Ballista

Modern reconstruction of a ballista

The ballista (plural ballistae) was one of the first artillery weapons used by the Ancient Greeks. The ballista was invented around 400 BC in the Greek town of Syracuse. It was one of the first catapults, and shot very large and heavy spears far distances. The ballista resembled a large crossbow. They were made in different sizes. Smaller ones threw smaller missiles such as scaled-up arrows and darts.

The steps to operating the ballista are:

1. Pull back the bow-string with a winch, which creates tension.
2. Load the ballista with a light missile e.g. darts with iron points.
3. Release the bow-string, launching the missile.

Ballistae would be used if a weapon that fired light, narrow ammunition was needed.

Ballista Media

• 

  Illustration of a ballista being loaded and drawn

• 

  Reconstructed small Roman ballista

• 

  One talent ballista (26 kg [57 lb] weight projectile) was typical for Roman era ballista. The heaviest version ever made was built by Archimedes, and used stones up to three talents (78 kg [172 lb]).

• 

  Roman 'catapult-nest' on Trajan's Column

• 

  Battle at the Harzhorn: Iron tips of Roman catapult projectiles.

• 

  A four-wheeled carroballista drawn by armored horses, from an engraving illustrating a 1552 edition of the war-machine catalog De Rebus Bellicis (c. 400)

• 

  Roman cart-mounted carroballista

• 

  Reproductions of ancient Greek artillery, including catapults such as the polybolos (to the left in the foreground) and a large, early crossbow known as the gastraphetes (mounted on the wall in the background)

• 

  Metal components of the Ampurias Catapult, found in 1912 in the Neapolis of Ampurias

• 

  Metal components of a 4th-century ballista