Claw of Archimedes
Garra de Arquímedes
- Date
- 214 BCE · confidence medium
- Place
- Syracuse, Italy
- Credited to
- Archimedes
- Field
- Conflict
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A weapon devised by Archimedes to defend Syracuse's seaward wall, a kind of crane with a grappling hook that snagged and lifted attacking ships by the bow until they capsized.
Its exact working is unclear due to a lack of detailed ancient technical descriptions; its feasibility was tested in 1999 on the BBC series Secrets of the Ancients.
What it led to
- Naval defence of Syracuse against the Roman fleet in 214 BC
- A technological legend partly tested in modern television programmes