"Archimedes claw" an ancient weapon devised by Archimedes to defend the seaward portion of Syracuse's city wall against amphibious assault. It is hauled up by 400 men 2000 years ago to smash and sink enemy war ships.
In today terms, it is describe as a sort of crane equipped with a grappling hook that was able to lift attacking ships partly out of the water, then either cause the ship to capsize or sink.
These machines featured prominently during the Second Punic War in 214 BC, when the Roman Republic attacked Syracuse with a fleet of at least 120 Quinqueremes under Marcus Claudius Marcellus. When the Roman fleet approached the city walls under cover of darkness, the machines (- Archimedes claw) were deployed, sinking many ships and throwing the attack into confusion. Historians such as Polybius and Livy attributed heavy Roman losses to these machines, together with catapults also devised by Archimedes.
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