The death of Archimedes (Sixteenth century copy of an ancient mosaic; St?delsches Kunstinstitut Frankfurt a.M.; The picture tells a story:A soldier unexpectedly coming up to him commanded him to follow to Marcellus; which he declining to do before he had worked out his problem to a demonstration the soldier enraged drew his sword and ran him through. Others write that a Roman soldier running upon him with a drawn sword offered to kill him; and that Archimedes looking back earnestly besought him to hold his hand a little while that he might not leave what he was then at work upon inconclusive and imperfect; but the soldier nothing moved by his entreaty instantly killed him. Others again relate that as Archimedes was carrying to Marcellus mathematical instruments dials spheres and angles by which the magnitude of the sun might be measured to the sight some soldiers seeing him and thinking that he carried gold in a vessel slew him.