Reconstruction of the Snail of Demetrios of Phaleron at the Dionysia Festival in Athens in 308 BC

The historic evolution of wheeled transportation systems, along with early traction, suspension, and braking systems have been investigated extensively in the literature. A giant self-moving snail described by Polybius was displayed at the Dionysia festival in Athens, in 308 BC by the Athenian orator Demetrios of Phaleron. An attempt to reconstruct the Demetrius’ snail is presented here. The reconstruction is based on the literature survey, the anthropometrical standards of the time, and the accommodation needs of the operators, along with aesthetics considerations, safety, and performance flexibility. Analytical and numerical methods were incorporated to analyze the most conceivable loading situations and traction dynamics of this ancient machine.