Ad Astra - Scipio and Hannibal - Vol. 9 Ch. 56 - Full Moon

[MangaDex]

 

[CKN]

I laughed when he made them think Neptune had something to do with this. Really shows how Scipio, along with other scholars, were way ahead of their time in terms of thinking, even if the manga does take some liberties in conveying the story.

 

[HughMann]

NEPTUNE VULT!

 

[laiseran]

This is soooo good thanks

 

[RamenSub]

Wait, moon causing tides was still a new discovery at that time?

 

[proulout]

According to wikipedia, it was only around the third to the second century bc that hypothesis of the tides being related to the moon started to form.

 

[Purplelibraryguy]

@proulout I guess it's not as simple as it seems to us now. Solar tides are a bit out of synch with lunar, making it tricky, and while OK, half the time the tide is high when the moon is overhead, the other half the tide is high when the moon is nowhere to be seen. So you'd need to know the world is round and figure the moon goes around it, AND have timepieces accurate enough to figure out that the moon should be exactly on the far side when the tide is highest. And even then, the far side part doesn't make intuitive sense.

 

[exogriz]

@proulout your profile picture fits perfectly as someone looking at the moon and figuring out the tides

 

[Markgraf]

I know this chapter focuses on Scipio, but Gaius is so damn cool explaining what's going on to his subordinate. He's all like, "Listen, Scipio is so full of shit, but he's also a fucking genius. If he tells you that tomorrow you can walk on water, be sure to wear your best marching boots."

 

[VerneJules]

Shouldn't a closer moon make a high tide? Why did it make a low tide instead?

 

[kojirokakita]

Historically Scipio did capture the city by assaulting the lightly defended northern walls due to a lowering of the water level in the area. However, the historical accounts says it was due to the wind.

What is going to be interesting going forward is will the author keep in the original exterminate and enslave the populace order that he historically gave

 

[proulout]

@exogriz Moon, elder gods, same difference.

@Purplelibraryguy yeah, for us it's simple, for them it's magic/divine will.
Also, the people in those ancient times where doing pretty crazy things if it means victory. For example, alexander defeated Tyre in 332 bc, an isle, by building in the sea a kilometer long isthmus/causeway/levee from the mainland to the isle to lay siege. Or the romans for the siege of masada building a 100m tall ramp to siege the fortress.

 

[norctune]

@kojirokakita well Scipio is no saint, he requested to spare Syracuse only because of his promise to Archimedes.

 

[Purplelibraryguy]

@VerneJules Flip side of the coin. Any time there's an extra high tide, the low tide will be extra low; it's the same amount of water distributed a bit differently. Note that seeing the big full moon happened a while before the path opened; presumably the moon had set by then.
Also it's not about how close the moon is. The reason a full moon should get you a particularly high (and then low) tide is that the sun also pulls, although not as strongly. Tides are strongest when the sun and moon are aligned, either on the same side of the earth or exact opposite sides, weakest when they're like at a 90 degree angle from each other, pulling in different directions. When the moon is full, the sun is on the exact opposite side, so we see the full reflection, and they should be pulling together.
Plus, you get high tide on the side of the earth closest to the moon, 'cause it's pulling the water, but also on the far side, 'cause the moon's gravity is weakest there so the water can "get away". In between you get low tide because all that water has to come from somewhere. That's why there's high and low tide about twice a day, not just once.

 

[Miraj]

This was a hilarious chapter xD

 

[Grimmycoffee]

Just a reminder to all future military commander out there, that screaming before a surprise attack is counterproductive