Claw of Archimedes Claw of Archimedes The Claw (, "harpágē", "snatcher") of Archimedes (also known as the "iron hand") was an ancient weapon devised by Archimedes to defend the seaward portion of Syracuse's city wall against amphibious assault. Although its exact nature is unclear, the accounts of ancient historians seem to describe it as a sort of crane equipped with a grappling hook that was able to lift an attacking ship partly out of the water, then either cause the ship to capsize or suddenly drop it. These machines featured prominently during the Second Punic War in 214 BC, when the Roman Republic
Archimedes and the Seagle Archimedes and the Seagle Archimedes and the Seagle (1984) is a novel by Australian writer David Ireland. It won the ALS Gold Medal in 1985. The Archimedes of the title is a dog, an old red setter who has learnt to read and who philosophises about the world. In particular, he is fascinated by seagulls, and one in particular, who appears to soar like an eagle, hence the "seagle". Veronica Sen in "The Canberra Times" noted: "An extraordinary thing about this novel is that while being defiantly a 'novel with a message' it has sufficient charm to invite reader co-operation.