This was the first instance of a mechanized torque device being used to propel a missile in history. Instead, they were mechanized long-range crossbows capable of shooting an arrow much further than a typical bow. These early catapults were not the long-range catapults of the middle ages. Siculus describes the siege of the island of Sicily in-depth and writes about mechanized long-range arrow throwers employed by the greeks. We get these descriptions of the catapult from the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus. For many historians, this is considered the first use of the traditional catapult. It is not until the ancient Greeks of the 4th century BC that we get accurate and in-depth descriptions of catapults. However, mentions of these early catapult designs are only in passing. Several historians have attempted to trace the history of the catapult back through these documents but not much has come of this as of yet. Historians have mentions of the ancient Judah King Uzziah installing giant machines that lobbed heavy stones on the walls of Jerusalem in the 8th century BC.Īfter appearing in Jerusalem we have reports of catapults in China and India however these are fragmentary and hard to place. The first mentions of catapults in history appeared in Jeruselam in the 7th century BC. The Catapult’s Creation: 399 BCĪ classical Greece defense tower armed with several anti-infantry catapults Without further ado, here is everything you will ever need to know about catapults and how they changed history forever. If in the end, you enjoyed this article then consider subscribing to the free newsletter and sharing around the web. Here at The History Ace, I strive to publish the best history articles on the internet. The third is the famous counterweight trebuchet. There are 3 types of catapults in history. Out of all the designs for catapults, there are 3 categories they all fit into.Ĭatapults changed how warfare was fought for over 1,700 years. First appearing in the 4th century BC the catapult was designed to easily increase the effective range of armies to allow for prolonged sieges and engagements over defensive walls. Notice the two generals at the top sitting on chairs and watching the siegeįor nearly 1,700 hundred years the catapult was the most feared weapon of war across Europe. Mongol warriors using a 13th-century catapult to siege a city.
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