Burning Mirrors: Is It Just A Myth?
the reading claims that it is just a myth that Greek people in one of its port cities defended themselves during a war with Romans by using an equipment called burning mirror and presents some reasons to support this claim. However the lecturer finds all the reasons dubious and provides some explanations to refute them all.
first the reading brings up the idea that Greeks did not possessed the technology that was needed to make such a large curved copper sheet and explains that for using a sheet as a weapon like burning mirror, it has to be enormously large which was impossible for Greeks to build. On the contrary, the lecturer underlines the fact that for having such device, combining smaller piece of sheet made by copper was enough to make
such a device also it was not an essential factor to build the sheet in one piece.
Furthermore, the reading passage holds the view that putting the Roman's sheep on fire by using this instrument took a very long time based on one experiment that conducted and showed that it took ten minutes to ignite the woody vessel. it also mentioned that it was not possible for a ship to stay still during this time. Conversely, the speaker dismisses this issue by noting the fact that wood was not the only material that was being used in the Roman's vessels. there was some kind of material named pitch that was used for covering the wood which was very sticky and flammable. if Greek soldiers could aim this material it could start the fire just in seconds and consequently the fire would spread to the other parts of the vessel.
finally, the author puts forth the idea that other weapon that the roman had which was flaming arrow, had the same function as the burning mirror.; thus there was not rational to make another weapon for the same purpose. On the other hand, the professor rebuts this idea by noting that the Roman soldiers was fully aware of the arrows and completely ready and armed for that; Therefore the burning mirror could be used as a surprising tool owing that although Romans could see the mirror, they were not capable of seeing the sun rays.
first the reading brings up the idea that Greeks did not possessed the technology that was needed to make such a large curved copper sheet and explains that for using a sheet as a weapon like burning mirror, it has to be enormously large which was impossible for Greeks to build. On the contrary, the lecturer underlines the fact that for having such device, combining smaller piece of sheet made by copper was enough to make
such a device also it was not an essential factor to build the sheet in one piece.
Furthermore, the reading passage holds the view that putting the Roman's sheep on fire by using this instrument took a very long time based on one experiment that conducted and showed that it took ten minutes to ignite the woody vessel. it also mentioned that it was not possible for a ship to stay still during this time. Conversely, the speaker dismisses this issue by noting the fact that wood was not the only material that was being used in the Roman's vessels. there was some kind of material named pitch that was used for covering the wood which was very sticky and flammable. if Greek soldiers could aim this material it could start the fire just in seconds and consequently the fire would spread to the other parts of the vessel.
finally, the author puts forth the idea that other weapon that the roman had which was flaming arrow, had the same function as the burning mirror.; thus there was not rational to make another weapon for the same purpose. On the other hand, the professor rebuts this idea by noting that the Roman soldiers was fully aware of the arrows and completely ready and armed for that; Therefore the burning mirror could be used as a surprising tool owing that although Romans could see the mirror, they were not capable of seeing the sun rays.