Marcus Sergius (300–200 BCE)
Born 300 BCE, died 200 BCE.
Marcus Sergius was a Roman general during the Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC). He is famed in prosthetics circles as the first documented user of a prosthetic hand. The metal hand was constructed to allow him to hold his shield in battle. A description of Marcus Sergius is found in the seventh book of Pliny's Natural History, published in AD 77: Nobody - at least in my opinion - can rightly rank any man above Marcus Sergius, although his great-grandson Catiline shames his name. In his second campaign Sergius lost his right hand. In two campaigns he was wounded twenty-three times, with the result that he had no use in either hand or either foot: only his spirit remained intact. Although disabled, Sergius served in many subsequent campaigns. He was twice captured by Hannibal - no ordinary foe- from whom twice he escaped, although kept in chains and shackles every day for twenty months.
Text from the Wikipedia article Marcus_Sergius_Silus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.