Archimedes war machines

  Syracuse, where King Hiero ruled, was a peaceful land.  But all around it, in the Mediterranean, there was war.  The fiercest struggle was between Rome and Carthage.  They, trying to find away to divide the Mediterranean between themselves, made an agreement.  They decided that no Carthaginian ships should trade in the ports of Italy, and no Roman ships should enter the ports of Sicily.  King Hiero knew that sooner or later Syracuse will be in the war.

  He asked Archimedes to help make war machines, but he refused.  At last the king used the argument that always worked.  "Think what you will be doing for the cause of science, Archimedes, think what it will mean if a man of science could provide the means to defend a city when the men of arms could not.  Finally Archimedes agreed.  When he started he already had plenty of ideas for the machines.  After they are created the army were trained to use them.  After  the king died, his grandson, Hieronymus, inherited the crown.  Hippocrates, a traitor who had been bribed by Carthage, murdered Hieronymus and seized control of the city.  Then he broke the long alliance with Rome.  And Rome was angry.  They launched an attack on Syracuse, Hippocrates asked Archimedes for help.  

Archimedes asked the army to use the weapons.  One of the machines were used to lift boats,  Another was to fire stones at them.  Archimedes enjoyed his practical Geometry lesson, but was only sorry that Heiro wasn't there to see.