The first coin-operated vending machine was used by the Greeks 2,000 years ago

Everyone has used a vending machine at some point: you put a coin or a ticket and you receive a soft drink, a bag of snacks, or as it happened years ago, tobacco. The Greeks got holy water.

We often tend to underestimate the science and naivety of our ancestors. Technology that we use in our daily lives, we think that it has been invented recently.

A good example is The vending machine. It is true that the modern versions have their origin in 1880, and were used to sell postage stamps, and chewing gum. But the first vending machine in history is almost 2,000 years older.

invented it in the first century greek engineer and mathematician Heron of Alexandriawho is considered the Leonardo Da Vinci of Antiquity.

Heron of Alexandria invented the first steam engine (although he didn’t find it useful), windmilland even the predecessor of the syringe.

He was also an important mathematician who left for posterity Heron’s Formulawhich allows you to calculate the area of ​​a triangle using its sides.

how did it work Hero of Alexandria’s vending machineAnd what was it used for? The machine was installed in the temples of Egypt, at that time part of the Roman Empire. It was used for sell holy water. The faithful inserted a coin into the machine and obtained enough water to fill a bowl.

Why did Heron invent this machine? There are two versions. Some researchers say he did it because the priests did not have time to go blessing water to everyone who asked for it. Others say it was for prevent water theft: the faithful left a donation, but they took much more blessed water than what they had paid for.

and how did it work the first vending machine in history? You can see it in this video:

The mechanism is actually very simple: the coin inserted into the machine fell on a lever that opened the valve that allowed the holy water to come out.

By gravity itself the coin ends up slipping off the leverthus recovering its original position, and closing the valve:

Unfortunately this ingenious invention fell into oblivion (nearly all of this inventor’s writings have been lost), and vending machines didn’t reappear until almost 2,000 years later, in the 19th century.

Such was the genius of Heron of Alexandria. An advance of his time.