Bending Active Systems in Antiquity: the Bow of Odysseus

Posted2 months ago

devchix

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Structural EngineeringHistory of TechnologyAncient Greece

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Structural Engineering

History of Technology

Ancient Greece

The article explores how the legend of Odysseus' bow illustrates an early understanding of bending active systems, a concept relevant to modern structural engineering, with the discussion highlighting the intersection of history and technology.

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Nov 2, 2025 at 10:53 AM EST
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devchixAuthor

2 months ago

Odysseus is shown stringing his bow in The Return (2024). The challenge was to string the bow and shoot an arrow through 12 axes. I had no idea what this meant so I went looking. In fact, it's to shoot the arrow through the eye of the axes. What's the eye of an axe? It's the hole where the handle attaches to the blade.

https://www.sylvaspoon.com/blog/2020/1/16/anatomy-of-an-axe

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ID: 45791210Type: storyLast synced: 11/17/2025, 7:49:12 AM

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