Discoveries in the field of optics. Front page of a Latin edition of The Book of Optics (De Aspectibus or Opticae Thesaurus) by the medieval Muslim scholar Alhazen (965- c. 1040 AD), showing how Archimedes set fire to the Roman ships attacking Syracuse in Sicily by using the sun and parabolic mirrors. The illustration shows additional optical phenomena, including refraction (as demonstrated by the figure standing in water at bottom center and the mirror image of the seated figure holding a parabolic device), a rainbow, and the vanishing perspective of the wooden bridge.