heron_en


	日本語
	Hero describes in his writings Pneumatics and Automata a great number of automatic devices. They were illustrated by many drawings in the original manuscript. However, the drawings went through the hands of many copyists until today, so that it is not at all clear how the machines were actually drawn by Hero. For this page, we have used the drawings of the German philologist Wilhelm Schmidt, who used many handwritten sources for his reconstructions, published in 1899. Most of Hero’s machines are not for practical use. Many of them are very simple and seem to be constructed as paedagogical devices for the demonstration of certain principles of science or technology.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　日本語

Hero describes in his writings Pneumatics and Automata a great number of automatic devices. They were illustrated by many drawings in the original manuscript. However, the drawings went through the hands of many copyists until today, so that it is not at all clear how the machines were actually drawn by Hero. For this page, we have used the drawings of the German philologist Wilhelm Schmidt, who used many handwritten sources for his reconstructions, published in 1899.
Most of Hero’s machines are not for practical use. Many of them are very simple and seem to be constructed as paedagogical devices for the demonstration of certain principles of science or technology.

	［fig.1］	A trumpet player stands on a base filled with water; if one blows air from the trumpet funnel into the base, the water will be displaced from the base; when the mouth is removed from the trumpet, the water flows back, and a tone from the trumpet is heard.
	［fig.2］	Using the same principle, a device is shown where the tone of the trumpet is heard when the door is opened. This device also does not seem to be very useful, but it may have surprised some guests.
	［fig.3］	The water organ operates with the same principle. A pump blows air into an underwater container, and if a key is pressed down, air flows into the pipe (ex. 3, ex. 4).
	［fig.4］
	［fig.5］	Hero also shows a device where the pump is operated by a wind wheel. It can be assumed that the organ itself is also a water organ, although the text tells us nothing about it.

［fig.1］

A trumpet player stands on a base filled with water; if one blows air from the trumpet funnel into the base, the water will be displaced from the base; when the mouth is removed from the trumpet, the water flows back, and a tone from the trumpet is heard.

［fig.2］

Using the same principle, a device is shown where the tone of the trumpet is heard when the door is opened. This device also does not seem to be very useful, but it may have surprised some guests.

［fig.3］

The water organ operates with the same principle. A pump blows air into an underwater container, and if a key is pressed down, air flows into the pipe (ex. 3, ex. 4).

［fig.4］

［fig.5］

Hero also shows a device where the pump is operated by a wind wheel. It can be assumed that the organ itself is also a water organ, although the text tells us nothing about it.

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