06-05-2005, 05:14 AM
Back to the topic of the scorpio maior of Vitruvius. I do not know if this should be here, or under re-enactment. I am now at the stage of building the bracchii, the arms for the scorpion. This is addressed to anyone with experience building or fireing a scorpion. How do you interpret Vitruvius' few words, "...curvatura foraminum VIII" ? I know Schramm believed this to be a departure from a straight line of one eigth of a spring hole. Marsden interpreted it as a radius of curvature of 8 spring holes. Schramm's idea gives very little curve.
Sculptural evidence helps little. The Pergamum relief seems to show curved bow arms on a machine. But its kind of a mumble jumble of images.Vedennius' tombstone does not appear to have curved arms, but then the ends of the arms do blend back into the stones. Hard to tell. Of course, no archeaological evidence survives.
Following Marsden's interpretation, I have been laminating bow arms around a form with a curviture having a radius of 8 spring holes. This does make the arms look very much like the arms of a real scorpion. Actually looking at the entire machine from the top it is easy to see why it was called a scorpion.
Those who have built an accurate full scale scorpio maior, what curvature did you use?
Kevin
Sculptural evidence helps little. The Pergamum relief seems to show curved bow arms on a machine. But its kind of a mumble jumble of images.Vedennius' tombstone does not appear to have curved arms, but then the ends of the arms do blend back into the stones. Hard to tell. Of course, no archeaological evidence survives.
Following Marsden's interpretation, I have been laminating bow arms around a form with a curviture having a radius of 8 spring holes. This does make the arms look very much like the arms of a real scorpion. Actually looking at the entire machine from the top it is easy to see why it was called a scorpion.
Those who have built an accurate full scale scorpio maior, what curvature did you use?
Kevin
