089 GREEK AND ROMAN ARTILLERY 399 BC - AD 363

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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.

Contents: Introduction, Arrow-firing catapult of the Greeks, Stone-projecting catapult of the Greeks, Roman artillery: Republic and Early Empire, Roman Artillery Revolution, and Conclusion.