ABSTRACT
The examination of the authenticity of Archimedes’ feat has usually taken two forms. The first has been to examine the historical evidence – even though Tzetzes and Zonaras are unreliable, they might be shown to be quoting from reliable authorities; the second is to examine the scientific evidence – to consider whether a burning mirror could be used to ignite ships. The standard account of Archimedes’ part in defending the city of Syracuse against the Roman general Marcellus, both by land and sea, is given by the great Greek historian Polybius. The scientific evidence suggests that the mirror would not have worked in the circumstances at Syracuse. The problem is to conceive, design, build and operate a burning mirror with a focal length sufficiently long to reach a set of moving targets at different and unknown distances away from the mirror, with some means of adjusting the focal length quickly and accurately.
