Athenaeus Mechanicus facts for kids

Athenaeus Mechanicus was an ancient Greek writer. He wrote a famous book called On Machines. This book was all about how to build and use siege engines. These were big machines used to attack castles or cities. Experts today think he was the same person as Athenaeus of Seleucia. He was a philosopher who lived around the 1st century BC. He spent time in Rome and other places.

Athenaeus's Life Story

A famous writer named Strabo wrote about Athenaeus of Seleucia. He was a Peripatetic philosopher. This means he followed the ideas of Aristotle. For a while, Athenaeus was a leader in his hometown. Later, he moved to Rome. There, he met a man named Lucius Licinius Varro Murena.

Athenaeus was with Murena when Murena had to flee. This happened after a plan against Augustus was discovered. Athenaeus was caught, but Augustus pardoned him. There was no proof he was deeply involved in the plan. He might also be the same writer mentioned by Diodorus. Diodorus was a historian who wrote about Semiramis.

About His Book: On Machines

Athenaeus wrote his book On Machines for Marcus Claudius Marcellus. This means the book was finished before Marcellus died in 23 BC. It might have been written when Marcellus was getting ready for a military campaign. The book describes many different types of siege engines.

Athenaeus mentioned earlier experts who helped him. Some of these were Agesistratus, Diades of Pella, and Philo of Byzantium. His book starts with an introduction. Then it talks about good ways to build machines. It also covers bad ways to build them. Athenaeus then shares his own new ideas for machines. The book ends by saying how important it is to be ready for war. He also defended his own work against people who criticized him.

The book is very technical. But it also shows Athenaeus was a philosopher. He wrote about time and chances. Yet, he also said he was skilled enough to invent new machines. He could also describe old ones accurately. A lot of Athenaeus's work is similar to parts of Vitruvius's book, De architectura. This is probably because both writers used the same older sources.

How On Machines Influenced Others

The book Parangelmata Poliorcetica was written in the tenth century. It was written by Hero of Byzantium. This book used Athenaeus's On Machines as an important source.