Athenaeus Mechanicus (Athenaeus of Seleucia) (50 BC - 50 BC)

Mechanical military engineer

Athenaeus Mechanicus was an ancient philosopher and a mechanical engineer. His work in the field of the mechanics was very appeciated in ancient times, in fact it is found, perhaps inerely translated, in De Architectura X, 13-16 by Vitruvius.
Athenaeus composed a treatise on the machines Perì Mechanematon (On the machines) in which he described in particular the siege machines. As far as it can be deduced, the treatise should be dated just before the 23 b.C. ; among the mechanical engineers he cites there are Agesistratos, Diades of Pella and Philo of Byzantium. Although the text is very short, less than 400 words, many machines are described, some ancient and some invented by him.

variant spelling:
Athenaeus Mechanicus (Athenaeus of Seleucia)

Curriculum vitae

1. century BC		His work in the field of the mechanics was very appeciated in ancient times, in fact it is found, perhaps inerely translated, in De Architectura X, 13-16 by Vitruvius
† 1. century BC	n.n.	died
* 1. century BC	Seleucia	born
24 BC - 26 BC		He writes the reatise Perì Mechanematon (On the machines)
22 BC		Perhaps he marginally partecipated at the cospiracy against Augustus

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DMG-Lib		https://www.dmg-lib.org/dmglib/handler?biogr=8211004
Europeana		http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2020801/dmglib_handler_biogr_8211004.html