"Archimedes," says Plutarch, "was of so lofty a spirit, that he never condescended to write any treatise on the manner of constructing all these engines of offence and defence. And as he held this science of inventing and putting together engines, and all arts generally speaking which tended to any useful end in practice, to be vile, low, and mercenary, he spent his talents and his studious hours in writing of those things only whose beauty and subtilty had in them no admixture of necessity."
"Arkimidesek, dio Plutarkok, bihotza hain goian izan zuenez, ez zuen inoiz idatziz utzi nahi izan gerra-makina horiek guztiak eraikitzeko erari buruzko obrarik; eta makinak asmatu eta osatzeko zientzia hori eta, oro har, praktikan jartzean onuraren bat dakarren arte oro zital, kaskar eta mertzenariotzat zeukanez, bere izpiritua eta azterlana, beharrarekin inolako zerikusirik gabeko edertasun eta sotiltasuna duten gauzak idazteko erabili zituen".