|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Roman Artillery by Gaius Vedennius Moderatus, Architectus
The formidable firepower of the Roman army was
achieved by hand thrown weapons (pila;slingshots), hand drawn longbows
and composite bows, mechanical crossbows (arcuballistae), and
winched bolt-shooting and stone-throwing catapults.
The Romans adopted the torsion artillery
invented by Greek engineers - catapults powered by highly tensioned
and twisted rope springs.Greek and Roman artillery is the best understood
of all branches of ancient applied technology because of the remarkable
survival of a collection of technical manuals written by engineers.
The Society's artillery officer, Moderatus, is engaged in long-term
research on these texts and on the growing number of archaeological
finds of catapult parts. This enables the Society's professional
engineer, Fatalis, to build full size reconstructions, which are
put through a programme of tests designed to assess the weapons'
capabilities
|
|
|
The Three-span or Larger
Scorpion bolt-shooter, is constructed from the description
by Vitruvius, Augustus' catapult engineer, and from finds such as
the iron frame discovered at Caminreal, Spain. The scorpion's accuracy
is praised by Caesar, and it was the standard legionary catapult
at the time of the Roman invasion of Britain.
By AD 101 the Roman army had redesigned
the bolt-shooter, replacing its rather clumsy iron-plated wooden
frame with a brilliantly engineered metal framework that increased
the power and allowed an unobstructed view of the target.
A few parts from machines of this type have been found, and an illustrated
text survives describing the smallest version of this new design,
the Manuballista or LesserScorpion Modern
reconstructions of the Manuballista as a stomach-bow
ignore the categorical statement by Heron that torsion catapults
were so powerful that they required winches.
|
| |
|
 |
Stone-throwing catapults
A much revised version of the standard two-arm
stone-throwing catapult, as described by Philon, Heron and Vitruvius,
is under construction. No parts of this type of catapult have
yet been found. |
 |
A semi-automatic catapult
A detailed verbal description is given by Philon
of the Polybolos ("multi-shooter"), a repeating bolt-shooting
catapult designed by Dionysius of Alexandria in the 3rd
century BC. This remarkable catapult is worked by a windlass
driving a double chain drive, by catches that automatically lock and
release the trigger, and by a cam mechanism that feeds bolts from
a magazine. The first full reconstruction has been built
by Moderatus for the BBC2 series "What the Romans did for us."
It offers a rate of fire at least three times that of a standard
scorpion, and it could be locked onto a target. The Roman army
would have known of this machine and may well have used it. |
 |
The Society's reconstructions
of Roman artillery displayed at public events are based on the most
up to date information and research. Their strike-power and
accuracy are demonstrated in Adam Hart-Davis' programme "Invasion"
in the above BBC2 series.
|
| |
Alan Wilkins
|
| |
|
|
