In his classic book, J. G. Landels describes the technological advances of the Greeks and Romans with erudition and enthusiasm. He provides an important introduction to engineering, writing about power and energy sources, water engineering, cranes, and transportation devises. From aqueducts to catapults, he attempts to envision machines as they may have worked in the ancient world. He then traces the path of knowledge taken by early thinkersincluding Plato, Pliny, and Archimedesin developing early theories of engineering and physics.
J. G. Landels, now retired, was a Senior Lecturer in Classics at Reading University. His work, in collaboration with the Engineering Department, involved making working replicas of ancient machines and testing them in the field.
1. POWER AND ENERGY SOURCES
Man-power
Animal power
Water power
Wind power
Steam power
2. WATER SUPPLIES AND ENGINEERING
Appendix- The sizes of measurement nozzles, and
Frontinus' arithmetic.
3. WATER PUMPS
4. CRANES AND HOISTS
5. CATAPULTS
6. SHIPS AND SEA TRANSPORT
Appendix-Methods of estimating the
maximum speeds of oared vessels
7. LAND TRANSPORT
8. THE PROGRESS OF THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE
9. THE PRINCIPAL GREEK AND ROMAN WRITERS
ON TECHNOLOGICAL SUBJECTS
Hero of Alexandria
Vitruvius
Frontinus
Pliny
APPENDIX: THE RECONSTRUCTION OF A TRIREME
SOME FURTHER THOUGHTS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
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