Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/333

 ARCHIMEDES. 297 ever, notwithstanding all his art, Svracufe was at !cn; th taken by Marcellus, who commanded his foklicrs to have a particular regard to the fafety of Archimctlcs ; but this inge- nious man waS unfortunately (bin by a foldier, who did not know him. *' What gave Marcellus the greateft concern," faysInM-ircelK Plutarch, " was the unhappy f^ c of Archimede?, who was " fo fixed and intent upon lome geometrical figuies, th..t he " neither heard the n<>ife and hurry of the Romans, nor per- " ceivcd the city to be taken. In this depth ot ftudy and " commanded him to follow him to Marcellus ; which he re- " fufing to do, till he had finiftied his problem, the foldier, in a " rage, drew hi> fword, and ran hi;n through." Others write, that Archimedes, feeing a foldier coming; with a drawn fword to kill him, entreated him to hold his hand one mo- mem, tiiat he might not die with the regret of having left' his problem unfinished ; but that the foldier, without paying any regard, killed him immediately. Others again write, that as Archimedes was carrying fome mathematical inftru- ments in a box to Marcellus, as fun-dials, fpheres, and angles, with which the eye might meafure the magnitude of the fun's body, fome foldiers met him, and believing there was go! 1 in it, flew him. Livy fays he was (lain by a fol- L>. xxv. dier, who did not know who he was, whilit he was urawing cap> 3I< fchemes in the daft: that Marcellus was grieved at his deaih, and took caie of his funeral ; making his name at the time a protection and honour to thofe who could cldim a re- ' ' Jationflup to him. Archimedes is faid to have been killed in the 143^ Olympiad, the 546th year of Rome, and about 208 years before the birth of Chrilt. We have feveral of his works Hill extent, but the ^reateft part of them are loft [A], When Cicero was queftor for Sicily, he difcovered the tomb cf Archimedes, all over- grown with bullies and brambles: there was an inscription upon it, but the latier part ot thc-Tufcul. verics was quite worn out, as he him fell informs us. Queft.hb.T, AUET/SUS, [A] His i>i"ce? v.h : rh remain are, Of the Number of the Sand. 8. "e t -i I. n.- c ; T>-f ',f-i?=?xa xi.'i'.^ fi.-x^iJ'. T.VV e, fxivt>. Or Bodies that float en TV. Bo'ks ot the Sphere and Cylinder. Fin. . i fe were Brit uubliihed to- 2 K.I .- /x' ; fric '!" finn of r.ethi-r at D.i.!, ;;,-, in f>> 10 : and a Cue!;;. 3. '[ wiwuv !,- )'} ' io i) xf.7;-. at.e; wa: Js Ji Toil-, 1015, by Rivaltus, ^.i^&'v in-. .*')''. I'l i.rnii'-'-or >-r;ivity n< folio. or ^G'.iip^ndcrar.is. 4. II /i-o.-;'jea;ii .-'i'Moi;g the v:irks of ArchMTiedei x.n.'. L<}).-<( oi at*. Ot S' hsmids and whicn arc I ft, we may reckon ih. ds- '_<>ncul- :;. n . Ot t|i'ra)|L!ne?. Irripiicn? of the folUwmj; inv'-rtit-nj, 6. ! ,'..<.. The vh'.ch vc n">ay gather from liimlcll a:iJ Q^adi iiutc ot a Pjratoia. 7, Y/t/(tiT>i;. other antisnt authors. J. HfJ
 * ' at that time in his mufeum ; and his mind, as well as eyes,
 * ' contemplation, a foldier came Au'denly upon him, and