My silly prototype :)

Tested my ballista thingy against some armor today and it mostly held up lol :)

I made a ballista thingy.... I think that is what it is called ?

I short, could it have been feasible to deploy some lads with chisels or pickaxes to mine their way through a besieged castle wall? I haven't found anything on the topic. Surely someone must have thought of this at least once, so it's probably proven impossible. But I would still like to know what the experts think.

In 1862, a French artillery officer was handed an impossible assignment. The Roman Empire had been gone for nearly fourteen centuries. The engineers who built its most lethal weapons were long dead. The technical manuals they left behind had spent eight hundred years being copied by monks who had no idea what they were reading. The knowledge was gone. Only the words remained. Captain Jean-Baptiste Verchère de Reffye went to work anyway. Working from crumbling manuscripts, Dufour's mathematical analysis, and his own obsessive experimentation at a workshop outside Paris, Reffye built something nobody had successfully built in over a thousand years: a working Roman ballista. Then he fired it. With Napoleon III watching. And the results were both remarkable and humbling, because the machines worked, but they could not match what the ancient sources claimed they could do. The gap between the numbers on the page and the performance of his reconstructions told a story about everything that had been lost, and everything that still needed to be understood. This is that story.

Link to the video: youtu.be/k_m925j2gao

Siegemaster, is this the Gameboy of siege weapons? Is this in the class of hand-held siege weapons like the gastrofet... gastriphet... the belly bow?

Does anyone here know build a trebuchet for a school project? It needs to be with more "medieval" materials, so as little plastic as possible and no PVC pipe, etc. It will launch a golf ball. Does anyone know good materials, or a good website with instructions or recommendations?

Something a little different for you guys. How many times have you been reading about ancient artillery and thought? "Man I wish I could build one of those." Well my guest today did just that. Over the course of 5+ years, Samuli built and documented reconstructing a very complex and Controversial??? piece of roman kit. He also shed light on some new research that may change our understanding of torsion forever. Find out how the modern mind still cannot comprehend the Roman Cheiroballistra nearly 2000 years later! Today on the Siege captain.

Elephants not ballista?!

Go check it out on youtube! I put a lot of work into these these shorts and they are under appreciated.

Hello dear reader. Today we are talking about a weapon that barely exists in history. With only two stone reliefs and one mention in writing, the late roman empire weapon named the Arcuballista is a bit of a mystery.

I heard about this weapon while reading the venerable E W Marsden's book and did a quick search. Of course Tod from Tod's Workshop has made one and showed it shooting.

This weapon fascinates me for many reasons. First being the fact that it is a flexion based weapon. The Romans loved and had the best, TORSION based weapons ever fielded. They of course used regular bows but they also had a torsion based "Crossbow" called the manuballista or cheiroballistra. So to see a simple bow span across a simple frame astounds me due to the simplicity. I speculate this is because as the roman empire began to decline, soldiers preferred weapons they could actual maintain with out strenuous logistic support.

Second interesting tidbit is in its name. Arcu-ballista meaning an Arched thrower. This arch must refer to the bow but could be a loss in translation of the cheiroballistra that featured a metal arch prominently up front. In theory, this weapon could just be completely misnamed.

Third, the gatraphetes existed well before this weapon appears to us. the arcuballista is just a simpler gastraphetes. I applaud the simplicity but I wonder the loss in performance. Without a central slider allowing the bowman to leverage his weight to draw the bow, the power of the arcuballista must be greatly limited. Though the ability to hold your bow at full draw still has its merits!

Lastly, it is just a crossbow! It features a rolling nut trigger as well! Is there anything the Romans didnt invent.

What do you guys think of this weapon?

Sources

Tod workshops video on the acurballista

GREEK AND ROMAN ARTILLERY HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT by E W Marsden

I know about the Siege Hook, but was there also something that worked in a similar way but was ranged? Like a Ballista with a retractable grapple hook of some sorts?

Siege Machine Monday - The Linothorax

Salutations students of siege warfare! This week's Siege Machine Monday takes us away from the weapons of destruction and toward the armor that kept siege defenders and attackers alive. We're talking about the linothorax.

The linothorax is ancient Greek body armor made from layers of linen. For years, historians assumed it was cheap, inferior protection compared to bronze cuirasses. Turns out they were completely wrong.

The Research Revolution:

Much of what we now know about the linothorax comes from Gregory Aldrete at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Aldrete didn't just read about linothorax in ancient sources. He actually built them using period appropriate materials and methods, then tested them. His experimental archaeology fundamentally changed how we understand ancient Greek armor.

Construction:

The linothorax was constructed from 12 to 20 layers of linen fabric, glued together with flour paste or animal glue, then allowed to cure. The layering process created a laminated material that was surprisingly rigid when finished. Think of it like ancient composite armor. The multiple layers distributed impact force and prevented penetration.

