The Ballista
First invented in 400 B.C. in Greece
Dionysus of Syracuse
Used torsion tension with 2 flexible LEVERS!
At first, not very powerful.
Launched darts
The Greek and Roman Battlefield
The Good & Bad
The Pros
Allowed targeting of individual soldiers – accurate
Universal Joint – fast trajectory changes
VERY advanced for time
Used both for support and siege tactics.
Mobile
The Cons
Complicated and required maintenance
Not very powerful at first.
Compromise between bolt weight and velocity
Required technology and resources
Random pictures!
The Gastraphetes
The original, primitive crossbow
Handheld Ballista
Called the “Belly Bow”
The End of the Ballista
Rome conquers Greece…make improvements and use the Ballista throughout kingdom
Rome falls…and the resources and skills required to build the Ballista goes with it.
Bye, Bye Ballista!
The Magonel
Background of Mangonel
THE CATAPULT – modern image
Alexander the Great – 400 B.C.
More basic than the ballista
Used torsion tension from rope BUT eliminated the flexible levers
“Savage” compared to ballista
The Good & Bad
The Pros
Cheap & easy to build
Powerful
Able to throw heavy, large objects far distances.
Excellent as a siege weapon against fortifications
Ammunition was available
The Cons
Low accuracy
Cumbersome
Unwieldy and hard to manage on the battlefield
You had better understand trajectory!
The Ammunition
And other stuff like this.
Up next:
The Trebuchet
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