7

| English Translation (from Greek) |

| English Translation (from German) |
| :--- | :---: | :--- |
| ...the spanning having occurred, they placed the bolt upon the arrow-rest original: "epitoxitis"; the groove where the arrow lies, and released the hand original: "cheir"; the claw mechanism by jerking the trigger-bar original: "schastēria". The result was that the discharge of the bolt became forceful. 5 | | ...were completed. When the tension seemed to be sufficient, they laid the projectile into the arrow-groove, pulled back the trigger, and thereby freed the claw to send the projectile forth with power. |
| 7 It is necessary that the slider original: "diostra", once drawn back, no longer be pulled forward 10 by the bowstring to the upper part, but rather stay in place until the projectile is loaded and shot at the given target. This was also accomplished in the following way: | | 7 But once the slider is pushed back, it must not be immediately jerked forward again by the bowstring; instead, it must remain stationary until the loaded projectile has been shot at the given target. This was achieved in the following manner. |
| Let ΩϚ be understood as the side-view of the case original: "syringos" ΕΖΗΘ along its length. 15 Upon this, a toothed ruler original: "kanonion odontōmenon"; a ratchet rack Ϙϑ is nailed. On the slider at AB, let a crow original: "korax"; a pawl or hook ΓΔ be attached, moving around a pin. 20 Thus, as the slider was drawn back, it happened that the "crow" ΓΔ—which they indeed called a locking-bolt original: "katakleis"—traveled across the teeth at an angle. | | Imagine the side view of the case ΕΖΗΘ along its length, specifically the piece ΩϚ. To this piece, a rack Ϙϑ is nailed. On the slider AB, a hook ΓΔ is attached, which rotates around a bolt. When the slider was pushed back, the hook—which was also called a "pawl"—ran across the teeth. |
| When the slider was extended, they braced the p. 80 locking-bolt against 25 one of the teeth, so that the slider could no longer be pulled forward by the bowstring. The same arrangement was also made on the p. 81 other side of the case... | | If the slider was pushed through, they braced the pawl against one of the teeth, so that the slider could no longer be pulled forward by the bowstring. The same device was also on the... |

Critical Notes on the Text

1 placing in manuscripts P and V      2 arrow-rest Wescher’s correction: manuscripts M, P, and V read bowstring      3 having arranged in M
5 forceful is missing in M      15 nailed in M      16 Labels Ϙϑ (from diagram) in M: labels ϛT in the text of M, P, and V      17 Labels A B in M: AB in P and V      let it be attached in V: it had been attached in M: it lies before in P      18 Labels ΓΔ from diagram in M: ΓΔ so in the text of M, P, and V      21 indeed correction by R. Schöne      23 having been extended Diels: having been bound in M, P, and V: having been drawn back R. Schöne      24 they braced in M      26 bow-piece in M