Greek and Roman Artillery 399 BC–AD 363

Download or read book Greek and Roman Artillery 399 BC–AD 363 written by Duncan B Campbell and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2003-11-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The catapult (katapeltikon) was invented under the patronage of Dionysius I, tyrant of Syracuse, in the 4th century bc. At first only the arrow-firing variant was used, and it was not until the reign of Alexander the Great that stone-projecting catapults were introduced. The Romans adopted these weapons during the Punic Wars and further developed them, before introducing the new arrow-firing ballista and stone-throwing onager. This title traces the often controversial design, development and construction of these weapons throughout the history of the classical world.