Let’s be honest, when you think of ancient Greek geniuses, your mind probably jumps straight to people like Archimedes, right? The Greek man with the bathtub and his famous “ Eureka !” moment. However, there’s another Greek titan who deserves a modern spotlight, a man who was sketching out automatons centuries before Silicon Valley even existed and designing war machines that would still impress a modern-day general when discussing ancient military technology.

This fascinating, but mostly forgotten historical figure, was Philo of Byzantium (Φίλων ο Βυζαντινός), sometimes referred to as Philo Mechanicus.

This intriguing personality of ancient Greece lived from approximately 280 BC to 220 BC. He was a true polymath with an eye for mechanics, engineering and even what we would now call early robotics. Yes, that sounds right. Mechanics and robotics 2300 years before our age!

Coming from Byzantium, the Greek town destined to become the famous Constantinople, Philo eventually moved to Alexandria, that Hellenistic beacon of learning of the post- Alexander the Great Egypt.

Alexandria was home to the brightest minds of the Hellenistic era, with its famous Library becoming a hotspot of ancient Academia and thinking. It was there, amidst the scrolls and scholars of that Great Library, where Philo of Byzantium truly flourished intellectually. There he managed to focus on what he loved the most, studying and transforming abstract physics into tangible, jaw-dropping inventions with real-life applications.

Can you imagine the feeling of walking in those workshops? The noise of working gears, the whisper of hundreds of men debating their ideas, all under the curious glance of a man who saw the world not just as it was, but as it could potentially become, reshaped by his innovative and ingenious designs. It’s a Greek thing—that esoteric drive to dream big, to push the boundaries, to change what seems static and Philo was the epitome of that ancient Greek spirit.

The innovations of Philo of Byzantium

When you focus on Philo’s epic work known as the Mechanike Syntaxis, you stumble upon someone who was, quite simply, stunningly ahead of his time.

Mechanike Syntaxis was a comprehensive treatise on mechanics and engineering. It was divided into several specialised sections, each addressing a different branch of applied science. It began with the Isagoge (Εἰσαγωγή), an introduction covering general mathematics, followed by the Mochlica (Μοχλικά), which focused on the principles of leverage. The Limenopoeica (Λιμενοποιικά) explored the techniques of harbour construction, while the Belopoeica (Βελοποιικά) talked about the design and construction of siege engines. The Pneumatica (Πνευματικά) examined devices powered by air pressure and the Automatopoeica (Αὐτοματοποιητικά) focused on mechanical automata—early examples of automated toys.

Additionally, the Parasceuastica (Παρασκευαστικά) dealt with siege preparations and the Poliorcetica (Πολιορκητικά) provided a broader exploration of siegecraft itself. Lastly, the Peri Epistolon (Περὶ Ἐπιστολῶν) investigated the use of coded and hidden messages, highlighting Philo’s interest in the intersection of engineering, warfare and communication.

As you can imagine, we are not talking about boring academic theories here; these were real-world applications and innovations that had a profound impact on ancient warfare and daily life alike. Just picture Philo of Byzantium meticulously drawing the blueprints for cutting-edge siege engines—catapults and ballistas. These creations were so powerful they could smash through the sturdiest city walls and offer valuable opportunities to Greeks (and enemies) alike.

One of the most prominent innovations of Philo was the ”polybolos” which is Greek for multi-thrower, an ancient equivalent to the machine gun. It had a clever design, using a chain system that would automatically fire bolts almost continuously. The fact that it allowed multiple shots in such a short period of time without constant reloadings made it a phenomenal feat of ancient engineering.

These instruments of destruction created from Philo’s engineering genius were a clear demonstration of his understanding of leverage, torsion and ballistics, among other physics concepts. But his genius wasn’t solely focused on demolition, as one might have thought.

His Pneumatica describes creations such as automated gadgets, like an “automatic maidservant” that could pour wine, a delightful touch that reminds us that even ancient engineers appreciated a good robotic surprise. Even though such a machine doesn’t quite exist today, we have seen numerous attempts by many companies and startups to create a humanoid robot that could happily complete all our chores.

An ancient thermometer?

Philo of Byzantium even thought up the idea of an early thermoscope, a device that reacted to temperature changes, centuries before anyone started thinking about thermometers and thermostats. This fascinating mix of the practical and the whimsical is what describes this man from Byzantium so well. Philo was a spirit that still sparks the minds of inventors and engineers today with motivation and willingness to push the boundaries that confine us and forge ahead.

Perhaps one of the most compelling aspects of Philo’s life, and one that resonates with our increasingly automated world, is his pioneering work in what we now understand as the earliest forms of automation. Think about it: the invention of the gimbal, that bit of support that keeps an object steady no matter how its base moves, is everywhere, from ship’s compasses to the stabilizers on your phone camera.

Another impressive innovation of Philo was the first known chain drive, an ingenious mechanism that he used in a repeating crossbow, a direct ancestor to the humble bicycle chain that powers so much of our modern everyday movement.

And then there’s the truly astounding discovery—the earliest description of a water mill. Yes, before the Roman Empire was even a thing, Philo was sketching out ways to harness natural energy for productive purposes. All these things show us how our modern technological landscape was planted way back in antiquity, often by brilliant minds like Philo of Byzantium.