Roman Imperial Artillery

Outranging the Enemies of the Empire

Alan Wilkins

• Publisher: Archaeopress Archaeology
• Year: 2024
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781803277844
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

Greek and Roman torsion catapults were the most powerful missile projectors in the western world from their invention in the 4th century BC to the 11th century AD. Powered by the energy stored in tensioned and twisted rope springs, they outranged archers, slingers and all other missile launchers. After tracing their Greek origins, Roman Imperial Artillery describes the machines used from the time of Sulla and Caesar, the Roman improvements in their design and power, and their importance in the defence of the Roman Empire. Full-size reconstructions, made in collaboration with engineers Len Morgan and Tom Feeley, are based firmly on the author's revised editions of the texts of the Greek and Roman engineers, the latest archaeological finds and the evidence of relief sculptures. This revised edition analyses remarkable new finds from the Rhine frontier in the Netherlands and elsewhere. The 1999 find of a catapult frame in Germany allows an accurate reconstruction of the standard early Imperial bolt-shooter, as used in the AD 43 invasion of Britain by Vespasian against hillforts at Maiden Castle and Hod Hill. The siege-camps at Burnswark Hill, Dumfriesshire are investigated. Range and accuracy are examined, and technical tests demonstrate the strike power of these formidable and long-lived weapons.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents Page
• List of Figures
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Glossary
• Weights and measures
• Introduction
• Greek origins
• The menace of the new weapon
• The bolt-shooter: accuracy, range and effects
• Reconstructing the Roman bolt-shooter
• The new design: the metal frame arch strut cheiroballistra/manuballista
• Deciphering the manuscripts: Vitruvius’ ballista
• The stone missiles: range and effects
• Masada AD 73-74
• Qasr Ibrim: artillery in defence. Inscribed stone shot
• Artillery in action in the field: Arrian’s battle plan
• Burnswark Roman camps and native hillfort, Dumfriesshire
• The last stone-throwers
• The Hatra stone-thrower and the inward-swinging arms theory
• Survival
• The Roman achievement
• Future search and research
• The Roman origin of the mediaeval revolving-nut crossbow release
• Review of 2021 TV film on Burnswark Hill, ‘Massacre on Hadrian’s Wall’
• Sources and references to artillery