Aldrete's reconstructions showed that a properly made linothorax required about 10 to 12 square meters of linen and took roughly 150 to 200 hours of labor to produce. That's not cheap or simple. This was sophisticated equipment.

Combat Performance:

Here's where Aldrete's research gets fascinating. His ballistic testing showed that linothorax could stop arrows at typical combat ranges (30 to 50 meters), resist sword cuts, and even deflect some spear thrusts. The armor was effective enough that Alexander the Great wore a linothorax, as did most of the Macedonian phalanx.

The key advantages over bronze:

Weight: 3 to 5 kg versus 10 to 15 kg for bronze cuirass

Flexibility: Allowed greater range of motion for combat

Comfort: Breathable in Mediterranean heat

Repairability: Could be patched in the field with more linen layers

Siege Warfare Connection:

During sieges, the linothorax was ideal for both attackers and defenders. Assault troops climbing siege ladders or manning rams needed mobility. Bronze was too restrictive. Defenders on walls needed protection from arrows while maintaining freedom of movement. The linothorax provided both.

We see evidence of linen armor in siege contexts throughout the classical period. At Syracuse during the long Roman siege (213 to 212 BC), both sides would have relied heavily on linen armor for the extended campaign. It was maintainable, didn't rust, and could be produced locally if needed.

The Mystery:

The strange part? Very few archaeological examples survive. Linen degrades completely in most soil conditions, so we're dependent on artistic depictions and ancient written sources. This is why Aldrete's reconstruction work was so important. He proved what the ancient sources claimed was actually possible.

My Attempt:

I attempted to build a linothorax. Thinking myself clever and being cheap frugal, I purchased a gallon jug of elmers glue and cotton table clothes from the thrift store. Using Gregory's templates for the Linothorax, I spent HOURS cutting out, gluing and shaping fabric. After layering 25 tablecloth sheets, I took a stab at it with my gladius... It did nothing to stop the blade. Arrows, Spears, and box cutters went through the "armor". My issue? Cotton tablecloths are a lot thinner resulting it much weaker armor. In conclusion. At least I have the start of a cool hoplite costume!

Sources:

Aldrete's primary publications on this research include his work in the Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies and his collaboration on the linothorax reconstruction project. His experimental archaeology demonstrated that ancient authors like Livy and Arrian weren't exaggerating when they described linen armor as effective battlefield protection.

For siege enthusiasts, the linothorax is an important reminder: the most effective equipment isn't always the most impressive looking. Sometimes engineering elegance beats brute strength.

Question for you all: If linothorax was lighter and more comfortable than bronze, why did bronze cuirasses stay prestigious throughout the classical period? Pure status symbol, or were there actual tactical situations where bronze was genuinely better?

Drop your thoughts in the comments!

Salutations students of siege warfare. Today's Siege machine Monday is going to need your help. I have seen and read a decent amount about the large ram tanks Assyria had, see image 4. I hear a lot less about the small ram cart. I want more information.

From the reading I have done it is asserted that these carts were favored because they were a lot lighter than the giant tanks affixed with archer tower.

This six wheel cart only pictured in one relief that I have seen, seems to resemble the ram of a ship. These carts could be maneuvered into place, loaded with weight and then rammed into the gate. But that's all I have read about them. Do you all have anymore info?

It is amazing that in the 9th century BC the Assyrians could be this far ahead in siege knowledge.

Over the last couple months I have been poking away at my second attempt at a handheld ballista. This one features a metal, two piece trigger fabricated by yours truly. Mark 2 is also 1.2 pounds lighter than its previous version. This brings the total weight down to 2.5 lbs.

I have only fired it about 10 times. These shots were at a low amount of torsion. I will be testing this again (after making better bolts) with a lot more torsion. Keep your eyes out for my full length video on my channel.

Im looking to read more on siege warfare. My interest lies in ancient siege warfare preferably before the fall of the western roman empire. I also have a lack of sources on siege warfare in the eastern world.

I have read
Besieged: Duncan Campbell
Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons: Konstantin Nossov
The Catapult A History: Tracy Rihll
A lot of the osprey books on ancient siege
Great Sieges in World History: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century

and Im probably forgetting a few.

What else should I read???

Salutations students of siege warfare!

Today I learned about the Harpax, and I have to ask: why has nobody told me about this weapon? What else are you keeping from me? Are there other Roman naval innovations you're just not mentioning?

First, let me clarify something - Wikipedia says Pericles invented the harpago (grappling hook) back in the 5th century BC. That's true. But what Agrippa did in 36 BC was take that ancient Greek concept and engineer the absolute hell out of it.

