Dionisius of Alexandria (349 BC - 349 BC)

Military and Mechanical Engineer

Diognetus of Alexandria (not to be confused with the III Century A.D. Pope of Alexandria having the same name) was a military and mechanical engineer that designed and built at the arsenal of Rhodes war machines among which the most famous is the repeating catapult called Polybolos (from ancient Greek polus = many e bolos = throw). Despite the inportance of Dionisius for the ancient mechanics, wery few are the informations about his life; practically the only informations are those from the treatise Belopoeica by Philo of Byzantium (280-220 a.C.) on the elastic motor throwing machines. According to Philo, Dionisius worked at Rhodes about one century before building the repeating catapult. The very detailed description by Philo permits to conclude that that weapon was still present in the arsenal and perfectly working. According to other uncertain sources, Dionisius was commander of the artillery during the campaign of the fleet of Rhodes against the pirates of Aigila (later known as Antikythera).

variant spelling:
Dionisius of Alexandria

Curriculum vitae

† 5. century BC - 3. century BC		died
4. century BC		Probably commander of the artillery during the campaign of the fleet of Rhodes against the pirates of Aigila (later known as Antikythera).
4. century BC		He designed the repeating catapult called Polybolos (from ancient Greek polus = many e bolos = throw).
4. century BC		According to Philo of Byzantium (280-220 a.C.), who quotes him in his Belopoeica, a treatise about the elastic motor throwing machines Dionisius worked in Rhodes in IV cent. BC.
* 4. century BC		born

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Permanent links

DMG-Lib		https://www.dmg-lib.org/dmglib/handler?biogr=8219004
Europeana		http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2020801/dmglib_handler_biogr_8219004.html