Heron's Legacy
Throughout its history, Alexandria has been the crossroads of the eastern Mediterranean. For centuries, the Royal Museum and Library saw scholars from different cultures meet to exchange teaching and knowledge. Heron of Alexandria, who lived there in the first century AD, wrote extensively on mathematics, physics, pneumatics, and mechanics. His studies of metaphysics allowed him to derive certain principles underlying Neo-Platonic Theory, which he shared with his best pupils. This led to the formation of a small order of mechanic-magicians, historically known as the Mechanicians (pron. meh-kah-NEE-shuns), or wonder-workers of Heron.
According to Heron, all mechanical devices possess both a theoretical and a manual part, the theoretical part being composed of the necessary geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and physics required to design it, and the manual component being the metalwork, architecture, carpentry, or painting necessary to build it. The Mechanicians infused mechanical devices with wondrous abilities through the marriage of these two parts. Among the most famous of these "mechanica" were an exquisite singing nightingale belonging to Justinian the Great, and an automated puppet show which portrayed the lives of gods and men, fabricated by Heron himself.
The Mechanicians spread throughout the eastern Empire but the majority of them remained in Alexandria, taking advantage of its Library and Museum. They remained a rarity, as their magic required both considerable funds and a prohibitively high level of education. As Christianity grew in power, the Neo-Platonic scholars who formed the group's core practitioners became the targets of persecution that further reduced their numbers. The Mechanicians died out sometime during the fifth century. Theon and his daughter Hypatia, both prominent figures during the Library of Alexandria's final years, were among the last known members.
Much of their knowledge was lost during the fourth century when the Byzantine Empire suppressed Heron's works as a pagan heresy. Ironically, the Church subsequently embrace Heron's surviving works centuries later, just as it did those of Aristotle and many other ancient philosophers. This allowed many of his works to survive, preserving some of the Mechanician's lore...