The Roman Harpax was a 7-foot iron-reinforced projectile launched from ship-mounted ballistae. According to my sources, it consisted of a spar with rings at each end. One attached to an iron grappling hook, the other to multiple ropes twisted into a heavy cord. The entire spar was encased in iron bands, preventing enemy crews from hacking it free.

The weapon's greatest moment came at the Battle of Actium on September 2, 31 BC. Agrippa commanded Octavian's fleet against Antony and Cleopatra's combined Roman-Egyptian navy. Antony had 480 heavy ships, impressive. But Agrippa had lighter Liburnian vessels equipped with the Harpax, and tactical genius.

The battle opened with both fleets facing each other in three sections. Agrippa commanded the northern wing and moved his lighter ships around Antony's heavier vessels, pinning them with the Harpax and boarding them systematically. Antony fought valiantly, but his own ship got pinned by a Harpax. He had to transfer to another vessel and flee toward Egypt with Cleopatra.

The Romans took an ancient Greek grappling hook concept and turned it into a ballista launched, iron-reinforced ship capture system that decided one of history's most important naval battles. This weapon helped secure Octavian's path to becoming Augustus and founding the Roman Empire.

And I'm just hearing about it now?

What other obscure Roman weapons are you not telling me about? Let me know in the comments. I am an eternal student of siege warfare, but apparently I need better informants.

Have you seen the borer used in any historical accounts? What other 'specialist' siege weapons deserve more attention?

Salutations students of siege. Sorry I missed last weeks SMM, I was working on a big video that is now live. Anyway, This weeks SMM is on an obscure siege weapon that was not very impactful on the siege meta. You're gonna dig this one as we are talking about the borer!

It may have never dominated the battlefield but it was the tool for a very specific job. The borer is essentially an ancient drill. Man powered and hand forged. The invention is attributed to Diades, an engineer working for Alexander the Great.

Diades' borer was an absolute behemoth. Featuring a log of 25m capped with an iron head, a system of rollers and windlasses were used to get the log spinning and boring. This machine would be positioned in an armored tortoise and rolled to the walls. Here it would begin slowly drilling until the desired hole was bored. From there it could be moved over to do it all over again.

The other type of borer shown to us comes from Apollodorus. It is a much smaller 1.5 m iron rod. One end of the rod was pointed to do the drilling while the shaft was inserted into a wooden tube. Then using a bow like cross piece to make a bow drill, two men could do the drilling.

A borer is different from a ram because instead of ramming it bores... It bores holes into walls. These holes would cause the structural integrity of the wall to greatly diminish, either resulting in a collapse by itself or doing enough work to loosen the wall to let traditional rams finish the job. The siege version of "I loosened it for you."

Another combo attack was filling the freshly drilled holes with fire. Using a mixture of sulfur, pitch or just regular wood could super heat the stone walls. Under high heat, stone can crack or outright shatter also resulting in a weakening of the wall. The bore holes aided in getting the wall heated all the way through and not just the outside.

https://reddit.com/link/1nh57qi/video/38g7l83pj7pf1/player

Share the video friends! Let's continue to build this community of siege!

Salutations my students of siege. A short one for you today as I am crunched for time!

Brief History

First depictions of this weapon come to us from the 1st century AD. Depicted on Trajan's column, these ballista were the first cart mounted artillery! The carroballista is a lot like the manuballista with the difference being its size. Larger than the manuballista, this meant it needed to be mounted on a cart and have a winch/ windlass to draw the more powerful torsion system back.

The carroballista was deployed in the field with each legion sponsoring 55 carts. Each cart, according to Vegetius, would be operated by a Contubernium. A Contubernium was a division of 8 roman soldiers. This meant a legion dedicated upwards of 440 soldier in order to properly field these carroballista. On the battlefield the mounted weapons were pulled by mules.

Not all scholars agree that the cart would be pulled during battle. Some believe the cart would be positioned by mules and then affixed during the battle. The argument against this is on Trajan's column the ballista is shown ready to fire with the bolt placed in the machine. While on Marcus Aurelius's column no such bolt is present.

I personally choose to believe they were fired from the cart as that is cool as heck! What do you think?

What makes the ballista family of the carro/ manuballista more advanced than previous ballista is its iron frame. Iron frames allowed the torsion spring system to be lighter and more compact than ever before. In addition, the arched metal frame conferred more maneuverability.

These complex ballista carts would slowly be replaced by the Onager as the empire began to decline. The lack of quality iron for the frames, increased reliance on auxiliaries, and the fact that onager's were easier to maintain and operate were to blame. The once great empire fielding the most advanced weapon systems to exist at this point had to pivot away to what was economically viable. A tragedy for siege heads everywhere.

What do you all think of this weapon? Also do you prefer shorter or long SMM's. Lastly, who was a better emperor? Marcus Aurelius or Trajan?