ROMAN ARTILLERY

After examining the Greek origins of torsion-powered catapults, this book describes the machines used from the time of Caesar onwards, their dominance in the warfare of the Western world for over a thousand years, and their importance in the history of technology. There is extensive written evidence, both from surviving texts by artillery engineers and from descriptions by generals and historians of artillery in action. This is supplemented by relief carvings and archaeological discoveries of actual parts. This book includes updated reconstructions of the two designs of bolt-shooters used by the Roman army. Many of the illustrations have not been published before. The author has published and field-tested updated reconstructions of the Roman army's catapults based on his revised versions of the Greek and Latin artillery tests and the latest archaeological finds of catapult parts.