[texas booster]

It would make sense to blind enemy sailors with mirrors while cannons fired hollow flaming shot.

Makes for great confusion if you can't see where you are going. Could have even used the mirrors to “guide” ships into a killing lane.

Since the mirrors couldn't set the ships on fire, blinding the pilots and overheating the crew would make them less efficient at attack.

[SunkenCiv]

Ultimately, the point is, the Romans took the city, and Archimedes got chopped. :’)